(022)
Jess had been ready all morning, but she was still running late. She’d alternated between pacing her living room and scrolling intensely on her phone, waiting until she absolutely definitely wouldn’t be early, and hoping for a good enough reason to cancel to pop into her imagination. None had, however, and now she was inadvertently power walking downhill towards the thing she’d been so nervous about.
A birthday party.
More specifically Lizzie’s birthday party – a close friend that she’d made while working in a bar a few years before – with a group of Lizzie’s friends, of whom she knew no-one.
An hour max. She says in an attempt to calm herself down.
Her feet slide on the pine needles lining the path and she winces at the way her new sandals rub against her achilles.
Knew I shouldn’t have worn them.
She pulls at the strap of her bag hanging over her shoulder and grimaces at the feeling of the dampness underneath it. Whether from nerves or the midsummer heat, showing up with sweat patches wasn’t how she wanted to introduce herself. She switches the bag to her other shoulder and pinches at the fabric of her shirt to air it out.
The sound of competing music floats through the trees like steam, along with laughter and giddy childish screams. Before the river was even in sight Jess could see that the grass was packed with groups of families and friends, spread out across picnic blankets and towels. She scans for Lizzie’s face amongst the crowd, switching her bag to her other shoulder absentmindedly. She squints behind her sunglasses in an attempt to narrow her vision and block out the faces she doesn’t recognise, but it only serves to draw her attention to the dark haired shirtless man juggling a football, sweat glistening in his chest hair in a way that felt oddly salacious.
“Heads up!” Came the call from a rapidly loudening voice, along with a growing dark ring in Jess’ periphery. She flinches when a hand snaps in front of her, catching the frisbee just in time. The receiver pulls his arm away and lands his jump beside her with a sideways stumble.
“Sorry!” He says with a sheepish smile and a nervous laugh, before running back in the direction of the girl who’d thrown it, rolling her eyes in the distance.
“Jess!” Lizzie’s voice pierces through Jess’ stupor and she spins to see Lizzie standing beneath a tree by the water’s edge, waving at her with a big grin on her face.
Jess waves back and picks her way through the makeshift path of people and towels. Lizzie crosses her group of friends to greet Jess with a big hug.
“Sorry I’m a bit sweaty.” Jess says, hugging her back.
“What? I don’t care, I’m just so glad you came!” Lizzie says into her shoulder, hugging her tighter and making Jess smile at the ease of it.
Lizzie leads her by the arm into the group, pointing and introducing each person by name, most of whom she immediately forgets.
“And this is Jess!” She finishes. Jess smiles and nods to everyone, avoiding any real eye contact. Instead she reaches into her bag and brings out a couple bottles of rosé as an offering.
“I brought wine!” She beams, to welcoming cheers.
“She can stay!” One girl shouts.
The nerves dip briefly as she takes her place beside Lizzie. She takes a plastic cup from the middle and fills it with wine, leaving the bottles behind. She sips from her cup and leans back against her hand, slightly away from the circle. Lizzie nudges her and catches her eye, asking wordlessly if she’s alright. Jess smiles and nods again, but all she can think about is how little she has to say.
“We were just talking about terrible first dates we’ve been on.” Lizzie tells her, loud enough to restart the conversation amongst the group. Jess smiles and laughs along with the stories, taking sips at regular intervals and feeling the warmth of the alcohol dull her anxiety. Her lightly glazed eyes wander back across the groups around them, unconsciously searching for the shirtless man.
“I’m here! I’m here! Sorry I’m so late!” A girl’s voice snaps her attention away from her hunt and she sees her picking the same way she did owards their group.
“I’d be worried if you weren’t!” Lizzie laughs, standing to embrace her.
“Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi-” she greets everyone swiftly, finally settling on Jess. “Hi! Can I slide in next to you?” She smiles, pointing beside her.
“Yeah of course!” Jess replies with the tiny hint of a slur, her mouth slower than she’d anticipated. She shuffles back to make space and the girl sits cross legged beside her. “I’m Tash by the way.” She pulls a can of gin and tonic from her bag and cracks it open for Jess to clink with her plastic cup. “Jess.” She obliges, taking a large sip from it after. The group return to their conversation and Jess prepares to continue her role of passive participant.
“I’m so sweaty.” Tash says, pulling Jess’ attention again. She looks at her to find her lifting her arm, checking out her sweat patches.
“Why did I think grey was a good idea?” She laughs, shaking her head.
“Oh my god, me too.” Jess responds, lifting her arm up to show her own.
“Okay we gotta stick together then, we can be team sweaty.” Tash says, offering her can again.
“Deal!” Jess clinks it once more, dribbling wine down her chin in her eagerness to celebrate their newly formed partnership.
“Oep-” she wipes it with the back of her hand, but not before it drips down onto her skirt.
God I’m drunk already. She thinks, only half caring.
“So how do you know Lizzie?” Tash asks, finishing off the first can and taking a new one from her bag.
“We met years ago in a bar- we worked there, I mean – it wasn’t a hookup.” Jess laughs and Tash’ eyes twinkle back at her.
What am I saying?
“Ahh so you’re playing the long game?” Tash winks, “I think you’re in with a shot, eh Lizzie?” She asks over Jess’ shoulder.
Lizzie turns from her conversation at the sound of her name. “What did you say?”
“Just say yes.” Tash grins.
“Yes…?” Lizzie answers, with playful suspicion.
“See! Told you!” Tash nudges Jess with her elbow.
“What did I just agree to?” Lizzie narrows her eyes, but her smile is still plain to see.
“The love of a good woman.” Tash beams. “Nothing you couldn’t use.”
The strained squeal of a moped’s engine emerging from the trees suddenly demands their attention, along with everyone else’s. The moped rolls down the bank to reveal its rider dressed in a suit made up from patchwork flags, with flags of every country fluttering in the wind from any free spot on the bike.
He sits back in the saddle and surveys the land before him like a knight from his steed, his helmless head revealing greased back dark hair and a ruddy, clammy complexion. He reaches forward with one hand and revs the engine twice – sending ripples of anticipation and confusion through the crowd – then with a surprising deftness he tilts forward and begins weaving between the obstacle course of limbs and bags. Parents pull their children back away from his path and a few voices raise their objections, but most just stare in stunned disbelief while he skillfully slaloms his way towards the water without touching anything but grass. He sets a course to skirt the waters edge, causing one young boy to leap in to escape him. He completes a circuit and revs hard to climb the bank again, skidding to a halt atop of it. He looks back triumphantly at what he’d just done. Dozens of eyes stare back at him, but no-one says a word, leaving him to speed off back into the woods.
A stunned silence remains for half a second before normality is returned.
“What the fuck was that? Was that real?” Jess says, laughter tumbling out of her.
“I feel like we just witnessed a fable or something.” Lizzie responds, her face a mix of confusion and glee.
“When I’m old and senile, please promise me you’ll remind me that this happened, and that it’s not proof of me losing my mind.” Tash adds, incredulously.
They exchange quips and jokes about it between themselves before drifting into other topics, laughing and sharing stories about who they are. An hour comes and goes without Jess even realising, lost in the pleasure of a blossoming friendship, the thought of going home now far from her mind.
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