Once upon a time in the parking lot next to my apartment complex, there was a barbecue and I wasn't invited.
"Yeah, that totally doesn't hurt my feelings," I said to myself.
Instead of Netflix and solitary chill as planned, I sat at the window and watched the people milling not very far away. I paired them off in my mind in an attempt to forecast impending hookups.
They were drinking so I started drinking. Why not? Just because I wasn't face first in a rack of ribs didn't mean I couldn't get smashed and laugh.
Someone was smoking a joint. I could smell it. Someone else rolled out a portable firepit and got a blaze going. I lit some sage and waved it around my apartment like I knew magic.
I could hear music. It was coming from a car, door open and headlights bright against the evening sky. A group started dancing. I tapped my foot to the beat. I lay back beneath the window and imagined someone knocking on the door. "Hi, why aren't you out here?" But no one came.
I fell asleep, snoring myself awake. There were red and blue lights flashing outside. I sat up, watched the crowd disperse as an officer wrote a ticket to the owner of the car blasting its radio. Oh well. Party over. Time for Netflix.
There was a knock at the door.
"Hey, what's up?" asked a neighbor.
"Not much," I said. "Anthony, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
Anthony was a good looking guy. I thought about asking him to join me on the couch. "Just about to Netflix," I said, stepping back from the door to let him inside.
"That's cool. You didn't have to call the cops, you know."
That was unexpected. "What?"
"The noise. You coulda just asked. We would have turned it down."
"I didn't . . . " I began, frowning. He cut me off.
"Sure. Okay. Later." He left.
I shut the door behind him then opened it again. "Anthony!" I shouted.
He turned around and took a couple of steps back in my direction.
"It wasn't me." I walked over to him. "I didn't call. I mean, I liked the music. I was asleep." My hands flew to my hair, trying to smooth it. I wiped at my face, suddenly afraid it was covered in drool. "Anyway. I didn't call, but whatever. Goodnight."
I walked back to my door and was about to shut it when I realized Anthony was right behind me. When I screamed, he laughed.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
He leaned against my door, preventing me from closing it. "Apologizing."
"Oh."
"Works better if I know your name."
"Right. I'm Dani."
"Nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand. "And sorry for thinking you were old." He grinned, sweeping his gaze over my body.
I laughed and slid my palm against his. Right. Only an old lady would call with a noise complaint. I guess I had been kinda old lady like, hiding like a hermit instead of introducing myself around. But there. He knew my name. "So," I tipped my head toward my TV, "now that you know I'm not old, wanna come in?"
Hey, I decided to write Dani a new story. Hope you enjoyed this step into her world. Thanks for reading!