Misconstrue

"five, SIX, gonna get your kicks."

I close the door of my locker after applying the finishing touches to my makeup. "Um, excuse me?" 

I smile as I look over at Samantha who happens to be laying sideways on a bench. "What business do you have looking so hot?"

I laugh at that then strike a playful pose. Today's choice for an outfit has me in a black jumpsuit, it's nothing fancy, except for the cut-out in the back. Not much thought went into my choice of clothing since the invitation came a little too late, hence I couldn't plan the intricacies of my attire before going to bed.

"Have fun." She sits up. "Where are you going anyway?"

I sling my small bag over my right shoulder with a sigh. "A friend of mine invited me to lunch with his other friends."

Samantha nods with a hum. "So, this friend is a male, who's already introducing you to those close to him."

I roll my eyes as I can tell what it is she truly wants to say. "Forget it, it's nothing like that." I feel my phone vibrate and that's all I need to know that Emilio's here.

She gets off the bench in a rush. "Whatever you say Smith. Hey why don't I walk you out?"

I shake my head vigorously. "Please, don't."

My plea goes unnoticed as she puts her arm around my shoulder and leads me out of the locker room. "I can do what I want since I'm still on my break. Besides I need to see this guy for myself, and maybe give him a piece of my mind."

I groan as we head to the elevator. "Promise me that you'll just look from the emergency doors."

The nurse lets out a sinister chuckle. "Look Balei. This friend of yours has paid attention to your schedule, and so it works out well that you get to eat something after a rather grueling shift."

"He's just being nice."

She ignores me. "Trust me, you only introduce a newcomer to your group of long-time friends when you've already made up your mind to keep said newcomer in your life, for a long while."

The elevator's ding drowns out my sigh. We get on the skywalk which is strangely empty. "He has a girlfriend."

Samantha flashes her hand at that. "She's inconsequential." I shake my head at her comment. "Girlfriend or not, I think he likes you."

Not that I would be able to tell. 

"Well, I disagree." I giggle as she shakes her head in disagreement. "And what's so wrong in taking your friend out for food after a long shift?"

I turn to look at her as we get on the escalator. "Love, that's a thing preserved for married health care workers."

I throw my head back with a deep laugh. "You're funny."

She tuts at me as the escalator ride comes to an end. "Does Ben take you out after your shifts?" I make a face. "And he's supposedly your best friend. What about your dad and step-bro? Do they take the time out of their own day to make sure you're fed?"

I cross my arms against my chest as we glide across the lobby. "You should've been a fiction writer."

The sliding doors open and we step outside into the late summer air. A quick glance of the empty pick-up and drop-off spots tells me that Emilio hasn't arrived yet. I quickly reach for my phone, but I can only frown when I spot the notification on the lock screen.

"Seriously?" Samantha steps closer to me as I tap the new follower request from Instagram.

"He looks familiar." I nod my head at that and she looks away.