Free Tastes Like Winter by Cece Carroll

she didn’t mess up the impromptu pedicure. Once she establishes that
no damage has been done, she asks, “Any chance Jake was working this weekend?”
    She waggles her eyebrows at me suggestively, and I lift mine in
return.
    “Well? Spill! Have you seduced him yet?”
    “Ha! Seduced him? Hardly…” I go on to explain the flirting step
forward and the cold shoulder step back.
    “Hmm… a bit weird, but maybe you’re overreacting?”
    “Yeah, maybe. But he’s so hard to read. Sometimes I’m sure he’s
flirting, others times I think maybe he’s teasing me.”
    “You think?”
    “I’m a couple of years younger than him, and I do work for his aunt… Maybe
he sees me like a kid sister? A silly high school kid?”
    “Yeah but don’t you guys talk about literature and philosophy and
stuff? That’s pretty deep. Sounds to me like he sees you as an equal. Plus I
saw the way he looked at you at Ryan’s party, and how close he was standing to
you…”
    “No, the party was crowded, is all.” I wave the observation off.
    “Not that crowded.” Her eyes tell me she thinks I am being
purposefully dense.
    “Yeah, I don’t know. I guess he will remain a mystery for now.”
    “A very sexy mystery!”
    And it’s my turn to whack her over the head with my pillow.
    After she’s recovered, she asks, “Sleepover at my house, next Saturday
after the game?”
    We haven’t had a sleepover since before the field hockey season
started, and it sounds nice. Having her here this afternoon reminds me how much
I miss our time together. How much I miss talking and joking and being
carefree. I have known Genna forever, and I have never felt as though I need to
put on an act for her. That is, not until lately, but I remind myself that
that’s not her fault.
    No matter how much time I like spending alone, I like spending time
with Genna more. We are a good fit, despite our differences. We can talk for
hours, but even in silence, it is never uncomfortable between us. I can be my
sometimes goofy, sometimes neurotic, always nerdy self, and she doesn’t judge.
I wonder briefly how her field hockey friends perceive our friendship.
    As if reading my thoughts, she timidly adds, “Some team members are
coming over, too. Since I’m co-captain this year, Coach wanted me to reach out
to some of the younger players and bond.”
    Ugh. I groan, and after I finish cringing, she adds, “Don’t worry. It’ll
be totally fun. Movies and pizza.”
    Missing my best friend and not wanting to miss out on Genna time
because I am anti-social, I accept the offer by saying, “Okay, next Saturday.”
    ***
    That week at work, Jake is noticeably absent. I do, however, see Sam a
few times. We haven’t yet worked a full shift together, but we have been
overlapping here and there. Mainly, she has been coming in with Betsy to drop
off shipments, and each time, she ignores me completely. With holiday season
nearing, Betsy and Dan have been bringing in extra stock, additional copies of
bestsellers and Christmas-themed books, and little trinkets. We have set up
special gift displays and even a small rack with handmade greeting cards from a
local artist.
    So on Saturday night, I am not surprised to walk into Genna’s and see Sam curled up on the living room couch with
a few other girls. I greet everyone with my friendliest hello and toss my overnight
bag by the fireplace as I kick off my shoes and nudge them into the corner.
Being in Genna’s house should be second nature
because I spent so much of my childhood here, but having Sam there puts me on
edge. I might be projecting my disappointment in Jake going MIA or maybe I am
paranoid, but I swear she gave me another less-than-welcoming look when I walked
in.
    The evening carries on as Genna promised, with Ryan Gosling and
pepperoni. While I am not a team member, my place by Genna’s side goes unchallenged. The newer faces I’m less familiar with are all outgoing
and friendly, and nights like this make me