Episode 1.9: Envious Exes

"Graham?"

"Marie?"

I had not seen the man since our breakup. He looked the same, a little fatter with a slight double chin when he bent over. Seeing him now with Jenny the vet was like seeing a stranger sit in your seat minutes after your departure. She looked happy but I couldn't help myself from feeling suspicious. It was such a weird coincidence that we were all here.

The three of us stood there for a beat in time, and then Jenny broke the silence.

"Fancy meeting you here," she tittered.

Just then, Michael came back from the toilet.

"Oh, hey! It's Jenny!" Michael said.

"And who's this?" Michael asked.

Michael and Graham never met, just like how I didn't know Jenny prior to the Fluffs incident. Though Anna and Jenny knew each other

"Oh, you got a piece of hair there," Michael brushed it off my shoulder.

Jenny's eyes flicked back and forth between me and Graham. Graham's eyes zeroed in on Michael's hand on my shoulder.

Graham interjected, "How do you know Marie?"

"Uh," I said.

Michael was the first to put a title on us.

"We're dating."

I did not know Jenny well but her eyes almost fell out of their sockets when Michael said that.

"Aren't you guys doing that show together?" Jenny said.

"So?" I challenged her insinuation.

She meant that we couldn't or shouldn't be together if we were filming a show. I could already read her thoughts. She thought I was unprofessional.

She seemed nice before, but now that I saw her looking at Michael with heart eyes while holding on to Graham, I wasn't so sure.

Jenny turned to Graham and she said, "That's great news. Congrats. Me and Graham have been together for a few months."

Graham took her arm when she curled her fingers around him. I was getting a tingly sensation up my spine the more time we spent with Graham and Jenny. It didn't feel right and we were all awkward too, not really knowing what to talk about.

"We're gonna go eat our food," I said.

"Nice meeting you!" I waved at Jenny and Graham. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Michael didn't seem to mind mingling as much, he looked pretty excited

"Wait, do you want to grab something to eat together later?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, dinner perhaps?" Graham chimed in.

"Uh," Michael and I had a silent conversation.

"Yes, we should go."

Michael's cute eyes were telling me.

"No we shouldn't!" I tried to be cute too, my cheeks were puffed out like a blowfish and a raspberry sound came from my mouth.

"You look like you ate a golf ball," Jenny commented.

I should have retorted with "I don't need to know anything from you!" but instead I smiled with a set of painfully sweet upturned lips.

"Sure, let's grab dinner," Michael said.

I clenched my hand behind my back so Jenny and Graham wouldn't see.

"Okay, I'll text you later?" Jenny said.

We went in opposite directions. Graham and Jenny headed to the photo exhibit.

"Ooh, I see a nice bench we can sit on!" I said.

Michael led us to the bench near the rollercoaster, and we sat and munched on our fries.

Suddenly a kid ran in front of us, calling their mother's name. They skidded too fast running.

"Oh, watch out!" I called.

The kid hit the floor flat on their face right in front of our bench.

"Wahhhh!" The kid cried, sitting up and clutching their knee.

I got up immediately and I rushed to the kid.

"Hey, where's your mom? Where does it hurt?"

"I, I don't know!" The kid sniffed and cried.

"It's alright, my friend is going to get you some bandaids! What color do you like?" I asked.

"Um, red. Like the power ranger." The kid peeked up at me.

Michael ran to get first aid and look for the mother.

By the time Michael came back with first aid kit and the mother in tow, I learned a lot about the kid.

His name was Parker, and he loved power rangers, Lego, and Star Wars. He was seven years old and his birthday just passed.

"Oh, my Parker!" The mother gathered the kid in her arms and hugged him to her breast.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Parker whispered to me.

Nodding I said, "Yes, he's like a power ranger, only better!"

"Really! What moves does he know?" Parker asked.

As the mother thanked me, Michael showed Parker some questionable kung fu moves that had us all laughing.

"First the crane slash tiger! Then the praying mantis kick! HAIYA!" Michael demonstrated and Parker was quick to follow.

"Thanks for helping me! But your boyfriend doesn't know any good moves!" Parker gave me a high five, whispering the last part as his mother left with him. I almost died inside.

Such a cute kid. He would surely be a heartbreaker in the future with those mischievous sky blue eyes.

I leaned against Michael and I said, "I want a kid like that."

Michael looked at me and he said, "Okay, sure."

I snorted with laughter and Michael raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"What do you mean? Will you be the father?" I teased.

"Well, who else is it gonna be?" Michael responded, with serious stretched lines on his face.

I blushed as Michael looked at me for longer before he pecked my lips softly. I pulled him in for a longer kiss.

It was the best date I'd ever had.

---

"Graham is so sexy in his scrubs," Jenny purred at Graham as we sat across from them.

"What are you talking about, you're the sexy one," Graham flicked her nose and she nuzzled against his chest

Michael and I shared a knowing glance of "this is cringe, ew. Should we get the bill now?"

"Ahem, so Graham, what brings you here?" I asked Graham, trying to break them out of their yuck bubble.

"Wha?" Graham asked.

Jenny tugged on Graham's shirt, and he growled at her with that manly roar.

I resisted the urge to either slap them on the heads or laugh until my legs gave out. Either way they were being rude, they were the ones who invited us to dinner in the first place.

"Well, you left last year, so what brings you back to this city?" I pressed for more information.

"Oh, well, just wanted to see my girlfriend Jenny," he smiled at her and she made a hashtag sign with her fingers.

"LDR!" She said.

As soon as Jenny did that, Graham froze in place.

"Uh huh, and was there not reason enough to come see me when we were together?" I asked.

They looked like deer in headlights when I asked that question.

So it seemed Jenny and Graham were in a LDR, long distance relationship. But were they? As far as I knew, Graham didn't do long distance.

Graham looked angry at Jenny now.

Michael and I took that as an excuse to leave.

"Hey, so the premiere is on tomorrow, we're going to head home earlier to get some rest." Michael said.

"Yeah, I'm so beat after today!" I echoed, flailing my arms around like a drunk person.

Though I hadn't had much to drink.

"Gotta get my Cinderella home on time." Michael helped me up and we said goodbye, leaving Jenny and Graham silently glaring at each other.

They were so busy trying to show off when they forgot we didn't pay for the meal either. We snuck out, our laughter like middle school kids after getting a free meal.

"I mean, they earn more than us," I reasoned.

"Yes mhm," Michael agreed.

Worst dinner date ever.

But it was worth it, to see Graham angry like that, and not at me. And what was more, to hang out and date Michael, my flat mate, my friend, and now, my boyfriend.