The Lasso Effect 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐭

9

"He wants to meet you! If you like him, how is it a bad thing?" Alicia asked Rebecca regarding his guy on Bantr she was texting.

"You have to answer him, it's been 2 days." Keeley said.

"I don't know what to say to him!"

"How about the truth?" Leslie suggested. "I'd love to meet up, but I'm worried you can't live up to the fantasy of you I've created in my head, so I'm gonna let my insecurities keep me from finding love."

"... his favorite film is Ratatouille, that's worrying, right?"

Alicia side eyed her. "What the fuck is so bad about Ratatouille? It's fucking amazing!"

"Yeah, Ratatouille is a goddamn masterpiece!" Keeley added. "Plus, it's about snobbery and how good art can come from anywhere."

"Ironically enough."

"Well what if we meet up and it all goes wrong?"

Alicia sighed. "On the very off chance that happens, you pick yourself up and move on! So not everything is perfect all the time, that's life! It's those experiences that make you learn and grow as a person. Besides, you need this! We all deserve a relationship like Leslie and his wife, or Roy and Keeley."

Keeley gave her a playful elbow nudge. "Ah, I don't know. I mean, it was kinda easier when we didn't work together. I just feel like we're around each other all the time. It's like he's my shadow, my adorable hairy shado—"

Rebecca and Leslie started scatting when Roy walked in. Alicia just looked at them weird. So did Roy.

"Why are you jazz scatting?"

Awkward pause.

"Were you talking about me?"

"Yeah." Alicia said.

"Big whoop. Ready to go?"

Alicia joined the scatting for a little while before headed to the parking lot to hitch a ride from Jaime.

She received a strangely question related to her conversation from earlier on the way home.

"Ey, this sounds random, but what's so good about Ratatouille?"

Alicia was going to repeat "ra-uh-too-eh" but instead she gave him a wide eyed look. They pulled into the driveway.

"Inside. Go."

She made Jaime go inside and she threw a blanket over them and pulled Wally onto her lap. She put on Ratatouille and made sure he understood that this movie was a great fucking movie. Then and only then did she let him leave.

Anyways, a little over a week later, Rebecca received a text from the Bantr guy saying he'd be at a restaurant tomorrow at 8 and he'd like her to go so they can meet.

Keeley and Alicia finally got her to accept. About ten minutes later, Alicia got a text from Jaime asking if she was cool with sticking around a little after work for a thing with the guys.

She said she'd be glad to, and she went down to the locker room after work.

The environment resembled that of a ceremony, the lights in a spotlight style, on Sam up on the island in the middle of the room surrounded by the team.