Boy meets girl, girl falls in love, blah-blah-blah.
Let me be clear with you from the beginning. This is not that kind of story.
My name is Cait, and I live in the great city of New York. Okay, so maybe I've only lived here for a week and a half...
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"Where the hell have you been?"
Val's voice greeted me the second I walked into our cramped studio apartment, and I groaned as I shut and locked the door behind me. She was sitting on the loveseat tucked under one of our lofted beds, and she paused Netflix to wait for my response. I was scared to look at the screen, afraid I'd see Andrew's face on it, but luckily she was watching reruns of Bob's Burgers.
"I told you I was going to be late, Val," I told her, dropping my keys on the counter in the kitchen and opening the refrigerator.
Fried pickles and half a hot dog does not a full meal make.
Snagging a piece of leftover pizza from last night, I took a bite as I opened a bottle of coconut water. I had to wake up early tomorrow, and I did not want to risk getting a hangover. Two beers doesn't usually do it, but - after the night I've had - I can already feel a headache pounding at my temples.
"Yeah, but you're never home this late," she argued. "Besides, you didn't tell me where you were."
I rolled my eyes, "I was at a bar."
"WHAT!?" Val sat up on the couch, dropping her favorite fuzzy green blanket on the floor in the process. "Why? Did you meet someone? Was he cute? Tell me!"
"I met a bartender named Matt," I told her snarkily, taking another bite of cold pizza. Pepperoni was my soulmate.
She groaned, "Aren't you funny."
"Matt the bartender thought so," I teased.
Val grabbed one of the throw pillows from behind her back and threw it at me, narrowly missing the open bottle of coconut water in my hand. I scowled, sticking the pizza in my mouth to hold it, and reached down with my now-empty hand to grab the pillow and throw it back at her.
Pulling the pizza out of my mouth, I chewed slowly before plopping down on the tiny loveseat next to her.
"I got stood up," I told her softly.
"You did meet someone!"
She slapped my upper arm lightly, and I frowned, "Someone who told me to meet him at 8:30 and didn't show until I was on the street leaving two hours later."
"Awww," her expression softened. "I'm sorry, babe. That's better than getting straight-up abandoned though. He showed eventually! Did he have a good excuse? Did you make a plan to see him again another night?"
I wrinkled my nose, stuffing another bite of pizza in my mouth so I didn't have to respond.
"No," I mumbled with my mouth full.
"Cait!" Val cried. "Why not? Was he a jerk about it? Was he ugly?"
I grimaced, taking a swig of coconut water before speaking, "No and no. I don't know...I panicked. You know I'm not looking for anything right now, I guess I took it as a sign." I sighed, "It's complicated."
