Relaxed in Laughter

Josey hadn’t found it odd that she ran into the new landlord while she was shopping, she just assumed he must have had a business meeting in the area.

Not really finding anything that would suit her taste, or that she could afford, she decided she would just head back home.

Hearing her phone ring as she walked slowly in disappointment, she pulled it out to see it was Jared calling her.

“Hey.” she said.

“What's up Josey girl? You sound a bit down.” He asked, but Josey really didn’t want a pity party over clothes.

“I’m fine, what's up with you?” She asked him. Jared rarely called her on the weekends.

“I wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight. To celebrate your new job.” Josey’s heart did a pitter patter.

It wasn’t really for Jared that it her heart sped up for, it was the food. If he was buying dinner, it meant the food would be better than what she could cook at home.

“Sure, absolutely! Emily is eating at with her friends tonight at their student council meeting thingy, so I am totally free.” She responded, excited.

“Great! I’ll swing by your place around 6:30. Just dress casually, the place we are going to is owned by a friend of mine and is kinda low key and new, but he’s an excellent cook.” Jared said knowing she wasn’t one for fancy restaurants.

“Awesome, see you at 6:30.” Josey responded to a dead line.

Not letting Jared's lack of conversation endings affect her, Josey felt better at least knowing she would eat good food tonight.

After reaching home, Josey felt pooped. Here walking around for a few hours was almost pointless as she still couldn’t find something in the end, so she decided to relax and play on her phone while lounging on the couch. She wasn’t feeling rushed as she had plenty of time to get ready for tonight.

Grabbing some chips off the kitchen counter, Josey heard a chime on her phone. It was her weekly alarm to take an aspirin.

She had been diagnosed with Polycythemia when she was very young, according what her medical records said, but recently she had a checkup and was told that it must have been a miss diagnosis, so the doctor advised her to just take an aspirin once in a while to be safe. Either way, it never really bothered her.

Once Josey was comfortable on the couch, she started playing her game, occasionally munching on a chip. Her game was interrupted by a text after only 10 minutes in, from Cece.

“I’m up now, do you want to hang out later tonight after the Book Club? I decided I would just covet the willowy goddess from afar.” Her friend's words made Josey laugh.

“You are hopeless. I would but I have a dinner date with food, and Jared.” Josey texted back.

“Uhhhg...rejecting me for that buzzard..Shame on you Jo!” Cece’s text didn’t surprise Josey. Her friend was not found of a lot of men, Jared especially. Cece always complained he had slick eyes and couldn’t be trusted.

“Be nice, Jared has always been around and helped Em and I out when he could. He’d probably do the same for you if you would just accept him.” Josey responded with her text, but new it would never happen. Those two were destined to not like each other.

“Yea, sure, maybe during a chilly day in Hell we can keep each other warm.” Cece inserted an eyeroll emoji after her comment and Josey laughed at the image of her doing it in her head.

“Anyway, I’m really sorry, lets hang out tomorrow?” Josey wrote as she shoved another chip in her mouth.

“Sure, we’ll see. Talk to you later. XXo.” Cece would probably come over tomorrow, so Josey would just give her a beer and beg for her forgiveness for ditching her today.

Checking the time before going back to her game, she figured she’d only need 30 minutes to get ready. Jared said it was casual so she would just wear jeans, sneakers and a hoodie.

It was only 3:30 so she immersed herself in a sudden guild war on her phone. They could last up to 2 hours, so it was perfect for killing time.

Meanwhile, Tarrin had arrived home. Mara got out and opened the door for him.

“Go ahead and park the car. If I need to go out again, I’ll make Linus take us.” Mara nodded as Tarrin said this looking over at his close friend's car parked along the circle drive in front of the home.

Entering the front door Tarrin kicked off his shoes and removed his jacket handing it to Mara. Walking into his living room he eyed the Veterinarian sitting crossed legged in pajama pants on the white sofa eating cheese puffed chips.

“Get a single artificial orange cheese stain on my sofa and your dead.” Tarrin growled as he plopped down in an overstuffed chair.

“Oh my my, someone has your undies in a bunch.” Tarrin's friend Linux said as he stuffed another cheese puffed snack in his mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Tarrin undid the cuffs to his dress shirt.

“You have a home, why must you come and mess up mine?” Tarrin asked, eyeing the empty bottles of cola and various snack cakes littering his glass coffee table.

“Because we are friends, and this is what friends do.” Linux responded cheerfully.

“Oh, so do friends also park in the homeowners parking spot, and steal their food?” Tarrin said quickly getting up and snatching the bag of chips from Linux.

“Marmar, did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” Linux called out as Mara came from around the side of the stairs facing the front door.

“How the hell should I know?” She responded as she walked over and handed Tarrin his laptop.

 Throwing a package of towelettes at Linux as she grabbed a coke and sat next to him.

“Ouch! Where's the love? Why are both so testy? Well, it’s normal for Mara, but you, what barked up your tree?” Linux said in a whiney tone.

Tarrin just chuckled and shook his head. There was never a dull moment in his home he thought to himself.

 He had known Linux since they were kids. Linux had attended a prestigious school, while he had to be privately schooled at home, because of his condition. They had met by chance one day as neighbors and have never been more than a couple miles separated.

Linux had found out Tarrin's secret early on and been by his side since. He even went to Veterinarian school just so he could help his friend, and also ended up running the main secret lab at Terrace Pharmaceuticals.

Mara on the other had was Tarrin's assistant, body guard, and another close friend. She was sexually abused by her father and abandoned by her mother. One day, when she tried running away, she only got as far as the park across the street when she came face to face with a very large wolf.

Tarrin could never remember what happened, but Mara told him her father came after her, and started beating her, and when she was almost close to death, Tarrin attacked and killed him, saving her in the process. 

As a wolf, he stayed by Mara, keeping her beaten body warm until they were discovered by his uncle finally. Tarrin's uncle took her in, changed her name and raised her to help keep Tarrin safe. Mara has always been forever grateful.

Linux and Mara sat there now engrossed and laughing at the cat and cucumber video Linux had been watching as Tarrin got to work on his laptop.