To Arizona Skies

I woke up sometime early the next morning around 4:30. The problems of the situation I found myself currently in were almost too numerous to count. I was completely naked in bed with a guy I had just met yesterday; it was completely freezing in his room; I had a completely awful headache and John’s left arm and left leg were completely wrapped me, making it pretty difficult for me to move.

“What the fuck did I do last night,” I asked myself as I rolled over and out of John’s embrace.

I spied my purse across the room by a pile of clothes on the floor. I ran over, checking my phone, completely expecting the 12 missed calls from my mother. Sighing, I dialed her cell number, walking out into the hallway, so as not to wake sleeping John, slipping on a t-shirt and boxers I found on the floor.

After three rings, she picked up and yelled, “Hello.”

“Mom, it’s me, stop shouting,” I said.

“Lauren, first of all, where the FUCK are you? Secondly, I’m not shouting. Is something wrong with your phone,” my mom asked.

Oh fuck. I drank last night. I haven’t been THIS hung over in probably, forever, I thought. My head was throbbing. Everything always seemed louder when I was hungover.

“Oh yeah, sorry, let me turn the speaker volume down,” I said, rubbing my temple. My mom probably wouldn’t care that I had been drunk off my ass last night, but it definitely wouldn’t help the situation as I tried to explain where I had been all night.

“You still didn’t answer my first question, Lauren,” my mom said, sounding irritated and tired.

“Oh right. Mom, please don’t be mad. I went to a party last night with a friend I met at the coffee shop and it ended late so they just offered to have me spend the night and go to work from here,” I explained. None of that was a TOTAL lie, depending on how you interpreted it.

“Oh. Well, that’s nice. I just needed to know where you were before I left for work. I’m glad you’re making friends. Maybe Arizona isn’t as bad as you thought?”

“Mom, Arizona will always be awful” I said, my attention slightly evaded as I saw a light flicker on down the hall.

“I need to go get ready- see you tonight,” I said before hanging up and going into the hall bathroom to pour myself a cup of water.

I looked into the mirror to see a shirtless Stephen shuffling into the room behind me. When he saw me, he smirked and asked, “Rough night?”

“I could say the same thing to you. At least I wasn't passed out against my brother's car before we left a party last night. Top that." I snapped, bending over into the sink to run cool water over my face.

“Well, now that you mention it- I was kept up half of the night by my brother and his new girlfriend having very loud sex down the hall,” Stephen said laughing.

I choked. Sex?! Girlfriend?! Sure, I had been naïve to think waking up in bed naked with a guy didn’t mean sex, but I had a faint hope. I had been a virgin before coming to Arizona.. It wasn’t that I was against the idea; I had just been waiting for someone special. That is, someone who felt like “the one.” Not that my boyfriend throughout high school hadn’t been, there just had never been a right time.

Regardless of the timing, losing my virginity in a new town while drunk, to a guy I hardly cared for wasn’t exactly what I had had in mind.

“I really hate you Stephen,” I said trying to laugh off the whole situation but my mind was spinning.

I went back into John’s room and started to gather my clothes as tears stung in my eyes. I checked the time and realized I didn’t have time to run home to shower and change before work.

I pulled back on my purple shirt and jeans, leaving John’s borrowed clothes on the bed next to him. I walked down the stairs and let myself out the front door, heading to my car.

On the drive to work, I reflected on last night. Well, what I could remember of it, anyway. What else had happened? I remembered taking shots, meeting a bunch of people and-

I nearly rear-ended the car stopped in front of me at the oncoming red light when I remembered- Josh and I had hooked up in the kitchen. Sure, we had both been hammered, but feelings often come out drunkenly at parties. A slight hope entered my mind that Josh cared about me the way I cared about him.

I got to work and immediately knew it would be an eternally long shift. Jennifer laughed at the sight of me and said, “Nice walk of shame. How’s the hangover?”

“Is it that obvious,” I shuddered.

“Hun, you smell like booze and sex. I’d say it’s pretty obvious,” Jenn said laughing.

“That’s just fucking awesome,” I sighed. “Fuck everything.”

Laughing, Jenn grabbed a bottle of perfume out of her purse, came over to me, and sprayed it on. “Did you have fun though,” she asked, coming to lean against the counter next to me.

This was the first time we had ever spoken about topics not relating to work, yet I could sense a strong friendship forming. I decided to keep Josh out of the story, but I filled her in on the rest of the details.

A little bit before noon, I was in the supply room when I heard the bell above the door ring. I could hear Jenn exchanging conversation with the customer, but I looked up to see her standing in the doorway with a smirk on her face.

“A John is here for you,” she giggled.

“Oh fuck. Thanks,” I said, straightening my hair in the mirror in the supply room before following her out into the stop to face my one night stand.

My one night stand stood there in the form of dark skinny jeans and again, one of those signature black v-necks. He did look good. His eyes lit up immediately when he saw me.

“I’ll be in the back,” Jenn said, winking at me as she walked away.

Apparently, once you had sex with John Gomez, you weren’t getting rid of him anytime soon.

“Lauren, I was so worried. I was calling and calling,” said John.

“Oh. Um. Right. Sorry, my phone died after I left this morning,” I said.

“That’s such a relief,” he said, smiling at me. “I thought it meant you didn’t want to talk to me anymore.”

That’s exactly what it meant, even though my phone really had died after I had hung up with my mom that morning.

“Oh. John about last night-“ I began, not sure how to break the news to him.

“Don’t worry about it. I had a great time,” he smirked.

Ugh. There was no letting this boy down easily.

“Anyways, what would you say to a real date tonight? No drinking or crazy parties? Just you and me,” he questioned hopefully.

I had never been one to do something I didn’t want to do, but I couldn’t say no to that face. Plus, hanging around John would have its advantages. Josh was sure to be close by, and I could get to know him better in the process while finding out what he was really looking for. In my mind, I told myself this wasn’t using John. In fact, I put that word out of my vocabulary all together.

“Sure, that sounds good,” I admitted.

“Ok, but this time, I’m picking you up. I’ll call you later to get your address,” he said. John put his arms out, expecting a hug. I walked into his embrace and released after I felt him rub my back and kiss my forehead. I halfheartedly returned his smile as he started to walk out of the store.

Jack and I had not had a romantic relationship, so all of this touchy feely stuff was a little new to me, and it would definitely take some getting used to.

“Oh- John,” I asked.

“Yeah, Lauren,” he stopped and turned around.

“Can I have Josh’s number? I just want to text him and thank him for having us all over last night,” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t question my intentions.

But that was how naïve John is for you.

“Yeah, sure,” he said, jotting the number down on a paper menu lying on the table next to us.

“Thanks. See you tonight,” I said with a quick grin.

I was going to get to the bottom of what Josh Montgomery and I had whether he liked it or not. Or before I had the chance to start actually liking John Gomez.