Midnight Message

Chapter 4 - Hot

As she lies in bed on Monday night Gemma thinks about her day. She’d volunteered at the library, caught up with Emily, worked on her essay in the early afternoon before picking Zack up from school. After dinner, which involved her mum insisting everyone share one good thing that happened to them that day, Gemma had finished her essay and gone to bed just after 9:30pm.

As she lies in bed, staring at her white ceiling Gemma can’t get her conversation with Emily out of her head. Gemma sighs. I really am boring. I did nothing even remotely exciting today.

She hears Emily’s cheeky remark ring in her ears. Hot! Gemma feels her cheeks grow slightly redder and her heart rate quicken. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I do find his confidence a tiny bit attractive. Ok, more than a tiny bit….

After this new revelation about her feelings, Gemma rolls over and stares at her phone. She hopes sheer willpower will cause Trent, this arrogant yet exciting guy, to message her. To her complete and utter shock, her phone vibrates. 1 new message.

Gemma’s heart slams against her chest as she snatches her phone off her bedside table. Am I telepathic? Did my willpower make Trent text me? I wonder what he wrote….

Gemma’s hands shake slightly as she taps on the new message.

It’s from Jan.

Gemma feels like she’s run into a brick wall as reality comes flooding back. Seriously Gemma. Did you actually think it would be him? Embarrassed at her silly fantasy, Gemma forces herself to sit up and read Jan’s message.     

Hey sweetie, thanks again for your help this morning! Frank wants to know whether you want to come to the VFL match on Friday afternoon. It’s a Richmond home game against North Ballarat.

Gemma reads slowly over the message. She pictures Frank in his Richmond gear, sitting in the stands yelling encouragement and advice to ‘his boys’. A smile creeps onto Gemma’s face. Frank’s passion is infectious. Whenever she attends matches with him she ends up cheering almost as loudly as he does. Almost.

Gemma decides she will go to the match with Frank. Beats sitting at home on Friday afternoon. Besides, I haven’t been to a VFL match in ages. Should be fun. Gemma types a reply to Jan and hits send.

Sure, tell Frank I’ll meet him there. Are you planning on coming?

You know me Gemma. I love my husband to bits, but he’ll send me deaf with all his cheering. You two have fun. Send my love to your family.

Gemma sets her phone back on her bedside table and snuggles back into bed. She briefly considers extending Frank’s invitation to her family but quickly realises that they’re all busy this Friday. Her dad is rostered on at the hospital, Zack is leaving for a 3 day footy trip that morning, Angie will be at her friend’s 18th birthday party and mum, well her mum will be home. But Gemma knows her mum would rather watch one of her cooking shows on TV than attend a footy match. Of all the Stantons, Gemma’s mum is the least into football. She doesn’t mind watching the Richmond game on TV or attending the occasional AFL match, but she rarely attends a VFL match.

With a pang of embarrassment Gemma realises that, while the rest of her family are out and about, she’ll be spending Friday afternoon with a passionate, 61 year old, football fan. Gemma loves spending time with Frank. With no grandchildren of their own, he and Jan treat Gemma like their granddaughter. However, Gemma realises that after the game, she’ll simply return home and spend Friday night watching a movie or reading a book. My social life is so active it needs a personal trainer. NOT!

Frustrated, Gemma runs through the rest of the week in her head. Tomorrow and Wednesday I have Uni. I’m so glad I finished that essay today! I can just relax in class and listen to everyone’s last minute questions about the essay. Wednesday night I’m babysitting Clara and Luke. Same for Thursday night. Friday, I’ll go to the Richmond v North Ballarat VFL match with Frank then spend the evening at home. Followed by volunteering at the Library on Saturday morning before spending the rest of the day at home. Again. Richmond’s playing that night in the AFL so I’ll probably watch that on TV. And Sunday. Well, hopefully I’ll catch up with Emily. We’re planning on seeing that movie in the afternoon….

Gemma considers her upcoming week. She’s pretty busy. And she’s doing things she enjoys with people she likes. It’s just that, nothing she’s doing is overly exciting. Some people might say she was boring. Angie certainly would. Gemma’s younger sister goes out almost every night. Sometimes Angie invites Gemma to come out with her, but Gemma’s not really a ‘party person’.

Gemma hears Emily’s voice ringing in her ears. Well here’s your chance to do something interesting. Suddenly, Gemma makes a decision. She grabs her phone and rereads the last message that Ego Boy had sent her. ‘You know you want me’. Gemma’s heart skips a beat as she reads over the message. So arrogant. And yet...maybe there is a tiny bit of truth to his words. It’s not that Gemma actually wants Trent. She just wants the excitement of reading his messages.

She creases her brow in concentration as she tries to come up with a witty reply for Trent’s last message. Finally she decides on a response and hits send before she can change her mind.

In your dreams, Ego boy.

Gemma throws her phone on the bed, as if it is poisonous. What have I done? It’s all Emily’s fault, if she hadn’t put the whole ‘bad boys are hot’ thing in my head I never would have….

Gemma’s thoughts are interrupted by the muffled sound of her phone vibrating on her bed. 1 new message from Trent (Ego Boy).

Feisty! I like it. But just admit it. I’m the one in your dreams.

Gemma rolls her eyes. How arrogant can this guy get? She holds the phone in her hands and stares at the words on the screen. After a minute, 3 new messages fill her screen, sent one after the other in quick succession.

I’m in your head and you can’t stop thinking about me.

You want me.

You need me.

Gemma drops her phone onto her bed and places her hands on her forehead in frustration. He. is. so. arrogant! So why can I feel myself blushing? Pull yourself together Gemma. He’s just a stupid, egotistical guy. She sends a reply.

Get over yourself you arrogant jerk. You are NOT God’s gift to women!

Aw, that hurt my feelings! Now you need to kiss me better ;)

Disgusted, Gemma clicks out of the message and snuggles back into bed. She looks at the digital clock on her desk. It reads 23:09. She converts the 24 hour time in her head. 11:09pm. That’s enough of Ego Boy for one night.

Her phone lights up and vibrates. 1 new message from Trent (Ego Boy)

What do you say Gem? Wanna come over to my place and kiss me better? I’ll let you kiss me anywhere baby ;)

Argh. LET me kiss him! Like I’d ever want to kiss HIM. Besides, he called me Gem again. He’s officially in my bad book.  

For the second night in a row Gemma sets her phone to silent and places it face down on her bedside table. One midnight message was enough. Tonight I want an uninterrupted, Ego Boy free sleep.