Chapter 3

“What on earth are you doing back here, Zachary? Didn’t you just leave an hour or so ago?”

Zac smiled a rueful smile, gathering Heather into his arms. “I couldn’t help it. Plus, my boy Justin here wanted to ask for tips on how to woo Anna.”

Heather blinked, wresting herself out of Zac’s stronghold. 

“You still like Anna? But she rejected you so long ago. Haven’t you given up yet?”

Justin shrugged.

“It’s not that easy,” he said at the same time as Zac did. They looked at each other in surprise.

“I guess we’re more alike than I thought we were,” Zac muttered, heading off to put the kettle on. “Tea, anyone?”

“I’ll have coffee instead,” Heather replied, inviting Justin to sit down.

While everyone sipped on their beverages, Justin told his tale.

“We met at work. Anna is the most playful person I’ve ever met, but you should see her coding. It’s like she’s another person. You wouldn’t believe it. I love it about her. Her duality is amazing. And she’s so warm and friendly, even to strangers. I remember one time we were walking to work, and it was snowing, and she went out of her way to give her scarf to an old lady who hadn’t got one on.”

He sighed, finishing the hot drink and starting up again.

“I just wanted to make her as happy as she made me, but she had other plans. Said she wasn’t interested in love at the moment, and did I want to be her friend with benefits instead?”

Zac and Heather nodded encouragingly, simultaneously.

“At first, I wanted to say no. And I did. But one night, we’d both gotten so drunk I didn’t have the willpower nor the self-control, and it started from there. It went on for a bit till I couldn’t take just that anymore. I didn’t want the dregs. I wanted the whole thing. I don’t want to keep being satisfied with bits and pieces, so will you help me, Heather? Help me make her fall for me? Tell me why she doesn’t want to date in the first place. Is it anything like your story?”

Heather bit her lip. She liked Justin, but Anna was her best friend, and she didn’t want to go behind her back and betray her.

“I know what you’re thinking, love,” Zac whispered beside her, rubbing little circles on her back in a relaxing and soothing manner. “It’s not betrayal if you’re helping. I’m sure Anna won’t see it that way.”

She sighed. “Alright, I’ll tell you what I know. But you’ll have to find out the rest yourself, okay? Though, good luck with that. I’m her best friend, we’ve known each other since we were fourteen, and she hasn’t even told me.”

Justin nodded eagerly, glad the entire trip wasn’t a waste.

Heather made herself comfortable, then began the story.

“I’m about to divulge trade secrets here, and I’m not going to repeat myself. I’d advise you to grab a pen and paper. No, I’m joking. Do listen carefully, though. Growing up, Anna had string after string of unserious boyfriends. It was okay then because we were in high school, and everyone knew high school relationships were bound to end. Even in middle school, but it wasn’t as intense. It all began when she became aware of her sex appeal, actually,” Heather said, rolling her eyes.

Justin chuckled and motioned for Heather to continue. She did.

“She and I would screen potential boyfriends, making sure they knew what her terms were. Some agreed, wanting the same thing. Most guys weren’t looking for love. They were looking for someone to make out in the backs of their cars without having to hoe around. So they would “date” for whatever time period they agreed on. That was the easy part. It got complicated if any of them fell for her. She would break up with them—for violating terms of the contract, and they would litter her doorstep with flowers and letters which irritated her and her mother.”

Heather sighed. Christine—or Chris, as she went by—was another bone of contention. Heather suspected that she had a major role to play in her daughter’s relationships with men, but she didn’t say anything about it. Anna had never talked about it, and she didn’t want to impose.

“Her mom is really strict, actually, but also really friendly. I don’t know how she pulls that off. Anyway, if you want to woo Anna, getting on her mom’s side is a great advantage.”

Heather grabbed Zac’s hand and checked the time on his watch. His breath hitched. Even after almost a year, she still managed to have that effect on him.

She smiled and dropped his hands, faintly aware of his reaction.

“It’s getting kind of late, Justin, and I want to have a bubble bath. Good luck with wooing Anna, and feel free to come over whenever you need help. Just call first. Here’s my number...”

Justin stood up, aware of the message hidden in Heather’s words. ‘I want to spend time with my boyfriend. Get out...please?’

He thanked her for all her help and left, cursing when he realized he’d left his car at the bar.

“Tate would’ve probably taken it home for me. He’s just that kinda guy. Or Michealangelo. One of them. I’ll call them tomorrow morning and take a cab...or I could just walk?” 

He looked around the street. It was peaceful and practically empty, save for a few people milling around.

“It’s far...they did a great job of getting away from the overpopulated areas of New York...but hey, I like walking,” he decided and broke into a brisk stroll home.

***

Meanwhile, Anna was watching Becky sleep peacefully on her bed. After Justin left, she had bugged Anna till she felt like pulling all her hair out, then retreated sleepily to Anna’s room, much to her older sister’s dismay.

“Gahhh,” she groaned, wishing she and Heather hadn’t turned the guest room into a storage closet. Sure, there were fewer things now that Heather had moved, but Becky still wanted nothing to do with it.

“I guess I could just sleep in Heather’s old room?” she wondered.

She changed into her oldest nightgown, deliberately banging things around for Becky’s discomfort as she took along a pillow and bedsheets.

After making the bed, Anna lay down. She wasn’t sleepy, so she picked up her phone and scrolled through social media.

On PicsAreUs, she noted that a lot of her former classmates were doing very well. Selena had gotten married some weeks ago, and Bulma and Fah were expecting their second child. She liked both posts with a dejected air, wondering what could fill the emptiness she often felt.

‘I just know it’s because I haven’t got a stable job yet,’ she thought to herself while trying to get comfortable under the blanket. ‘It’s because I haven’t got anything to dedicate my time to, and I absolutely hate that. No one gets it! They think this unemployment is good for me and that I need a break. Why, I’ve never heard anything so preposterous! Me? I was the best-graduating student, second only to Heather Namaki! I was salutatorian, and they think I need to rest? Ugh.”

She paused.

“Well, that three-month vacation wasn’t too bad, come to think about it,” she muttered begrudgingly. “But still! I’m tired of resting! I’m bored out of my mind! Every day I wake up, and it’s the same empty tasks. I want something different.”

She kept fidgeting and eventually flung off the blanket with a sigh. It landed on the desk Heather had so graciously left behind and, as a result, toppled a few things to the ground.

Anna cursed lowly under her breath, getting up from the bed to pick up the things that now cluttered the ground.

“Why did she leave these bottles and bits and pieces anyway?”

She picked them up from the ground, then noticed a loose floorboard. She lifted it up and found a pretty, sequined notebook. Heather’s Diary was printed on the front in glitter glue. Anna rolled her eyes. 

“And I’m the one who acts like a child?” she muttered.

She flicked through, noticing that there were still empty pages. “She would want this back. I’ll return it tomorrow.”

She was about to fling it onto the table when her name on a page caught her eye.

“Huh?”

‘Diary Entry #22

Hey, hey, hey. How’re you doing, diary?

Today was a weird day, to be honest. Anna told me she’s been unemployed for a while, and I never even noticed. What a shitty friend I am. I’m going to try harder to be better for her. She’s got a lot of ideas planned out, actually. Maybe leaving the country (I hope not!) or at least moving states (I still hope not!!) or leaving the technology sector entirely. (I actually agree with this, her job was super complicated lol)

My favorite idea is her opening her own place. Maybe a bakery or confectionery store? Ugh. I have PTSD from the stupid Bakerz Confectionery client. He was such a hassle!

Maybe she could do a restaurant instead? Ah, yes, Anna’s Place. Has a nice ring to it, hm? I gotta go now. There’s work to be done.

xoxo, H.’

Anna read it over and over again, biting her lip. She couldn’t believe it. She’d had so many plans. How had she forgotten about it all? What was she doing with her time, doing volunteer work? There was work to be done!

First, which idea should she decide on?

She paced around the room, tearing a page from Heather’s Diary. She used it as a sticky note.

“Heather wouldn’t want me to move too far away, and neither do I, not yet at least, so that leaves me with the last option—starting my own business. That would be great, actually. It would be a cool challenge. Now which one, a bakery or a restaurant? How about a bakery and a restaurant!? What do I call it? Anna’s Place sounded good, actually...”

She continued to pace around and jot things down till she eventually fell asleep at Heather’s desk.