Playing with Fire

Avery’s POV Burned. I am now looking at the photos and other memorabilia left by my exes. Being a sentimental person is native to me. It’s innate, but due to the unbearable pain and burning anger I feel, I was able to throw everything in the firepit in my backyard. Tears? I think I am at the end of this. “I will end this game,” I told myself while angrily holding the last photo until it was crumpled. “I’ll beat you in your own games cheaters!” I added and threw the crumpled photo in the fire pit with a vengeful look in my eyes. In just a few minutes, my phone rang so I took it out of the back pocket of my blue jeans to see who was calling me in the middle of the night. I lazily picked it up and rolled my eyes. “Yeah?” I sighed. “Hey! Let’s meet tomorrow.” Regina said without even saying hello. I usually hang out with my best friend since she’s the only one I have now. I left the firepit to burn everything and walked inside to take a shower before getting in bed. The next morning… I’m on my way to the mall where I should meet my best friend, Regina. She’s been my best friend since we were in college. Now that we are both working in different jobs, it’s hard for us to meet unless we make a schedule or we are attending birthdays or any special occasions. I arrived at the mall and checked her message on my phone. “Where is she?” I mumbled to myself while scrolling on my phone and holding my bag in my left hand. After checking her whereabouts, I threw my phone in my bag and went straight to her. I saw her wearing that sexy halter dress I gifted her. Yes, she’s the type of girl who loves to show off her skin. But I still respect her, of course. “What took you so long, huh?” She asked while raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms as I arrived. “Uhm, excuse me? I just arrived just on time.” I responded to her non-sense complaint as I sat down. We are here now at the food stall inside the mall, so we decided to order while having a chitchat. “I’d like a slice of chiffon cake and an iced coffee please,” I ordered. “I’d like an order of the same as her, and an additional hot guy like you please,” Regina said to the waiter and winked at him. The guy blushed with embarrassment and repeated our order before leaving. “What the hell, Regina? Is that real-time flirting?” I asked her unbelievably. She chuckled and looked at me proudly. “That’s how you should do it,” Regina said and looked at me intensely and deeply as if she were pointing out something. I just shrugged. “So, how’s your love life?” She asked the question I was trying to avoid. I don’t know how to answer this question anymore. “Hey, so what? Nothing? Haven’t you ever had s*x with someone?” Regina continuously bothers me about my love life. And her last question is the most annoying. “Uhm, I am still sin--.” But before I was able to finish, she cut me off. “Single! You’re still single and you’re…How old are you again?” She asked while looking at me and raising her hands as a gesture. “You’re 25 Avery. And you’ve been single for how many years? 3 years to be exact.” Regina said and I was just there listening to these unending sh*t. Just in time, our orders arrived. “Thanks.” Regina thanked the waiter and winked again. I just shook my head and took a sip of my iced coffee. “It’s good.” I complimented the coffee hoping to lose her from the topic. “Avery, you should look for a boyfriend now. You’ve been dry for years.” She said in a slightly loud tone, so I shut her with my gaze. “Come on, I’m just saying. You should go out more, and meet guys more. It’s getting late, you know. If you still plan to meet a guy when you get 26, 27, or 30 years old you won’t have much time to know more about him because he’s into marriage now.” She said in a serious tone. I also took a bite of my cake while swallowing the words as it is slowly sinking into me. “You need more time to know each other well before deciding to bind and live together, forever.” She said, emphasizing her last word. “I just don’t know how,” I said and I heard her laugh I looked up and saw she was laughing at me so I raised my eyebrow. “So, you don’t know how to get a boyfriend?” She asked. “I mean, it’s been a long time since I got one,” I said. “Okay, let me show you how.” she confidently said and called the waiter. Oh no, this isn’t a good idea. She’s embarrassing us. Come on Regina. Urgh I don’t really know why and how the hell I got a friend like this. “What can I help you, ma’am?” the waiter asked. “Uhm.” Regina started and looked at me. I tried to stop her. Seriously. I wanted to stand up and drag her out, but my feet seemed stuck. “Do you have any extra napkins for her?” She said. Hearing that gave me such relief. “Oh, sure ma’am. Let me get you some.” The waiter said and smiled before leaving. Regina looked at me playfully. “You were blushing in nervousness, Avery.” She said smiling. Not long, the waiter came back with the napkins. “Thanks,” I said and he left smiling. “Okay, so what do you think about that guy?” She asked randomly. “That guy? Who?” I asked while wiping my mouth. “That waiter.” I eyed her to stop it. “I’m just asking, okay.” She assured. Before I answered, I secretly took a look at the waiter. He stood 5’9, with fair skin, black hair, pinkish lips, and a muscular body. “Uhm, he’s good,” I responded. “What? Good? That’s it?” Regina unbelievably asked. “Oh please,” I said losing my interest in it. “I’m not asking for you. It’s for me.” She said and I raised my eyebrow at her asking what she meant even if I thought I knew it already. “I mean, he’s hot. I want to know how those pinkish lips taste when they touch mine.” She said biting her lips while looking at the guy. I think I’m gonna vomit at this moment looking at her sexualizing an innocent guy. But, did I also sexualize him a while ago? Oh, come on, Avery you didn’t. You just described him. Right. I just described him. Talking to myself in my mind, I just returned to reality when she snapped me. “You’re imagining him, am I right?” She teasingly asked me. “What no?” I snapped and I took a big bite of the cake because of nervousness. I couldn’t set my eyes on her. She shook her head and crossed her arms. I couldn’t take this so I better shift the topic on her. I felt the hot seat in her and felt the need for ventilation even if the place was well-ventilated. “So, how about you and your boyfriend, Ricky?” I asked. “Uhm, we’re still you know. F*cking.” She said and laughed as I expected. “Do you wanna hear the details?” She asked. I rejected it since we are in a public place and it is embarrassing to hear every detail they’ve done. “Save it for next time. Maybe when I visit your home or you visit mine.” I said waving my hand at her. “Okay, then,” Regina said finishing her food and drink. “Let’s go?” I asked and she just nodded. “I’ll just pay,” I said and took my coffee and bag with me to the counter to pay. Regina’s POV I know her. I know my best friend. She won’t deny the looks on her face as she looked at the waiter when I asked her how he looked. I don’t really know why she doesn’t want to look for a boyfriend but she kept on nagging me that she doesn’t have someone. I don’t know what’s stopping her from flirting even though she has a flirty attitude inside too. So, I have a slightly evil plan. I secretly wrote her number on the napkin while Avery wasn’t looking while she was paying and put it on the table for the guy to see it. I feel like this will going to be exciting. Avery’s POV “Let’s go,” I told her and she hurriedly stood up and clung her arms around mine as we walked outside the food stall. We went inside every store in the mall as we talked about everything we could talk about. “Have you heard, Ben is already married,” Regina said making me look at her with that shocking news. Benedict is our classmate from way back in college who is a proud member of the LGBT community. “And he’s married with you know, his boyfriend,” Regina added. “That’s great news. But why he didn’t send us an invitation?” I asked curiously why we didn’t hear he’s gonna get married. “Well, you know Ben. He loves privacy.” She responded as we looked for clothes to spend our money on. “What privacy? He told us every little detail about them. Even their hot nights.” I said remembering Ben’s stories about their s*x life. “Yeah right, I wonder how it different on their honeymoon,” Regina said. “They might be wilder,” I said smiling at the cringe thought of mine. “Hotter.” Regina seconded the motion and we smiled like crazy bitches. We were so into our conversation that we didn’t notice someone approached us already. “That looks good on you miss.” A guy from the store said smiling while he looked me directly in the eyes. “It is perfect for your beauty.” He added. I smiled back and blushed at the sudden compliment. “It’s your time to shine, bestie. Grab him or I will.” Regina whispered. I don’t exactly know what to do at that moment since I can still feel the glance from the guy. “What? Time is running, Avery. You have to grab someone or you’ll be dry forever.” Regina said and pushed me towards the guy before she ran outside. I was so shocked that she left me there. “Call me later, bestie!” She shouted and waved goodbye as she ran off. I release a deep sigh at that b***h and looked at the clothes I was holding. “Let me punch those for you miss.” The guy said and offered his hand to take them from me. “You have a quite funny friend.” He spoke. I smiled. “Yeah, more like crazy,” I responded making him chuckle. “Here you go.” The guy handed me my bags still wearing his smile. He’s quite cute too, he has a dimple on his left cheek giving me the eagerness to poke it. “Thanks.” I thanked him and left the store.