Page 70 of Ms Perfectly Fine
“Hello?” Nina’s voice was an instant comfort as it came over the intercom.
“It’s me,” Autumn said, shivering in the cold as others out for the evening passed her on the city street.
“Autumn? What are you doing here? Did Garrett call you?” Nina said in a flurry.
“Garrett? No, why would he call me?” Now she was not only feeling guilty about abandoning Elijah, but worried about what was going on with her best friend.
“I’ll buzz you up and we can talk,” Nina said, and the buzzer sounded.
The lift took her to Nina’s flat on the second floor. Autumn couldn’t reach the door fast enough.
“Is everything okay? Not like you to just turn up,” Nina said, in her pyjamas. Autumn noticed her puffy eyes. She had been crying again.
“I didn’t want to be alone,” she said simply, knowing that she could have just stayed at the museum and gone to Elijah to talk things through. She could still taste him on her lips, and the guilt churned up her stomach.
“Good, because neither do I.” Nina sighed, closing the door.
“Do you want to start?” Autumn asked, sitting next to her on the tangerine-coloured sofa in the middle of the sitting room.
“We broke up,” Nina told her, clutching a cushion to her chest.
If she hadn’t been able to see how upset Nina was, she would have cheered. “Why? I thought everything was fine.”
“We were, except he kept talking about moving in together. He thought since my lease is up next month, it would be perfect timing.” Nina sniffled, and Autumn reached for a tissue on the unicorn-shaped side table. “I said no, and he said it was only because I was nervous about living with someone.”
Autumn guessed where this was headed. “But you lived with Sophia.”
“Yep, and when I let it slip, he stormed out and told me we could either move forward or move on. So…I told him to move on.” Nina shrugged.
“It sucks to have your heartbroken, but I’m proud of you for sticking up for what you wanted. You can’t bully your way into living with someone,” Autumn told her, only to realise the irony of the statement. But her own situation was different. They had been strangers—though it still wasn’t the best start to a relationship, she had to admit.
“I almost had sex with Elijah on a sink,” Autumn blurted out.
“Good for you, but I’m going to need a bit more context.”
“We went to the charity dinner I was telling you about, auctioning tickets for the showcase. I thought it would be funny to use his paddle to bid on something.”
Nina’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, how do we get to the sink?”
“He wasn’t too pleased, but it was all in good fun and for charity.”
“Sure, expensive flirting, I get it,” Nina said, lapping up every word. “I’m intrigued.”
“After I won, I went to the bathroom because the others at our table were starting to stare.” Autumn tried to suppress a smile at her small victory.
“I see where the sink comes in. There are worse places. At least it wasn’t outside—that I wouldn’t recommend.”
“Yep.” Autumn buried her face in the side of the couch. “I don’t know what came over me…when he gets close, my brain turns to mush.”
“I need wine for this conversation.” Nina left her for the small kitchen the colour of cotton candy. “Want some?” she asked, and Autumn could hear her looking through her shelf dedicated to alcohol and mixers. Cocktails and movie nights were a staple ritual.
“No, but do you have some ginger beer? My stomach is in knots. I feel so bad for leaving him there.” Autumn grabbed the stuffed panda beside her and snuggled it under her chin.
“When you say you left him there, what do you mean, exactly?” Nina asked, handing Autumn the glass of fizzling ginger beer. Even the smell helped. She sipped until her stomach calmed down.
“We were interrupted, but he told me he wanted me. Not just for tonight, but he wants to trade our truce for a relationship,” Autumn told her.
Nina covered her squeal with her hand. “That’s great! I think he’s good for you. Though I’m not understanding how his confession is a bad thing or how you ended up here.” She frowned.
