Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

Nat stands to walk with me and puts an arm around my waist. It’s not a big gesture but the significance is great. She’ll be my crutch when I need help standing. I always have her care and support.

We each pack a bag, I pop Bear in his cage, and then we’re off.

***

I just assumed Ghost would take us to a hotel.

I definitely was not expecting to find myself at Nik’s for a sleepover.

As soon as we enter the house, a smiling Ceecee comes over to see us and I panic.

OH SHIT! I BEAT UP HER DAD!

She takes one look at daddy-o and her face crumples. Max quickly walks over to her, kneels, and asks “Would you believe me if I told you Tina did this to me?”

WHAT THE FRICK, MAX?!?

I’m absolutely devastated that he would throw me under the bus like that. My heart pounds and my neck heats with nervousness. I love Ceecee. Now she’ll hate me.

I’m shocked when Ceecee narrows her eyes at her father and puts her hands on her hips and asks warily, “What did you do to Tina?”

Max chuckles and shakes his head as he says “Daddy was very silly. I went into Tina’s house without asking and she thought I was a bad person trying to take things. ”

I’m even more shocked when a now frowning Ceecee comes over to me and hugs me one handed around the waist. She looks up at me and says, “You must’ve been really scared, Tina. ” She scowls at her father and sternly commands, “Don’t ever do that again daddy, she must’ve been really scared!”

Bless her!

Max looks properly chastened and says, “Believe me, sweetie. Never again. I might lose a leg next time. ”

I look down at her concerned face and smile, “I was really scared, angel. And I’m really sorry I hit your dad. I thought I was protecting myself. If I knew it was your dad, I would’ve never hit him. ”

She smiles up at me before looking past me and squealing, “IS THAT A KITTY?!”

I chuckle at her enthusiasm. I make introductions. “Ceecee meet Bear. He loves hugs so you better cuddle him well, okay?”

Ghost opens the cage and Nat takes Bear out and puts him on the ground. Bear strolls right up to Ceecee’s chair, looks up at her and meows.

I realize he hasn’t had his dinner yet so I open my bag to pull out a few cans of wet food, hand them to Ceecee and say, “You think you can feed him, honey?”

She looks up at me with a face full of awe; you’d think I just told her we were taking a trip to Never Land.

She whispers, “Really?”

I act as casual as possible. I toss my arms up in a forget-about-it motion and say, “Oh yeah, he’ll love you forever if you feed him. ”

Just as I finish saying this Bear hops onto Ceecee’s lap, purrs loudly and rubs his cheeks on the cans of food in her hand. She looks up at me and smiles so beautifully. You can’t buy happiness like that. Bear is going to be well loved tonight.

Ceecee rolls her way over to the kitchen and Ghost motions for Nat and I to follow him.

Ghost opens the first door on the left hand side of the hallway. He escorts me in and I look around. It’s a beautiful guest bedroom. The walls are a rich burgundy color, it has a black feature wall behind the huge sleigh king bed on the right hand side of the room. There is a built in wardrobe on the left side. Long burgundy curtains cover the whole opposite side of the wall. There are framed tasteful prints around the walls and a door in the top left hand corner. Ghost points to it. “Shower. ”

I nod. Great, I really need a shower. Badly.

They leave me and I shut the door. I’m so tired I could fall asleep standing up. I force myself to snap out of it, taking my underwear and pajamas from my bag and head to the shower.

It’s a neat bathroom. Everything is in its place and there is decent soap and shampoo in the shower. It’s all manly fragranced, though.

I turn on the shower to hot. I want it to scorch my skin. I like my showers blistering hot. It makes me feel clean. I undress, hop in, and wash my body and hair in record time. I only sang ‘Working 9 to 5’ once. That’s how I know.