Someone Like You

Chapter 11 - Game Night

"You did what?" Zack asked, incredulous.

"I slept slept with him. Like we were both sleeping, in the same bed." I looked down at my feet, sheepishly.

"And you didn't have sex with him? Didn't touch his naughty bits in any way? He didn't try to crack into your honey pot?" Zack had pulled away from me now, apparently our dance routine was on hiatus until this bit of news had been fully dissected.

"We may have spooned. But I woke up before him both mornings so that he didn't wake up with me in his arms. I thought that might be weird?" I bit my bottom lip, realizing as I said it out loud how odd the whole situation was.

"That's what you think is strange? Snuggling? What about you dating Dr. Boring-as-fuck Colonoscopy and him dating Miss Utah?" Zack crossed his arms in front of him and looked disapprovingly at me.

"An excellent point, and a topic which we discussed, but not entirely to my satisfaction. Well, I mean, the night before the sleepover I had told him that I couldn't be friends with him because I loved him and wanted to have his babies but then his airway closed abruptly and we had to go to the hospital so that he wouldn't die." I was chewing on my inner cheek at this point, feeling very much like I was about to be grounded.

"You told him that you loved him and wanted to have his babies?!?" Zack's eyebrows shot up in alarm.

"Well not in so many words, no, but I gave him the impression that I liked him and that I couldn't be friends with him because I wanted more than he did."

"What does that mean 'you gave him the impression that you liked him?' Is that chick talk for you completely danced around your true meaning with obsequious metaphor and hyperbole?" Zack's hackles were up, I could tell.

"You know, I'm not really sure what I said. I was post-call, really tired and we'd just eaten this amazing dinner at Zoom. I remember crying and his face swelling up to the size of a watermelon and that's it. And aside from telling him that we could be friends, we haven't really talked about it since then."

"Are you going to see him again?" Zack's tone had settled a little, but he was still on high alert.

"Actually, I invited him to game night this weekend." I walked over to the side of the studio, picked up my water and took a swig.

"Yeah? Is he coming?" Zack walked over to the stereo, ostensibly to restart the music which had stopped.

"He said he was. I told him he could invite Miss Utah too."

Zack cocked an eyebrow at me, "And is she coming?"

"He didn't say. But I guess that means I will need to invite Sean. I'm going to ask Vanessa and Ashley too, so that we have an even number, unless you're bringing Andre?"

Zack sighed, "I'm afraid Andre and I have moved our separate ways."

"That's news. When did that happen? I thought you guys were doing really well."

"We were but he's just... God Jen, can I even say this? He's kind of dumb. I mean, I'm no Einstein, but he's the epitome of a dumb blonde. He has no interests other than sex and working out, he doesn't read books, he only watches the Kardashians and Real Housewives. He's never even left Utah for Christ's sake! I am a terrible person, I know, but I want something more, something real and significant. I want the whole package, not just a pretty package."

"Oh my God, Zack you are not a terrible person, and I know exactly what you mean. Andy is the whole package and I want him so badly and yet I am paralyzed by my fear of rejection that I don't dare risk rocking the boat by telling him how I really feel. I am such a coward. I don't deserve to be happy."