Chapter 7
1222 Words
Jessie stopped by Nika’s office at the end of the day a few days later..
“Hey wifey! Terrell and some of the guys were thinking of hitting up the bar on Friday for drinks. Wanna come? I won’t go unless you go and I’m feeling it. I think I want to go. So.. Pretty please?”
“I’m hoping that Jason will ask me out again, but if it’s right after work, I can probably do one drink.”
“Hey if he wants to see you, tell him to come by! It’ll be fun. I guarantee it!”
“Wait, I smell a trap! You just want to meet and grill him!”
“YES! Do you remember that message you read to us Monday afternoon? Clearly we need to run interference. The men are running amok.”
“Ohmigod. You’re going to ambush him.”
“Only if he shows up. He can always say no.”
“He has to ask me out first, and I have to tell him where I am but yes I will go out for drinks after work on Friday.”
Friday rolled around faster than expected, by the end of a long day staring at the same four pages of financial transactions it felt like Nika really needed to get out and laugh with her co-workers. Jessie had chosen a pub downtown not far from the office, there was one issue with the pub, it had Friday Karaoke and she just knew Jessie would try to get her up on stage. It seemed a personal challenge for her that she hadn’t managed to drag Nika up since that one time in college.
Nika did not sing.
She got to the pub and saw the crew sitting in the back tables, they had pushed three of them together, some of them were talking animatedly about whatever crossed their minds, a few were watching the games on the TV’s and some were just quietly sharing the stresses of the week. She squeezed in between Jessie and Nancy, giving a quick grin to Terrell who sat across from her with a big plastic wrapped container on the table beside him.
“What’s that?”
“Nancy’s banana bread. Annie’s suddenly not going to be too upset I’m having drinks after work.”
Nancy laughed. “I know how this works! I had bananas that needed to be used anyways. Tell Annie I said hi and give her a hug for me.”
Terrell grinned. “You really are my work wife.”
Nancy laughed out loud. “WHAT?”
Jessie laughed and leaned in close. “Nika and I were talking about our dating escapades and Terrell gave us a hard time about being married to each other, and we said you were his work wife and he was amazed. But now he realises the truth.”
Nancy laughed and shook her head. “I think I need a work wife.”
Terrell turned bright red. “Is that me? Am I Nancy’s work wife too? Is she going to divorce me?”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“Buy me flowers and I’ll see how I feel in the morning.” Nancy quickly retorted.
Terrell looked panicked. “I don’t even do that for Annie, she’ll have my head if she finds out I bought you flowers.”
Nancy threw her napkin at him in disgust. “Buy your wife flowers! What’s wrong with you!”
Suddenly Nika felt her phone vibrate and she pulled it out. It was Jason.
“Hey what’s up? Doing anything fun?”
“Hey! Just having drinks with my coworkers.”
Jessie looked over her shoulder. “INVITE HIM” she mouthed.
“Sorry I wasn’t around this week, work kind of exploded, and my brother needed some help after hours. I just don’t want you to think I forgot you.
“No worries! I was pretty busy myself.”
“Want to meet later this evening after your drinks?”
“You could come to the pub if you feel comfortable. It’s a bunch of co workers so nothing too stressful. Just beer, a couple of sports events on tv’s. Maybe some karaoke, but only if you allow yourself to get bullied. They smell blood in the water like a shark.”
“I could swing by and then maybe take you out for dinner?”
“I’d like that!”
“It’s a date! Give me the address and I’ll be there in 20ish minutes.”
Jessie hit her shoulder. She looked up to her as she shouted “YAS GIRL! GET SOME!”
“You hit me?”
“He’s coming. This is awesome! I have so many questions.”
“You hit me?”
“Terrell we need to plan how to approach this.”
“Jessie! You HIT ME!”
“I’m sorry? I was excited?”
“Ok you only get 5 questions since you hit me.”
“No! I have like 15 already!”
Terrell leans in close. “Do I get five questions?”
Nika feeling that Terrell couldn’t be as bad as Jessie, shrugs. “Sure, why not.”
Terrell grins widely. “Jessie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, I gift my questions to you.”
Jessie crows as a voice pops up in the back of the table. “It’s Jessie’s birthday? Bartender! Get the lady another drink!” As three other people burst into singing “Happy Birthday!”
“Shut up! It’s not my birthday! Terrell just pregamed it a tad. I’ll expect drinks and song in about 2 months.”
People laughed and shrugged as a grinning waitress brought her another drink.
“Oh lord,” Jessie sighed. “I’m going to get drunk tonight.” She perks up. “AND I get 10 questions.”
“I didn’t agree to this!” But Nika couldn’t hold back her laughter. Perhaps if Jessie finished another glass of wine, all she could think to ask would be what his favorite cheese was. Jessie sure did love cheese.
Nika settled back and let the various scenarios of how badly or well this could go, flow through her mind. This was either a very good idea, like a hazing of sorts, a sorting hat you could say. Or this was going to be very very bad and she would never see him again.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Nika?” She looked up. “Oh hi Jason! You made it!”
Terrell perked up. “Jason? You are Jason? We have heard SO MUCH about you!”
“You have?” said Nika? As Jason simultaneously said “I hope it was all good.”
Jessie stood up and looked at him a little owlishly. Oh great, the wine was kicking in. “Hi!” she said holding out her hand. “I’m Jessie, Nika’s wife.”
“Your...wife?” Jason looks at Nika questioningly. Nika and Terrell exploded in laughter.
“My work wife. This is my best friend who talked me into the whole speed dating thing.”
“Oh I remember you! You were the one laughing with her at that table in the middle of the event.”
“YES! THAT WAS ME!” Jessie shouted delightedly. “Now, I have 10 questions for you and have had two glasses of wine. This is going to be fun.”
“Oh is it?” said Jason. “Well I’m game.” As he squeezed in between the two of them.
Jessie sat down, patting his arm. “I think I like you already.”
Hours and lots of laughter later, Nika and Jason decided to leave to have supper. As she was putting on her coat, Jason leaned in and said “I like your work friends, even your wife.” Nika howled with laughter. “Well I’m glad, I think they liked you. That one joke you told seemed to seal the deal.”
“I’m a funny guy.”
“That you are.”
- Writer
