Sun & Moon

With steady hands, Catalina pulled the wand away from Erin’s dark hair. She used it to create large curls in her hair, giving it volume and a sleek shine. Erin sat on the stool biting her lip, to which Catalina made an annoyed sound and flicked her on the shoulder. Erin relaxed her lip and Catalina sighed, fixing the lipstick that Erin’s teeth messed up.

Eyeliner outlined Erin’s bright green eyes, thin and perfectly executed wings making her eyes seem wide and glowing. Catalina had all but dragged her into a chair in her bathroom, insisting that she let Catalina put on her makeup and do her hair. It wasn’t that Erin was bad at these things or that Catalina was better as much as it was about Catalina insisted it was some sort of ritual.

In a way, for girls, it was a ritual.

“You look awesome, by the way,” Catalina side, narrowing her eyes and adding a little bit of blush to one side of her face to make it blend better. Catalina was familiar with the shape of Erin’s face, having done this exact routine in college several times. “So if you chew on your lip and over think this one more time, I will personally remove my shoe and smack you with it.”

“You’re barefoot.”

“You’re missing the point.”

“And you’re missing shoes.”

Catalina curled her lip at Erin in the mirror. “I’ll be missing a roommate, Sass-A-Frass, if you don’t stop the sarcastic whatever this is,” Catalina muttered, waving her hands as a gesture. Erin grinned at Catalina and Catalina smiled back, rolling her eyes. “Granted, it’s usually me driving you nuts and you telling me that the sarcasm is wearing thin on you.”

“When you say ‘usually’ do you mean ‘all the time.’”

“Go put your shoes on or something.”

Erin hopped out the seat and kissed Catalina lightly on the cheek. “Thank you, Cat. You’ve made me look amazing, as you always do.”

“You already look amazing. I was serious about those shoes.” Catalina glanced at her watch. “He should be here soon. He’s not usually very late.”

Erin vanished into the bedroom. Catalina put all of her makeup contents away, putting brushes in a jar and closing eye shadow pallets. She yawned, grabbing the beer that was sitting on the counter and taking a long swig as she heard Erin fumble in the room somewhere. Catalina shook her head, wondering if her roommate tripped trying to put shoes on.

Grabbing her phone, Catalina scrolled through the many emails sitting in her inbox. She was inevitably going to have to get on her computer and answer them all. Work never ended for her, which was fine in the sense that it kept her busy. It only got annoying if it was people being nitpicky.

Stepping into bathroom, Erin held her hands out. Catalina crossed her arms, appraising Erin’s outfit. She was dressed in a slim, form fitting dressy that was somewhere between a smoky and charcoal grey. It made her eyes turn a grey-green, one of the more unique colors Catalina had seen on her. A black blazer dressed her shoulders, keeping her warm for the chill in the air.

A watch was on Erin’s delicate wrist and a single, silver ring flashed when her fingers played with the hem of the blazer. Black heels with the familiar red bottom that made up the sole of most of Catalina’s shoes (and some of Erin’s as gifts from Catalina) made her only a few inches taller and her legs flexed when she shifted. Catalina broke out into a grin and a slow clap, making Erin roll her eyes.

“A true vision. He might actually just as if he can take you in the hall.”

“Catalina!”

Catalina shrugged. “I’m just saying. You look beautiful.” A loud knock on the door startled them both. Erin gave Catalina a nervous glance. “You’ll be fine. Go answer the door!”

Taking a deep breath, Erin turned around and head towards the front door. Catalina trailed slowly behind her, not wanting to intrude but certainly wanting to peek around the corner of the hall from which her bedroom was down. She paused when she heard Erin open the door and greet Jonathan, inviting him in for a moment so she could gather her purse and her things.

Quickly, Catalina dipped her head out from around the corner, just enough so that only her forehead and eyes were visible. Jonathan was saying something to Erin while she put a few things in her black clutch, Erin smiling and laughing. Catalina was impressed with his slacks, white shirt and blazer. Together they looked like an extremely classy power-couple that went yachting together.

Erin tucked her clutched underneath her arm and gestured to the door, saying something before glancing over Jonathan’s shoulder right at Catalina. Erin’s face twisted into an expression verging on exasperation, which made Jonathan turn around with a confused frown, only to look right at Catalina.

“Hi, Catalina.”

Caught, she stepped out into the living room, leaning casually on the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. “Hello. Take care of my roommate, alright? I want her home by midnight because that’s the time that the shoes turn into bargain brand and not Christian Louboutin.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

“Ignore her,” Erin insisted, walking towards the door. Jonathan chuckled and followed, opening the door for Erin. “I’ll see you later, Cat.”

“Maybe.” Erin rolled her eyes and walked out into the hall. Jonathan waved a hand and Catalina nodded in his direction, eyebrow raised. When the door closed, Catalina remained leaning on the wall before pushing herself off and muttering, “They better date.”

True to her word, Catalina spent most of her time answering emails and sending out fact sheets, among double-checking press and media releases. She had found a continuity error within one of the media kits and sent an email to Alice right away, knowing that her intern had probably typed it. Catalina herself didn’t have an intern, but she preferred it that way.

While Catalina worked, Benny curled up on her feet. She smiled, glad that she had a personal foot warmer. She also grabbed her phone and called her brother, only to leave a voicemail when he didn’t answer. She glanced at the clock, knowing there was no way that he was asleep. Andre was about as bad at sleeping as Catalina was.

After spending time answering emails, Catalina trailed to the fridge. There was no more beer, which elicited a sound of defeat from her lips. Checking the time she chewed her lip. There was no point in going out without Erin, and the thunder in the distance told Catalina that she didn’t want to go out somewhere for long anyways. So throwing on a pair of converse and pulling out her keys, she walked out the door, knowing she would avoid the rain by walking to the store at the corner of her block.

It was dark outside and the wind was blowing, the smell of rain and city heavy in the breeze. Catalina wished she were in more than shorts and a t-shirt suddenly, realizing just how bad of an idea it had been to just run out into the cold of Chicago. Hurrying up, she made it to the corner store as thunder rumbled somewhere again.

Humming to herself, Catalina went straight to the back of the store. It was made up of nothing but fridges with glass windows, their handles pressed with fingerprints from various people having opened them up over and over. Catalina went for the sea of blue, cardboard boxes, opening the fridge, letting out a disgusted noise at the cold, and grabbed a pack of budlight.

Turning, she head towards the front of the checkout line, taking the third spot. To her right, someone else got in line. She glanced sideways out of habit but her gaze stuck as she smiled slightly at the handsome man behind her. He returned the smile in such a way that Catalina knew that his curiosity was struck, just as hers had been.

The man was much taller than Catalina, at least by a foot. His hair was a beautiful shade of brown, the kind that looked like it had been colored by the sun. His skin was tan, but it wasn’t the kind that came naturally as much as it was the kind that came with being in the sun often.

Looking in front over her, Catalina smirked. He was absolutely beautiful. A little bit of scruff covered his jaw and chin, and his cheekbones were better than Catalina’s, which she felt a pang of jealousy over. It was muted out by him gesturing to her and saying, “Party for one?”

“How do you know it isn’t for two?”

“Hopeful guess.”

“Hopeful, huh?” Catalina glanced at his things. He was holding water, a back of mint gum and a granola bar. “I have to say, I almost feel guilty looking at your purchases.”

Stepping up one more in line, Catalina took in what he was wearing. Jeans that were definitely designer if she had ever seen a pair, and a black t-shirt that was tight enough to show the impressed shape of his chest, but loose enough that it left Catalina curious.

“Nah, I think I’m kind of jealous.” Catalina stepped up and put her beer on the counter, handing over her ID when the man behind the register asked for it. “At least you look like you know how to have fun?”

“You don’t?”

“Sometimes. I probably need someone to teach me how.”

Catalina swiped her credit card. “Take out that phone of yours and I’ll let you know when I’m available for lessons.” The guy behind the register raised his eyes in surprise and Catalina made him look away with one sweeping glare. He bagged her case of beer as the man behind her handed Catalina the phone. She quickly typed in her number. “I’m Catalina.”

“Well, Catalina,” he said, smiling at her with a blinding row of white teeth. “I’m Forrest. I will definitely be needing that lesson whenever you’re free.”

Taking her bag, Catalina nodded, flashing him a smile. “I look forward to it.”

Back outside, Catalina nearly ran home. The wind didn’t hinder her, nearly pushing her over as she hurried. The storm was rolling in fast and no sooner than Catalina had walking into the building, the rain began to pour. She stopped and turned around, motionless in the lobby and looking at the rain for a few minutes. It came down in a sheet that made visibility nearly nonexistent.

Turning around, Catalina returned to her apartment. With Benny on the couch and the top popped off a beer, she turned on the sports center and cuddled in, waiting for her roommate’s return.

Thirty minutes later in the middle of Catalina rolling her eyes at a commercial she didn’t think was half as funny as the producers thought it was, a crack of thunder so vicious that she squeaked sounded causing the power to instantly flashing off. Catalina groaned as her safety lights plugged in the hall turned on. Everything was quiet except the rain pounding against the window. Benny was shoved behind her, not fond of the thunder at all.

Something banging into the door startled her. Setting down a beer, she got up from the couch, trailing over to the door slowly. Her right hand was closed into a fist, ready to punch a scary beast in the face if it was lurking on the other side of the door. Catalina had seen enough movies to know opening the door was a bad idea, but she also knew that she had been boxing for years and that whatever was on the other side of the door was going to regret it.

Ripping the door open, Catalina startled herself and the couple on the other side of the door. Guilt instantly swept up inside her, looking at the absolutely soaked Jonathan and Erin standing in the dying light of the hall. Emergency lights lined the hall but for the most part the two were left in darkness, looking like wet dogs.

“I can just close the door,” Catalina began, noting the hand on Erin’s waist and how close they were standing to one another. Catalina cursed herself as she started to close the door, but Erin made a sound.

“No, it’s fine, I was just coming inside now.”

“Oh. Great. The power is out.”

“Really.” Erin’s voice was dry. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Really? You should get that checked, could be a huge problem. Alright, I’m going inside now.”

Catalina turned around awkwardly and head back inside. Benny was watching her from over the couch. Moments later, Erin walked in behind Catalina, closing the door firmly behind her. Catalina held up her hands. “Alright, that was only like half my fault.”

“You’re fine.”

“I mean, I heard the bang and figured something was going to kill me,” Catalina continued.

“Cat.”

“So you have to understand why I ripped the door open. I didn’t think I would see you two weirdos standing there soaking wet- what the hell, by the way- about to kiss or whatever.”

“Cat.” Catalina stopped speaking, Erin rolling her eyes. “It’s fine. The date was a total mess and yet… he stills wants to go on another one. At least he said so. Oh god, what if he only said that because he felt horrible about the whole night? What if-"

“Hey, you sound like me and it’s weird,” Catalina interrupted gently. “Come on. How about a hot shower and you can tell me everything.” Erin nodded. "I’ll make you hot tea.”

As it turned out, Erin really did have a horrible first date with Jonathan. It started out amazing, she insisted. He had a driver and a beautiful car and right away she felt at ease. But the night started wrong early, the driver getting lost on the way to Spiaggia, an extremely upscale Italian restaurant with a private floor for private events. Jonathan, being who he was, had reserved a table on the private floor.

Until they were fifteen minutes late and missed it and had to wait an hour to get seated. The host had ensured that an hour was actually a favor pulled by one of the owners, since Jonathan had been there a few times in the past. Either way, Erin explained to Catalina that they had to sit down in the front for an hour, starving but making comfortable conversation.

The second mishap came when Jonathan put down his wine glass and clipped a plate, knocking the full glass of red wine across the table and onto Erin. Catalina felt the effects of second hand embarrassment for him, but it lasted just long enough for Erin to mention that after eating and having a lot to talk about, Erin had tripped on the way out and managed to accidentally smack Jonathan on her stumble.

Closing her eyes, Catalina covered her face. She could not imagine how in the world the two of them had managed to get home without losing a limb. But they did get rained on while waiting for the car to pull up, which explained why they were completely drenched. And then there was the fateful power outage to which Erin fell into the door, causing Catalina to open it.

Everything was a giant circle of awkward accidents, and at the end of the story, Erin buried her face into a pillow, screaming into it. Catalina nudged her, gaining her attention. Her eyes were slightly watery and Catalina knew it was out of frustration. “We all have really shitty dates, Er.”

“You don’t.”

“I don’t go on dates.”

Erin sniffed. “He’s perfect. Besides the hockey stuff, he’s just overall an amazing guy. Very polite, funny and so nice it’s actually unbelievable. No one that amazing is going to want to ever remember a date that horrible, especially not Jonathan Toews.”

“You forget one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“You’re Erin Mitchell. You teach elementary school kids and you somehow survive and you manage to deal with me. If that doesn’t convince you that you’re amazing, I don’t know what will. He’ll call, Erin.”

Catalina’s roommate set her chin on top of her knees. “I hope so.”

Catalina smiled and leaned across the couch, kissing Erin on top of the head. “He will. Now I think you need bed.”