Hiding in the Advice Column

5.

Flashback
"That's the third date in nearly two weeks. Busted!" Rhea's friend, Gabriel, screeched as she turned the light on.

"Yep." Rhea muttered to herself.

"So..." Gabriel jumped on to the sofa. "How was it?"

Rhea glared at her friend. "Wonderful." She finally sighed.

"Is that all I'm getting? Give me some details! I've been single for so long now." Gabriel sighed.

Rhea grinned as she caved in. "Well," She started as she made herself comfortable on the couch next to her room mate. "He is such a gentleman. Opening and closing doors for me, pulling out my seat. He is so attentive. He said all the right stuff." Rhea dreamed on about her night.

"Wait..." Gabriel looked confused at her friend. "Who are you talking about because this don't sound like Keegan."

Rhea frowned. "Keegan? Oh right. You've been busy lately. Keegan and I didn't work out."

"I know that. But I thought you were patching things up."

"No." Rhea shook her head. "At first, I thought that too, but than I met Ryder."

Gabriel stared blankly at Rhea.

"The man from the bookshop. I told you this on the phone."

Gabriel's face redden. "I was a bit busy." Then she gave me some action movements that told me what she was doing.

Rhea scrunched her face up. "Ew. And you let me keep talking to you!" She picked up a cushion and flung it at Gabriel. "I'm going to bed, sicko."

"Wait!" Gabriel cried out. "Details."

Rhea paused in her movements as her hand went to her lips. "I want to keep that to myself." She whispered more to herself than Gabriel.

Now
"What do you mean?" Gabriel shrieked over the phone. I had to hold it away from my ear.

"Exactly as I said." I told her. "When are you coming to visit us?" I didn't like that Gabriel went to New York for a job. We studied philosophy together but now she is a teacher for seven year olds.

"Don't change the subject missy."

I sighed as I wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder, chewing on a pen as I read a letter. "I'm not. I miss you."

"I miss you too. How is Rowan? Has Ryder met him?"

"No." I groaned. I wasn't sure if that would be a good or bad thing.

"Well, why not?"

"What would you tell a person who believes themselves to be agoraphobic?" I asked her.

"Tell them to buy a tarantula. Conquer their fear."

I giggled. "Not arachnophobia."

"Whatever. Either way, they will leave the house."

I smiled. Trust Gabriel to be blunt like that.

"So why haven't you told Ryder?" Gabriel poked back to the subject.

"I don't know. I'm scared." I told her. It was the truth. "In so many ways. I haven't really thought about it till a few weeks ago."

"Why? Because you're afraid to take him for a ride?"

I sat back and groaned. "Ryder kicked me out. I didn't know about Rowan until eight weeks later."

"But you were seeing someone else."