Whirlwind

(8) new best friend

LIBBY

***

"So wait... he kissed you."

I shrug and she laughs. "He kissed you!?" She says it louder that time and I have to shush her, looking around at the kids on the other tables surrounding ours.

I nod and my cheeks go red.

"Are you sure you weren't imagining it?" She asks and my cheeks go redder, but with frustration this time. As if I'd make it up.

"Steph. Yes. He kissed me. Why would I lie about something like that?"

She looks at me and her smile disappears. "I... Sorry, that wasn't a nice thing to say. I'm just shocked. He's so..."

"Yeah I know. It shocked me too." I shake my head and drop it into my hands. "He's such a knob!" I say loudly and she laughs. "Ugh!"

I hadn't told her that it was me that may have potentially instigated the kiss. I'd said it was him. It just came over me all of a sudden. Although, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure if it wasn't both of us.

I tip my head back up after she taps my hands.

"Do you reckon it's going to come of anything?" She asks, looking at me with big brown eyes.

"Steph. Can you really see it going anywhere?" I give her a dry smile and she smirks and shakes her head. "No."

"I just wanted to check."

"Well he's obviously got it out of his system. After he just left yesterday... And trust me, I'm not going there again. No way."

I drop my head onto my arms on the table and feel her put a hand on my head. I muffle a laugh.

"You know when you said you wanted to talk about something... I wasn't expecting it to be something like this." She giggles. "You're way more exciting now. As if you bag a hottie on your first day?"

I look up from my arms and she's looking at me with her head balancing on her hands, her fingers cupping her face.

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

She giggles. "Was he a good kisser at least?"

"Steph!"

"What?! It's a valid question..."

She wiggles her eyebrows and I sag in defeat.

"I want all the juicy details," she says.

I really wish Lo was here to tell as well. I'd ring her soon to tell her, but for now Steph would have to be my new confidante. I just prayed she wouldn't be judgemental about it. She didn't seem to be so far, which was refreshing. But it's not as if I actually like the guy. I just had a momentary lapse of judgement. And I'm now very much over it.

"Well... he'd just helped bring up my shopping. Then he put it down and then he just kind of stood there awkwardly. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there too."

"Oooh, a play by play. I love it. Continue," she gestures with her hand and sits back in her seat.

"I just... kind of stepped forward. I think he thought I was going for the bags. So he moved as well. And then we stood, like, less than a foot away. Then he closed the gap," I closed my eyes, remembering.

"You liked it, didn't you?" She giggles.

"Maybe..." I joke with a half shrug. "I haven't been kissed like that since I was eighteen and it was my ex-boyfriend Jack. Anyway. I digress..." I scratch my head and pick at my food, trying to get my story straight.