Chapter 14
**Sara**
I stood up from my spot against the door, feeling like I'd aged a decade in a day. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast with Tom. The memory brought a small smile to my face, quickly followed by a twinge of guilt. I shook my head, pushing those thoughts aside. Right now, I needed food.
I shuffled into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and stared blankly at its contents. After a moment, I grabbed some eggs, cheese, and vegetables. An omelet seemed like a safe bet - simple enough that I probably wouldn't burn down the apartment, even in my emotionally exhausted state.
My phone started blaring from the living room as I cracked the eggs into a bowl. I groaned, wondering who on earth could be calling me now. Hadn't I dealt with enough drama for one day?
I wiped my hands on a dish towel and trudged to my phone. Jessica's name flashed on the screen. Well, well, well. Look who finally remembered I existed.
"Hello?" I answered, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.
"Hey, girl!" Jessica's chipper voice came through the phone, sounding too perky for my current mood. "How's it going?"
"Oh, you know, just peachy. Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you all day."
"Oh, sorry about that," she said, not sounding sorry. "I've been a little... preoccupied."
"Uh-huh," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "And where exactly are you now?"
"Well, if you must know, I'm at a hotel."
"A hotel?" I repeated, my eyebrows shooting up. "Let me guess, with Brad?"
"Bingo!" Jessica's voice was filled with glee. "You should see this place, Sara. It's absolutely gorgeous. The view, the room service, the-"
"That's great, Jess," I cut her off, not in the mood for a detailed description of her romantic getaway. "Meanwhile, I've been dealing with my personal soap opera here."
"Oh?" She suddenly sounded more interested. "Do tell."
"Matt showed up at my apartment."
"What?" Jessica squealed so loudly that I had to pull the phone away from my ear. "When? Why? What happened?"
"About an hour ago," I said, rubbing my temples. "He was waiting outside my door with flowers, if you can believe it."
"Flowers? Oh, honey, that's so-"
"Don't you dare say romantic," I warned. "It was pathetic and borderline creepy."
"Okay, okay," Jessica backpedaled. "So what did he want?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. To apologize, to beg for forgiveness, to try and seduce me back into bed with him."
"He didn't!"
"Oh, he did," I confirmed, shaking my head at the memory. "You should have seen him, Jess. He was like a walking, talking cliché. All 'baby, I need you' and 'let me show you how much I've missed you.'"
Jessica burst into laughter. "No way! What did you do?"
"What any self-respecting woman would do," I said, a smirk on my lips. "I laughed in his face and told him to go pleasure himself."
"Sara!" Jessica gasped. "You didn't!"
"Oh, I most certainly did," I replied, feeling a sense of pride. "I also may have suggested he take his 'magical penis' to Victoria instead."
"Oh my God, I can't believe you said that! His face must have been priceless."
"It was like watching a puppy trying to solve a calculus problem," I chuckled. "Confused, desperate, and a little bit pathetic."
"I wish I could have seen it."
"Trust me, it was quite the show," I sighed, my amusement fading as the reality of the situation settled back in. "But seriously, Jess, can you believe his nerves? Showing up like that after everything he's done?"
"Men," Jessica scoffed. "They really can be clueless sometimes."
"Clueless is putting it mildly," I muttered. "This was more like... I don't know, relationship illiteracy."
Jessica snorted. "Relationship illiteracy. I like that. We should make it a real term."
"Yeah, we could write a book. 'How to Spot a Relationship Illiterate: A Guide for the Modern Woman.'"
"Chapter One: If He Thinks Cheating Can Be Fixed with Flowers, Run," Jessica quipped.
I laughed, feeling some of the tension from earlier start to dissipate. "Chapter Two: Why 'It Didn't Mean Anything' Is the Mating Call of the Desperate Ex."
We both dissolved into giggles, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting me full force. It felt good to laugh about it and find some humor in my life's mess.
"So," Jessica said once our laughter had died down, "speaking of relationship drama... did you have a little adventure of your own after I left you at the pub?"
I nearly choked on air. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh, come on," she teased. "Spill the beans, missy!"
I sighed long, knowing I couldn't dodge Jessica's questions forever. "Okay, fine. Yes, I may have had a... little adventure."
"I knew it!" Jessica squealed. "Tell me everything. Who was he? Was he hot? Did you-"
"Slow down, Jess," I laughed. "His name was Tom. He approached me at the bar after you abandoned me for Brad."
"I did not abandon you," she protested weakly.
"Uh-huh. Sure." I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn't see me. "Anyway, Tom was... nice. Charming. We talked for a bit, and then..."
"And then?" Jessica prompted.
"And then we went back to his place," I admitted, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks.
Jessica let out a loud whoop. I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "Sara! You little minx! I can't believe you had a one-night stand!"
"Yeah, well, neither can I," I muttered.
"So, how was it? Did you enjoy it?"
"Yeah, I did. It was... nice. Different. Exciting."
"Ooh, exciting," Jessica cooed. "Does that mean you're ready to return to the dating pool? Maybe give Tom a call for round two?"
"No, definitely not. It was fun, but... I don't think I'm cut out for the whole one-night stand thing. It's just not me."
"Fair enough," Jessica conceded. "But you know what this means, right?"
"I'm afraid to ask."
"It means you need to officially dump Matt's sorry ass and find yourself a real man. One who won't cheat on you and who can give you that 'excitement' you enjoyed with Tom."
"Jess, I don't know if I'm ready for that. Everything's so complicated right now."
"Complicated, schmomplicated," Jessica scoffed. "Life's too short for complicated. You deserve better than Matt, and you know it."
"Maybe," I said noncommittally. "I'll think about it, okay? But I'm not making any decisions right now. My head's still spinning from everything that's happened."
"Fine, fine," Jessica sighed dramatically. "But promise me you'll at least consider it? There's a whole world of non-cheating men out there just waiting to worship at the altar of Sara."
"The altar of Sara? Really?"
"Hey, I'm just saying. You're a catch, girl. Don't let Matt make you forget that."
"Alright, alright," I conceded. "I'll think about it. But for now, can we please talk about something else? I'm all drama-ed out for one day."
"Fine," Jessica sighed dramatically. "But don't think this conversation is over. We're just putting a pin in it for now."
"Duly noted," I chuckled. "So, tell me about this fancy hotel you're staying in. Is Brad as charming in the morning light?"
As Jessica launched into a detailed description of her romantic getaway, I found myself only half-listening. My mind wandered back to Tom and Matt, to the whirlwind my life had become in just a few short days. I felt like I was starring in my own personal sitcom, complete with cheating exes, one-night stands, and overly invested best friends.
"Sara? Are you even listening to me?" Jessica's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Something about... room service?"
Jessica's exasperated sigh crackled through the phone. "Sara, were you even listening? I wasn't talking about room service. I was asking if you're coming to class on Monday."
"Class?" I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up. "What class?"
"Our MBA class, you dingbat," Jessica laughed. "You know, that little thing we've been doing for the past year and a half? Ring any bells?"
"Oh, right," I mumbled, feeling like an idiot. "Sorry, Jess. My brain's still in a fog from... well, everything."
"Clearly," she snorted. "So, are you coming or what?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there. Wouldn't want to miss our thrilling lecture on... whatever it is we're learning about now."
"Strategic management," Jessica supplied helpfully.
"Right. That."
"Great! I'll see you there. We can grab coffee before then, and you can give me all the juicy details about your night with Tom."
"Jess, I thought we were done talking about that."
"Oh, honey," she chuckled. "We're never done talking about that. But don't worry, I'll get it from you eventually."
"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I should probably let you go. I'm sure Brad is eagerly awaiting your return."
"Oh, he is," Jessica purred. "In fact, I think it's time for another round of... well, you know."
"Ugh, gross," I laughed. "I do not need to know about your sexcapades."
"Says the woman who just had a one-night stand," Jessica teased.
"Goodbye, Jessica," I said firmly but with a smile.
"Fine, fine. I'm going. See you Monday!"
As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but shake my head. Leave it to Jessica to go from talking about MBA classes to her sex life in thirty seconds. But that was Jessica for you – always keeping me on my toes.
I glanced at the clock and realized I'd forgotten my half-made omelet. With a sigh, I returned to the kitchen, ready to salvage what I could of my interrupted lunch. As I cracked another egg into the bowl, I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of it all. Here I was, making lunch after a night of unexpected passion, a morning of awkward goodbyes, and an afternoon of fending off my cheating ex.
"Just another day in Sara's life," I muttered, whisking the eggs with perhaps a bit more vigor than necessary. "Who needs soap operas when you've got my life?"
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