| Chapter Ten |
| Grace watched the seconds tick away. He wasn't coming. He didn't love her. Time ran out. Her heart was broken. There he was. He did love her! Grace felt butterflies in her stomach. They kissed; the whole world disappeared and all that was left was them. "I'm sorry I'm late. It took me forever to get here." "I know what you mean," she replied. They kissed again until the ending credits started to roll across the screen. Grace quickly hit rewind and watched her favorite scene of Never Been Kissed again. She knew every word by heart. "Where's my Mr. Coulson?" Grace asked the empty room. She was all alone in the apartment, engulfed by the living room couch. With a deep sigh, she watched Michael Vartan run towards Drew Barrymore. Never Been Kissed always left her with mixed feelings. The romantic in her always imagined what it would be like when she finally found her true love, but then she'd remember that she was alone with no prospects. In real life, Michael Vartan was dating Jennifer Garner not a frumpy copy editor. Girls like Grace and Josie (Drew's character) married accountants, balding and boring. "Pot calling the kettle black." She felt guilty for preferring extraordinarily handsome men like Justin. The movie's ending credits began to roll again, so Grace hit rewind for a final time. Lazily, she pushed herself up and leaned closer to the coffee table. She'd laid out all her favorite movies, in alphabetical order of course. Scanning the selection, she mentally crossed off Gone with the Wind (too long), Dirty Dancing (save the best for last) and While You Were Sleeping (maybe later). She was in process of choosing between Pretty in Pink and Beauty and the Beast when the door opened. Sitting up on her knees, Grace leaned on the back of the sofa, "Hi." Mindy dropped her keys on the table next to the door. "You're home early." Grace sat down with her legs crossed and waited for Mindy to take a seat next to her. "Lynn said I could have the day off. Actually, she mumbled it from under the covers." Mindy laughed, "That hung over?" "She asked me to run her over with a bulldozer before I left." "I know that feeling," Mindy said with a pitying nod. Her eyes passed over Grace's movie collection. "Was last night that bad?" Grace's defenses went up. "Why do you say that?" "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with your pity party." When she saw Grace ready to deny it, Mindy pointed to Grace's frequently used copies of Dirty Dancing and The Little Mermaid, "I know the signs. What happened?" "Nothing bad," Grace assured her, "I even danced." Mindy's expression was pure shock. "You didn't?" Pleased by Mindy's surprise, Grace nodded eagerly, "I'm not kidding. I was as shocked as you when he asked. Well, he didn't really ask. It was more like a statement. Kind of like a caveman. Me. You. Dance." Grace was unabashedly giddy; she wanted Mindy to know every detail, "He was just like a guy in a romance novel. All arrogant and that. He just knew he wouldn't have to ask me. And, oh God, he put his hands on my hips and helped me dance. I was on cloud 9!" Mindy held up her hands, "Hold on! Who's he? And what do you mean he put his hands on your hips? Was he being fresh?" She said the last teasingly; she was so happy for her friend. "Ha, I wish," Grace laughed, "I'd probably die of a heart attack if he did that." Exasperated, Mindy threw her hands up, "Who?" "Justin." If Mindy was shocked before, she was completely stunned now. Her jaw was practically on the floor. "Pretty boy? Are you serious?" Grace nodded. "He actually danced with you? And he put his hands on your hips?" Mindy sounded utterly amazed. Disappointed that she didn't have a camera handy, Grace held back a laugh as she watched her usually cool and composed roommate. This was the funniest thing she'd seen all week. "But why?" Well, now it wasn't so funny. "Gee, thanks." "Oh, Gracie, I didn't mean it like that," Mindy quickly amending with a hug, "I know you're a wonderful, caring person. You're amazing, and any guy would be lucky to have you." She was really starting to love compliments. "Why thank you." "But I didn't expect HIM to know that." "Justin's a really nice guy, Mindy." She sounded like a mother admonishing a small child. With a shrug, Mindy replied, "Nice guy or not, they're all shallow. If your personalities not written on your br-uh, chest, they don't care." Grace laughed, "Spoken like a true romantic." "Romantic? Me? Never." Sagging into the sofa, Mindy patted Grace's hand, "But I really do hope you get your prince charming, Gracie. Hell, if it'll make you happy, I even hope you get pretty boy." "I hope so too," Grace said before getting up to put in a new movie. Mindy watch her friend with concern; quietly so Grace couldn't hear, she murmured, "I know. That's what worries me." |