In Pursuit by Olivia Luck

guy?”
    A hipster waitress, wearing an ironic t-shirt and ultra tight black skinny jeans, plunks our meals down on our table without so much as a smile. Once she departs back inside the restaurant, we continue as if never interrupted.
    The lankier of the couple wraps an arm around his boyfriend’s shoulder affectionately. “All great relationships have their quirks. Ours is Sean.”
    “Hey!” He swats Luke’s grip away with a pout. “Take that back.”
    Luke pulls Sean back into his embrace, nuzzling his neck. “I’m sorry, forgive me?”
    “Could you two be more affectionate?” I ask with a fond smile.
    “Is that jealousy I hear, Edith?” Sean teases.
    Unfortunately, that’s not too far from the truth.
     “Who is Edith?” A familiar, bubbly voice asks.
    Three curious sets of eyes turn toward the sound and, to my horror and their excitement, the Grants crowd around our table. They are both wearing crisp tennis whites, displaying their immaculate bodies.
    “Hey, roomie,” I muster up as much cheer as I can.
    The last time I saw him, he was driving Greg back to his hotel. Last night, I stayed holed up in my bedroom, telling Claire that I only go out to party one night per weekend. That response satisfied her and she spent the evening with her fun time fuck, whomever he might be.
    “Edith was a gift from her great grandmother. Isn’t it a beautiful name?” Sean asks.
    Claire nods. “Sure is, but I think Eddie fits my roomie better. Don’t you agree, Harry?”
    “She’s an adult. I think she can decide which name she prefers.”
    “I’m Sean Lightmen, and this is my boyfriend, Luke Aves.”
    Claire gives them a polite but cold smile. “Charmed, I’m sure. Harry and I are grabbing a bite before tennis, so we need to run.” She leans down and makes a kissing noise next to my cheek.
    “What just happened? Are we on a TV show or is that real life?” Luke asks as he watches them retreat.
    “It’s my reality.” I sigh. “Claire normally isn’t so unfriendly, but Harris doesn’t exactly bring out the best in her.”
    “I doubt it has anything to do with that tall drink of water. It’s a known fact that Claire’s a queen bitch. I saw it in high school. But if she’s your friend, I wouldn’t worry about it. When you’re on Claire’s good side, she’s loyal. Or, at least, that’s what it looked like to someone who actively stalked the popular crowd,” Sean says. “Let’s talk about the scientific wonder that occurred before us in that entirely too brief exchange.”
    I push my food away from me. My appetite has decided to leave me, my stomach tumbling like clothes in a dryer. How can one guy affect me like this? It’s unheard of. Unless it relates to my parents, my emotions are pretty even keel. Never getting upset when a date didn’t go well, or a boyfriend dumped me, Sarah sometimes jokes that I am stone when it comes to the opposite sex.
    Luke bites on Sean’s statement. “And that is?”
    “When Mr. Sex on Two Legs heard that Eddie is actually Edith, his steely facial expression melted into a puffy, sentimental cloud. He practically dropped to his knees and begged for her good graces.”
    “Care to elaborate on that delusion?” Luke continues to question him like an interviewer and his subject on a television news magazine.
    It’s too late, though, Sean’s words trigger a reaction he probably didn’t expect. When he makes the statement, I bang my knee against the table, knocking my water glass into my lap. The liquid makes a dark stain on my white dress, droplets of water soaking the skirt. The two jerks can’t contain their laughter, Luke falling over on top of the table, chuckling loudly.
    “Little mouse, did you have an accident?”
    I smile tightly at Claire and Harris who, of course, emerge at this moment. Scooting my chair back out behind me, I kneel down and look for the plastic cup. I locate it in the center of the table and reach out to get it. As I crawl out, my