Free Unspoken by Liliana Camarena

possible.”
    “I’ll see what I can do,” I said. We finally said good bye and now I was all alone in the bakery. Saturdays were slow days. I took out my accounting books because I knew I had to do something with all the numbers I was behind on but I was so lost in all of it that I didn’t know what to do but stare at them.
    “Lunch,” I heard Jackson’s voice and I looked up to see him with a bag with food from a deli and smiled, Thank you.
    “You’re welcome,” he said laying the food on a table. “What were you doing?” he asked as I grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and went over the table.
    “Numbers? I suck at numbers and I am behind some of the books that I have to take to my accountant,” I said shrugging and sitting in front of him.
    “Accounting is quite easy,” he said biting into what looked like a BMT.
    “I hate it,” I shook my head and checked my sandwich. Salami, Cheese, no lettuce. The way I liked it. He remembered.
    “Let’s eat and I can help you with it afterwards,” he smiled.
     
    “Thank you for everything,” I said to Leonard as we walked from his car to my front door. We were on our second date and we’d gone for dinner again and a couple of drinks to a little bar that seemed plagued with classy dates. I was glad I’d worn a burgundy bandage dress that made me look passable.
    “Thank you for the amazing night,” he said, taking my hand and not letting go the rest of the way. He had yet to kiss me and I didn’t know if he was waiting for me to take the first step or he was waiting until the last moment.
    “It’s our second date,” he said as I looked for my keys in my purse.
    “It is,” I said looking up and then he kissed me. It took me completely by surprise but I welcomed the kiss all the same. It was a very good and nice kiss. I didn’t even need to think too much, I just kissed him and enjoyed it. My heart wasn’t doing any summersaults or trying to jump out of my chest; my heart was glad I’d found a gentleman who knew how to kiss.
    “I’d ask you in,” I said once we pulled apart “but …how do I put this… there’s guy in there.” I could see his eyes getting bigger. “A… friend of mine, he sleeps over from time to time because he gets lonely,” I shook my head. This didn’t sound good. I hated Jackson then and I hated him when he’d shown up earlier with a six pack of beer and a bunch of movies. At first I thought he was doing this to prevent any sex from happening but then I saw his reaction when I told him I had a date with Leonard and realized that he had no idea that I was going out.
    “He has issues.” I kept on talking and babbling about Jackson, “and sometimes he crashes on my sofa,” I shrugged. I failed to mention that said sofa was in my bedroom.
    “I get it,” said Leonard holding my hand and giving it a squeeze. “He’s lucky to have you as a friend,” Friend. Was he lucky? Were we?
    “I’ll tell him you said that,” I said smiling and he nodded.
    “I’ll call you to see if you want to hang out sometime this week,” he said.
    “I’d love that,” I said. He came closer, put his hands on each side of my face and gave me one last kiss.
    “See you then.” he said giving one last squeeze to my hand and walked away. I waved at him and once I saw his car drive away and went into the house.
    I took my heels off and went up the stairs only to find Jackson sitting on my bed and watching T.V.
    “I thought you’d be already asleep,” I said throwing my shoes next to my bed and laid next to him on my bed.
    “I ate all your quiche,” he said taking his hand to his stomach, “now I can’t sleep,” I laughed.
    “What are we watching?” I said and he told me the basics of the movie so I could catch up.
    Little by little Jackson and I were honoring our pact of staying friends. We’d fallen into a routine where we knew what the other did during the day so we would plan our entire day around those