Читать книгу After She Said Yes - Kaya Gravitter - Страница 8

Aurora started to move on with her life and forget about Gannon. She was still staying with Tessa. Aurora would spend most nights reading by herself or watching romantic comedies on Netflix with Tessa. She had seen every single one, even the one-star movies. She was trying to distract herself as best as she could. She wanted to message her friend Melih to see what he wanted to tell her, but she didn’t want to pry or annoy him. She also realized that if it was any information about Gannon cheating, it would only make things worse and all of her progress would be purposeless.

Aurora had not been out in weeks since she found Gannon with Shazzy, until one afternoon when Tessa sent a text to Aurora while Aurora was at her desk editing an article for her magazine. She kept staring at her protein shake on her desk and forcing herself to drink it. I am so sick of the taste of this, she thought as she swallowed down the lukewarm butter pecan-flavored drink. She heard her phone ding.

"Hey, you want to go out tonight?" Tessa said.

"No, not really…"

Aurora thought about how she had been sulking for months and wanted to dress up and feel pretty again. What do I have to lose?

Aurora took another sip of her protein shake.

Aurora hesitated, "You know what, yeah, let's go out, but I want to remind you that I cannot drink alcohol because the doctor said it does not mix well with my anxiety medicine."

The day went on, and Aurora kept thinking about how ugly she was. She wasn’t confident at all. Gannon had made her feel like she was so ugly and fat. She thought since she saw herself that way, the rest of the world did too.

Aurora went to the bathroom later that day after her lunch break. The tiles on the wall were black, but the lighting was very bright. While was washing her hands in the sink, she looked at her face closely in the mirror. She then pulled back her cheeks. Wow. These bright lights in here hide no flaws. She let out a large sigh.

She stared at the bags under her eyes. She got depressed about how thin she was. Why did I let a man do this to me? She then unbuttoned her suit coat and could see her ribs through her shirt. She started to cry. I do not even know who I am looking at anymore. Who am I? What have I become? She thought she was seeing a skeleton in the mirror. She immediately regretted telling Tessa she wanted to go out with her that night. She first grabbed some tissues to dry her tears.

Aurora called Tessa while she was still in the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

“Tessa.”

“Yes, Aurora?”

“I don’t think tonight is good for me,” Aurora said.

“No way!” Tessa said. “You said you were free tonight! You told me yesterday."

Crap.

“Uh.” Aurora said. “I forgot I have a business meeting tonight.” She looked at the coffee stain on her shirt in the mirror.

“Dude, no you don’t,” Tessa said. “Let’s go out. Please. You need this. I am sick of seeing you so unhappy.”

“Fine,” Aurora said. “I am just…”

“Just what?” Tessa said.

“Sad.”

“Come on, Aurora.”

Aurora looked at herself again and lifted up her shirt and saw that one of the old bruises Gannon left was finally gone.

“You know what,” Aurora said. “I just don’t feel beautiful today.” She tried to put her hair behind her ears.

“You are gorgeous!”

“You are just saying that because I am your best friend. So your opinion is biased.”

“It may be biased, but I am not wrong,” Tessa said. “How about this? I do your makeup and your hair tonight and we can go to that Korean place tonight!”

“Okay. Fine,” Aurora said. “You win.” This will be the first time I eat an actual meal in God knows how long...

“No, we both win. I promise you will have fun tonight.”

“Okay then. I have to get back to work.”

“Okay!” Tessa said. “I will see you after work.”

--

Aurora got home from work and saw Tessa on the couch. Above the couch, there was a collage of Aurora and Tessa on the wall. Aurora was cheesy, so she loved to get cheesy gifts like that for people. Tessa owned a small two-bedroom townhouse in the outer suburbs of Madison. The kitchen was at the entrance. Also by the entrance was the kitchen table, which Tessa and Aurora used as a makeshift shelf to place their things. It was just far more convenient than getting an actual shelf to hold their keys and purses. Tessa loved to sit on the couch in the small living room after work and watch Gilmore Girls while sipping on a cup of coffee. Tessa was always so relaxed but peppy at the same time, and she didn’t even smoke weed. However, Tessa was also very blunt.

Tessa said in her peppy voice as she saw Aurora come through the front door, “Heyyyy. Excited for tonight?”

“Ecstatic.”

“Really?” Tessa asked.

“No. Not one bit,” Aurora said as she took off her jacket. “You should know my sarcasm by now.”

Aurora set down her things on the table and sat on the couch. “I don’t know what to wear tonight.”

“This is exciting!” Tessa said.

“Really?” Aurora said. “Well, of course it is for you! You love choosing outfits for people to wear.”

People dressing was a hobby of Tessa’s. It could have been a profession for her because she was so good at it, but she said she would rather be a dentist because she “loves teeth.” She had a nice bright white smile, too. Aurora didn’t know how Tessa’s teeth never stained from all the coffee she drank.

“Okay,” Tessa said. “Just don’t get used to it.”

“Do you have any black shirts?” Tessa said.

“Maybe like one. I always wear blue,” Aurora said. “You know that.”

“Okay, you can borrow one of my shirts. You should always have at least one black shirt. I’ll even do your hair, but you have to do your own makeup.”

“Uh… But I haven’t worn makeup in months.” Aurora used to love doing her makeup before Gannon made her stop. She thought it always expressed who she was without her having to say a word. “You know what. It will be fun to do my own makeup. Though I am sure if I do winged eyeliner it’ll look more like more like squiggly lines a child drew.” They both laughed.

“That is what I like to hear. You are at least happy to do your own makeup,” Tessa said. “Now let us go pick out one of your outfits.”

“Okay, mom,” Aurora said, and then Tessa rolled her eyes at her.

Tessa did a blowout to her hair and Aurora’s. Aurora was worried she looked like she was some model you’d find from an old 80’s magazine. They both had on jeans and black three-quarter-sleeve shirts. They both looked hot. Aurora had put on gold eyeshadow and winged eyeliner. Nonetheless, Aurora was feeling pretty and feeling herself that night.

Aurora and Tessa decided to have dinner first before going out. They drove into the city and parked next to Aurora’s office. They walked to their favorite Korean restaurant. They tried to walk everywhere as much as possible since it was a cheap form of exercise and burning off the huge amount of food they would eat. Aurora ordered the bibimbap, which was her favorite dish. She hadn’t eaten it in so long, so it tasted amazing to her. Tessa would get her usual, the chicken katsu.

After dinner, they went to their favorite club in Madison called The Old Fashion. The décor reminded you of a speakeasy from the 1920s. There were leather booths and mahogany-colored curtains draped over the windows. The dance floor was made out of wood. They knew the drinks were always good and there were good-looking guys, which was the welcomed distraction Aurora needed. Aurora didn’t really drink because it didn’t mix well with her recent PTSD medicine she started taking, but seeing some hot men was just what the doctor ordered. The club was the hotspot for staffers from the state capital and lawyers from around town. This was the perfect place for successful and good-looking men. So Aurora and Tessa knew that there was no doubt Gannon would not be there.

Tessa and Aurora sat at the bar. Aurora’s first drink was a virgin mojito. Tessa’s drink was an old fashioned because that was the specialty at the bar. Frank Sinatra's song “The Way You Look Tonight” was playing in the background. It was swing music night.

Aurora and Tessa sat and talked with each other for a while about life while they scoped out the attractive men, though their talking seemed more like screaming because it was so loud inside. Aurora kept stirring her drink with a short black straw.

“Do you think that guy over there is cute?” Tessa asked. Aurora looked up.

“Really? To be honest?” Aurora said. “I am not interested in looking.”

“Just look over there!” Tessa said. “It will not hurt you.”

“Fine,” Aurora said as she turned her head and locked eyes with the guy. She started to laugh. “Ha! Do you mean Mr. Jersey Shore over there?”

“Don’t stare, Aurora!” Tessa said. “I meant the blonde guy next to him.”

The two guys were now staring at Aurora and Tessa.

“Is Jersey Shore really walking towards us?” Aurora and Tessa looked at each other with deer-in-the-headlights looks. “Great. I unchained the beast.”

“Crap!” Tessa said. “Let’s pretend we didn’t see him.”

“Tessa, he looks like a guy who spends a couple of hours a day at the gym but definitely misses leg day.”

He was attractive, but his bulging muscles overshadowed his face as if he had no neck. Aurora wondered how he could fit his arms through the shirtsleeves.

Aurora said in Tessa’s ear, “He seriously looks like he just got out of the Jersey Shore and fell asleep in a tanning bed.”

“He is right behind us, isn’t he?” Tessa said as she felt the muscular man with a buzz cut approach them. “Crap.”

“See,” Aurora said. “This is why I didn’t want to look.”

The guy said, “Hey, where are your boyfriends?”

Aurora said, “We don’t have any.” What? Why did I say that?

The guy seemed excited and acted like he had won the jackpot. “What are your names?” he asked. “I’m Eric.”

Aurora spoke because Tessa was the shy one when it came to talking to men. Aurora was never shy because she had always been in a relationship and didn’t care if she embarrassed herself.

Aurora said, “I am Tanya, and this is my friend Veronica.”

One thing that Aurora would do if she went out with anyone was use the name “Tanya.” She never wanted anyone to know her real name. Aurora and Tessa would both use fake names, because if a “bro” asked them for their names, they would do it without hesitation, as if they knew what each other was thinking.

“Nice to meet you, pretty ladies.” He then pulled his friend over. “This is my friend Jack.”

Jack was easy on the eyes. He had blonde hair and a bright white smile. Though it was dark in the club, it seemed like he had brown eyes. He had to keep putting his fingers through his hair to push it out of his face. He was tall and skinny. He definitely looks like a staffer from the capital. He was definitely a politician type. Jack and Eric seemed completely opposite. Aurora wondered how they could have become friends. She then chuckled out loud.

“Hey,” Jack said nervously.

Aurora raised her eyebrows, “Hey, what are you guys doing here tonight? Trying to find some chicks to take home?” She laughed awkwardly to herself. Wow. You are so smooth Aurora. Not...

“No, my pal Jack just got out of a relationship,” Eric said, “We are trying to find him a pretty girl to talk to.”

Jack nudged Eric with his elbow and said in his ear, “Why did you tell them that?” It seemed Eric wasn’t all that intelligent, and that Jack was the brain in their friendship.

Jack looked toward the girls. “Well, yeah, I did just get out of a relationship, but I am here to have fun.”

Jack looked in Aurora’s eyes, “What’s your name?”

“Ahhh. Tanya.”

“Wow, your name is almost as beautiful as you.”

Aurora rolled her eyes, “I am sure you use that on every pretty girl.” She put her hand to her mouth in dismay. Oh! I just called myself pretty! She smiled.

Jack said, “No, just to you. To be honest, I have been out of the game for a while. I don’t know what girls like anymore.”

“Well, I am a woman, so….”

“Ohhhhh, you are confident! I like that. How about we both stop talking and go dance?”

She shrugged her shoulders and remembered how unhappy she was when she looked at herself in the mirror earlier that day. I guess I have nothing to lose. I mean, he seems awkward like me. I cannot let these moments keep passing me by unless I want to die old and alone.

“Let me ask my friend first.” Aurora could hear Eric and Tessa talking about working out. Tessa did not look too thrilled at the conversation. Tessa waved her hand at the bartender for another drink. Tessa kept looking down at her drink and stirring it.

Aurora tapped Tessa on the shoulder. “Is it okay if I go dance?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll find you if I need saving.” They both laughed. “Which will be pretty likely.”

Aurora and Jack went dancing on the dance floor. Jack had to be over six feet, and Aurora was just over five feet. She was grateful she wore her dress boots that had a three-inch heel that night. They tried to dance, but it was extremely awkward because it seemed like Jack had two left feet.

Aurora felt someone who wasn’t Jack grab her hand and pull her. She couldn’t see who it was at first. Then she realized who it was.

It’s Melih? Oh my God. It’s Melih dancing with me!

She was shocked because she thought it was out of Melih’s character to do something like that, but she liked it. She felt like a schoolgirl as the feeling of electricity ran through her veins. Her heart started to beat fast and her breaths became shorter and shorter. Melih’s hands were warm and soft. His grip was strong but gentle. He interlocked his fingers with hers. His cologne and sweat smell was intoxicating to her. She looked up at him and smiled as she stared at his lips. Is this really Melih? But he is too hot for me! He is Gannon’s friend.

“Hey!” Jack said as he pulled on Melih’s arm. “I was dancing with her!”

“It’s okay,” Aurora said as she touched Jack’s forearm. “He’s my friend. Give me a minute.”

“Sure,” Jack said as he rolled his eyes. He stood there for a second and slowly walked away. Melih grabbed Aurora’s hand tighter. He then started to spin Aurora.

“Well, hello Melih.” She looked up into his eyes and smiled as she saw the lights reflected off of his eyes. She had never seen him like that before.

Melih still hadn’t said a word. He just kept dancing with her. Melih was a great dancer and light on his feet. When he was a teenager, he had sneaked out of his home at night to attend ballroom dancing classes. That and he always wanted to be a whirling dervish as a child.

“What did you want to tell me the other day?” Aurora said.

Melih twirled her around his hand and pulled her close. “It vasn’t about Gannon,” he said.

Finally, he said something!

Melih said, “Rora, I am shy to say.”

Aurora replied, “Don’t be shy. What’s up?”

“Rora…. I can’t,” Melih said. “You are Gannon’s girl.”

“What? I am not with him anymore. I am divorcing him.”

“Really? He is telling everyone you are getting back together.”

“Absolutely not!” Aurora yelled over the music in the background. “I have been ignoring all of his calls, texts, and messages for over a month now.” Blood rushed to her cheeks. Why does he care, anyway?

Melih seemed confused. “Calm down. Rora.” I am calm. I am just anxious. “It’s okay, but it’s weird he is saying dat. I am relieved you are not staying together. I hate Gannon for vhat he did to you. I can’t hang out vith him anymore. He sickens me.”

“You and me both,” Aurora said.

Melih didn’t even know everything that Gannon had done to her. He only saw the bare minimum of who Gannon really was.

Aurora gave Melih puppy dog eyes and said, “Is that what you wanted to tell me, Melih?”

“No.”

“Why did you tell me this?” she said louder over the music. “Then what is it?”

“It is da same-ding I should have told you years ago,” Melih said. “You know you vere my first friend vhen I came here to college.”

“Okay. And?” Aurora said.

After Melih didn’t respond, Aurora said, “Well?”

“Uh, vell…” Melih hesitated. I should have told you sooner. I feel guilty for not telling you because I could have saved you from marrying dat idiot.”

“Tell me what, Melih?”

“What did Gannon do?” Aurora asked. “Or is it about Shazzy?”

“No.”

“Did you want to tell me something else?” Aurora said.

Tessa grabbed Aurora, interrupting her and Melih, “Hey, that guy Eric was so lame.”

Tessa checked out Melih from head to toe. “Who’s this?”

“This is my friend,” Aurora said. “My friend, Melih.”

Tessa had never met any of Aurora and Gannon’s friends because they would never invite her over. It was not Aurora’s choice. Gannon hated Tessa, but he hated most people who loved Aurora and could see through his facade of a personality, which got in the way of his controlling Aurora.

Tessa said, “Aurora, let’s go somewhere else.”

Aurora said to Melih, “I’d asked you to join us, but it’s just us ladies hanging out tonight.”

Melih said, “I understand. I am here vith friends anyway.”

“Well, message me sometime. You got my number.” She rolled her eyes at herself. How cheesy of a thing to say, Aurora. Wait, was that cheesy?

“Okay, I will,” Melih said as he walked away and waved. “Have a good night.”

Aurora and Tessa left the club. Aurora didn’t even say bye to Jack because she was in a state of euphoria. Her confidence level was high after going out that night. She was shocked she was getting positive attention from guys, especially from Melih. That came out of left field. Not only did Melih save her from Jack’s two left feet, but he also saved her from worrying about what Gannon had done. Wherever else Aurora and Tessa went that night, it would not distract her from thinking about Melih.