Page 64 of Friendshipped
A mosquito buzzes near my head and I swat at it in a futile effort to end that bugger’s life. Rob pulls out this three-foot-long skinny pole from next to his lawn chair and an electrical buzzing noise zaps with a tiny spark. He obviously killed the bug, and nearly gave me a perm in the process.
“Uh, Thanks?”
“No problem. I whipped this up last week. The one I ordered online didn’t do the trick. It was more of a bug napper than a bug zapper. It would knock them out momentarily, but they would revive with a vengeance.” Then without missing a beat, Rob says, “So, you took Meg out last week?”
“This town,” I say, twisting my mouth and giving a slight shake of my head.
“Is awesome.”
“Yeah. But you can’t walk out your front door without people discussing it.”
“So?”
“So, what?” I ask.
“You and Meg.”
“Not happening. She was super exuberant. Touched me all the time. She even hinted that she moved back to Bordeaux for a second chance with me.”
Rob studies me. Nods. “I’d move back for you. You’re a catch.”
“Thanks, sweetie, but you’re not my type.”
We laugh.
Rob reaches into the cooler to his left. “Want a drink?”
“Sure.”
“So, a beautiful woman touched you all night and was into you, and actually relocated to be with you, but you’re too wound up about your best friend to give her a chance?”
“That about sums it up.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are looking at a classic case of pathetic manhood.”
“I’m not pathetic,” I defend.
Okay, I have been borderline pathetic. And I’m not going to be anymore. I have to figure out a way around this situation. I’m tired of sitting on my hands, worrying about ruining my friendship with Lexi while I watch her go after other men. We could be good together. I need to make her see that.
“There’s steam coming out your ears,” Rob says with a chuckle.
“I’m so sick of being in limbo,” I tell him.
“You know what will bust through that?”
“What?”
Rob’s obviously sitting on the holy grail of solutions. I feel like he’s been holding out on me. He has my rapt attention now.
“Laura.”
“Laura?”
“You tell Laura you’re into Lexi and watch what happens. My ex-girlfriend is a powerhouse. She’ll make mountains move. But you have to be ready, as you know. If you set this ball in motion, it’s going to roll, and you may not be able to determine where it lands. You have to be willing to take the chance of losing everything. On the other hand, do you really want to stay like this forever, pining away for Lexi, living life stuck in the friend zone?”
No. I don’t.
Rob’s right. I have to take action. And to say Laura is a drastic option is an understatement. Asking for her help is like calling in a SWAT team when you left your key inside your house. A sane man would hire a locksmith. I guess where Lexi’s concerned, I’m no longer sane.
