Thunder and Lightning || Dodie Clark

IV. Not Exactly A Date

Out of all the places to run into an ex, I recommend not your local grocery store. Because you'll never want to go there again. And the next closest one is double the walk.

He looked the same. I saw his dark curls bouncing above the aisle and for a second I thought I was hallucinating.

He sounded the same. He has a tenor voice, but couldn't sing for crap. But I hadn't minded it when he sang in the cab or while he was in the shower. He asked Alice if they had any more tomatoes. They didn't.

God, it had to be there, and it had to be them. Lance doesn't even like tomatoes, so of course they didn't have any.

I did my best to avoid them. I went down the next aisle; the farther from them the better. I took the few things I had and decided that the rest could wait.

"You know," I could feel myself freeze, "I've been calling you."

"I don't answer calls." I didn't turn around. I would hate to see his face.

"I just want to be friends, Murrie." I sighed and turned around.

"Fine."

"Hey babe," She was shorter than me. She had the palest skin and lips painted red. "What's going on?"

"This is Murphy, you've guys have met before."

Yeah. When I came home to him cheating on me with you, but I don't think you know that.

"Hitting on my boyfriend are you?" she teased.

"I have a girlfriend," I blurted. I didn't know what to say and I couldn't see Lance's face without feeling that... worthlessness.

"Really?" The look on Lance's face was priceless, to say the least.

"Yep." I nodded and quickly checked out.

"Well any friend of Lance's is a friend of mine. Why don't you and your girlfriend come over on Thursday? Lance and I are having a small get together. Nothing major. Some drinks and card games," she suggested.

"Oh, umm, well--"

"You don't have to or anything." Lance shrugged.

"I'll talk to her about it, I'll see you around."

Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God.

"Where's all the groceries?" Dodie asked, but when she was my red face she stopped. "What happened?"

"I ran into Lance and I kinda sorta got invited to a dinner party thingy and also kinda sorta told them I had a girlfriend which I obviously don't have." The words flowed out in a jumble, some over running the others.

"What? Slow down," Dodie took the food and places them on the counter.

"I ran into Lance. Told him I had a girlfriend. Got invited to a dinner party."

"You should totally go!" Dodie jumped.

"Two problems: 1.) I am very single. 2.) Whyyy?"

"Two solutions: 1.) I can totally be your girlfriend."

Wait. For this instance or is my brain playing tricks on me?

"And 2.) We can fool them into thinking that your waaay better. But it's not like you aren't already, this is a way to really show off."

"Are you serious? You would do that for me?" I asked and her hands clasped on mine.

"Of course! We can show that loser how great you are. When's the dinner?"