Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Colleen’s jaw drops. “April! What happened to changing your ways? I thought you were becoming a nice girl!”
I snort.
“It’s a slow process, okay? You know I’m weak when it comes to handsome specimens of the opposite sex, and Tyler still has his looks, even if he’s a bit on the slow side.”
My friend giggles.
“Well, you’ve always been sassy, so I guess it’s to be expected. But did you do it in his parents’ basement?”
I cringe and nod as my buddy lets out a hoot.
“Holy shit, girlfriend! Just like high school all over again!”
Therein lies the problem. I don’t want to go back to my high school days. I don’t want to keep hooking up with men like my ex because they’re not men, they’re boys. In fact, they’re babies sometimes and I can’t believe I slept with Tyler last night.
“Please,” I say dryly. “Don’t remind me about what I did in high school. I really want to meet a guy with more potential.”
Colleen nods with understanding. “But what does that mean?”
I throw my hands in the air.
“Anything! A better job! A better career! More focus and direction in life! I mean, you have Carl, so guys like that do exist!”
My friend chortles.
“I do have Carl, and he’s amazing. Listen, Carl has some friends …”
I shake my head.
“Nuh uh. No way. You know I don’t do blind dates because those only end badly.”
My friend giggles.
“That’s not true. I know people who’ve gotten married to their blind date, and they were set up by their moms no less!”
I merely roll my eyes.
“Well, it’s not going to work for me because my attitude is atrocious. I’ll give him side eye the entire night and talk about feminist theory as well as partisan politics.”
Colleen snorts.
“Okay okay, point taken. You’ll find the perfect guy on your own. Just trying to help.”
I sigh and glance at the time in the corner of my phone.
“No, I appreciate it, girlfriend. I know Carl has some hot friends, so thank you for thinking of me. But blind dates just aren’t me. Well, onwards and upwards! Plus, as much as I hate to say this, I really should get to sleep because I have an early shift tomorrow.”
My buddy looks puzzled.
“Do people really get ice cream in the morning?”
I shake my head.
“No, it’s just that it takes me a while to drag myself out of bed in the morning, and then I have to drive all the way to Nassau to get to work, and that’s a good forty minutes.”
Colleen makes a face.
“Well, I hope you can find a new job soon. At least a place closer to home! Nassau is soooo far.”
I smile.
“I know, right? But talk later, okay girlfriend? Tell Terry I love her and squeeze those perfect chubby cheeks for me!”
“I will,” my buddy chirps. “Love you, April. Bye!”
With that, we hang up and my apartment is quiet once again. I look around, sighing, because the space is ridiculously small. It can’t be more than five hundred square feet from stem to stern, but at least my couch is comfortable. The grey, satin fabric is warm against my skin as central air conditioning kicks in. Honestly, I got lucky with this apartment. It’s one of the more affordable places in Monroe, and most of my utilities are included so I don’t have to worry about paying extra bills.
But that’s the problem: I make so little working at Frosty Freeze that even a $50 cell phone bill could put me over the edge. Not to mention the general shabbiness of my place, and the way the refrigerator breaks all the time. I had to throw out a bunch of spoiled food the last time that happened, and it put a serious dent in my budget. So what do I do?
A sigh escapes me as I glance at the picture of New York City above my TV. It’s wrinkled and there’s a stain in the corner, since I bought it at a thrift shop right after I moved in, but I love the picture because it’s a photo of the cityscape at night and very glamorous. Maybe someday, if I find a job that pays better, I’ll be able to afford Manhattan. Ha! Yeah, right. Real estate on the island is sky high, and I heard that landlords sometimes want three months’ deposit. As if that’s going to happen.
Well, until then I’m stuck with the less-than-inspiring pool of men in my tiny New Jersey town. Depressed, I heave myself up from the couch and start getting ready for bed. There must be more to life than this, right? Sure enough, as I pull the covers up, my head spins with thoughts of what could be.
2
April
* * *
I tap my thumb against the steering wheel along to the beat of a Nikki Minaj tune coming from my car stereo. All four of my windows are down, and a warm breeze blows my hair into my face, tumbling my curls into an unholy mess. I really should have put it up, but I was running late for work this morning again and rushed out the door only halfway done with my appearance.