4. Text Messages or Food is a Good Thing

A series of short stories documenting the relationship of Bree and Jim. Foundation pieces for a larger novel. Jim surprises Bree with food.

4. Text Messages or Food is a Good Thing

The alarm rang way to early that morning. Dragging herself out of bed and into the bathroom for a shower, it barely registered that the mat was wet and there was a towel missing from the rack. The water took no time to warm up and as Bree stepped into the little vestibule, she heard somewhere in in the back of her mind her phone chime out its newly added tone.

Fifteen minutes later, she was toweling off and wrapping the towel around her to make the steps back into her bedroom to get dressed for the day. She slid into her uniform, a motion as familiar to her as breathing after so many years of wearing it. Palming her phone before beginning to pad out into the front room. Taking a seat in her chair, she pulled on her socks and boots and sat back waiting for Marissa to be ready to go into shift for the day. Pulling up her phone she looked to see what Jim was messaging her about so early in the morning.

*Good morning. Hope you have an awesome day. Drop a line if you aren’t to busy. -J” 5:45

She smiled at her phone for a moment, hurrying to type out a replay as she heard her best friend coming out of her room ready to leave.

“Morning yourself. And thanks. Hope Ben Stein is more entertaining than usual. -B” 6:10

The morning seemed to fly by that day. The two friends managing their calls and still teasing each other over events from the weekend. Things slowed down after the brisk start and as both she and Mar were standing in line at Starbucks, Bree’s phone chimed for the first time since the first time that morning. Marissa lifted an eyebrow at her best friend before breaking into a full blown laugh. After a moment, and a deep breath the taller one finally managed the question she was going to ask as the laugh had broken loose.

“Han? Really? You are such a nerd.” A smile spread across Mar’s face. Her amusement obvious in contrast to the sharp tone she had used. It was just another way the two showed their friendship. Bree just shrugged and laughed too as her friend continued, “You gonna message him back? Maybe offer dinner or another movie? Or maybe a makeout session?” At the last comment the taller girl waggled her eyebrows suggestively and then made a kissy face, drawing a scowl and a light punch to the arm from Bree.

“I thought it was just right for him. And yes, I’m gonna message him back, once we’ve ordered. No idea about dinner  or another movie. And NO, no making out’” Bree answered every one of her friend’s teasing questions before continuing on, “I haven’t decided if I even want that as an option. He’s sweet and funny and handsome, plus those eyes, but yeah.”

The line had moved up and it was their turn to order. Bree smiled as the barista asked for their order and Bree got their regular treats, a caramel macchiato for Mar and a chai latte for herself giving their names for each of the drinks. She fished the ten out of her pocket and stretched it out to the barista and was confused when the girl waved it away.

“You ladies are good to go. Enjoy your drinks.” The barista smiled at them for a moment before turning to address the people in line behind them.

Stunned, both Marissa and Bree stood looking at each other. Neither sure what just happened. They were startled out of their moment when Bree’s phone chimed again, reminding her to not forget that she had a message waiting. Clicking up the screen, she pulled up the message.

*Enjoy your coffees. -J* 10:37

Even more stunned, and unable to answer her friend’s questioning look, Bree turned the phone to let her read it for herself. Realization dawning on them at the same time, they found themselves once again laughing.

*How did you do that? -M* 10:42

*It’s easy. I called in a favor -J* 10:43

*Um, OK. Well, thanks :) -M* 10:45

Their drinks ready, the girls return to their ambulance and go on with their day. More emergencies, trips to the hospitals and a visit to a very confused old man that didn’t know why they were there later, and it was lunchtime. Sitting down at the large communal table in the ambulance station, the girls were trying to decide what to pick for lunch, since they hadn’t thought to grab the lunches they’d made the night before as they left for work earlier that day.

A voice carried from the front office, not the usual ones of the bosses and the secretary. Everyone turned towards the front to see what was going on, when suddenly the secretary made her way back to where Bree and Marissa were sitting, her hands busy with a big brown paper bag. Placing it on the table between the girls, she smiled and exclaimed about how lucky they were to have someone send them lunch. She returned to her post in the front office and as they watched her go, Bree’s phone once again had Han shouting from it.

*Had lunch sent for you two. Not sure if you girls are in right now or not, but it should be there for you. -J* 1:10

*It just showed up. Thanks :) -B” 1:12

“Bree…” Marissa practically stage whispered to her as she started at her phone for a moment. She looked up at her best friend and gaped. He’d done it again, she didn’t know how or why, but he’d done it. She watched as Mar pulled a bag with oil stains, a few lidded containers of some sort of reddish-orange sauce and and then a few boxes of what were obviously Chinese foods of an unknown make until the boxes were opened. Two small styrofoam bowls came out of the bag next along with a small sack containing chopsticks, forks and soy sauce packets. “Please don’t tell me this is him too, because if it is, I may have to date him.”

All Bree could do was stare. Twice in one day he had taken her ability to speak and comprehend, and it was only lunchtime. They’ve seen each other only a couple of times and have shared a handful of text conversations. Why do something like this, two reasons came to mind, either he liked her and wanted to pursue something or he was a creeper. Since she had Googled him that first night they met and he had seemingly checked out, and that little voice in the back of her head that usually alerted her to danger hadn’t been shouting at her, she was left feeling that it was the first reason.

Marissa sat looking at Bree as she sat flabbergasted at what she saw before her and could see her short friend trying to come up with a reason not to accept the food, and after a moment, reached out grabbing her wrist and pulling chair closer to the table breaking the reverie. 

“Girl, he bought us lunch? He did it again?” Mar’s eyebrows creeped up towards her forehead in surprise as her eyes brightened with an idea that she voiced as it crossed her mind. “Oh…” Her hand clapped to her mouth, but not enough to muffle her words, “He likes you. He’s flirting with you.” A smile creeping into her words and the others at the table now paying close attention to what the new girls were doing. 

Bree felt a heat creep up out of the collar of her shirt after her friend voiced what had been coursing through her mind just moments before it was said out loud. Her face hotter and redder than she’d ever felt it before. An image of his face flashed in her mind, most of his features blurred except for those piercing blue eyes and that dimpled smile. His words from his text that morning creeping into her mind. He’d planned the whole thing, and he wanted her to be happy for the day. A smile creeped on her face as she shrugged and managed words for the first time since just before the bag of food arrived. 

“He did, and he is.” she couldn’t help but quirk a smile. “And i’ll bet you that ten I didn’t spend on coffee this morning that these are our favorites from the Panda.” Bree reached out and started opening containers, finding exactly what she expected to find in each of the bins. She tore into the small bag that was the first thing Mar had put on the table between them and pulled out a spring roll.Popping open one of the little tubs of reddish sauce, she daintily dipped the end in and took a tentative bite, and was happy, almost excited to find that it was her favorite shrimp roll. A small noise of appreciation escaped her as she opened the containers to find her and Marissa’s favorite foods in the containers and a choice of spicy soup and egg drop soups in the bowls. 

Both girls ate happily and enjoyed the lunch more than any they’d had in recent days. Once they had cleaned up their mess, and managed to run a few more calls to nearly the end of their shift, Mar wouldn’t stop begging Bree to text Jim some more. Her insinuation was that he really did like her based on his actions and on the dreamy smile that the shorter girl had plastered across her face through the rest of the shift was evidence that she liked him too. Bree really couldn’t argue, she hadn’t even gotten a hair flustered while dealing with a chronic pain patient they’d run on at least once a shift for the last two weeks. It was only after grabbing a cup of coffee from the nurse’s station after taking their last patient to the ER to be treated that she finally relented. 

*You are amazing. Lunch was perfect. Though I don’t remember telling you all mine AND Mar’s favorite foods. -B*  6:30

*I try. Can’t help that you make it easy. -J* 6:33

Bree screwed her face up at his response and typed her reply. 

*How did I make it easy? -B* 6:34

*I’m a cop remember? I’m paid to pay attention to things and solve crimes, and sometimes I like to use my skills on people I like as well. -J* 6:38

At this she couldn’t help but chirp out a laugh and drawing Mar’s attention to herself. Bree could feel herself being looked at sideways with that raised eyebrow thing her friend does that reminds her of the Rock and will always get a laugh.

Trying to do her best impression of a stereotypical movie cop she read this last text out loud to Marissa and both girls break into a fit of the giggles. Marissa then can’t help but crow on about how she was right the whole time until they pulled back into the station and finished their cleanup and restock of the ambulance.

*Oh, you’re in trouble now. Mar practically has us married and having kids now since you said you liked me. -B* 7:05

*I want to say I’m sorry, but I’m not. It’s a bit of a fact, I do like you. -J* 7:08

For the third time in the same day, Bree was completely speechless and for the second time just staring at her phone. It wasn’t until they had pulled into Marissa’s parent’s driveway that she heard Mar’s running argument for why she should consider dating Jim and had (thankfully) missed its entirety. Sliding her phone into her pocket as she got out of Mar’s Civic and making a face at her friend as they walked up to the house. 

Walking into the kitchen from the side door on the home had them running into Marissa’s mom Linda who was up to wrists in flour making tortillas for that night’s dinner. Though she had only been living in Tucson for less than a month and had only met the woman a couple of times, she already felt like family. It wasn’t uncommon for them to eat diner at the house a couple of times a week, mostly whenever the girls worked the day shift, because it was easier than trying to cook something at the house and healthier than eating out, plus its so delicious. 

Bree hung back for a moment as her lanky friend greeted her mom and have her a quick kiss on the cheek and breezing out into the family room to greet her baby sister and her dad. Taking her turn to greet Linda with a quick peck on the cheek, the woman stopped and gave Bree a quick smile.  “So, my Marissa says you’ve found yourself a keeper. Seems she’s right. The glow looks good on you mija.” 

Blushing, Bree couldn’t deny anything to the woman she so quickly thought of as her second mother and nodded her head quickly before answering. “He’s sweet, and yeah, I think I might like him. Though don’t believe everything that girl says about it. We’re just friends.”

Laughing that musical laugh that as uniquely Linda, the woman waved her hand at the girl and went back to her tortillas, “You think I don’t know that machetona tells bigger stories than than mi papá after a day on a lake with no fish? You’re secret is safe with me. Now go say hi to the rest of the family, and let them know dinner is ready as soon as I finish these tortilla.”

Walking into the living room from the kitchen, Roberto was in his chair, a car race of some sort playing on the television, muted as always and Bree gave him a quick wave as she walked past to sit on the sofa with Marissa. She passed on the word about dinner as Linda had asked her to. Marissa and her dad were chattering on to each other in Spanish far to fast for the girl raised in Virginia to follow along. Resting back into the sofa, Marissa paused just a second before continuing on and ignoring it just as fast as Bree’s phone chimed out in the unmissable ringtone and she fished it from her pocket.

*I didn’t scare you off did I? -J* 7:20

*I’m a medic, I don’t scare easy. I just got a bit busy with finishing my shift. -B* 7:21

*I’m glad. What are you up to tonight then? -J* 7:23

*Dinner with Mar’s family, a shower and bed. Have another shift tomorrow. -B* 7:24

*Well, that’s an image. What your schedule the first week of October? -J* 7:25

*Day Monday, overnight Tuesday and a 24 on Friday. Then nothing til the 5th. Trying to figure out how to stalk me some more? ;) -B* 7:27

*No, trying to figure out something to invite you to do. Though don’t tempt me. -J* 7:28

Just a moment after reading the last text, Linda,s voice carried through the doorway from the dining room announcing that dinner was ready and that if they were hungry to “mover el culo.” Getting up out of their seats, all Bree could do was smile and shake her head. 

Author's Note

not edited, just written and put up. Any editing, voice or tone issues, let me know.