Page 41 of The Lover
When Chrissy said it like that, it sounded strange but I didn’t care.
“Yes. Jake Talley is one hundred percent officially, my former ex-husband and current boyfriend.”
“You guys are so weird.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Chrissy was home from school, and we decided to hang out on Friday night. We were at Pete’s, she was having a beer but I had decided I didn’t want to drink. I told myself it was because I had to be up early for my shift tomorrow, but the reality was my last time drinking at Pete’s didn’t end so well. Like nearly getting raped by Bobby MacPherson. So I wanted to keep a completely clear head.
“We are Weird Jake and Ellie.”
“But you are so freaking lucky! Jake Talley is the hottest guy in town. I’m bummed I didn’t even have a chance with him.”
“Sorry. All mine.”
“But what if you guys get married? I mean married again. Then you will have had Jake and only Jake forever. Doesn’t that worry you?”
“Uh, that’s a big no. Besides, you say it like it’s so unusual. Maybe it’s not the norm now, but plenty of couples around here married their high school sweethearts. Look at the Pettys. I think Mrs. Petty said she started dating Mr. Petty when she was like fourteen. They are probably each other’s only.”
“Ewww, can we please not discuss the Pettys and their sex life?”
“Fine. Then let’s talk about yours. Anyone interesting at school?”
Chrissy huffed. “First there was Greg, and he turned out to be a jerk. Then there was David, and he just wanted in my pants, which can I just say was not all that great when I finally caved. Then he just dumped me. Now there is Eric, but I’m not sure if we’re going to make it over the summer.”
I didn’t say anything. Just sipped my soda and thought how not-awful it was that Jake might be my one and only. The sex was mind blowing, he was definitely not an ass, instead he was the opposite.
Everything was perfect. My scale was set to ten daily. I wasn’t even bothered by the fact that he hadn’t said he loved me or anything. It was too soon for that anyway. Just because I was there didn’t mean we both had to be at the same place, at the same time. Eventually he would get there.
I was certain of it.
“Oh, and did I tell you about Bobby MacPherson?”
“There is nothing I want to know about him,” I told her.
“No, seriously. He’s in jail.”
“Oh my god, tell me he didn’t drug another girl.”
“No. It was drugs. Cocaine. Not just possession either, but intent to sell. How is that for justice?”
I didn’t want to feel good about someone being in jail, but yeah, I kind of liked that he had to pay for something he’d done. Jake, I knew, would be thrilled. I almost texted him, but I didn’t want to be one ofthosegirls. The ones where as soon as they had a boyfriend, he became the world and everyone else got shoved to the side. Chrissy was home and this was our night and I was going to stay focused on her.
“Hey Chrissy, I didn’t know you were home. Buy you a beer?”
I looked up and saw that it was Alex, who Chrissy had dated junior year, standing by our table.
“Hey Alex, I didn’t know you were home either.”
“A couple weeks. You?”
“Just last week.”
“Hey Ellie.”
“Hi Alex.”
“Let me go get you a beer and we can catch up. You too, Ellie… Jake’s not around anywhere, is he?”
Yet another example of the Jake intimidation factor at work. It was a good thing we actually ended up being a thing, or I really might have gone to my grave as a permavirg.
