They Never Said It Would Be Easy

June 1, 2018

I had a pretty good week at work. Bennett paired James and I together for a project. He gave us the recent manuscripts that have been sent in and tasked us with reading them all, each of us picking our favorites, and then convincing him why they should be published. Since it is only the first week, I have read one full manuscript and I am about half way through the second of five. Bennett says that our top picks will show him that we have knowledge of what type of book is currently trending and what book would be the most successful in the current market. Once 5:00 rolls around, I bookmark my page and start to pack my belongings for the weekend.

"Well that was a fun week, huh?" James asks as we start to head out to the parking lot.

"Definitely. It's nice to switch things up a bit. Reading for hours on end makes my eyes pretty tired though so I'm ready to go home, get in my pajamas, curl up on the couch and binge watch some tv."

"Don't forget about game night at Eli's! It won't throw too much of a wrench into your plans though, we all decided that comfy sweats were the move for tonight. See you in an hour!" Eli gets into his car and drives out of the parking lot.

How could I forget? I'm so tired, but I should probably stick to the plans and not bail again. I've slowly been getting back out there, spending time with my friends every once in a while, but I still like to spend some of my time alone. I have been so used to by hibernation that it's hard to go back to being social every weekend, but my friends deserve more effort from me. I can't be a hermit forever and I can't keep using Colin as an excuse.

As soon as I get home, I take off my makeup, take a long, hot shower, and then change into my comfiest sweats. Afterwards, I meet Morgan, Casey, and Connor in the kitchen so that we can scavenger the pantry for snacks to bring over to Eli's. We find some pretzels, goldfish, and fruit rollups. Of course, Morgan grabs two bottles of wine to bring over as well.

"Hey, we are adults now. What's wrong with sipping on some wine during a game night? At least we aren't taking shots right?"

She's wrong. Adding a bit of wine to one of our competitive game nights would make things pretty interested. We put everything in one of our reusable grocery bags and make our way towards Eli's apartment.

Without knocking, Morgan makes her presence known by throwing the door open and yelling "We are here!" I'm pretty sure the whole building knows of our existence now, but that's just Morgan being Morgan, and I honestly think that is something Eli loves about her. He comes out of the kitchen and pulls Morgan towards him, planting a kiss on her. They were clearly made for each other. He loves everything about her and she is always smiling ear to ear whenever he is around. I wonder if I'll find that again one day.

We all gather around the table and take our seats as Eli announces his game choice for the night. "I noticed that you guys brought a solid amount of snacks, and wine, props for whoever's idea that was," he looks over at Morgan and she gives him a wink, "so I figure that we will be able to stay up all night if need be. That being said, I chose a game that has the potential to last for hours on end." I know what he is going to say. Everyone starts to laugh because we know we are in for a long night. "Everyone pick a partner that you would love to do business with, because we are playing monopoly!"

Because there are more people than pieces, everyone has to pick a partner to team up with. Of course, the pairs end up being Eli and Morgan, James and Eva, and Casey and Connor, leaving me to fend for myself. I can't say I'm too surprised, I had to know that the teams would work out this way. Still, I am pretty bummed to be the, what, 7th wheel? I guess this is something I am going to need to get used to.

Then Eli chimes in, "Don't worry, Gigi. Brooks is on his way home right now. He said he would be your partner for game night." Morgan and Casey immediately shoot me a look from across the table. I try my best to say "shut up" with my eyes so that the others wouldn't ask questions and I think I pull it off because no one says anything. It is like nothing is wrong, except on the inside I am freaking out. My stomach is dropping like I am going down a massive hill on a giant rollercoaster. I had to know that I would run into him eventually considering he is Eli's roommate and he is dating one of my best friends. I just didn't expect to have to tolerate working with him all night. I am definitely going to be consuming copious amounts of wine tonight.