What a Coincidence

I woke up late the next morning with a pounding headache, and my frustration hadn't faded as I'd hoped it would.  I rocked my head back and forth.  I had been so tired I had slept without moving, and my neck was stiff from the way I'd had it positioned when I fell asleep.  I decided that yoga was a good choice, and moved mechanically through my house, getting ready for a 1pm class.  After 75 minutes of Yin, I felt better--physically and mentally.

I let the shower beat mercilessly on my neck and back as I pondered the events of the night before.  Someone who wasn't interested in me wouldn't remember my favorite deli, wouldn't massage a week's worth stress from my neck, wouldn't suggest alternate plans at the last minute to avoid cancelling a date.  Would he?  I nearly gave myself another headache thinking about it and decided to save the analysis for girls' night.

We were all meeting at Lauren's house at 8 for apps and a little pre-partying and then we planned to find somewhere to dance.  At 7:50, Cassie knocked on my door, wearing a hot little black dress and sky high heels.  "Well hellllllllllooooo, gorgeous!" I greeted her.  She curtsied and stepped in.

"So, I saw one large black SUV in your driveway for several hours last night," she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I frowned.  "Ugh.  Yeah.  I'll tell you alllllll about it when we get to Lauren's," I said.

"Hmmm," she responded.  "Not the answer I was expecting.  I'm intrigued."

We drove to Lauren's, picking up Kinsley on the way.  Lauren had a bunch of delicious looking appetizers and snacks set out, and we quickly filled up plates and wine glasses.  I looked skeptically at the empty wine glass in my hand and turned to her.  "Do you have anything stronger?"

She cocked an eyebrow at me.  "I have some vodka, and various things to mix it with, will that work?"

"Perfect," I said, grimly.

Once we were settled with drinks and food, I spilled the story of last night.  They were appropriately horrified and furious.

"Mortifying,"  Cassie declared, patting my arm sympathetically.  "What the hell is his deal?"

"So bizarre to go from fucking anything that moves to turning you down mid-hookup," Kinsley mused.  Lauren shot her a look. 

I blurted out the thought that had been bouncing around in my head since last night.  "He told me he never would have slept with Savannah if he had known she wanted more than he did.  What if we want different things?"

"No.  There has to be a good reason, and that's not it," Lauren insisted.  "You don't plan elaborate, amazing dates for someone you don't want a relationship with."  I was not used to Lauren being the voice of reason, but sex was involved, so I guess it makes sense.  Cassie and Kinsley quickly agreed, but I couldn't shake the thought and the hollow forming in my stomach.

We debated potential 'good reasons' for the next 15 minutes, eventually throwing out more and more ridiculous suggestions, until everyone was laughing.

"I know he's not waiting for marriage," I said, "but if he's decided to become a born-again virgin, I'm out of here!"

After we had settled back down, Lauren made a surprising announcement.  "Well, I met a guy.  And I think I might actually want to date him."  Lauren doesn't date.  She's never really been into it.  Something about "canned attempts to impress each other dissolving into indifference" getting in the way of good sex.  She sometimes found someone with whom to hook up with for an extended period of time, but even then she wouldn't let him take her on dates.  She told us about the guy.  She had met him through a networking event for her company.  His name was Quinn, he was 29 and lived in a nearby city.  She said they had left the event to get something to eat and had talked for 3 hours.  They were going out tomorrow.

By this point, I was two very strong vodka and grapefruits in, and starting to get antsy.  We walked to a nearby bar that does a DJ on Saturday nights (the actual clubs are full of underage college students with fake IDs, gross) and I immediately tugged Cassie up to the bar with me.  I am not usually a big drinker.  A few glasses of wine or a mixed drink here or there, but 2-3 is usually the most I drink.  I was already feeling a little buzzed from my two drinks at Lauren's house.  I ordered another, and we moved out to the dance floor.

The DJ was pretty good, but by the end of my third drink, my long week combined with our light dinner and my anxiety about the Brody situation had me a little wobbly on my feet.  I told Kinsley I was going to the bathroom, and walked there unsteadily.  I was running water on the insides of my wrists when the door opened, and I turned to see Savannah stroll in.  My heart leaped into my throat as I remembered her words to Kinsley and Lauren the other night.  I wasn't prepared to deal with her bullshit right now.

"Hi, Olivia," she chirped sweetly.  "Are you having a nice night?"  I regarded her carefully, trying to read her face and figure out the motive behind the syrupy sweetness.

"Yeah," I said, shortly.  "I am.  Thanks."  I turned back to the sink.

"I am too," she said, smiling at my reflection in the mirror.  "We didn't know you guys would be here though!"  I wasn't interested in taking the bait, and refrained from asking who "we" were.  I was curious, though.

"That's great," I responded flatly.  "Excuse me."  I pushed past her and walked out of the bathroom.

I returned quickly to Cassie, Lauren, and Kinsley and filled them in.  We watched Savannah flounce out of the bathroom and followed her trip across the crowded dance floor.  With everything that had happened, I half expected to see Brody was who she was there with, but I didn't recognize the guy she walked up to and put her arms around.  Lauren, however, gasped in surprise.  "That's Quinn!" she exclaimed.