Let Me Buy You A Drink

“What do you think? Pastel pink, or mint?”

Kadie stood with two swatches in her hands. It was Monday morning and I stopped by her office before heading over to my fitness group. It hadn't been a full 72 hours since Adam had proposed and Kadie was already half way done with planning her engagement party. As gracefully as I'd accepted the position of Maid of Honor, I was just as gracefully dreading the process.

“The floral arrangements are pinks and whites, right? Do mint, it'll add a pop of color.”

“Oh” Kadie's eyes widened. “Good thinking!”

“Okay, seriously, I've got to go! Group is starting in a few minutes!” I grabbed my bag and scurried towards the elevators.

“Wait!” Kadie yelled after me. “Dessert?”

“Laduree!” I yelled back as I pounded the lobby button.

“Of course! I don't know what I'd do without you, Lynn!” Kadie's voice crept through the cracks of the elevator as the door shut.

I was crossing Columbus Circle when I saw Jonah coming out from the subway. He was wearing an Under Amour tank with basketball shorts. He'd only been to a few sessions so far, but the definition in his arms were becoming more prominent. I looked down at my flabby arm and wondered what I was doing wrong.

“Jonah! Jon!”

I called out after him as he approached Central Park West. He glanced to his left to check for oncoming traffic. Thankfully a cab was whizzing by causing Jonah to take a step back. It gave me enough time to catch up to him. I watched as Jonah proved himself to be a true New Yorker by throwing up his arms and yelling after the cab, “Come on man, I'm walking here!” I shook my head as I laughed.

“Jonah!” I called out again, finally getting his attention.

He turned around with furrowed brows, but then smiled when he saw it was me. “Well, if it isn't the Maid of Honor!”

“So, you've heard?”

I followed behind him as we crossed the street. “Adam stopped by my office over the weekend and told me the news. He said Kadie's been keeping you busy with the planning.”

“To be honest...” I exhaled a deep breath, “I was actually looking forward to coming to group today.”

Jonah laughed, “It's that bad?”

“This is all just for her engagement party. I can't even begin to imagine the prep for her wedding.”

“She's in love. Who can blame her?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I grabbed Jonah's arm and gently pushed him back to face me. “Someone's being disgustingly optimistic.”

“What?” He smiled as if I just said something funny.

We headed into the Park and waited for Jeff to arrive. I sat with Kylie on the field while Jonah, being the over achiever he is, took laps around the field to warm up.

“How's work been?” I asked Kylie. She was barely listening to me. She was too busy following Jonah with her eyes.

“Oh, it's uh, it's been hectic. I wish I could cut back on hours, but it's impossible, ya know?” She only turned to face me once Jonah was out of sight. “Do you think he's single? Ugh, I bet he's taken.” She shook her head. “The good ones are always taken.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

Since Jonah had joined our fitness group I had considered telling Kylie about our past history. But, I only reconsidered when I realized I couldn't put the past in the past if I kept referring to in the present. So, I just let it be. If it came up, it came up.

Jeff had finally made it and gathered us all up into a huddle. He went over the workouts we'd be doing that day and then asked us to find a partner and begin. 

I wouldn't have minded partnering up with Jonah, now that we were on better terms, but Kylie was here today and she was my normal partner.

“You wanna be my partner?” I heard Kylie's voice from behind me. I turned around to see her asking Jonah. “Oh” She seemed surprised when she saw me. As if she'd completely forgotten that we had always been partners. “You don't mind, do you?”

“I, uh....” I stood staring at the two of them trying to figure out what to say. “We aren't...” I pointed between me and Jonah. “It's not like that”

Kylie furrowed her brows in confusion. “I meant, you don't mind if I partner with him today...for the work outs”

Jonah held back a laugh. “Yeah, you don't mind finding another partner, do you Lynn?”

I snapped a look at him. His mouth curled up in a smile and his eyes reeking of mischief.

“No, it's cool. I'll just partner with...” I looked around to see if I could find another partner-less soul. “I'll just partner up with Gabby!”

Luckily Gabby's friend, who regularly came with her to group, wasn't there today.

We grabbed our yoga mat and found a nice quiet spot to work out in.

We had only met each other briefly on the first day of group fitness. I didn't know much about Gabby except that she, like myself, was new to the city. She'd moved here from Florida a little less than a year ago and was pursuing a career in art.

Our conversations were stale. There was a brief moment of exchange followed by a long period of silence. Now I knew why I hadn't made an effort to get to know Gabby before.

We were doing stretches when I heard a roaring laughter coming from the distance.

I looked over to see Kylie and Jonah. He was standing over her stretching her leg upwards. He looked like he was saying something, and it was followed by Kylie laughing yet again.

I was no longer paying attention to Gabby. Not that she cared or anything. But, I was too busy trying to eavesdrop on Kylie and Jonah. I mean, I really just wanted to know what was so funny.

After group was over I rolled up my yoga mat to take back to the main field.

“Seems like you two were having a good time.” I nudged Jonah as he walked besides me to put away his mat.

He mocked a laugh and squinted his eyes at me. “She's actually not as crazy as she seems.”

“I'm sure she'd love to know that.”

“Maybe I can tell her later.” Jonah put down his mat and picked up his drawstring back pack, flinging it onto his shoulders.

“What do you mean?”

“We're going out for drinks later.” He looked up at me and in the same voice Kylie used to ask me earlier, he continued, “You don't mind, do you?”