The Smartest Girl in the Room (16 page)

By the end of the evening, Emily had a place
to stay. She didn’t tell Drew about her mother, but by early Friday
morning he asked her to pick up her things and bring them over.
"It’s a big place, and I could use the company." Emily smiled and
wrapped Drew’s arms around her as she fell into a deep sleep.

There was just one thing. It wasn’t sex.
Well, it was and it wasn’t. It reminded her of the eighth grade, or
what she had hoped the eighth grade might be. She didn’t say
anything, because she could tell that he was trying to be a nice
guy.

She woke up at eight on Friday and looked at
the bright, grey December light streaming in through the window.
She exhaled. She hadn’t realized how much loneliness and worry had
weighed on her until they were gone.

She turned to see Drew asleep next to her.
She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, then kissed his
forehead. The kiss woke up him up. He smiled back. "Good morning,
gorgeous."

"Gorgeous? Boy, you must be pretty sleepy."
Emily kissed him again. "So what’s the plan for this lovely
Friday?"

Drew stiffened. "Did you say Friday?"

"That is the day that comes after Thursday,
right?"

"Oh, jeez!" He jumped out of bed and looked
at the clock. "There’s somewhere I have to be at nine. I’ve got to
get in the shower."

Emily sank back into the bed when she heard
the shower running. What to do today?

She sat upright. Her mother would be out of
work by five and home by six. Could she finagle Zainab into meeting
her that much earlier?

Emily ran into the bathroom as soon as Drew
was out. The sooner she could get ready, the sooner she might be
able to pull this off. As she dried off, she thought she heard some
banging coming from the living room, but then assumed it was from
students moving out of the next door apartment.

She put her clothes on and came out. Drew
looked surprised. "Yes?" Emily laughed.

"That’s the quickest shower I have ever seen
a woman take."

"I’m just full of surprises. So, where are
you off to this morning? Final? Solar car?"

"A final. I had to wheedle this at the last
minute, and I really don’t want to piss anybody off, so I can’t be
late."

Emily shrugged. "Sounds good. What time will
you be back?"

"Um, three? What about you?"

"I think I’m going to take you up on your
generous offer and get my stuff out of my mother’s house... unless
that was just the late night talking?"

He kissed her on the nose. "I would be
honored to have you cram your stuff into my closet. Here is an
extra key," he reached into his pocket. "Just in case you’re back
before I am. I’m sorry I can’t help, but I have to run, like
now!"

"Good luck!" she shouted as he ran out the
door. The door slammed shut, and then she smiled, hugging herself a
little bit.

She dialed Zainab a moment later. "Tell me
you’re not hung over," Emily said hopefully.

"Not much. Why?"

"Because I need a big, huge, sober
favor."

"Uh huh?"

"Will you meet me at the St. Paul stop and
help me move my stuff out of my mom’s house?"

A long pause followed. "Okay, maybe I’m more
hung over than I thought. What?"

"It’s a really long story, and I’ll be happy
to fill you in, but I want to get my stuff out ASAP."

"And is your stuff coming to my place
afterward? I just need to know."

Someday she would tell Zainab all about this
week. "Drew’s apartment."

"Is this why you don’t date much? You can’t
go out with someone without moving in with them?"

"Can you meet me or not?"

"What time?"

It was nine now. "How about ten?"

Zainab groaned. "See you then."

"Thank you!" Emily hung up and clapped her
hands. This was going to work.

Emily needed to use the ATM and got to the
train stop five minutes late. She found Zainab standing with two
Starbucks cups and tapping her foot. "And this is the thanks I get
for dragging myself out of bed at the ungodly hour of
nine-thirty?"

"I’m sorry, I thought you’d be a little late,
and I thought I should walk because... because I just didn’t want
to sit on the train all by myself. I am just..." She smiled at
nothing in particular. "I’m so happy."

"Drew’s that good, huh? Who’d have thunk
it?"

"Oh shut up!"

"He’s not that good?"

"I’m sure he is but-"

"You actually got drunk and you don’t
know?"

"Bite your tongue. It’s just that we didn’t,
you know..."

Zainab looked confused for a minute then
laughed. "But you slept over, and you’re going to be sleeping over.
How could... Okay, which brings me to the obvious: aren’t you
rushing things a little?"

"Sorry. What’s the appropriate period of time
before I move in with someone?"

"Um, I don’t know. Something more like a
couple of months as opposed to a couple of hours?"

"And all of this would offend you less if I
had slept with him?"

"I’d get it. What if you sleep with him and
you don’t like it?"

"I don’t think anyone is going to be compared
to the Kama Sutra."

"You know what I mean. What about
chemistry?"

"Trust me, there’s chemistry."

"Okay."

"Don’t you ‘okay’ me. I’m the judgmental one
in this relationship."

"Yeah? Well, I think I’ve bought myself at
least a few foolish episodes without anything out of you."

"Fair enough, but I draw the line at you
falling asleep on your wall."

"Oh shut up," Zainab said as the fifty-seven
bus pulled up.

They got on the bus and talked about plans
for the break- "I’m taking the bus to Westchester on Sunday
afternoon. My mom wanted me to take a plane, but I managed to
convince her to use the difference on some shopping instead. Aren’t
I a clever girl?"- And finals- "Thank God those are over. I’ve
timed my visit home to end before grades are mailed out. No, I did
not fail, but yes, you have my word that I will be spending much
more time with you at the library this quarter." Zainab made even
the lousy ride back to her mother’s house fun.

Thirty five minutes after they’d gotten on,
they stepped off in front of Emily’s mother’s house. Emily looked
at the faded wood and dried up rosebush. "I have never been to your
house before," Zainab remarked as Emily opened the door.

"And now you’ll know why." When they walked
in, they were hit with the smell of trash Emily hadn’t taken out
yesterday and the sight of dirty dishes in the sink and on the
kitchen table.

"Welcome to my lavish quarters." Emily opened
the door to the study. The desk was messy with her mother’s papers,
but the rest of the room was reasonably neat and tidy. Almost all
of Emily’s clothing was folded up at the bottom of the closet, and
her books were in a corner of the room. She grabbed her half-packed
suitcase and packed up the rest of her wardrobe. Next, she went
into the bathroom and grabbed her toiletries. She threw those in,
closed the suitcase, and then packed her books and papers into her
backpack. "And that’s that," she said with satisfaction.

"So what did you need me for?"

"It’s two bags, but they are heavy." Zainab
grabbed the pullout handle of the luggage, which Emily could have
easily dragged while carrying the backpack across her shoulder.
"Okay, we’re done here."

"That’s really it? You don’t have more
clothes?"

"You have seen my wardrobe."

"True. Aren’t you going to leave a note?"

"Nope. I’ll send her an email."

"Then I guess we are done." Emily followed
Zainab through the kitchen and out the living room to the front
door. Zainab held the screen door as Emily locked up and then
placed the key under the doormat. "Is that safe?"

"She’ll find it."

They crossed the street and waited in silence
for the next bus to come. After two minutes, Zainab asked, "So how
long did you live there?"

"Right after high school, pretty much."

"Is that where you always slept?"

"You mean in the study?"

"No, I mean on the loveseat."

Emily looked away. "Much better than some of
the other couches I’ve slept on; present company’s excluded, of
course."

"Of course." Zainab replied. "And in case you
were wondering, it’s always available."

Emily didn’t look at Zainab because she
didn’t want to start crying. "Just so you know, if I ever do end up
on your couch, you’ll have the cleanest apartment and best homemade
food you have ever eaten."

"Why am I taking you to Drew’s then?" They
both laughed, and after a moment Emily could look at Zainab with
some composure. Zainab rubbed Emily's arm. "Promise me you’re not
just doing this for a place to stay."

Emily shook her head. Sleeping on a couch for
a year and a half and then getting teased by some charmer had left
her with more than a dull ache in her back. She had missed feeling
wanted. "I promise," she said as the bus arrived.

They rode all the way to Kenmore Square and
then walked to Hemenway Street.

"And now for the new digs," Emily said when
they got to Drew’s building.

"Oh, wow," Zainab said when they walked in.
"It’s big."

"But?" Emily put her bags down.

"It’s kind of bare."

"Ah, but I have an alternate view of luxury.
You can always get more stuff, but it’s hard to acquire more
space."

"True. So, aren’t you going to offer me
something to drink after all of that non-labor?"

"Hmm." Emily went into the kitchen and while
there was a little bit of juice and water left over from the night
before, it was otherwise bare. There was, of course, quite a bit of
fresh pasta and some sauce, but that didn’t feel like real food.
Emily took out her cash. She had forty dollars. "How about I give
you some juice, and then we go over to Whole Foods to do some
shopping?"

"What am I, your beast of burden today?"

"Not just today."

Zainab drank her juice then they left for
Whole Foods. "What did you get when you had your first
apartment?"

Zainab thought for a minute. "Cereal."

"Cereal? Okay, cereal. Good for breakfast.
And then maybe some juice."

"No, get some fresh fruit- juice has too much
sugar."

"Fruit, check. And what else?"

"Milk for the cereal."

"Soymilk. What else?"

"What do you eat for lunch?"

"I usually have to pack things for long
trips, but if I’m home for lunch- or close by- then I can do
something like... ooh, a sandwich!"

"Only you would get excited about a sandwich.
Okay, so then you need bread, veggies... what do you use instead of
meat?"

"Cheese- I can do cheese."

"Cheese. Okay. Then what about dinner?"

"What’s cheap? I think I’m running into my
cash limit for now." What about later?

"Rice and beans."

"Ugh..."

"No, seriously, you can do a lot with
that."

"Tell me more."

"Well, I should eat more of it, but some of
my friends have made some really delicious rice or couscous and
bean dishes that are soooo good. You need some spice and herbs and
veggies, but those aren’t usually too expensive."

"Hmmm... maybe we should go to Shaw’s
instead?"

"Sounds like a plan." They turned around and
walked back, crossed Mass. Ave and started laughing about their
teachers, classes and SGC. Emily felt a twinge when she passed by
the Reflecting Pool, but she brushed it off. She’d been by it many
times before and today was no different.

They got to Shaw’s and picked up the store
brand versions of cereal, canned beans and rice- "it has to be
brown"- then got a pound of cheddar cheese, some apples, oranges,
soymilk, whole wheat bread, lettuce, sprouts, cumin, and
mayonnaise. After everything, Emily counted her change. "Wow, a
whole dollar seventy-nine left!"

They walked back to Drew’s apartment. It was
only one, so Drew wasn’t back yet.

"So," Emily said as she put away the last of
her groceries, "will you stick around for lunch? I think I’m
having... a cheese sandwich."

Zainab looked at her watch. "I’m going out
tonight, and I need to get started on my packing. So, love to, but
can’t."

"When are you coming back?"

"I think they’re letting me go the Friday
before classes start, so I can settle in and get all of my
books."

"That’s, like, two weeks away! What am I
supposed to do?"

"You’ll be fine. And isn't Jessie going to be
here?"

"Yeah, that should keep me busy." She hugged
Zainab. "Tell everyone I said hi-"

"I don’t think you’ve met them."

"Tell them anyway. And don’t do anything... I
wouldn’t do."

"Considering I just helped you move in with
someone you just met, that shouldn’t be hard."

"Goodbye!" They hugged again, and then Zainab
walked out.

Emily sighed then turned her attention to her
luggage. She took everything to the bedroom and hung up as much as
she could in the closet. She looked through some of the drawers to
see if one was empty. When she opened the bottom drawer of one of
the bureaus, she saw a ledger. She looked at it, but didn’t open
it. That was all there was in there, but she didn’t want to move
it.

She lay down on the bed. So tired.

She jumped up when her cell phone rang.
"Hello?"

"Did I wake you?" It was Drew.

"Um, yeah, but it’s time to wake up. What’s
going on?"

"I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I brought
Richard over."

It was sweet that Drew would ask for
permission to bring someone to his own place. "That’ll be
great."

"Excellent. We’ve got a couple of things we
need to finish up here, so maybe five."