A Girl's Guide to Chicago Page 14

  “So, Kell. Have you seen any new movies lately?” Vin is almost looking down as he talks to me. He does not want to draw attention to our conversation.

  “No. I’ve actually been working really hard on my blog. I’m having so much fun, and I’ve been spending all my free time on it.”

  “Cool. I have to take a look. But, if you’re free maybe tomorrow and want to take a break, maybe we could go see another movie?”

  I pause for a few seconds. I did want to go to a movie. I did have a lot of fun last time. But I didn’t want it to get around the office that I’m hanging out with Vin by myself . . . alone. I quickly look around at our group. No one is paying attention.

  “Okay, sure. I would love to.” He gives me a smile, and I smile back.

  It’s Saturday, and I’ve been working for hours on my blog, and I’m starving. It’s almost four, and I have hardly had a thing to eat all day. I hear a ping on my phone and see that I have a text from Vin.

  What are you up to? Are you done working yet? Take a break.

  Yes! I’m ready to take a break. I’m starving. I’m craving Mexican food. Do you want to go to Cesar’s on Broadway? I saw it the other day, and I want to try their food.

  Yep. I know the place. I’ll be over in twenty.

  Vin comes to get me, and I’m really excited to be going to dinner with him. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. It’s a quick drive to Cesar’s from my apartment, and we are lucky to find a parking spot close to the restaurant. It is not too busy yet, but it is also early in the evening.

  “I’ve heard that the margaritas here are good, but they’re also really strong. I wonder if they are as good as Mercadito? Mercadito is definitely my favorite so far.”

  “Let’s have one and find out.”

  The server greets us with a bowl of chips and salsa, and we order two frozen margaritas with salt. I dive into the chips.

  “Wow, you must be hungry.”

  “I haven’t really eaten anything all day.”

  “Yeah, it looks like it. So, how’s the blog going?”

  “It’s good. I’ve been working on it a lot. I just wrote a post today about how to dress for a Cubs game.”

  “Oh, that’s a good idea.”

  “Yeah. It turned out well. I gave some advice on what to wear if you don’t have Cubs gears or if you’re visiting Chicago and you want to go to a Cubs game.”

  “Wow, you are now a true Chicago blogger.”

  “Ha, ha! I hope so. One day.”

  Our margaritas arrive, and they look refreshing. We both take a sip. They are good, but not as good as Mercadito, but it is definitely a yummy margarita.

  “I know I can’t have too many of these. They are really strong.” Our server comes back, and we order some food.

  “So, I haven’t had the chance yet to tell you about my date.”

  The words instantly make my heart stop. “Oh. Wait. What? No, you haven’t. When was this?”

  “It was last weekend. On Saturday.” Saturday? His date must have been after he helped me with my blog.

  “A friend set us up. She has hung out with us a few times at Leg Room. I didn’t really want to go, but I decided last minute to just go and have drinks.”

  “Oh, how was it? Did you have fun?”

  “Yeah. It was okay. She was nice. But I don’t think it will go anywhere. Not really interested. We went for a walk after, and she tried to kiss me. I wasn’t really into it, so that’s how the date ended.”

  “Oh.”

  That’s all I can think of to say. I have no idea why I’m being so weird. I honestly have no interest in dating Vin. But I feel relieved that his date didn’t go so well. I think it’s because I’m just a tiny bit jealous that if he starts dating again, we won’t hang out as much. Of course, it would probably be the same for me if I met someone.

  “You’re not saying anything.”

  “Oh, sorry. It’s just, umm, sorry it didn’t go well. I’m sure you will find someone soon.”

  “I’m not too worried about dating right now. I just wanted to tell you because I think we have become pretty good friends.”

  “Of course. We are. I’m sorry, really. You can tell me anything. I’m glad you told me.”

  “Good. So what movie should we see after this?”

  We both want to watch an older movie on TV instead of going to the theater. We talked before about our love for ’80s movies, and we think it will be fun to watch one that neither of us has seen. Netflix has a lot of old movies, so we agree to go to my apartment since we are so close, and my brother is back in the suburbs again. We search through Netflix and find, The Burbs starring Tom Hanks.

  “Oh my gosh, I absolutely love Tom Hanks. He is truly one of my favorite actors. I can’t believe neither of us has seen this movie. I’ll make some popcorn, and then we can watch.”

  I watch Vin as he gets the movie ready and gets comfortable on the couch. I bring the popcorn over, grab my blanket, and get settled on the couch next to him.

  “Ready?”

  “I’m ready.” I wrap myself in my blanket and Vin starts the movie.

  We both enjoyed The Burbs. It’s funny and a typical ’80s movie. The credits are rolling, and Vin suddenly jumps up and starts putting on his shoes.

  “Sorry, Kell. I have to go.”

  “Really. Why?”

  “I’ll see you on Monday. Okay? Good pick, right? We can watch another one soon.” Vin is suddenly acting strangely. He heads over to my front door and opens it. I look up at him confused as he is standing in my doorway.

  “Okay. Yeah.”

  “Bye.” He closes my front door and just like that he is gone.

  I sit and stare at my front door for a few seconds wondering what had just happened. Maybe he is just joking and will be right back? I sit there waiting for another minute. Nothing.

  Okay, stop being so weird. It’s not like he just walked out on a date with me. This wasn’t a date, and it’s not like he ditched me. We had plans to see a movie, and we did. Maybe he forgot he is late for something and he has other plans? That totally makes sense but why wouldn’t he just say that? Why leave so abruptly? I think about texting him but what would I say? I look at the time, it’s almost ten, and I decided to just head to bed.

  My brother comes home late on Sunday. I tell him about the Cubs rooftop game on Friday and how much fun it was. I also tell him about last night. He gave me a strange look.

  “Well, if you want to know what I think. I think your boss likes you. He sure wants to hang out with you a lot.”

  “No, he absolutely doesn’t. We are just friends and, anyway, I’m not going to date my boss. Plus, I don’t like him in that way. And, if he did like me so much, why would he just leave like that? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he didn’t want to feel like he was pushing you or didn’t want anything to go too far. He knows he’s the boss.”

  “No. I don’t think so. He doesn’t even sit close to me or anything like that. Besides, him leaving like that just proves that he doesn’t like me. I just thought it was weird, so that’s why I brought it up to you. I’m not upset or anything. Anyway. How was your weekend at home?”

  “Well, it was good. But, I have something to tell you.”

  Eighteen

  You know the feeling when everything in your life is going extremely well. You are really happy, and everything seems to be going your way. A part of you starts to wonder if things will stay this way or if something will come along and completely mess things up for you.

  Well, lately, I’m feeling exactly this way. Everything has been going well with work and with my new friends. I’m starting to become more comfortable in my surroundings, and I feel more confident walking around and exploring the city. I’m having fun, and I’m enjoying my new life in the city.

  As soon as my brother says the words, I know exactly what’s coming.

  “What’s up? What do you have to tell me.” I l
ook up at him as I slowly sit down on the couch.

  “Well, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I’m just not happy here in the city. I don’t know anyone. My job doesn’t pay well, and it’s hard for me to pay for things. I’m tired of being stressed out and unhappy all the time. I talked to Mum and Dad this weekend, and I think it’s best for me if I move home.”

  Yep, everything did seem a little too good to be true, and just like that everything is now about to be completely turned upside down for me. When I hear the news, to be honest, I’m not at all that surprised. However, suddenly everything feels unfair, and I’m in a little bit of a panic.

  I don’t say anything, but I continue to look at my brother as he’s talking. I do feel bad for him. I can tell that lately he hasn’t been happy. After all, he had moved here to help me. He had wanted to try something new, but he’s also doing me a huge favor by being my roommate. I don’t want him to feel this bad because of my dream, but this news is really going to affect me in every way. I can’t afford to pay for the rent by myself. I may be a little dramatic, but I don’t want to move back home and commute to the office every day. I love the life I’m making for myself in the city. There is no way I want to move back to the suburbs. My life is here. I’m quiet for a few minutes so I can think of what to say. I don’t want this to start a fight with him.

  “Okay. So, when do you think you will move back?”

  “I think next weekend.”

  “What! Next weekend? Are you serious? That doesn't give me much time to figure out things. What am I going to do for rent next month? It’s due in a few days.”

  “I will pay for June. Then, by July, maybe you can move or get a roommate?”

  I shake my head. “I know you’re unhappy here, but I just feel like this is going to really mess things up for me. Especially financially.”

  I take a deep breath and continue. “I’m sorry the city is not where you want to be. It makes me sad to think that you are so unhappy. Of course, I want you to be happy. But. Ugh! This just really, really sucks. So, when you told Mum and Dad, what did they say?”

  “They said they just want me to be happy. They want both of us to be happy. They know you love it here. But, they also know that I come home almost every weekend and that the city life is just not meant for me.”

  Tears start forming in my eyes. I put my head in my hands to cover my face.

  “Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I just feel so stressed out, and I don’t want to live like this.”

  “Yeah. I get it. I don’t want you to be this stressed or unhappy. Okay, let’s talk in a day or so. I just need to figure some things out. I need to think about what I’m going to do.”

  I get up and start walking toward my bedroom. “At least now maybe I can have a room with closet.”

  “Kelly don’t be mad.”

  “I’m not mad. I just need time to think about all of this.” I walk into my room and close the door.

  I walk into the office the next day, and I feel like a zombie. I sit down at my desk and let out a huge sigh. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I feel so overwhelmed, and I can’t think of what to do.

  All morning I found myself staring into space. I try to focus on what I have to do, but I can’t concentrate on work, not today. I’m not my usual bubbly self, and my friends start to notice by lunchtime.

  “Hey, you want to go to our sushi spot today?”

  “Maybe.”

  “What’s going on with you? What’s wrong. You’ve been quiet today. You didn’t even come by and say hi this morning.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that my brother came home last night and told me he is moving out. Next weekend. I just don’t know what to do. I can’t afford to pay all the rent. My credit card bill is already high. After moving here, I wiped out all my savings, so I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Whoa, that’s a tough situation. I mean the easiest thing to do is to get a roommate. It would only be for like six months unless you want to stay in that place. Or you could sublease or try to get out of your lease and get a studio. I live in a studio, and I love it.”

  I haven’t even thought about a studio. Jillian lives in a great neighborhood, and I would love to live downtown.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, how much is your rent?”

  “Fifteen hundred.”

  “We pay twelve hundred for our place, so I definitely can’t pay that.”

  “Yeah, I understand. I live in a good location in the Gold Coast. So that’s why.”

  “Thanks for your advice though. I definitely do have a few options, so I guess I need to figure out what works best for me.”

  “Yep, no problem. So, do you want to get some food?”

  “No. Thanks though. I’m not really that hungry.”

  “Okay, then. See you in a bit.”

  I take a break from my desk and walk to the kitchen to warm up the coffee I barely touched. Amy stops me as I walk by.

  “Hey Kelly, we overheard you telling Jillian something about your brother leaving. What are you going to do?”

  “I have no idea, Amy. I have a few options, I guess. But I just don’t know.”

  “I hope you figure it all out. Let’s all go out this weekend for some drinks and help you get your mind off things.”

  “Thanks. I’d really love that.”

  I give Amy a weak smile and head into the kitchen. Vin is at the microwave heating up some food.

  “Hey, will you come into my office when you are done?”

  “Okay.” I keep my head down to avoid making eye contact with him.

  I heat up my coffee and slowly walk toward Vin’s office. “Shut the door.”

  I give him a worried look, turn around, and shut the door behind me.

  “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. I just wanted to talk to you about the other night. I didn’t mean to just get up and leave like that.”

  “Oh yeah. Hmm, it’s okay. I had forgotten for a second all about what happened on Saturday night. Saturday night now seems like ages ago.

  “No, I want to explain. I just felt a little off. Maybe it was from the food, so I just had to get home. I was embarrassed. I should have said something. I’m sure it looked strange, so I’m sorry.”

  “Oh. Oh, I see. I hope you feel better now. That’s an awful feeling.”

  “All good now. I just didn’t know what to say and how to leave. I should have texted you, but I just thought it would come out weird. Anyway. I just wanted you to know. I didn’t want you to think I would normally just leave like that. So, anyway, what’s up with you today? Something wrong? Are you upset with me?”

  “No. No. Nothing with you. My brother came home last night and told me he was moving home.”

  “Oh. Really?”

  “Yeah, and the thing is, he said he is moving home this weekend. He will give me the rent for June and then I’m on my own. I can’t afford the apartment by myself, and so I’m a little overwhelmed as to what to do.”

  “I can see that.”

  “I love my life here in the city. I love my job here. I’ve just started to make friends, started my blog, and things are going really well. I absolutely don’t want to have to move home and commute here.”

  “No, you don’t want to do that.”

  “No, I really don’t.”

  “Hmm, that’s tough. Let me know how I can help you. Honestly, I’d try to get out of your lease if you don’t want a roommate. I would tell him about the two-bedroom thing. Your room is not a bedroom. It might be hard to get a roommate with that room.”

  “Maybe. That might actually be a good idea. Jillian said I could get my own place, a studio or something. But, she pays way more than I do now, so I don’t know how that will work.”

  “Oh, I have no doubt we could find something that could work for you.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, I can definitely help you, whatever you need.”

  “Thanks. I really appre
ciate it. I don’t have much time to decide, but I do want to think for a few days about what to do. My gut is telling me that I don’t want to find a roommate. It could take too long, and it would only be for six months. Plus, with the bedroom with no closet, who would want that? I’m not sure I want to continue living in that room either. With my brother moving out, I would rather have his room. I’m not sure I want to live with someone I don’t know. I would love to live downtown. That would be an absolute dream. That’s actually been my dream since I was little.”

  “Well, I can go with you to look at places if you want.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll let you know. I should head back to my desk.”

  David and I don’t talk much the rest of the week. I don’t want it to be that way, but I feel like I’m being let down. It’s the start of Memorial Day weekend, and we have off work on Monday. While it feels like the rest of the city is celebrating the beginning of summer, I’m helping my brother and his friends move his things out of the apartment.

  At least tonight I’m going out with the girls to RPM Italian. After the week I’ve had and helping my brother move out, I’m ready for a night out to enjoy a few cocktails. Amy’s boyfriend’s brother is in town, and she really wants me to meet him. I am not really in the mood to meet a guy, but I agree to go because I like Amy a lot and have a lot of fun with her. I’m determined to enjoy a night out and not think about my current situation.

  “Okay, David. You got everything?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Thank you for helping.”

  “Sure. I will see you next time I come home. Tell Mum and Dad I said hi.”

  “Okay. I’m so sorry that everything worked out this way.”

  “It’s okay. I will figure it out. Thank you for the money for June.”

  We give each other a tight hug, and he heads out with his friends. He is my brother after all. I can’t be mad at him forever. It did make me sad to see how upset he has been. I can’t imagine living somewhere that makes you miserable.

  After they are gone, I sit in the quiet apartment. I don’t have the energy to move my things into his bedroom, and I am still not sure what I’m going to do. The roommate thing is not at the top of my list. So, either I get out of my lease or I sublet. I think that I will try to get out of my lease.