Cake Love: All Things Payne(6)

I roll my eyes which lets Aria know my Grandma is talking about her.

“Hello Mrs. Austin!” Aria yells toward the phone.

"Grandma neither Aria nor myself are lesbians. We are just friends.”

I turn my back to Aria to have a more private conversation with my Grandma.

"Sure, sure, sweets, whatever you call it nowadays. Well, I gotta go. I pulled off into a gas station. Give my love to your parents when you see them, and give your brother Daniel a big squeeze for me. Tell Aria I would never judge her. If she is your soul mate then it’s meant to be."

"Bye Grandma, love you."

"Love you too."

I hang up and place the phone back into my purse before turning to face Aria the Inquisitor. I sit on the couch to prepare for the assault.

"Seriously Morgana? I live with you and I don't know about this guy. Yet your grandma calls out of the blue and it's practically the first words out of your mouth."

"I love you Aria, but I’ve never done the online dating thing before. I wanted to make sure it was something before I told anyone. Besides I haven't met him or even seen his picture yet. He hasn't even told me his first name. Perhaps we meet and there is no chemistry, then what? I haven't dated in over five years, so I know everyone, including you, is going to make a big deal out of this. I guess I just don't want to disappoint you, or anyone else, if it doesn't work out."

Aria is pouting now and I see a tear escape. Her emotions, much like her personality, is flighty, one second angry the next sobbing uncontrollably.

"Oh Morgana! I'm sorry. I don't want you to feel like you have to make me happy. Here, you just tell me anything you want me to know and I won't ask any more questions, okay?"

I nod.

"I met him through an online dating service Evaleen told me about. He was the only one who understood my love of cake and comedy movies. That's actually why I picked him, because of his screen name Hi-Ed-Junior."

She is wrinkling her brow at me.

"I don't get it?"

"Raising Arizona! Hi, Nicholas Cage's character. Ed, Holly Hunter's character, and Junior, the baby they kidnap."

She shrugs, but nods to appease me. I know she has seen that movie before. I played it all the time on our dorm room television at college. Of course we were high a lot when it was on, but you would think she would remember something.

"So you both like the same movie that's something."

She is trying to sound positive and nodding her head to look convincing.

"Anyway Aria, I'm going to try to get him to meet me when I chat with him tonight."

She gets up and heads over to the kitchen to open the refrigerator. “Let me know how it goes.”

Once Aria is focused on food I know it's a lost cause to try and talk to her. What cake is to me, all food is to Aria. The woman has the metabolism and eating habits of a sixteen year old boy, with the body of a swimmer. Maybe because she swims any chance she gets. I get up and head into my bedroom and flop on my bed clumsily.

Compared to the hodge-podge style of our apartment, my bedroom is ‘quite grown up’ as my mother calls it. The walls are covered in silver framed classic movie posters, like Airplane and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. I have a matching green and gray comforter set covering my mocha colored wooden bed. There are two matching dark side tables with an alarm clock I’ve dubbed Clocky on one and a cream ceramic lamp on the other. I had a matching lamp on Clocky’s table, but it was involved in an unfortunate accident one morning due to Clocky being an early riser.

Grabbing my laptop from under a pillow, I open the machine. Checking my emails and Facebook updates I hear a ping. My heart races as I know who it is. I click over to the Gchat tab and see Hi-Ed-Junior awaiting my response.

Hi-Ed-Junior: Hello Sweetcakes! Had a long day today. Would have contacted you sooner but just getting home.

Yes my screen name is Sweetcakes. I know it’s terrible, but originality is just not my thing.

Me: Hi. I got home a short while ago too. I hope there hasn't been trouble with your co-worker again? :(

Hi-Ed-Junior: The usual. She always makes it a point to push my buttons. I think she gets some sick thrill in harassing me.

I hope she isn't flirting with him. Some women have never left the school playground and that's their idea of flirting. She needs to back off! Wow. How the hell am I so possessive all the sudden? I don't even know his name.

Me: Yeah, my boss has been ignoring me as usual. If my boss and I were the last two people on Earth I'm pretty sure he would die before uttering a word to me. He's an ass.

Hi-Ed-Junior: Ha. Ha. Well, if we were the last two people on Earth I don't think there isn't anything I wouldn't say or do with you.

And there it is, the cross over. He just went over the line into possible sex chat territory. I have never done this before, but with him I really want to. It would be better if I knew what he looks like.

Me: Really? What are you wearing?

My palms are sweating as I type this. Part of me thinks I have taken it too far. He seems a bit shy; perhaps this is all too much for him. Of course the other part is throbbing and wet.

Hi-Ed-Junior: Navy boxer briefs pushed down to my ankles.

Maybe he isn't as shy as I thought.

Me: Oh. Is it big?

What am I sixteen? As soon as I send that my face goes red and I cover my eyes afraid of his response. I hear a ding and peak through a crack in my fingers.