Life After That (20 page)

"What? Who was it?"

"Ashley. He sounded pissed off for some reason. Didn't even say goodbye. Anyway, he asked you to call him as soon as you get home."

Kirstin bit her bottom lip. 'Why did Ashley have to call?'

Then it hit Tom:

"Wait a minute. Isn't Ashley that guy from the bar?"

Kirstin now bit her upper lip.

"Yes…"

"Oh, I see…" Tom sounded a little disappointed "So, what's the deal with this Ashley guy? Were you together when… you know?"

"No, no! Of course not! Remember? He had a girlfriend! And after our night together, I never saw him again. Until yesterday."

"And… what happened?"

"Well, we were at this meeting…"

"Meeting?"

"Yeah, this is my new job. I work on Making the Band, ever heard of the show?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, he's on it. And I had this meeting so I had to meet him…"

"Oh, I thought he looked familiar. He is in that boyband, isn't he?"

"Yes… O-Town."

"And how do you know each other?"

"We went through the same high school."

"Oh, I see… So, what happened yesterday?"

"We met and got together, but he's not my boyfriend."

"He's not?"

"No, we decided we are just gonna get together every time we are in the same town. It's not that serious."

"Ok…"

For the rest of the ride, neither of them talked. When Kirstin parked in front of the bar, she asked:

"I liked hanging out with you. We should do this more often."

"I liked it too. Very much. And we should definitely do this again."

"Well, why don't you… oh no, forget it."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just forget it."

"Ok, Well… bye then." he stared at her eyes for a while before opening the door.

"Wait Tom!" she grabbed his wrist and somehow knew she shouldn't have done it "Why don't you call me sometime? Maybe we could hang, like today. I could always use a new friend." she smiled.

"Yes, I'd love that!" he replied to Kirstin that was now writing down her numbers on a piece of paper. After handing it to Tom, she said:

"So, I'll expect your call."

"Ok. I'll call you for sure. Don't worry."

"Good. Bye then Tom."

"Bye, K!"

Kirstin dropped her keys on the kitchen counter and went to take a bath.

After she had changed into her nightshirt, she got her cordless phone, went upstairs and climbed on her bed, dialing Grace's phone number.

"Hello?"

"Hey G, it's me, K!"

She first told her friend about her work and then the whole thing with Tom. When she finished talking, Grace asked:

"Friends, huh?"

"Yes. He's great G! You are gonna love him! I thought we knew Tom, but we didn't. At all! And it's totally fine between us. Sometimes it felt like nothing had ever happened."

"But something did happen."

"I know I'm with Ashley now, well, kinda. But I don't know… it's different with Tom. He's so sweet! I miss having a guy friend, you know? I haven't had one since, well, Ashley."

"And look how you two turned out to be!"

"Gee, it's different. I'm not in love with Tom!"

"Not yet anyway."

"Jesus, why you have to be so negative?"

"It's not that, it's just that… Never mind…"

"Oh, c'mon. Tell me."

"It's nothing. Just be careful though. Especially when you tell Ashley about it, 'cause he may get the wrong impression and you can hurt him… again."

"I know…" – Kirstin leaned her head on the wall – "I will be careful."

"Good."

"So let me call him now before it's too late." – she read the digital clock on her nightstand. It was 10:45 already.

"Ok hun. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Yeah, buhbye!"

Pressing the speed dial, Kirstin got a hold on Ashley.

"Hello?"

"Hey you!" – she smiled to the phone.

"Hey! How is it going?" – Ashley asked all enthusiastic.

"Good, good… you?"

"Great… So… how were things with Tom?" – Ashley didn't have the enthusiastic tone in his voice anymore. He was worried about that every since he heard Kirstin say she was with Tom at the coffee shop he worked at.

"Pretty good, actually. We talked for hours, he's a great guy, Ashley!" – she heard nothing on the other end – "Not as much as you though."

"Well, I am one of a kind!" – his mood seemed to had got better. That made Kirstin grin.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"So, the awkward phase is gone now. You don't have to make up to him again, right?"

"Right, but…" – she didn't know how to put it. She felt like… betraying Ashley for some reason – "We are gonna hang out again. We exchanged numbers. We are gonna be friends, you know?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Why I wanna have a friend?"

"No, it's… why do you want him as your friend?"

"Because he is a terrific guy and I miss having a guy friend."

"But I'm your guy friend."

"Yeah, but… you're more than my friend."

"That, thank God, I am!"

"See? But Tom and I are just gonna be friends, friends…"

"Really?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Promise?"

"Promise, Ash!"

"Ok!" – Ashley wasn't too glad about this situation but he didn't wanna extend that conversation and didn't wanna say something wrong, so he changed the subject, talking about Kirstin's first day at work and more. Approximately 30 minutes later, Kirstin stated:

"So, ok. I gotta go get some sleep. I have to go to the library tomorrow."

"But tomorrow is Saturday!"

"I know, but I have this paper that's due to Monday. I was gonna work on it Thursday, but some band called in asking for an immediate meeting at work and I had no time to work on it. So I have to do this on a weekend."

"Man, what a mean band!"

"I know! Tell me about it!" – they giggled – "Baby, I really have to hang up now."

"Really?"

"Really…"

"Really really?"

"Really really really!"

"Wow… you REALLY have to go!" – Kirstin giggled again – "Ok, so go. Go have your Beauty Sleep."

"I don't need that. I'm naturally beautiful!"

"Yeah, right!"

"ASHLEY!"

"Just kidding, girl! You are a true Princess."

"Thank you!"

"So, I'll call you tomorrow as soon as we land in Indianapolis."

"Ok, great. Than talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye… Sweet dreams!"

"You too! Buhbye!"

Kirstin was too tired to go back downstairs to put the cordless phone on its proper place, so she just placed it on her night stand, got up to turn off the lights and got to bed.

ORLANDO, FL

"Dan, can we talk?" – Ashley knocked and asked outside Dan's room.

"Yes, come on in. I'm just finishing packing."

"Too excited to go to bed?" – Ashley leaned on Dan's closet.

"Yes! It's great coming home! Well, almost home."

"Yes, it is." – that reminded Ashley of something that made him rub his forehead – "Oh man, I still have to pack my things."

"What's up Ash? What you wanna talk about?"

"Oh yeah!" – Ashley got all excited all of a sudden – "Kirstin called!"

"Really? That's good! And… what happened?" – Dan asked shoving some socks in his bag.

"Well, I didn't like the part where she said how great that Tom guy is and how cool is gonna be when they hang out again."

"Ow… I'm sorry."

"Yeah, they decided they are gonna be friends. And that scares me a bit."

"Because usually a guy is just friends with a girl when he's after something with her?"

"Exactly! It scares me especially if he already had something with that particular girl and that girl is my girl. And besides…" – Ashley looked down.

"Besides…"

"I know how Kirstin is around guy friends. In high school she didn't have too many guy friends, just me and this guy named Jared. And, how can I put it? She's a "touchy" type of girl. When she's friends with a guy, she touches him too much, like, hugs all the time, and kisses on the cheek, and stroking in the head, and sitting or laying on his lap, you know? And guys do tend to get the wrong impression about girls that do that. Jared did and I know Kirstin totally blew him off, but I worry anyhow."

"Oh, I see… But what did Kirstin say about it? Them being friends?"

"She didn't seem to want to talk too much about it, she only said he's a great guy, they are gonna hang out again, as friends, and promised that'd be all."