Round 2

It was Saturday morning and I had woken up to the sun pouring into my room and the smell of french toast. Despite how cold it was and how much I wanted to stay wrapped up in my blanket, I jumped out of bed and ran for the kitchen.

“Kadie!” I yelped while throwing my arms around her. It had been a few days since I'd seen Kadie. She was working late this week, so by the time she'd come home I would already be knocked out from a night of studying.

“Lynn! My baby!” Kadie hugged me back. “I made your favorite. Go clean up and tell me about Casey!”

“Alright, mom!” I smiled and rolled my eyes at Kadie.

The night that I ran into Casey, I texted Kadie letting her know what was going on. Now that it was the weekend we were finally getting time to catch up on the details of everything.

I went back into my room to change out of my pajamas. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, made my hair, and then came back to eat breakfast.

I grabbed a couple of waffles and a french toast and sat with one knee up at the kitchen table, waiting for Kadie to sit down.

“So, tell me! What is she like?” Kadie eagerly called from over her shoulder as she was making a plate for herself.

“First of all, she's gorgeous! I guess good looks run in the family” I shrugged my shoulders and started cutting my french toast into bite size pieces. “She's very well spoken and so sweet. Honestly within the first few minutes of talking to her she made me feel like we'd been friends forever”

Kadie walked over to the kitchen table and sat down with her plate “How did  you run into her again?”

I took a huge bite of my food to avoid answering the question. I hadn't told Kadie anything about Connor. I wasn't planning on having a relationship with him and like Connor said it was a “one night” thing. What Kadie doesn't know won't hurt her, right?

“We, uh, we bumped into each other in the street” I quickly looked down at my food to avoid eye contact. I could see Kadie staring at me accusingly.

“Oh, that's so random” She tilted her head as if she didn't understand and slowly put her fork and knife down.

“Yeah, I dozed off in the subway, so I ended up missing my stop and had to get off at the next one.” I got up from my chair and walked over to the fridge “You want some OJ?” I pulled it out, trying to change the subject, and began pouring some for myself.

Kadie leaned back in her chair and folder her arms “No, thank you” She stared off into space as if she were lost in thought “So is that where you two ran into each other?”

I took a big gulp of my orange juice before I refilled the glass “Yeah, apparently she owns a few boutiques around the city and she came into town to check on them. When she saw me walking by she ran out to stop me because she thought I looked familiar, I guess from some pictures Jonah may have shown her.” I walked back over to the table and sat down.

“Hm, that makes sense” Kadie concluded. She sat up straight and began eating her food again.

I sighed with relief that Kadie hadn't caught me in my lie. Just as I was releasing my tensed up shoulders, Kadie looked up at me “You're not telling me something”

I tried to play it cool, “Not telling you what?”

She picked up a piece of french toast with her fork and ate it. We silently stared at each other until she looked away “Nothing, never mind.”

I quickly changed the subject again and we started talking about Kadie's crazy week at work.

“Eva is in negotiations with a client and if we settle on an agreement our company will be the official PR reps for this big time network company.”

“Ooh, that sounds amazing! Any idea who the network is?”

“Eva wouldn't say. She said legally she isn't allowed to until we're officially hired” Kadie took my empty plate and stacked it onto hers “But, she did say that if we do get the client we're going to be busier than ever. This network has multiple events in a month. Which means more mula for mama!” She shimmied her shoulders as she picked up the plates from the table and took them to the sink.

After breakfast Kadie and I decided to run some errands. Adam, Kadie's boyfriend, was coming over for dinner that night and she needed a few things from the grocery store.

“So how are things going with you and Adam?” I asked while we browsed through the pasta aisle.

“Things are going good. They're starting to get a little serious...” Her voice drifted off as she turned away from me

“Serious how?” I walked to the other side of Kadie

“Serious, like, he wants us to move in together”

“What” I couldn't help but raise my voice. The shopping basket handles that were resting on my forearm slid down to my hand. “You two have only been dating for a couple of months, Kadie. Don't you think it's moving a little too fast?”

“Lynn, please” Kadie gestured for me to lower my voice “We want to take this thing to the next level. And we think that would be moving in together”

“So, then you're just going to leave me?” The palm of my hands were facing up as I waited for Kadie to answer my question.

“I just want you to be happy for me. I finally found a guy I like. I want to make it work with him” She sighed and looked at me defeated.

I continued walking down the aisle “Fine. We can talk about this later”

We grabbed what we needed and walked back to the apartment. Once we put all of the groceries away I went into my room and dedicated the next few hours to studying.

It was about 5PM when Kadie knocked on my door again “Lynn, dinner's almost ready, you wanna come help me?”

I opened my door to respond “Don't worry about me. I'm going to Sarah's later. I don't want to intrude on your dinner with Adam” I folded my arms across my chest and leaned back on my door frame.

“Don't be silly, Lynn. I made enough food for the three of us. At least stay for dinner” Kadie yelled from the kitchen.

Just then there was a knock on the door. I opened it, inviting Adam inside.

“Hey Lynn! How's it going” Adam handed me a bottle of wine.

“It's okay. Could be better” I looked unimpressed as I glanced at the wine bottle even though it was aged and expensive. I put it on the kitchen counter and walked past Adam to pull out plates for dinner.

“Hey babe!” Kadie kissed Adam. The two of them continued to talk while I set up the table for dinner. Once everything was out we sat down to eat.

“So, Lynn, did Kadie tell you we're planning on moving in together?”

“Yeah” I responded in a condescending tone “Don't know how good of an idea that is” I mumbled before stuffing pasta in my mouth.

“Lynn” Kadie whispered while punching my leg under the table.

"What was that?" Adam looked up at Kadie and I fake smiling at each other

"I was just telling Lynn to uncork the wine you brought so we can have it with dinner" Kadie looked back at me.

I picked up my phone from my lap and put it on the table as I got up. Kadie came in closer to me and whispered threateningly “Do not do this right now, Lynn!”

“Whatever” I whispered back. My phone started vibrating as I walked away. When I turned around to grab it I saw Kadie's face peeking over at my phone with her jaw dropped.

“Connor?” She practically yelled in shock “I knew you were lying to me about something!” She picked up my phone and held it up showing me the text message.

Can't stop thinking about Wednesday night. Round 2 tonight?

“Lynn Lee Barnes, you better have an explanation for this!”

I snatched my phone from Kadie's hands. “It's none of your business!” I texted Connor back as I walked away from her.

“Who's Connor” Adam asked as he watched Kadie and I angrily stare at each other.

“No one. I'm leaving. You two have fun” I grabbed my purse and coat and headed out of the apartment.

“Lynn, you DON'T want to do this!” Kadie shouted as I closed the door behind me.