Page 33 of Not My Friend
Kimberly
“You’ve been busy. I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Work has been busy,” I said, giving Tammy a remorseful look. “Sorry it’s taken so long for us to get together.”
My friend and I had been trying to find a time for dinner for three weeks now. Between my job and her work schedule and some other personal commitments, things just hadn’t lined up until tonight. Still, it was unusual for Tammy to comment on scheduling difficulties. We’d been friends since college, and this certainly wasn’t the first time we’d struggled to find a time to hang out.
“Oh, I figured you were busy with Gina. You’re still seeing her, right?” she asked with forced casualness.
Ah, that was why she was being weird. She thought I was blowing her off for Gina. Not that I blamed her, I’d done it before, back when we were first dating and I felt guilty every night I didn’t spend with my girlfriend.
“We’re still dating yes, but that didn’t impact you and I getting together,” I explained. “I only see her two or three times a week.”
“Really?” Tammy seemed skeptical.
I nodded. “Yeah. Things are different this time around. She has her own friends and her own life and understands that I have mine as well.”
“When are you moving in with her?” Tammy’s voice was more teasing now.
“I’m not. At least not anytime soon. We promised not to talk about it until we’d been dating for at least a year.”
“Wow, you guys really have changed.”
I nodded, taking a sip of my drink.
“I’m happy, Tammy. I know you’re still angry about what happened between us three years ago, but I’ve gotten over it. I’ve forgiven Gina and I’ve also forgiven myself for the ways that my own behavior contributed to our relationship issues. I hope you can be happy for me eventually.”
Tammy reached over to squeeze my hand. “If she is treating you right and you’re happy, that’s all I can ask for.”
Our conversation moved on to other topics as we finished our dinner.
“How would you feel about getting some ice cream for dessert?” Tammy asked. “I’m having terrible PMS and I really need sugar.”
“When have I ever said no to ice cream?” I scoffed.
When Tammy and I were in college, we loved ice cream so much we’d study at a local ice cream shop, slowly making our way through gigantic banana splits. We had a little more self-control now that we were both in our thirties and more careful about our health, but we still liked to indulge from time to time.
“Let’s walk so I can get extra chocolate sauce,” Tammy said.
“Sounds good. I’ve been cooped up in a conference room all day and I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs.”
The ice cream shop we favored was about half a mile away. We walked slowly, talking and looking in windows as we enjoyed what had become a lovely night. We’d just rounded the corner where the shop was when Tammy paused.
“Isn’t that Gina?”
I followed her gaze through the window of the shop where Gina was heading towards a table with an ice cream sundae in her hand.
“Yeah. That’s a weird coincidence. This isn’t even her neighborhood.”
I took a few steps then stopped as Gina set her sundae down on a table near the window. A large, very fit man jumped up, pulling her into his arms for a hug. Then, to my shock, he pressed his lips against hers. After a brief kiss, they pulled away a bit, keeping their arms around each other as the shared a secret smile. Then Gina leaned forward and cupped his cheek with her hand, the look intimate. The man gave her another brief kiss, this one on the forehead, then gestured for her to join him at the table.
I stared at my girlfriend, noting the air of intimacy she had with this man I’d never seen before. Not that I’d met any of her friends – it seemed too soon for that.
“Who is she with?” Tammy asked.
“I don’t know.”
My mind was racing. Who was this guy? Gina didn’t have any siblings, and she’d never mentioned any cousins. He couldn’t possibly be her coworker, not with the way he’d squeezed her into his chest and kissed her. Sure, it had been a closed-mouth kiss, but it was definitely a kiss.
