Novel Treatments / Testing the Ladder Theory -2 REVISED

CHAPTER 2 (8 Months Prior)

Listening to my boss drone on and on about what we weren’t doing as a team I found it hard not to laugh when my phone started vibrating in my pocket.  Damn Missy and her constant text messages.  I hated text messaging.  All my messages were short or pre-programmed into the phone.  It took way too long for me to type out a god damn message.  Missy was the queen of text messaging.  Throughout the week I got a good 100 messages from her.  Sometimes I wondered if she could sense that I’d put the phone in my pocket knowing the vibrations tickled my leg and caused me to laugh out loud.  Just last week I hadn’t been able to crush the laughter as the boss was telling us we were to be expecting layoffs.  Thankfully, people had assumed it was nerves that made me laugh out loud.

I swiveled in my chair so that it looked like I was turning more toward the boss and thus interested in what he was saying.  In reality, I was simply turning so the light from my open phone wouldn’t shine like a beacon as it would be hidden under the conference table.   By this point I had perfected the ability to not take my eyes off the boss, and still be able to read the text on the phone.   Reading quickly it was all I could do not to groan out loud.  “I know why he can’t be my friend.”  

I thought she was finally over this whole Jake left me thing, but apparently not.  I thought about texting her back a million different things from who cares, or you were never friends to it’s been six months move on, but instead I settled for a quick, “Y?”

With Missy, it was better to go ahead and let her say what she wanted otherwise five conversations later she’d still be trying to figure out a way to work it into the conversation.

I was in the middle of answering a question from my boss about when we expected a certain project to be done when her next message came through.  I didn’t have time to look at it before two more followed quickly after those.  As soon as my boss turned his attention to the other members of the team I began to read the texts.

“The ladder theory.”  I read it and wondered if I was expected to understand it.

“Emailed u a copy 2day.”  Ah I hadn’t checked my email at all this morning.  It was a Friday which meant half the people in the office were out on vacation and my mornings were spent in meetings.  

I kept reading as the lights went on in the meeting room and everyone stood to leave, “Lunch at Gabe’s?” I went to ask what time, but another message came through that said “In 20”.  

Glancing at my watch I smiled and wrote back, “K”.

Walking into Gabe’s Coffeehouse I felt instantly energized by the atmosphere.  It was always so lively and happy here, and had quickly become my favorite lunch/dinner/anytime spot.  

Missy bounced from the table and was at my side the moment she saw me.  As I ordered my mocha she grabbed my elbow, shaking it a bit as she asked, “Did you read it?”  I didn’t have time to answer as she rambled on, “It’s so true.  I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”

Gabe was actually running the cash register today and flashed me one of those smiles that made me forget where I was.  I forgot about Missy and her excitement as I handed him my money.  He didn’t say anything to me as she kept trying to get my attention, “Jel, hey!  You didn’t read it did you?”  

Glancing at her I shrugged and tried to explain, “I didn’t….”  Missy let out an extenuated sigh, “Now I’m going to have to explain it before we can discuss it.”

I looked up at Gabe as he handed back my change just in time to see him wink, before turning to help another customer.  I was a bit angry at Missy since she’d completely killed my chances to talk to Gabe and I never got to talk to him anymore.  

As we sat at the table I wasn’t really listening until I heard her say, “And that’s why males and females can’t be just friends.”

“Yeah they can.”  Instantly I thought of Jesse.  He’s been my best friend since the year I turned 14.  “Like me and Jesse.”

Missy sipped her iced cappuccino looking at me as if I’d completely lost my mind. She talked with her hands so that the drink danced in the air, the chunks of ice crashing into each other creating a foamier top as she asked me, “Did you not just hear any of what I said?”

Hmm I debated if I should tell her that I was still thinking about Gabe, but thought better of it.  Gabe was not a subject she understood.  “Yeah you said males and females can’t be just friends.  I’m not deaf, I just happen to know otherwise.”

“Because of you and this Jesse character.”  Missy spoke like Jesse was a fictional character, an image that I’d conjured up instead of a man I’d been friends with since long before we’d met.  Granted she had never met him except a brief meeting here and there over the last couple of years, but she knew he was at the top of my friend’s list.  Hell for a long time he was my friend’s list.

I could not help the defensive edge that crept in to my voice as I bit out a reply, “Yes.”

Missy was already watching the table next to us.  Her fingers played with the straw on her cup and for a brief moment, I thought she had given up, until she looked at me, her eyes narrowing.

“What?”  She knows that I can’t stand people staring at me, unless of course I know the cause.  She nodded and suddenly her face lit up with a smile.

“That’s it of course!”  She giggled a bit and slid forward in her chair.  “I can help.”

As she leaned forward, I couldn’t help, but scoot back from the table.  She scared me a bit when she had these conversations with herself, mainly because the part she imagined me to have within them was always way off.

“Help what?”  I eyed her cautiously.  I was normally the one that created the grand plans of crazy things to do and it scared me to be on the other side.  Oh, I wasn’t always the driver, but I was at least in on the design.

She didn’t respond right away instead picking up her drink and taking a long drink.  In the meanwhile, her eyes gazed over the café and I couldn’t help but follow her eyes to where they landed on Gabe.  He’d apparently left the counter and stood talking to some girl by the door.  She was strikingly beautiful even from this distance.  Very chick in dress with a pinstriped business skirt set, virtually no make-up, and a smile that showed off perfect white teeth.  

“You want him, don’t you?”  I almost whispered yes, as I watched Gabe lean in to hug this mystery girl.  However, any sound I was going to make was caught in my throat as he kissed her on the forehead and then leaned down to whisper something closer to ear.  The girl turned and looked toward our table and I quickly spun around to find Missy’s blue eyes laughing at me.  I tried to clear my throat, “UH, I.”

I couldn’t think though. I bit my lip and closed my eyes willing the image to go away.  He had a girl.  That really wasn’t that much of a surprise.  Yet I knew the image was going to stay with me for a long time.  When I opened my eyes, Missy was still staring at me.  Letting out a sigh she said, “Just admit you want him.”  She rolled her eyes and said, “If it helps I still want Jake.”

“No, I…” I couldn’t find the words to lie, which was unusual for me.  “Jel, its ok its not like it’s a big secret” Missy reached forward and patted my hand as if I was one of those girly girls that belonged to her sorority back in the day.

“It’s not?”  Immediately I went through the six previous encounters.  What did I do or say to give myself away?  Eye contact?  Nope I made sure I held it just long enough to be polite, but not long enough to send off a warning.  Touching?  I made sure not to go out of my way to avoid it or to receive it.  Words?  Nope everything was good.

Before I could get too far along though Missy laughed, “Don’t worry hon, I doubt Jesse knows it.”

“Jesse?  What does he…?”  Then it hit me.  Missy had no clue about Gabe, but she thought I wanted Jesse.  I couldn’t help but laugh, as I protested, “No. No, you’ve got it wrong.”

Missy sat back in her chair, her perfectly shaped eyebrows arching as she nodded, “MMM HMM sure.  Jelissa it’s totally obvious.”

“No it’s not.”  I couldn’t help but laugh at the very notion.  “That’s sick!”

Missy wasn’t looking at me anymore, but rather sending off yet another text message.  Leaning over I knocked on the table,”Did you hear me?”

She looked up and flashed me a smile before sweetly saying, “If you’re going to lie, at least be convincing.”

Sitting back I let out a sigh, “You know this is exactly why I never hang out with both of you at once.”

Missy’s face scrunched together as she placed the phone back into her phone,” Why’s that?”

“Good lord!  Do you think I want you freaking him out with insane theories like this?”  It actually didn’t surprise me that Missy didn’t understand that Jesse and I were simply friends.  Past, present, and future spelled out friendship for us.  She’d never had a relationship like the one we shared, so in a way it made sense that she just couldn’t understand.  

“Why would it freak him out?  The truth too much to handle?”  Missy’s head moved side to side as she delivered what she thought was a very valid point, but it just annoyed me.

“He’s like my brother!”  I didn’t want to have to explain to her that it freaked me out as well.  Perhaps the better definition was nauseate, but I knew she wouldn’t understand that either.

Missy made a production of sipping the last bit of her drink from the cup.  “What you mean you’ve never thought about sleeping with him?”

“No!”  I couldn’t help the fact that my voice raised to the point that many of the café’s customers turned to look at me.  Lowering my voice I continued, “Seriously Missy, it’s not like that at all.”

She laughed at me leaning forward, “Whatever I’ve seen him and he’s hot.  I’d sleep with him.”

At that moment I felt someone standing behind me and as I turned around I felt my face growing red as my eyes clashed with Gabe’s green eyes.  I bit my lip to stop myself from saying anything as his hand cupped my shoulder.  With a hint of a laugh he asked, “Can I get you ladies anything?”  

He stressed the ladies which really annoyed me, but I said nothing as Missy announced, “She could use a reality check.”

Gabe laughed along with Missy, but I didn’t join in as the sounds that wanted to leap from my throat were far from laughter.  I could feel my face getting red as Gabe asked, “What’s wrong with her version of reality?”

Missy aware of a male presence leaned forward and suddenly became all smiles.  She pulled an empty chair out from the table and towards her.  Patting the seat she suggested, “Sit down and let us have your opinion.”

Instead Gabe squatted down so that he was in effect looking up at me as he asked me,” Opinion, about what?”

Missy jumped straight into the conversation asking, “Do you think men and women can be just friends?”

Gabe shrugged and in a voice that seemed more questioning than anything replied, “It depends on the people involved.”

Missy smiled as she sat back, letting her eyes move up and down his body as if seeing him for the first time.  She paused at his broad shoulders, her eyebrows arching in pleasant surprise.  I was pretty sure she was undressing him in her mind as her voice lowered a bit and she asked,” Do you think we could be just friends.”  

Missy stressed the just part of her question enough to make me want to kick her under the table.  The moment I looked into Gabe’s eyes though I forgot about Missy as he winked at me his green eyes dancing, before he turned to her, “I don’t believe I know you well enough to say whether we can be friends at all.”

I couldn’t help the tiny laugh that escaped from my lips at the remark, watching him battling with Missy made him appear sexier than before.

Missy didn’t seem to notice the jab and asked, “But you believe a man and a woman can be just friends? “

Gabe reached out and brought the chair back to its original spot away from her before sliding into it,”Of course.”

“Really?”  Missy spoke as if they were wagering as she continued, “And you have female friends that you don’t want to sleep with?”

Gabe glanced around the café and I couldn’t tell if it was because he was uncomfortable with the question, or because he was on duty and needed to make sure he wasn’t needed.  Either way he leapt back into the conversation, “You don’t?”

Missy was stunned and said, “Well, of course I do.  But I’m a female.”

Gabe cut her off making me laugh as he stated,” A fact I’m sure you rarely let anyone forget.  Yet, how does that make a difference?”

Missy’s attitude picked up at the little jab as she asked, “Oh like you and the chic at the door?  You’re telling me you could just be friends with her?”  I noticed she skipped his question, and normally I’d have said something about it, but this was one conversation in which I didn’t trust my own voice, besides I was dying to hear what he had to say.

Gabe shook his head no, his shoulder length dark brown curly hair bouncy around as he stated,” I could never be just friends with her; she’s much more to me than just friends.  But that proves nothing.”

I looked away from both of them then and gave myself a lecture of not caring.  That’s right I kept telling myself he’s got a girlfriend, but you don’t care.  Nope you weren’t interested anyways.  I was losing the battle when Missy claimed, “Oh it proves everything.  A pretty girl like that and you can’t be just friends because you want to sleep with her.  And if you’re not sleeping with her, it’s because you’ve got someone better or she does.”

I half hearted listened as Gabe laughed, “I don’t know how you were raised, but I don’t sleep with my sisters.”

I’m sure at that moment the look of astonishment on Missy’s face was mirrored onto mine as we both just stared at him.  That was his sister.  The fact sank in and suddenly I wasn’t so angry with Missy and this damn conversation.  Before either of us could speak Gabe turned to me and asked, “Where does she get this shit.”

I shrugged, “Beats me, something about a theory”

Missy, her voice a little snotty knowing she’d lost this round at least, informed us,” It’s called the Ladder Theory.”

Gabe who still hadn’t turned back to look at Missy asked me, “What’s the theory about?”

Motioning toward Missy I told him,” Ask her, I know as much about it as you do.”

Missy lit up as Gabe turned her attention to her.  I couldn’t tell if it was because she had his attention or if she was really that into this theory.  I was hoping it was the latter, even if that meant she’d be telling me about the theory for the next six months.  “The Ladder Theory is that basically a man and a woman can never be just friends.”

“Why not?”  Gabe leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed.

Missy paused for a moment, probably for a dramatic effect before she continued, “Well, it starts off with how men and women rank each other when they first meet.  See we rank people based on certain attributes when we meet them.  To help visualize this, the theory relates the ranking system to a ladder.  The better a women’s attributes seem the higher the man ranks her on his ladder.”

“What types of attributes?”  Finally I was able to forget that Gabe was there and partake in the conversation as the interest hit me.

“Well you know the usual guy things, looks and if she’s easy.”

Gabe frowned at this announcement and went to say something, but was cut off by Missy as she continued, “Anyways basically all guys do is rate all women on how much they want to fuck them and then women, well we have two ladders, which is where the confusion sets in.”

“Why do you get two?”  By this time Gabe had leaned forward, resting his arms on the table in front of us.  His green eyes had lost some of the laughter and I felt the need to reach over and touch him in reassurance.  I caught myself just in time, my fingers instead picking up a napkin off the table moving it around as if cleaning an invisible spot on the table.

“Well there are some men we just wouldn’t sleep with so we have a just friend’s ladder.”  Missy spoke as if this theory she’d read was the gospel.

I couldn’t help but groan out loud, but before I could voice an opinion Gabe asked, “You’re saying that there’s no woman I wouldn’t sleep with?”  

His voice had turned from the soft carefree voice that made my toes tingle to a rougher version that left goose bumps on my arm.

“Well I’m hoping your sister, but if you got desperate enough you’d sleep with anyone.”  Missy glanced over to a table where a rather large woman was sitting.  The woman was oblivious to the fact that her shirt was four times too small and we could see her fleshy skin lying in her lap.  Her blonde hair was shiny under the lights, but from grease and not any hair-styling product.  It stuck out in places and was matted in the back.  Her hands shook as she raised her cup to her lips that were lined with sores similar to those found on a crack-whore.  Her cheeks protruded like water balloons that by looking her teary eyes had sprung a leak.    “Even her.”

Gabe followed her gaze and then glanced back towards me, “Is your friend always this snotty?”

Missy shot him a nasty look as I raised my cup to my lips to hide a smile.  “I’m not snotty; it’s not my fault that you can’t handle the truth.”

“The truth according to who?”  Gabe watched as Missy suddenly not having answers picked at her nails.  Finally she continued, “It doesn’t matter who wrote it, the fact is under the right circumstances you’d sleep with any girl.”

“Because I’m a guy?”  Gabe was shaking his head in shock and I couldn’t help but ask, “What circumstances?”

Gabe looked at me like he couldn’t believe I was buying it, so I shot him his trademark wink.  His green eyes began to twinkle a bit and I almost forgot to pay attention to Missy as she explained, “Well there’s the obvious being drunk.”

“I don’t drink.”  Missy just stared at Gabe as he made his announcement.  And then looking to me continued, “You know it doesn’t matter really what the circumstances are, but the truth is, men rate girls oh how much they want to sleep with them.  They pile us all into one ladder.  Thus we can never be just friends because the guy is always thinking about just sex.  Oh you might not admit to sleeping with her, but you would. “

Gabe was fuming mad, but before he could let loose I asked, “But women have two ladders?”

Missy shook her head, her smile genuine as she explained, “And an abyss.”

“An abyss?”  I couldn’t help but say it without laughter. “We get a whole extra ladder and an abyss.”

Missy didn’t seem to catch on to the fact that I wasn’t buying her theory as she went on, “Yes like the men, we have the first ladder where we rate them based on how much we want to date,” she paused looking at Gabe, “or sleep with them.”

“What?  How is that different then?”  Gabe seemed to be honestly offended by the whole notion as he questioned Missy.

Missy rolled her eyes at him and continued,” Then we have the second ladder, where we place the guys that we wouldn’t ever sleep with, the guys that we consider just friends.”  

Gabe looked at me and mocked Missy’s eye rolling before turning to her and asking, “What about under those mysterious circumstances.”

“I can’t believe you don’t get it.”  Missy looked at me as if seeking reassurance and I simply shrugged causing her to explain, “That’s the difference between men and women.  Men will sleep with anyone even if they know that in the next morning it’ll cause issues, women have the ability to think ahead and decided that sleeping with some men just might cause issues.”

I couldn’t help but add, “So then Jesse and I can simply be friends.”

Missy shook her head no, as Gabe asked, “Who’s Jesse?”

I went to say something, but Missy filled in the details as she said, “No because he wants to sleep with you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “Jesse doesn’t want to sleep with me.”  I could feel Gabe watching me as I explained, “He’s been my best friend since I was 14.”

Gabe’s attention flew back to Missy though when she stated, “Trust me he does.  You might not be at the top of his list, but he does.”

“No, he doesn’t” Annoyance crept into my voice as I glared Missy down.  How many times had we had this conversation?  Not necessarily Missy and I, but anyone who thought men and women couldn’t be just friends.

“Jel, he’s a guy.  They want to sleep with every woman.  It’s just a matter of how high up on the ladder we are.”

Gabe objected, “That’s not true.”

Again Missy glanced over toward the lady and then at me, “Would you sleep with Jelissa?”

I could feel my face burning as I glared at her.  My voice took on a mind of its own and I was shocked to hear my voice sound like my mother’s voice as I exclaimed, “Missy!”  

She simply shrugged.  I didn’t dare look at Gabe.  He quickly retorted, “You know what I just might sleep with that girl,” and he nodded to the stranger, “and I might just sleep with Jel, but I sure the hell would never sleep with you.”

I made a mental note of Gabe’s speech as Missy rolled her eyes and continued, “Jesse’s your Intellectual Whore.”

At the same time Gabe and I asked, “What?”

“You know this would have been so much easier if you’d have read the email with the link I sent you.”  Missy said as she stood up and headed to the counter to order another drink.

“She got this off the Internet?”  Gabe was watching me when I turned around.

“I guess.  It’s not surprising knowing her, probably some self-help forum.”

Gabe laughed, “She goes to them a lot?”  

I nodded, “Since her boyfriend broke up with her 6 months ago.”

“Ah, that explains it then.”  Gabe’s gaze left mine and glanced over the café as he nodded.

“What explains what?”  I told myself to focus, but my mind was still reeling from the conversation.  First off, that girl was Gabe’s sisters.  Second off, he’d said he’d sleep with me.  I got lost on the second thought.  Damn what was it about this guy.

“Well she’s been burnt and is trying to justify it.”

“Um, actually she really wasn’t burnt.”  I glanced back to see Missy still talking to the cashier and continued, “He just told her they were better off as friends.”

“That’s not being burnt?” Gabe focused back on me as he asked the question.

I felt bad talking about Missy with Gabe since I didn’t even know him that well and decided to clam up, “It’s a long story.”  Missy was Missy.  I couldn’t really justify the things she did, hell most of the time I didn’t understand them, but she was my friend.  

I could tell him the whole story about how Ryan and Missy had dated for only a month, before he broke it off.  I use the term dated loosely as mainly they hung around my apartment together for a month.  Before that time I’d been good friends with him, but now talking to him was seen as a sign of disloyalty to her.  How she’d agreed to be his friend only to spend the next three months stressing over anything and everything that Ryan did.  Yet, I couldn’t say any of that without illuminating Missy in a bad light, which in this conversation she’d already seemed to shine on herself.

Gabe’s eyes left mine and said, “You’ll have to tell me about it later.”

Missy didn’t seem to realize that she’d even left the conversation as she continued,” An intellectual whore, is a male who wants to move from the just friends ladder to the other ladder.”

“So basically a guy that wants to sleep with his friend?” I noticed Gabe had no trouble picking up the conversation as he kept the fire under Missy going.  I on the other hand was sick of the entire conversation.  I glanced at my watch and I groaned.  I was so going to be late getting back to work, but there was no way I was leaving these two alone.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that though.  See the male wants to jump ladders, and will go through hoops not understanding that unlike his gender, women actually believe in being just friends.”  Missy paused for a moment and Gabe whispered, “Ah, hoops, and now we know why she likes the theory.”

Missy shot him a glaring look as I asked, “What sort of hoops?”  

I thought about my relationship with Jesse and honestly couldn’t believe in her theory.  I didn’t ask Jesse to jump through hoops for me.  He’d probably tell me to go fuck myself if I did.

Missy quickly asked me, “What’s your favorite part of the friendship between you and Jesse?”

I could feel Gabe’s eyes staring at me as I thought about Missy’s question.  “I.”  Missy looked at me with such intensity that I wanted to answer the question.  I felt like I was once again a little girl that wanted nothing more than to answer the teacher’s question right.  Yet, I couldn’t find the words to describe my favorite part of my friendship with Jesse.  

There was so much that made my friendship with Jesse.  There was the laughter when no one else could get me to smile, the tears that no one else saw, conversations at all hours of the day, the knowing I could be myself and not having to pretend.  The list could go on and on.  Yet having both of them stare at me I felt the need to pick just one so I responded, “The conversations.”  

My voice was shaky as I was unsure of the answer, but Missy didn’t seem to notice nodding her head in agreement as if she already knew what I was going to say.

“Yes!  See that’s the thing.”  Her smile had turned into one of those smiles that suggested she knew I’d see it her way, but I still saw nothing.

“See what?”  It took me a second to realize that it was Gabe’s voice that asked the question inside my head.  

Missy didn’t miss a beat though as she went on, “You value the conversations of your relationship with Jesse, because that’s what you value in your female friendships.  But he only has these conversations with you because he wants to make that jump.”

“Cause he wants to sleep with her?”  Again it was Gabe’s rough voice asking the questions.

“Well if he doesn’t want to sleep with her it’s because he either finds her unattractive or has someone better.”  

“So basically, he hangs on to her, in case he needs a quick pass under the sheets?”  Gabe didn’t give Missy a chance to say anything, but instead looked at me and with all sincerity told me, “You might want to rethink this guy as your friend.”

I started to object strongly on Jesse’s behalf, but Gabe winked his green eyes suddenly dancing at me.  As always the fight went out of me with that wink.  It’s so cliché to be that affected by a wink, but he did it so well.  

Missy turned to me and continued, “So if Jesse hasn’t tried to sleep with you, it’s because he’s gay.”

“Jesse is not gay, he’s, “I didn’t have a chance to finish telling her anything though as she continued without even acknowledging my protest, “or he has someone better.”

Gabe laughed at this one and asked, “You mean to tell me that you’re not one of those who believe guys are incapable of fidelity?”

I was a bit stunned by Gabe’s question and couldn’t help but ask, “You believe that?”

Missy chimed in, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”  

Gabe picked the white dish towel off his shoulder and waved it in the air. “No, I’m just saying with this theory, “and he stressed the word theory, “I’m surprised you don’t think men try to step on as many steps of the ladder as possible.”

Missy to her credit caught on and claimed in her own defense, “Look, I’m not trying to make men out to be pigs, ok?”

Gabe snorted at this, but she continued, “I’m just saying it makes sense as to why men and women can’t be just friends.  Denying it just leads to problems, the theory explains it all.”

I understood instinctively what Missy was thinking.  This had nothing to do with me and Jesse.  No, this was about her and Ryan.  Not why they couldn’t be friends, as it was obvious she didn’t want to be his friend, but why he didn’t want her.  Still knowing this I couldn’t help but protest, “Jesse does not want to sleep with me, nor, “I paused for a moment to look at Missy so I was sure she heard me before continuing, “Do I want to sleep with him.”

Missy sighed, “Jel, you’re missing the whole thing.”

“Missing what?  You really want me to sit here and say that for the last, what like 12 years, Jesse’s simply been trying to get in my pants?  Cause he hasn’t.”

At that moment my phone rang and glancing at the phone, I let out a string of curses.  Missy and Gabe both turned to look at me and I immediately stopped.  “I’m so late.”

Standing up I began to grab my belongings.  As I rushed past Gabe he grabbed my arm and asked, “Email me a copy of this theory will ya?”

“Um, yeah sure.”  I was a bit taken back that he remembered giving me his email address, but didn’t really have time to inquire about it.  He flashed me a smile and said, “At least I’ll get one email from you then.”

I stopped dead in my tracks glancing back at him, but his back was to me as he left the table.  I saw Missy shoot me one of those looks that suggested she would be asking questions later, but my head was too busy spinning about work and Gabe to care much.

_~~~~~~

As Missy watched Jelissa leave in a rush she couldn’t help notice the interaction between her and Gabe.  There was definitely something there, but she couldn’t see what exactly.  Oh Gabe was cute enough, if you liked the artsy, bohemian type of guy, but his looks certainly didn’t rival Jesse’s legendary hometown quarterback looks.

Watching Gabe step back behind the counter without missing a beat, Missy felt her frustration rise.  He was so obnoxious. She’d noticed him rolling his eyes mocking her as he talked and all his little stabs at her when he spoke.  No, he definitely spelt trouble for her plan and Missy didn’t like it.  The way those two were looking at each other, the way Gabe ignored her to focus on Jelissa.  It wasn’t a good thing.

Having opted for a short work day Missy didn’t have to rush from the café and instead decided to figure out how to get Jelissa aboard with the plan.  As she checked her email on her phone Missy couldn’t help but wander back to the conversation.  Jelissa didn’t understand the ladder theory because she was in denial not just in the thought that she could have male friends, but that she didn’t want Jesse.  Missy was sure they were destined to be something else. She’d seen the way Jelissa worried over the guy.  How she’d stop anything she was doing to talk to him.  Hell last month Jelissa had given up a chance to go to Florida for a week, because Jesse had just moved in as her roommate.  Oh, she said it was because she didn’t want to use her vacation time, but Missy wasn’t stupid enough to buy that excuse.  

Jesse had only been living there for a month or so now, but every time Missy called it was as if she was interrupting.  She’d hear him cracking jokes in the background, or hear stories about how they’d fell asleep watching this movie, or tried this restaurant.  A month of Jesse this and Jesse that would have been bad on it’s own, but she’d been hearing the Jesse song since she’d met Jelissa.

And then there was the man himself.  He was hot.  About 6’ 4” with shoulders sculpted from years of playing football. And he had that deadly combination of dark hair and dark eyes, Jelissa called them puppy dog brown, but it was more bedroom eyes than anything.  

His face was made of lines so strong and deliberate that it reminded Missy of this little wooden statue she’d bought years before.  She’d seen the old guy who’d made it, his old weathered hands flying through the air striking the wood this way and that with a pocket knife.  He’d spoke while he was at work, saying that one slip and the statue would be ruined.  He claimed he didn’t know what the statue would look like as he let his hands do the thinking. His eyes never left the statue in front of him.  When he was done he’d handed it to her and said,” It’s yours for a nickel.”

Missy had taken it home and never thought of it again until she saw a picture of Jesse.  Looking at his face she could almost imagine a creator’s hands, weathered like the old man’s, making strong, swift sweeps through the air to create that face.  Yes, there was no denying that Jesse was one of those men that women drooled over.  

Missy was convinced all they needed was a bit of push together.  Jesse didn’t notice Jelissa because she was in need of a makeover.  Jelissa on the other hand pretended that Jesse was on the friend ladder, because even though she didn’t know the theory she knew that Jesse’s aims lay above her.

With her email proving to be void of anything worth reading, Missy snapped her cell closed and glanced around the café.  The lady she’d asked Gabe if he’d sleep with was still at the table.  Missy shuddered, glancing away as the girl looked her way.   All she could hear was Gabe’s voice.  Like he’d really sleep with that before he slept with her.

Missy looked around the café bored.  She could easily go home, but she had that feeling.  The feeling she was missing something.  Glancing toward the counter her eyes caught Gabe’s green eyes watching her.  She smiled figuring he’d glance away, but he met her stare head on without a flinch.  In fact, as she glanced away she could hear him laugh.
“You need another?”  Gabe called out to her from behind the counter.  Missy shook her cup in the air.  Though it was close to being gone, she shook her head no.

When she looked up Gabe was smiling at her still, “Still thinking about that theory?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Missy’s lips turned up, not into a smile, but more of a smirk as she figured out how to work Gabe into the plan.  

“In fact, I think you can help me.”  Missy left her table and approached the table as she spoke.

Gabe leaned forward, propping his chin on his palm,” Yeah?  And why would I want to do that?”

Missy shrugged as she sat down on the stool next to the counter.  The height of the stool made it so she was eye to eye with Gabe.  Her blue eyes daring his dancing green ones as she stated, “I thought we might be able to help each other.”

Missy was tempted to bat her eyes and flip her shoulder length blonde hair, but she stopped herself just in time.  It was natural for her to flirt with guys, especially a guy like Gabe who’d pretty much expressed his disinterest in her.   Yet, with Gabe it was important that she didn’t, not if she wanted him to help her launch this plan.

“And how are you going to help me?”  Gabe took a step away from the counter, the proximity to her a little unsettling, especially as she wanted his help.  

“You like Jelissa.”  Missy wasn’t asking, simply stating a fact.  Gabe started to defend his position, but she held her hand up.  “Let me guess, you hit on her and got no where.”

Gabe looked like he was going to object, but instead he sighed, “More like ignored.”

Missy nodded watching Gabe.  Yeah that pretty much proved it.  Let Jelissa get an inkling of an attraction for a guy and suddenly he was in the abyss.  She felt bad for the guy, because she knew she had no intention of doing what she was about to promise.  “I can help.”
~_~~~~~

Gabe didn’t know how to respond at first.  Looking away from the girl in front of him, he scanned his café.  He’d been trying to get Jelissa’s attention for the better part of the year.  Every time he felt like they were getting closer than the casual acquaintance, she backed off quickly.

Dragging his eyes back to Missy’s he felt uneasy continuing the conversation, “How so?”

He didn’t trust her.  There was something about the way she was smiling at him that made him uneasy.  He watched her, expecting her to flirt with him.  To toss her blonde hair or bat an imaginary piece of lint from her eye lashes, as she’d done at the table.  Instead though her blue eyes clouded over and she looked concerned as she spoke, “She’s like that you know, its not you.”

“Like what?”  His words hung in the air.  

“Aloof.  The closer you get the farther away she gets.”  Missy’s eyes were full of understanding.  “She’s been hurt.”

Gabe nodded.  You could sense that about Jelissa.  She was caring, but only to the point that she didn’t have to get involved.  He’d seen it countless times at the shop, such as last week with Mr. Pierson.  Someone had left the old man an anonymous card that had in fact made his week.  When he’d left the old man had a spring to his steps, which had been missing since Mrs. Pierson passed away a year ago.  Everyone in the shop had buzzed about who could have possibly done it, but one look at the writing and he’d known it was Jelissa.  “I don’t see…”

Gabe noticed with a bit of irking that Missy had a problem sharing the floor as she once again cut him off, “If you spend time with me, then you spend time with her.”

Gabe smiled then, but it wasn’t a happy smile.  He couldn’t believe he’d actually started to believe that Missy was actually going to help him.  “No Thanks.”

Before he could turn away her hand grabbed his wrist.  He was tempted to shrug her grasp off, but she actually looked disturbed as she begged, “Please just listen.”

Gabe thought about shaking her hand away, but she continued, “I just want to know how it feels.”

“How what feels?”  Gabe was amazed at how sincere Missy looked as she let her grasp drop.  Picking up a straw from the counter she twirled it around a bit before glancing up at him, her blue eyes misty.  Gabe struggled with himself.  He wanted to comfort the girl and whatever was upsetting her, but something inside told him it wasn’t real.  He wondered briefly if she’d been in drama classes, at the same time though he was too intrigued to turn away.

“To just be friend with a guy.”   Missy’s voice was wispy, almost as if she was far away and not meaning to talk out loud.

Gabe laughed at her though pulling back, “But you don’t believe in that.  What about your theory?”

Missy shrugged, “Perhaps I was wrong.”

At that moment a customer called Gabe away.  As he listened to one of his regulars go on and on about how wonderful the new line of loose leaf teas were, Gabe couldn’t stop glancing at Missy.  He wasn’t buying this at all.  Something else was up.  Granted he didn’t know her well, actually this was the first time their conversations had included more than how her drink was, but he didn’t trust her.  He couldn’t help but wonder exactly how she had became friends with Jelissa.  The two just didn’t seem to have all that much in common.

She sat there a slightly depressed version of the bubbly girl from just a few moments ago.  As he wrapped the conversation up about the new teas, he wanted to just leave and forget what she proposed.  Yet she sat patiently waiting for him, still twirling the straw around as if it were a finger sized batton.  

As the regular left Gabe noticed Missy’s attention returned to him and she shot him a sad smile.  “You don’t believe me.”

Gabe shook his head no.  “You were so convinced about the theory before, I just don’t see the sudden change.”

“Oh there’s not a sudden change.”  Missy flashed him a smile then and continued, “I mean, I don’t want to believe it so what better way to not to believe it than to disprove it?”

“Uh, I guess, but why me?”  Gabe out of habit started wiping down the counter in front of Missy.  It wasn’t messy, but when he got nervous his hands had to do something and so he cleaned the imaginary dirt from the tables.

He watched as Missy settled back into her chair.  He wanted to yank the damn straw from her hands as she waved it in little circles.  Yet he did nothing as she continued, ”Because you don’t like me.”

“That makes for a hell of a friendship.”  Gabe didn’t try to deny the fact as he went on, “That makes no sense.”

Missy smiled, “I meant sexually.”

Gabe groaned inward.  Way to go, strike out with the girl’s friend.  That had to be one of the top ten ways to strike out with a girl he thought.  Damn he wasn’t do very well at this whole thing.  “It’s not that I don’t…”

As usual Missy cut him off as she stood up, “Look, if you don’t want to that’s fine.”

“I,”  Gabe struggled for words, but was taken out of the spot light as Missy pressed a card into his hand.  

As she left the counter she called to him, “Be there or not, it’s up to you.”

He glanced down to read the card, which was an invite to a dinner party at her place tomorrow night.  Part of him felt like he should tear it up, but instead he found himself slipping it into his back pocket.

He didn’t have to answer as the shop phone rang and as he turned to answer it Missy walked away.  After the call, he was surprised to see as he scanned the café again that Missy hadn’t left right away.  Instead she sat at the table of the overweight girl.  The girl was no longer crying, but instead talking to Missy.  In fact he heard laughter coming from the table.  He watched expecting her to look back at him as a look how nice I am gesture, but not once did she glance back toward the counter.  

Gabe continued his watch as a few more customers came in and was shocked to see the two exchange numbers, before they left.  Maybe she wasn’t that bad, was all he could think as the card burned in his pocket.

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