Deep End
Two
The weirdest thing is that it doesn’t even feel awkward when she untangles herself from his arm and steps away. It is slightly awkward when she meets his eye.
“I’m sorry about that-” she makes a wild gesture with her hand to indicate what just happened, “- I just, I couldn’t help but overhear and I don’t know, people always say I’m doing stuff like this. I’m too impulsive and I really don’t have a social filter, so I just sort of...you know, jump into things. I didn’t mean to make things weird.”
“No, no, I mean, it’s okay. You did kind of save my butt, so I sort of owe you. I’m sorry for making things worse. I should not have lied and said I was with someone to begin with, and then to say that she could come to Montana with us...when there isn’t even an ‘us’...it was stupid.” The more he talks about it, the more his stomach twists. He has no idea how he is going to get himself out of this one, but he still wants to express how supremely grateful he is to her for doing that for him.
“Well, I guess this means we’re both sort of up shit’s creek then, aren’t we?” She keeps watching him out of the corner of one eye while she peruses the chocolate bars in front of them.
“No. Not you.” He doesn’t want her to feel like she is a part of this mess now. Then he realizes how that must sound and is quick to try to explain himself, “I mean, thank you, for trying to help. But I can’t ask you to keep helping me, I will need to get myself out of this.”
“Well, the way I see it, there’s really only three options here, only one of which doesn’t make you look pathetic. You can walk out of here alone and admit that you lied, which makes you look pathetic. Or, you can walk out of here alone and tell them we just broke up, which you know, also makes you look pathetic. Option three, we walk out of here together and go to Montana and then you can dump me after the wedding and you can look like the big man on campus.” She has no idea when that particular plan popped into her head, but the words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. She isn’t sure she wants to. She really doesn’t want to be in Pittsburgh anymore and he seems nice enough.
“Are you...are you saying you would actually get into my car and drive to Montana to be my wedding date?” He has to say it out loud again, reiterate, make sure he has heard her correctly. She can’t possibly be serious. Even if she is, he can’t possibly say yes.
“Well...I don’t have much else going on this weekend.” She directs a lopsided shrug his way.
“I...I can’t ask you to do that.” The words come out of his mouth, but he can’t help but think that it would solve his problem. It would get the guys off his back about getting back onto the scene and it would keep Bridget at a distance. But he couldn’t possibly.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. It’s that impulsivity thing, remember? Besides, I like travelling and there are mountains in Montana, right? I love mountains. Also, it’s free.” She really does feel a little bit like she needs to help him. His lie wouldn’t have spiralled even to this degree if she hadn’t opened her mouth. He is staring at her like she has three heads and she picks a Cherry Blossom up off the shelf, looks it over, turns her nose up at it and holds it up to him and raises an eyebrow. “Who would eat this?” she tosses it back onto the shelf. “Gross.”
“You would just get into a stranger’s car? Do you realize how stupid that is?” He picks up the Cherry Blossom that she has dropped back onto the shelf. He puts it back down a moment later. “That is disgusting.” He confirms.
“Well, I wouldn’t just get into a car with a total stranger. I don’t think Kris Letang is going to try to murder me. Gary Bettman wouldn’t allow one of his minions to colour that far outside the lines.” She pushes the display of Cherry Blossom’s back into the shelf and sticks a row of Kit Kat bars in front of it, effectively hiding them from view.
He thinks that he should just cut her loose. Tell her she doesn’t have to do this, that it’s really his problem to solve. Instead, he asks,
“Are you sure about this?”
“Are you going to keep asking me that until I say no?” She finally turns to face him head on again. He meets her eyes.
“No, no more asking. If you are sure, we will go.” She reaches a hand out toward him and he regards her curiously. She points to the sunflower seeds he is still holding.
“I’m going to need to pay for those.” She says, reaching for them again. He pulls them back.
“You are coming across state lines with me to be my wedding date even though we’ve never met. The least I can do is pay for these.” He shakes the bag and walks off toward the counter before she can protest.
She flicks through a copy of US Weekly while he pays for snacks and they exit together.
She’s following him across the lot to his car when she stops and laughs.
“I should probably get my stuff off the bus before they take off.” She jerks a thumb over her shoulder and he follows her pointing to see a Greyhound bus parked across the lot.
“You came here on a bus? You’re not from here?” She is already walking away from him towards the bus, so she turns to answer over her shoulder.
“I’m actually a fellow Canadian.” She tells him, “But hey, we’ll need something to talk about on the road, I can’t give up all my secrets now.” She grins. He motions to his black SUV.
“Meet you over there, fellow Canadian.”
“I’m sorry about that-” she makes a wild gesture with her hand to indicate what just happened, “- I just, I couldn’t help but overhear and I don’t know, people always say I’m doing stuff like this. I’m too impulsive and I really don’t have a social filter, so I just sort of...you know, jump into things. I didn’t mean to make things weird.”
“No, no, I mean, it’s okay. You did kind of save my butt, so I sort of owe you. I’m sorry for making things worse. I should not have lied and said I was with someone to begin with, and then to say that she could come to Montana with us...when there isn’t even an ‘us’...it was stupid.” The more he talks about it, the more his stomach twists. He has no idea how he is going to get himself out of this one, but he still wants to express how supremely grateful he is to her for doing that for him.
“Well, I guess this means we’re both sort of up shit’s creek then, aren’t we?” She keeps watching him out of the corner of one eye while she peruses the chocolate bars in front of them.
“No. Not you.” He doesn’t want her to feel like she is a part of this mess now. Then he realizes how that must sound and is quick to try to explain himself, “I mean, thank you, for trying to help. But I can’t ask you to keep helping me, I will need to get myself out of this.”
“Well, the way I see it, there’s really only three options here, only one of which doesn’t make you look pathetic. You can walk out of here alone and admit that you lied, which makes you look pathetic. Or, you can walk out of here alone and tell them we just broke up, which you know, also makes you look pathetic. Option three, we walk out of here together and go to Montana and then you can dump me after the wedding and you can look like the big man on campus.” She has no idea when that particular plan popped into her head, but the words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. She isn’t sure she wants to. She really doesn’t want to be in Pittsburgh anymore and he seems nice enough.
“Are you...are you saying you would actually get into my car and drive to Montana to be my wedding date?” He has to say it out loud again, reiterate, make sure he has heard her correctly. She can’t possibly be serious. Even if she is, he can’t possibly say yes.
“Well...I don’t have much else going on this weekend.” She directs a lopsided shrug his way.
“I...I can’t ask you to do that.” The words come out of his mouth, but he can’t help but think that it would solve his problem. It would get the guys off his back about getting back onto the scene and it would keep Bridget at a distance. But he couldn’t possibly.
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. It’s that impulsivity thing, remember? Besides, I like travelling and there are mountains in Montana, right? I love mountains. Also, it’s free.” She really does feel a little bit like she needs to help him. His lie wouldn’t have spiralled even to this degree if she hadn’t opened her mouth. He is staring at her like she has three heads and she picks a Cherry Blossom up off the shelf, looks it over, turns her nose up at it and holds it up to him and raises an eyebrow. “Who would eat this?” she tosses it back onto the shelf. “Gross.”
“You would just get into a stranger’s car? Do you realize how stupid that is?” He picks up the Cherry Blossom that she has dropped back onto the shelf. He puts it back down a moment later. “That is disgusting.” He confirms.
“Well, I wouldn’t just get into a car with a total stranger. I don’t think Kris Letang is going to try to murder me. Gary Bettman wouldn’t allow one of his minions to colour that far outside the lines.” She pushes the display of Cherry Blossom’s back into the shelf and sticks a row of Kit Kat bars in front of it, effectively hiding them from view.
He thinks that he should just cut her loose. Tell her she doesn’t have to do this, that it’s really his problem to solve. Instead, he asks,
“Are you sure about this?”
“Are you going to keep asking me that until I say no?” She finally turns to face him head on again. He meets her eyes.
“No, no more asking. If you are sure, we will go.” She reaches a hand out toward him and he regards her curiously. She points to the sunflower seeds he is still holding.
“I’m going to need to pay for those.” She says, reaching for them again. He pulls them back.
“You are coming across state lines with me to be my wedding date even though we’ve never met. The least I can do is pay for these.” He shakes the bag and walks off toward the counter before she can protest.
She flicks through a copy of US Weekly while he pays for snacks and they exit together.
She’s following him across the lot to his car when she stops and laughs.
“I should probably get my stuff off the bus before they take off.” She jerks a thumb over her shoulder and he follows her pointing to see a Greyhound bus parked across the lot.
“You came here on a bus? You’re not from here?” She is already walking away from him towards the bus, so she turns to answer over her shoulder.
“I’m actually a fellow Canadian.” She tells him, “But hey, we’ll need something to talk about on the road, I can’t give up all my secrets now.” She grins. He motions to his black SUV.
“Meet you over there, fellow Canadian.”