| Chapter Seventeen |
| "So did anyone say anything about your new look?" Mindy plopped down on the sofa next to Grace. Taking the remote control out of Grace's hands, she turned off the TV. Grace didn't mind; Sunday was a slow TV day. "What look?" "What look? Oh, I don't know. The look you spent an hour perfecting. The look that included my favorite pair of shoes." "That was three days ago." Mindy leaned her head on Grace's shoulders, "I know. I'm sorry. I meant to ask, but Roger and I were having problems. Can you believe he thinks I need to lose weight? What an ass." Her head shot up. "There I go talking about me. So, what happened? Did all the guys fall down at your feet?" The idea sounded appealing, but Grace doubted it would ever happen. "Lynn said I looked lovely, but she was just being nice. Another woman asked where I got my shoes." "Yeah, yeah, but what about all the boys?" Mindy really did have a one track mind, but Grace figured if she was like Mindy and had every guy in love with her, she'd be the same. "A few said hello. I didn't really talk to anyone; Lynn kept me busy the whole day." With an overdramatic sigh, Mindy threw up her hands, "You know what I'm asking. What did pretty boy say? And don't try to tell me that you didn't do it for him." Of course she was right, but Grace would die before she'd admit it. "Nothing." "Nothing? Did you even see him?" Grace retold everything that had happened that day. "You spent all that time with him, and he didn't say anything? He's either stupid or just rude." "He did say my dimple was cute," Grace said, defensively. Mindy shot to her feet and began to pace. "I guess that's something, but I mean how hard would it have been to say 'you look beautiful, Grace' or 'Wow, you're a sexy mama jahama'." "A sexy mama jahama? Does anyone actually say that?" She shrugged, "Maybe." Biting her lower lip, she seemed to be thinking hard about something. Finally, she asked, "You two are friends, right?" "Yeah, I guess, but that doesn't mean he'd call me a sexy majahama." "Mama jahama," she corrected but quickly waved it off, "that's not what I'm talking about. Hold on." She hurried off towards her bedroom and returned with an envelope. "I'm throwing you a surprise party." Grace had known Mindy was planning a party. She was excited; it would be the first time she'd ever done something 'cool' on her birthday. "You're not supposed to tell me," she had to point out. Rolling her eyes, Mindy gave her a light push, "I know that. But I had to tell you." She handed the envelope in her hands to Grace. "What's this?" "An invitation." "I need an invitations to my own birthday party?" "You're starting to annoy me." Grace stopped herself before she could make a not so nice comment. Slowly, she asked, "Why'd you give me an invitation?" "Give it to Justin." Holding up her hands, she stopped Grace from replying, "Just do it." "He won't come." "You don't know that until you ask. Just give it to him; if he shows up, he shows up." Mindy had a point, but Grace couldn't do it. "It's too embarrassing." "Fine," she took the ripped the invitation from Grace's hand, "I thought it'd be easier if you did it, but I'll stalk the boy if I have to. I'm just trying to do something nice for you. I know how much you like him, and I thought to myself, 'well, hey Mindy, it would make Grace's birthday extra special if the guy she likes was there'." Not only was Mindy beautiful, she was very good at making Grace feel guilty. That's why on Monday, Grace found herself in Lynn's kitchen, handing Justin the invitation. "What's this?" He asked, accepting it. "My birthday's on Saturday-" "Happy birthday," he interrupted. "Thank you," she steeled her nerves again, "my roommate is throwing a party for me, and I'd like you to go." There she'd said it. "You probably have plans." Adding the last statement made her feel a little less embarrassed; she'd given him an easy escape. He gave her his heartbreaker smile, "For you, I'd cancel them. But it just so happens, I'm free." "Oh. You probably don't want to go. It's just a little thing. Nothing you'd be used to. No P. Diddy." "You're trying really hard to talk me out of it. I thought you wanted me to go." His smile was gone, replaced by a frown. "I do," she assured him, "I just don't want you to feel like you have to. I won't take it personally." He patted her cheek, "You're cute when you're nervous." Then she must look cute every time she was around him. He was trying to calm her but was having the opposite effect. "We're friends, right? You better say 'yes' or you'll hurt my feelings." She couldn't tell if he was serious, so she quickly answered, "Yes." "Friends go to each other's birthday parties. It's in the rules." "Okay." He was at his most charming today, and it was impossible to argue anything he said. He could say the Earth was shaped like a banana, and she'd agree. He would make a great lawyer. "Good," he returned to the newspaper he'd been reading, "see you then." "Yeah, see you then." If he actually did show, she'd be thanking Mindy until the end of time. |