Random Encounter by Allyson Lindt

Eleven

Phillip

Despite my resolve last night to put some distance between myself and Dustin, I didn’t hesitate this morning when he asked if we were doing breakfast. Then again, he’d dropped everything the instant Adrienne called.

And it was a completely different situation.

I opened the passenger door for Adrienne. “You take the front. I’ll call the police.”

She took her seat, lips pursed, and I slid into the second row, putting myself between Dustin and Addie so I could see them both.

“What are young going to tell them?” Adrienne asked when I pulled out my phone. “That my ex-husband dropped by my apartment to talk to me?”

Dustin started the truck. “He’s stalking you.”

“Says you. Says me.” Adrienne’s voice was tight. “He’ll say otherwise.”

I hovered my thumb over the keypad, ready to dial. “It’s three against one.” It didn’t work that way, I knew, but she couldn’t let this drop.

She twisted in her seat and covered my hand with hers. “Please don’t. I’m not...” She clenched her jaw as she trailed off.

“Not what?”

She puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. “Not in the mood to be told it’s nothing, and that maybe I should just hear the guy out.”

“Ah.” That killed a lot of my replies.

“What are you going to do when he keeps coming back?” Dustin navigated traffic with practiced ease.

Adrienne shrugged. “I’ll deal with it. I didn’t this time, but I’ll figure it out. I’m sorry I made it your problem, but I know it’s really on me to handle.” She sounded apologetic and distressed.

Neither one felt right.

“He wants to talk, then tell me where he lives and I’ll go talk to him,” Dustin said.

I understood the sentiment, but also the futility of it.

“That will not make things better.” Adrienne’s answer didn’t surprise me.

Dustin turned another corner toward our usual breakfast place. “It might.”

She shook her head, but a small laugh escaped. “I can’t stay by your side forever, and if you piss him off, he’s going to look for a way to make himself feel better. I just want him to go away, and I’ll figure it out.”

I wanted to tell her ignoring the problem wouldn’t make it go away, and I didn’t see how it could. But like any troll in any online game or forum, giving him attention wouldn’t help either.

“I’ve got it, I promise,” Adrienne said.

I wasn’t used to hearing that tone from her. Deception? It couldn’t be. I didn’t know her well enough to make assumptions, though, and despite all of this, I only needed to know her well enough to teach her how to do my job.

Dustin could stand getting to know her better, though. The two of them worked well together, already, and that dynamic could be enhanced. This morning seemed like the perfect way to nudge their friendship closer, and for me to start stepping back.

That didn’t mean I liked dropping the subject of how to help Adrienne with her ex, but I didn’t know what to say that hadn’t already been said.

We reached the same diner we hit up every other weekend, parked in the same spot, and inside, waved at the same waitress as we sat at the same table as always. When did my life become so intertwined with Dustin’s?

The difference today was Dustin slid in next to Adrienne. They were cute together. A knot formed in my chest and I ignored it.

“Hey, guys.” Heather greeted us with her same friendly smile. “And new friend. Is this your sister?” She looked at Dustin.

I shook my head. “No.”

Adrienne was most definitely not Daria. Who I also knew better than seemed normal for co-workers. And I knew her girls too.

“Someone’s. Not mine, though.” Dustin draped an arm over Adrienne’s shoulders.

Adrienne smiled. “We work together.”

“You do the games too? That must be a lot of fun. Diet for you.” Heather pointed at Dustin. “Coffee, half-and-half.” She pointed at me. “And for you?” She asked Adrienne.

“Hmm.” Adrienne scrunched her nose in thought.

How was that cute? The kind of tiny detail that made a drawing three dimensional even when it was flat.

“Coffee. Sugar. Do you have the flavored creamers? Any of those. Surprise me,” Adrienne said.

“You got it, hon.” Heather left to grab our drinks.

I couldn’t help but tease Adrienne just a little. “If you don’t want to taste the coffee, you shouldn’t order the coffee.” I kept my tone light.

She stared back, unfazed. “You don’t salt your food? It’s a flavor enhancer.”

“Oh.” Dustin’s face lit up. “Like pineapple juice.”

And now breakfast had a cum joke involved. Yup, that was us.

Adrienne’s cheeks turned pink. “I’d have to take your word for it.”

“You don’t have to. There are easy ways to find out for yourself.” I shouldn’t be following this line of conversation. Now that I was thinking about how not-coworker-like Dustin and I were, it was obvious that I was drawn into every joke and jab and bit of innuendo, and that we were dragging Adrienne along for the ride.

Not that anyone seemed to mind. But there was a distinct line between jokes about blowjobs and offering to show someone if myths about pineapple juice making cum taste better were true.

Adrienne drew her finger down the back page of the laminated menu. “Doesn’t look like they have pineapple juice on the menu. Bummer.”

“Damn. Too bad no one else sells it,” Dustin teased.

I wasn’t doing this. Because then I’d be tempted to recreate last night, but naked, and fuck that was already too tempting. “You know what pineapples always make me think of?”

“South Park?” Adrienne asked.

“Paris Hilton?” Dustin added.

And she got the same references we did. I laughed in spite of myself, but I was still going to make this conversation not sexy. “Xenomorph eggs.”

“Gross,” Heather said as she passed our drinks to us. She took our food order.

When she was gone, Adrienne said, “I always thought the eggs looked more like… mangoes.”

“I was thinking avocado.” Dustin scooted the rainbow assortment of flavored creamer closer to her, then took a long drink of his Diet Coke.

Adrienne picked through the flavors, landing on green, and dumped a few into her drink. “They’re not bumpy enough to be avocado. Maybe avocado colored mangoes?”

“You’ve done an extensive study of Xenomorph eggs?” I wasn’t impressed. Maybe just a little. I was also just a little tempted to steal one of her flavored creamers. Just one Irish cream.

She raised her eyebrows. “Aliens is classic sci-fi horror. One of the best movies in its class, and one of the few that’s stood up to time.”

Fuck me, she was a fan. Why couldn’t she love, I didn’t know, conspiracy theory podcasts? Something completely unappealing. She did have one thing wrong, though.

“You mean Alien,” I said.

“No. I mean Aliens. With an S. Don’t get me wrong—Alien brought Geiger to the big screen, and… wow. But Aliens is something else.”

I could argue that with her, and have a lot of fun. But I’d rather put the focus back between her and Dustin. “Dustin loves the prequels. The Alien prequels, not like The Phantom Penis.”

Adrienne snorted a short laugh. “Like, Prometheus?”

“I don’t love them. We’re just occasional fuck buddies.”

She stared at him with a blank expression. Damn, she had that look down. “What does that even mean?”

Dustin shrugged. “I have an appreciation for their more subtle points and sometimes we sneak away into the shadows to do naughty things.”

“Like watch them,” I said.

“I won’t apologize.” He never did. Not for his passions.

Adrienne sipped her coffee. “Usually I don’t like the term guilty pleasure—who should feel guilty for linking what they like—but Prometheus?”

“We’ll watch them. Today. I’ll teach you how to appreciate them,” Dustin said.

Did I really want to push them closer as friends and me onto the outside? Yes, but not today. We were here, we were having fun, and I was going to enjoy it. “I’ve got a great theater setup at home.”

“He really does.” Dustin shifted in his seat so he was half-facing Adrienne. “What are you doing with your afternoon, Addie?”

“Apparently, I’m watching the Alien movies.”

Dustin high-fived her. "Smart lady.”

“And then reminding you when we’re done that you’re wrong.” She grinned.

He scoffed. “As if.”

Our food arrived and conversation stuttered as we ate.

“What’s the news with that Nolan guy?” I asked Dustin. In the bedlam of the last week, I’d forgotten to get an update.

Dustin sneered. “Rotting in Hell? It’s in Legal’s hands now. We’re clear.”

“Who’s Nolan?” Adrienne asked.

“Dickhead extraordinaire.” Disdain filled Dustin’s reply. “But more specifically, a guy I used to work with who’s claiming AcesPlayed ripped off his art.”

Adrienne looked horrified. “That’s… How are you supposed to fight something like that? Why would anyone…? I don’t understand. You wouldn’t.”

She was right—Dustin wouldn’t steal someone else’s work and neither would I. But her faith in us was reassuring anyway.

“It happens a lot in this industry.” I tried to return the favor of being reassuring. “We’re lucky that we have lawyers behind us.”

“It’ll be fine,” Dustin said. “It’s irritating to be called a thief, and infuriating to be betrayed by someone I used to call friend, but we’ve already handled it.”

“You’re taking it a lot better than I would.” Adrienne didn’t sound convinced.

I gently nudged her toe under the table, drawing her attention. “That’s because you’re not a cold, heartless husk. You still care about the world.” The words came out with the playfulness I wanted, but they echoed hollowly inside.

Her smile was warm. “You can’t fool me. I know you actually care.”

The snippet of conversation echoed in my thoughts, especially Adrienne’s confidence in us, and the uncomfortable tug of emotion inside me. Why, after being certain for months, did part of me whisper I’d be losing something incredible if I went through with my quiet plan to quit?

As we were finishing our meal, Adrienne reached past Dustin to grab the check from the edge of the table.

I reached for her, but he got to her first, pinning her wrist to the table. “You’d really wound my masculinity like that?” Dustin sounded somber.

She didn’t look impressed. “You’d really tie your masculinity to a restaurant bill?”

“Which answer makes you feel better?” I asked.

Adrienne cast a glance in my direction. “Take a guess.”

“Hmm…” Dustin plucked the piece of paper from her fingers. “I’m paying anyway, because it’s my week. You get the next one.”

She didn’t try to break free of his grip. “I’m holding you to that.”

Which meant she and Dustin both planned she’d be here for at least one more breakfast.

The attraction between them was obvious. They might be a cute couple, but more likely they’d be good friends. Dustin wasn’t a commitment kind of guy, which was one of the reasons I liked our friendship. Adrienne very much struck me as a settle-down long-term kind of woman.

Though, maybe they’d be the kind of friends Dustin and I were.

That knot was back in my chest. I gulped down the last of my water to wash away the unwelcome feeling.