9
CARLEIGH
I’m pretty sure that we are friends.I’ve met one of his friends, Quinn, and we’ve all hung out a couple of times.My best friend, Molly, has been around the apartment and met Bryson as well, and in general, it feels like we’ve become regular parts of each other’s lives.
Despite that, I’m not expecting it when he invites me to New Jersey to celebrate the Fourth of July.
I usually go to my parents’ house at the Cape for the fourth, but this year they are in France, my sister has other plans, and there’s something about being in the empty house up there by myself that seems less than ideal.I have tentative replacement plans to do something with Molly, but we haven’t actually settled on anything specific.I assume we’ll be drinking wine and light cocktails in my apartment all night, which sounds just fine to me.Bryson’s invite comes while I’m making dinner on the second night, right after he asks me when I’m leaving for Massachusetts.
“Oh, if you aren’t going up to the Cape, you must come to Jersey with us!”
It seems like a pity invite so I decline.
“Oh no, it’s okay.”I spill a container of grape tomatoes onto the counter and begin slicing them in half for easier addition into the salad I’m building.
Bryson stands up and moves beside me, resting his elbows on the countertop to my right.He pops a stray tomato in his mouth.“It’ll be a lot of fun.We’re going to have a barbecue at Quinn’s, then there’s the fireworks and shit at Exchange Place at night.Plus drinks all day, obviously.Just celebrating the good ol’ U-S-of-A!You can’t stay here by yourself.”
It does sound like fun, but it also sounds like a long day of social interaction for somebody who considers themselves to be a pretty heavy introvert.“I won’t be alone, Bryson, don’t worry.I’m supposed to be doing something with Molly.”
“Something other than Lillet andReal Housewives?”
I glare at him.“MaybeBelow Deck.”
Bryson laughs easily, his whole body contracting and releasing, mirth in his blue eyes.“Come on.Bring Molly.She’ll have a great time.You both will!I promise.At least ask her!”
I hesitate.“I’ll check with her,” I relent.“But if she’s not into the idea -”
“She will be,” he cuts in confidently.“Who wouldn’t want to spend July 4th in God’s country?”
I laugh as I bring up Molly’s contact information on my phone.“Is that what we’re calling Jersey now?”
“Hey, I won’t settle for any of that slander, Murphy.”Bryson stands up straight and knocks his hip into mine.“Move over, I’ll finish chopping.”
My eyes fall to his hands as he begins slicing tomatoes.They move quickly, almost expertly; I wonder where he learned to handle a knife that well.He’s killed things in the woods and then cooked them over a fire, or something.
Molly answers on the second ring.“Carleigh!”
“Hey.I was just calling about - hang on.”Bryson is nudging me with his elbow.“What?”
“Put it on speaker!”he suggests happily.
He’s got a big smile on his face that’s really hard to say no to, so I oblige.“Okay, you’re on speaker because Bryson -”
“Hi, Molly!”Bryson calls out loudly.
“Jesus, she’s on the phone, not in Timbuktu.”
“Sorry, sorry.Hi, Molly,” he repeats, his voice softer.
A laugh comes over the line.“Hi.”
“Bryson has decided that our July 4th plans of hanging out at the apartment are a little sad, so he’s invited us to go to New Jersey to spend the holiday with his friends.If we’re interested.I said no, but he bullied me into phoning you to ask.”
“There was no bullying,” Bryson insists, setting the knife down.He slides the chopped tomatoes into a dish and wipes his hands on his jeans.“I merely suggested.”
“Hmm.”I smile down at my phone, glad it’s not FaceTime.Molly already has some ludicrous ideas about me having some kind of non-platonic feelings for my roommate - ideas that I don’t want to encourage.Even if it were true, nothing good can come from acknowledging it; I’m one hundred percent not Bryson’s type.There’s no point in setting myself up for failure.Plus, we seem to make good friends.
“Jersey, huh?”