Page 142 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
On the bright side, the blond hair and vaguely orange skin make his green eyes pop even more. I have a hard time not trying to get a glimpse of them.
As Archie brakes to a hard stop at a crosswalk full of children on their way to school, I risk taking a sip from the mug he handed me. The coffee is really good. Not the cheap stuff I bought Monday when I went to the store. This is the stuff he’s been hiding from me.
Where did he say it was from? Frothy, or something?
I take another sip, thinking back through the crazy morning, including the thing that woke me up after I’d turned off my alarm.
“Did you knock on my door this morning?”
He shrugs. “I’d been waiting a long time for some sign you’d seen myothertwin.”
I roll my eyes, happy I can hold back the ‘thank you’ I thought I owed him for not letting me sleep through work. But, no, he simply got impatient for his prank to pay off.
But then he ruins everything by adding, “And I didn’t want you to be late for work.”
“Thanks,” I mumble and blow out a breath. “I mean…thank you. I really appreciate that you woke me up. I don’t know how long I would have slept if you hadn’t knocked.”
I glance at Archie, and he smiles. “And I’m driving you to work.”
I snort and smile back. “Thank you for that, too. I might actually be on time.”
Archie calmly presses the gas, passes a car at high speed and comes within inches of hitting it.
I grab the emergency handle on the door again and yell, “I’d rather arrive late than dead!”
Archie laughs but eases off the gas. “Everything’s under control.”
“Not my heart rate.” I loosen my grip on the handle and sit back.
He takes it easy after that, no longer gunning it throughveryyellow lights or swerving around cars, only going ten miles over the speed limit. I wouldn’t call the silence between us pleasant, but it isn’t uncomfortable either. My phone vibrates and I pick it up to find a question from my friend, Gwen, in the group chat we have with Christian, our other friend from Parsons. After the morning I’ve had, her timing is perfect.
With my feelings about Archie all over the map, I need encouragement from someone I know will always have my back.
How is Valente? Please say you’re killing it. We miss you!
I’m so tempted to tell Gwen everything that’s been happening, but a glance at both my purple-haired driver and the clock—it's seven forty—convinces me I don’t have the time.
I quickly text back:
Day 3. Send good vibes, no fabric checks today. I’ll update you guys later. It’s been a crazy week.
Within seconds, Gwen replies with a Timmy Chalamet good vibes gif. Girl knows me.
“What’s put a smile on your dial?” Archie asks.
“My dial? Do you mean my face?”
“Obviously. It’s an Aussie saying.”
Like I’m going to tell Archie Forsythe why I’m smiling. One mention of Timothée Chalamet, and I’ll never hear the end of it. It’ll be my Rhys-crush era all over again.
“Just a gif from a friend back in New York.” I silence my phone and slide it into my purse, in case any more Timmy pics come in.
“You miss your friends there?” There’s a genuineness in his question that I’m not used to from him.
I nod but can’t say anything around the sudden lump in my throat. I miss my friends so much more than I thought I would. I misshavingfriends. I could always count on Gwen and Christian to grab a drink with me and rehash what we’d learned in class or discuss how we’d implement different techniques in our own designs, or even listen to me whine about Nightmare Ashley. I would have lived with them if I could, but their place was more than I could afford.
“Are you happy to be back here?” Archie asks. “Happy you took the internship?”
