So Lost Without You

I exhaled deeply as the experienced fingers kneaded my upper back and neck.  I had gone to get a massage at the spa my family has a membership at.  I had stayed focused in class and was really tense from being stressed.  Even though I didn't have any outright threats from them, the thought of Luke and Victoria potentially following me or showing up randomly was weighing in the back of my mind.

I'd had a lot of massages and was picky about who I received them from.  A lot of females, in my experience, gave light "feel good" massages.  But I like them deep.  When it comes to a massage, I live by the saying It hurts so good.  I've had the same masseuse for just over a year now.  A man by the name of Angus.  He was a middle aged Scottish man who also happened to be blind.  I had found that with him having lost his eyesight, his other senses (ie: feeling) were heightened.  He was able to feel knots and stiff muscles more acutely.  He gave the best massages.  Ever.  Afterwards, I got fully dressed (I only wear a thong to massages.  I feel awkward being fully naked.) and gave Angus a hug and a nice tip, then left.

It had been a week since I had ran into Charlie.  It had been eerily silent from Luke and Victoria.  My summer class had been over for a week and the past week I had spent in hibernation, just working at the Racquet Club, hanging out with Falon, and staying at my parents' house.  My dad would be home in a week, and the city tennis classes start up a week from Monday, so I was relaxing before having to balance two jobs.  At least I knew I'd be working with Coach and some other people from the tennis team.  The next weekend I was traveling to Florida for a tennis tournament with Cara.

It's exactly 6 weeks until Elena's wedding, and I had a fitting for my dress.  I was expecting it to fit relatively well, because I had been running the past week to stay in shape.  And by running, I mean slowly jogging.  Maddie was coming into town for today and tomorrow for the dress fitting.  Although Sarah was out of town, I was looking forward to seeing Elena, Maddie, and Elena's sister, Elle.  I hadn't seen Maddie since she went home for the summer, nor Elena since she moved out, because we'd all been so busy.

I was sitting on the couch in my apartment living room, freshly showered and relaxed after my massage.  I was wearing a teal and purple chevron maxi skirt from Target, teal lace crop tank, and simple flip flops.  I heard a knock on the door and jumped up, ecstatic to see my long lost friends.  Elena and Maddie were meeting at the apartment. Elle was meeting us at the bridal shop.  Right before I opened it I hesitated.  Why was there knocking and not the turn of a key?

I wracked my brain for an answer, moments later remembering that because only Sarah and I were officially living in the apartment for the summer, Maddie and Elena had to turn in their keys.  Though obviously for different reasons.  I flung the door open and Maddie was standing there, in all her tanned glory.  She dropped her overnight bag and jumped on me, wrapping her arms around me, hugging me tightly.  I caught her and then stumbled backwards, collapsing on the floor in giggles.  She screeched, "I've been so lost without you!"

Since most of Maddie's possessions were still there, she was staying the night with me.  Though, I had taken the liberty to strip Sarah's bed and move Maddie's sheets to her bed so we could sleep in the same room.

While waiting for Elena, we caught up.  She filled me in on her summer job of working at Forever 21 back home, and spending time with her man, and I told her about everything with Luke and Victoria, and running into Charlie.  Although we had briefly chatted a few times on the phone, neither of us seemed to catch the other at good times, so our conversations weren't much longer than 5 or 10 minutes at a time.

Elena arrived then and whisked us away to the bridal shop for the fittings.  The same crazy-haired eccentric woman was there for our fitting.  It was uneventful.  My dress fit perfectly, still.  I had an appointment to come back in 3 weeks, just to make sure everything was still fine.

We walked up to the register so Elena could pay for the veil she had finally decided on, and were chatting waiting for Elena to be rang up when my ears tuned in to someone saying a name I recognized.  I perked up and turned around slightly to see a short lady with too much make-up on talking to a sales girl.  The sales girl had several dresses slung over her arm.  I squinted my eyes at her, not recognizing her, but my eyes widened in realization when I heard her say, "Yes, his name is Tom.  Tom Lange.  And I want our day to be perfect!"