Back To You (gxg)

Part 15

The next day in the office, I found out that Saturday was Danielle's 27th birthday- and she was inviting Riley, Demarcus, Xander, Marie, Tim, and I to go out with her and a couple of her other friends that night. They were planning on doing a bar/club crawl in a town about a half hour away from me that was filled with places to go out on their Main Street.

Tim wasn't able to go, as he already had plans- but the rest of us were going, along with Marie's boyfriend, Nathan, and Xander's fiance, Alexandra.

And once again, I was excited to see Riley outside of work.

We all decided that we would carpool together based on where we lived. And I wound up with Xander and Alexandra, who I learned lived only 5 minutes away from me, and Riley. Xander would be driving us.

Stephanie and I got ready together- as she was hanging out with Johnny.

We stood in the bathroom together, doing our makeup in the mirror. The room smelled lightly of smoke from Stephanie's flatiron that was turned on.

"I don't know why I am getting so done up." Stephanie said, "I'm just going over to Johnny's apartment to watch movies."

"Ah, yes. To watch movies." I said to Stephanie, with a wink.

She laughed and said, "You get me. Hopefully it's much more than watching movies."

I hadn't told Stephanie yet about how Riley and I kissed. So far, I had only told Carmen. Telling more people made it so much more real, however I knew I couldn't- and shouldn't- keep it from Stephanie.

"Who knows?" Stephanie said, "Maybe you'll meet someone hot tonight as well."

I turned to Stephanie and said, "Yeah, about that..."

She faced me and said, "Let me guess. Something happened with you and Riley?"

I felt my cheeks get hot as I said, "How did you know?"

"Oh, please. It was beyond obvious you like her. What happened?"

"We kissed." I said, "Well, twice now. Once last weekend. And then this past week as well."

Stephanie's dark eyes widened, "And you're just telling me now?"

"I'm sorry!" I said, "Saying out loud makes it very...real? Not that I don't want it to be real, because I do, of course."

"I understand." Stephanie responded gently, "This isn't what you planned for or what you were expecting. But that's how life works sometimes. Embrace it."

"I'm definitely trying to." I said, "Riley makes it easier to do so."

"No wonder you're looking extra hot tonight." Stephanie said, "Don't think I didn't notice the extra cleavage showing."

"Hey, I have to dress to impress." I said to Stephanie, with a chuckle- and I sprayed some perfume on my neck and collarbones.

Xander and Polina picked me up before Riley. I had met Alexandra at the bowling event, and she was very sweet. She was a tall, slim woman with light blonde hair in a bob style.

"I am yours and Riley's chauffeur tonight." Xander said, jokingly when I got in the backseat.

"Jenny, good to see you! You look beautiful." Alexandra said to me.

"Thank you, Polina. So do you." I said to her. She did look very pretty- she wore a short, black dress and her makeup looked really bold- in a good way.

"Now we are en route to Riley." Xander said, "According to my GPS, she is 15 minutes away."

I realized that I hadn't seen yet where Riley lived- however when we pulled up to the apartment complex she lived in, I immediately recognized it, as I had friends that lived there growing up.