Girlfriend On Mars

36. "His affection"

Thirty Six.

"His affection."

Jen found herself sat opposite Stephen Olvera two weeks later in a cafe tucked away off Vineyard street—a scenario she never would have imagined she'd be in. He was casually presented; a plain grey tee loose against his masculine figure, shoulders broad and wide, and black beach shorts at his legs. His tan skin glowed, thin brown eyes pooling into golden honey in the summer sunlight. Every time his lips parted in an awkward smile, Jen noticed his large squared front teeth that she wanted to mock so desperately. But in truth, they suited his face well, giving him soft and likeable character.

It was painfully obvious that Jen disliked Stephen, he knew it himself. While they waited to order, Jen continued to glare at Stephen but when their eyes met, she'd force a shit-eating grin to half please him. Instead of speaking to him, she folded at the napkins and childishly played with the condiment bottles. Truthfully, she was lost on what she should say. She'd invited him in on an impulsive whim and realised she hadn't planned that far ahead once they sat down.

"Um, what did you say your name was again?" He asked politely, leaning his elbows down against the tabletop.

"I'm Jen, I'm Marley's best friend." Jen said, pushing the napkins aside.

"Oh! Right. Is that why you wanted to sit with me?" He smiled. "How do you know me? Does she talk about me?"

Jen clenched her jaw. "Yeah, all the time."

"Really? What does she say?" Stephen asked eagerly, waving down a waiter from the other end of the cafe.

"Nothing interesting." Jen said, and Stephen's smile faltered noticeably at her flat tone.

A server swept over, taking Stephen's attention and their orders of two iced teas—appropriate for the near to sweltering sudden weather. Jen had seen Stephen out jogging and spontaneously pulled him up for a chat, slipping in an invitation to go and sit and talk. Welcomingly, Stephen had agreed without hesitation, not seeming to recognise Jen as the girl who'd twice yelled abuse at him when with Marley. He was yet to realise she was that girl. She didn't look dramatically different or dolled up. She had her ebony hair pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a spaghetti strap top which highlighted her taut, golden tan lines along her shoulders and her chest.

Once the iced teas arrived, Jen got straight to her point, not even pausing to sip at her drink. "So, what is Marley to you?"

"Oh, we're just good friends at the moment." Stephen said honestly, holding the straw at his lips.

"At the moment?" Jen asked, making it sound more like an interrogation than a conversation. "So, you have other intentions?"

Stephen laughed heartily. "Gee, I wouldn't say it like that, but I really like Marley, quite a lot. She's a wonderful girl."

"How did you meet her?"

"Our parents kind of pushed us together at first, but I feel like we've grown together naturally." Stephen said, smiling down into his glass at his own wobbly reflection. "I'm planning on asking her to be my girlfriend, like seriously. What do you think she'll say?"

Jen forgot to reply for a moment, staring stonily at the boyishly handsome Stephen sat across from her. She felt she loathed him in that moment, tremendously so. Her stomach was sinking and a foul, metallic taste was washing about her mouth, coating the lining of her gums.

"Jen?"

"Yes? Oh, I don't know." Jen said, glancing away from Stephen.

"Only time will tell, huh?" Stephen chuckled, finishing the last of his drink and pinching the straw out of the glass, then sliding it into the pocket of his beach shorts. "I've gotta be somewhere in ten minutes so I'll be off now. How about we exchange numbers?"