Episode 1185: Ghosts

Xavier turned at the sound of Lucy’s voice. She carried a large picnic basket with a folded blanket draped across it, underneath the handles.

She wore her hair a little differently, slightly fancier, and red lipstick, that was different, too. Her clothes appeared new as well. She’d taken this first date as seriously as he had. She must have wanted to look and feel special.

How special would Lucy feel if he blurted out that while she’d been primping for their date his heart had been breaking over the news of his ex’s pregnancy?

“We were actually supposed to meet over there.” Lucy gestured in the opposite direction. “Not here at the creek. I thought maybe you had stood me up, too.”

“I was late, held up at work, then I needed to shower and change because of that work. Then, well, the creek, it’s especially pretty at this time of day, for a minute there, it distracted me…”

It hadn’t distracted him. Not really. But Lucy looked as low as he felt and that was without even hearing that he was too hung up on Ava to be dating anyone else, that he shouldn’t have asked Lucy out, not yet.

“Sorry, I should have called to let you know I was running a bit late.”

“It’s okay. You weren’t really that late. I overreacted. I’m in a mood. It really is okay that you didn’t call.”

Except something clearly wasn’t okay with her. Lucy was his friend, first and foremost. And that was finally enough to pull him out of his misplaced feelings for Avalon.

“What did you mean a few minutes ago when you said you thought I’d stood you up, too? What else happened? Why do you seem so down?”

“I don’t know if down is even the right word. I don’t know how to feel. I just… I don’t feel like talking right now which yes, I know my profession wouldn’t see that as the healthiest choice. I just had a run in with someone and it threw me. I need to be by myself for a bit, I need to process it, so I’m sorry, but I guess I’m the one standing you up for our date. I’m sorry, I’m just not in the state of mind for this, I would be horrible company. Here, take the basket, eat, if things were taxing at work you’re probably extra hungry so you should at least have a decent meal in exchange for me being such a rotten choice for a date.”

Episode 1186: I Wish I Were