Part Four

“Cat, are you listening to me?” Hallie says impatiently.

“Uh huh, yeah, yeah, sounds great.” Cat says lost in her computer.

“Oh my god, Cat! Get off the computer.” Cat’s head bounces up.

“Sorry, Hals, I was just looking for something.”

“Let me guess? A message from Nick?”

“No, no, of course not,” Cat lies.

“Whatever.” Hallie says annoyed. “So what time do you want to meet up?”

“Oh no,” Cat had forgotten her dinner plans with Hallie. She didn’t want to go. “Hal will you kill me if I cancel? I’m beat and we’ve got Mark’s big party tomorrow.” She could hear Hallie rolling her eyes.

“As long as you aren’t staying home to wait for an email from your fake boyfriend, who you never even speak to.” Hallie chides her.

“I’m not, don’t worry,” Cat says as she glances at her computer. She gets off the phone and jumps into the shower. She takes her time washing her hair and waits to get out of the bathroom. She can’t stop herself from making a b-line for the computer. Still nothing.

Cat opens a bottle of wine and begins getting dinner ready. Her wet hair leaves the collar of her shirt damp, and it feels cool against the warm night air. The windows are open and she can hear the sounds of the street floating up through her apartment. She slowly eats her dinner and then retires to the sofa. It is too early to go to bed. She checks her facebook account obsessively until finally putting the computer away. I’m sure he’s busy, she tells herself. She hears teenagers laughing on the street and is suddenly antsy. She needs to move. Cat grabs her purse and runs out the door. The streets are busy, crawling with people desperate to be outside. The warm weather makes everyone crazy. Fewer clothes and more daylight are excuses to stay out late and misbehave. She watches a couple walk together in front of her until they duck into a doorway to kiss.

She is jealous.

She hurries past them, not wanting to get trapped behind them again. In the bodega she buys a six pack of cold beer and a lime. If she doesn’t have a boyfriend at least she has alcohol she thinks. A warm breeze escorts her home.

As she fumbles to manage the beer and her purse she hears footsteps on the stairs.

“Hey neighbor,” Dave says. His flip flops and shorts match his demeanor.

“Oh, hey, Dave,” she tries to wave hello but can’t balance everything. He reaches to take the beer from her hand and she digs inside her purse to find the keys, “thanks. I don’t know why I try to carry this big bag around.”

“This beer feels great. It’s so warm out tonight.” He takes one out and pretends to drink it, “what are you up to tonight? I’m sure you’ve got tons of parties to run out to.”

“Actually, no, not tonight. I was just going to have a beer and enjoy a quiet Friday night,” he’s going to invite himself in, I know it, she thought. But he didn’t. He handed her the beer after she got the door open.

“Have a nice night,” he says and heads up the stairs.

Crap, she thinks. I should be nicer. “Dave,” she yells.

‘Yeah,” he appears on the stairs.

“Want to come in for a beer?” she smiles and waves the six pack at him.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he says as he hurries into her apartment, ‘hey great place, it looks almost the same as mine, except I have two bedrooms.”

“Do you have a roommate,” she asks. She wants to get to the bottom of the snoring.

“No, no, not right now I don’t.” He takes a long swig of his beer. The computer catches her eye and she is desperate to check it. “So, how long have you been in New York,” he asks.

“About eight years,” she says giving him only half of her attention, “I moved her after college.” Get it together. Be polite, she tells herself.

“Do you like it here?”

“I do,” she finally looks at him, “but it takes a while to adjust to life, I think. Or at least it did for me. You’ll get used to it.”

“I hope so,” he says, “it just feels kind of lonely. I guess I’m used to having a lot of people around. I lived in Chicago my whole life.”

“What brought you out here? Work?” she asks.

“Kind of,” he pauses, “basically. So where’s a good place to eat in the neighborhood?” He changed the subject.

“There are tons of places. It’s a great neighborhood.” He was cute, she thought, and nice. She wonders which of her friends would like him.

“Mind if I use your bathroom?” he asks.

As soon as he is up off the sofa she grabs the computer. She logs into her account and finally there it is.

I’m so so sorry I didn’t respond sooner. Oh my god, what a day…

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” she had no idea how long he was standing there.

“Sorry, just something for work,” she lies.

“Well don’t let me keep you. Thanks for the beer.” Dave waves as he lets himself out.

Cat gratefully turns her attention back to the computer.

You won’t believe my neighbor. He just totally invited himself over for a beer and he’s back upstairs for three minutes and he starts SNORING!!! I don’t know what is wrong with him.

She feels a little bad talking about Dave, but it is weird, and they aren’t friends.

Ha ha! My boss is such a jerk…

She falls asleep with the computer in her bed.