Status Meeting

Just a heads up:  Friday's post will be from the main storyline.  I don't have anything else ready to go for this week. 

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Tuesday I felt a little better, though still not 100%.  I was thankful to have this entire week off before starting my new job so I could take it easy.  Brody called me at lunch to check on me.  His concern was sweet, but I declined his offer to stop by after work.  I hadn't showered since our joint shower at his house Sunday and had no plans to shower today either.  Standing was still touch and go, and I had no desire to pass out in the tub.

By Wednesday I was feeling much better, and managed a shower and throwing together my own lunch. However, I passed on the New Year's Eve party that Kendra and Christian were throwing.  Brody offered to stay in with me, but I felt bad and insisted that he should go.  He dropped by after work and brought me takeout Thai and hung out for a little while before heading over to Kendra and Christian's house.  I didn't even make it to midnight.

It had been so long since I had been able to properly hang out with Lauren, Kinsley, and Cassie, so on Thursday we decided to blow off happy hour and have our own ladies-only happy hour.  I was finally feeling well enough to leave the house and I was dying to know how things were going Damien, if Lauren and Alex were hooking up, and how Cassie was liking working for Brody's company.

We went to our favorite Mexican place and were soon settled with chips, salsa, queso, and margaritas.  Kinsley updated me first, telling me that things went really well when she met Damien's parents.  She said that they were really normal and nice and they had seemed to like her, and she and Damien were spending a couple nights a week together.

"So is it weird?  Seeing the same guy every week?" I teased her.  She broke off a piece of chip and threw it at me, making a face.

"It is weird, actually," she admitted.  "But good weird.  I really like him.  He's so different than anyone I've ever dated--"

"That's a good thing!" Lauren broke in.  "The other guys you've dated recently totally suck, Kins." 

"I know," she replied sincerely.  "Damien doesn't suck.  It's really nice.  I've even stopped wondering when he's going to fuck it all up!  Dating older men is where it's at."  We all laughed at that.

"Speaking of dating older men," Cassie said slyly, "Ben's brother asked me out."  Cassie had met Ben through a mutual friend about a month ago, and had been interested in him.  She explained that in addition to not being interested in her, he actually ended up being seriously boring.  However, she had met his brother, who was not even close to boring, and they were going out this weekend.

"And how's work?" I asked tentatively.  I was still nervous about it not working out, since I had gotten the ball rolling on the whole thing.

"I love it!" she gushed.  "Seriously, working at Brody's company is awesome.  There are some really good perks, and there is a lot of eye candy in and out every day.  The hours are a little long some days, but the pay is worth it."  I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good!" I said.  "But if you change your tune in a couple months, I refuse to take responsibility!"

"That's fine," she retorted.  "I'll just hate your boyfriend instead!"

I turned to Lauren.  "So, Laur, how about you?  How's the work boyfriend?"  That's what we had taken to calling her coworker that she was hooking up with.  Her cheeks turned pink.

"Um, well, we're not really seeing each other anymore," she said casually.  "You know how it goes."

"No, actually I don't," Kinsley said.  "Tell us how it goes."

"It just....didn't work," Lauren replied, her face now bright red.

"Lauren?" I asked.  "What's going on?"

"I'm seeing someone else," she said quickly, not meeting our eyes.

"Alex?!" Kinsley and I asked, simultaneously.

She stared at us.  "How did you know?" she asked, after a long, pregnant pause.

"That is the best news ever!" Kinsley exclaimed.  I agreed.  Lauren was giving us a funny look.

"I thought you guys would think it was weird," she said slowly.

I shook my head emphatically.  "No way!  It's awesome.  Tell us everything!"  So Lauren explained that they had both had a little too much to drink at Kendra's wedding and had ended up hooking up.  Neither of them acknowledged it much after that, until a few weeks later when Lauren had driven him home one night, and ended up spending the night with him.  They had been hooking up regularly for several weeks now.

"But, there's just one small problem," Lauren said, sighing unhappily.

"...Go on," Cassie prodded her, when she didn't continue.

Lauren grimaced, then spit her words out like they tasted sour.  "I think I like him.  Like, actually like him.  Maybe even want to date him."

"And this is a problem because he doesn't feel the same?" Kinsley guessed.

"No, because he does feel the same!" Lauren moaned miserably.  We all exchanged puzzled looks.

"Laur?" I said gently.  "Why is that a problem?"

"I don't know how to date," she said with exasperation.  "I don't know anything about it.  How to act, how to talk, how to enjoy someone's attention as something other than foreplay.  Dating is terrifying!"

It was true.  In all the years I'd known Lauren, she had never, ever had a boyfriend.  After she had come back from her summer in Denver with her sister, before our senior year of high school, she had lived to taunt the boys that hadn't paid attention to her when her claim to fame was being smart.   In college, she had enjoyed the attention, but used it solely to get her physical needs met.  I always thought she still never quite believed that anyone would want to spend extended periods of time in her company without ulterior motives.  She had always seemed more comfortable just hooking up with guys.

"But Lauren, Alex already knows you.  You guys get to skip all the uncomfortable, awkward getting-to-know-you stuff and jump right to the good stuff," I pointed out.  "You don't have to worry about making a bad first impression--"

"Like by getting drunk and talking about work!" Cassie crowed.  I shot her a look, and continued.

"...or not having anything in common.  You guys already know those things about each other."

"It's true," Kinsley said.  "You'll just act and talk the way you normally would around him."

"It didn't look like you guys were having any trouble when we all met for dinner the other night," I added.

"So you guys really think I should go for it?" she asked hesitantly. 

"Yes!" we all chorused.

"Okay, okay!" she said, laughing.  She threw her hands up.  "I guess I have nothing to lose."  I beamed at her and Kinsley and I high-fived across the table.  "Okay, now you guys are being stupid," she scoffed.

I threw my arms around her, hugging her awkwardly.  "I'll even help you with your makeup for your first date," I said.  "Lord knows I owe you!"

"You guys better be right about this," she said.  "Or I'll hate you all."