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“Hot
and sweaty sex, that’s what you need,” Jamie Lynn, better known
as JL, said as she threw clothes on Violet’s bed.
“Hot
sex. Hot sex.”
“Shut
up, Bird!” Violet’s hands were on her hips as she tapped her foot
and scowled at her annoying parrot, appropriately named Bird. “I
don’t need sex. I’m perfectly content with my life.”
“Perfectly
content? Bo-ring,”
JL sang out. “There is more to life than ‘perfectly content.’”
She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a top Violet had bought
months before but had never dared to wear. “Oh! This one. This
one’s perfect. John will love it.”
Violet
loved her friend, but they were so different. Violet looked like a
wholesome Texas girl, complete with freckles and a full head of blond
curls, while her best friend and roommate, JL, looked like a tattooed
pixie, complete with short lilac hair currently spiked up. The only
thing they had in common was their southern twang and short stature.
“I hope this John guy doesn’t think I’m having sex with him
tonight. God, I hate blind dates,” Violet groaned. “What did you
tell him?”
“That
my perfectly content,
wonderfully hot, sexually deprived best friend needed a
meet-and-greet with Little John.” She held out her hands about a
foot apart and winked. “I also told him Big John was invited to
attend the date too. But most importantly, I told him Little John
better be ready, willing, and able to take one for the team, because
your vagina called me last night and begged me to call John for you.”
“Vagina.
Vagina,” Bird squawked.
“Ugh!
If you don’t shut it, I’m going to cover your cage!” Violet
scolded Bird. “And as for you . . .” She pointed at JL. “I
don’t want to meet Little John tonight. I don’t even want to meet
Big John.” Violet scooped up all the clothes that JL had strewn
across her bed and began to hang everything back up.
“What
are you doing?” JL asked.
“I’m
not wearing any of these things. They’re too revealing and too
tight. You forget that I’m not a size zero like you.” Violet
stopped in midstep, let go of the clothes, and fell back onto the bed
with a groan.
“Trust
me—a little revealing is fine, Vi. And so is a little tight. I
assure you, men like your tits and ass better than my bony chest and
tiny butt. No offense, chick, but you need a little lift in the
wardrobe department. Scrubs with little yellow bunnies aren’t going
to get you laid. And anyway, since when are you self-conscious?”
“I’m
not. Not at all. I’m happy with my body; I just don’t want all
the goods on display.” She motioned to her chest. “You know I
don’t like to dress like that.” She grabbed a tiny pair of shorts
JL had tossed on the bed and flung them onto the floor. “Leave
something to the imagination and all that. And I’m not looking to
get laid. I’m just looking for a nice guy.” She took a deep
breath. “God, I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Just
shake it off, girl. It’s nerves. It’s been way too long since you
dated. You’re the one who’s been whining about not wanting to go
dateless to our high school reunion. Prince Charming isn’t just
going to knock on your door and beg to go on a date. You need to go
out and meet people, especially if you’re going to find a date in
two weeks.”
“Ugh!
I can’t believe it’s been ten years since I’ve seen most of
those people, and I can’t believe I agreed to go. I don’t know if
I want to go see all those pretentious jerks.”
“We’re
going. You, me, and Travis. Well, my dear twin brother doesn’t know
I’m making him go yet, but he’s coming. We all have to go. You
have absolutely nothing to worry about. Travis and I didn’t fit in
when we started junior year, so imagine what they’ll think now,”
JL said, indicating her tattooed arm. “You’re a nurse. Me, on the
other hand, I’m a bartender and Travis is a broke MMA fighter. So
suck it up, girlie, ’cause we’re all going. You have a couple of
weeks to find a date.” JL placed her palms on Violet’s shoulders.
“Take a deep breath.”
Violet
followed JL’s instructions.
“Tonight’s
just a date,” JL continued. “I was just kidding about Little
John. Big John’s not expecting anything more than a nice meal at
the Pier. I’ll be right there, and so will half the town. I made
sure you were at a familiar place, okay?”
Violet
closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. JL handed her some clothes;
Violet didn’t miss that JL had given her the too-tight jeans and
the too-revealing top. “And if it doesn’t work out tonight,
that’s cool too. You just go stag. No biggie.”
“You
don’t think it’s too soon to date?” Violet slumped down onto
her bed and began to squeeze into the clothes.
“It’s
been over three and a half months since your father died. Yeah, maybe
that feels soon, but before he passed you hadn’t been on a date in
months. Maybe years,” JL said. “And we can’t change the date of
the reunion.”
“I
have dated. Remember Joe?” She was inside her walk-in closet. “Oh,
and Tim. I dated Tim too. And there was a Tom and a Rob.”
“Do
you only date guys with three letters in their name?” her friend
teased. Violet tossed a scarf at her. “Seriously, Vi, those weren’t
real dates. I’m calling bullshit, honey. It has nothing to do with
your dad passing away. Even before that you never committed to
enjoying yourself. You have to close your eyes and say to yourself,
‘I’m going to try.’ That’s all I ask, that you at least try.
And not for the sake of the stupid reunion but because you deserve
happiness.”
“Hellooooo?
John? Date? Tonight?” Violet waved her arms and then pointed at
herself. “That’s me trying.”
“Do
or do not. There is no try.”
“What?”
JL
laughed and waved her hand. “Yoda. Star
Wars.
Never mind. The point is, you better commit to at least two hours,
and I don’t want to hear anything dumb, like how he chews weird or
has an uneven haircut.
