The Sighting

We spent the rest of the morning in my room, schmoozing and shrieking about the party. Tracey had spent most of the night hitting on a guy while another guy hit on her. Eliana could remember less than me. Jax happily filled us all in on our humiliating experiences. Eventually, we got up and got dressed to venture out for lunch.
"I want pizza."
"I want sushi."
"I want a burger."
They all looked expectantly at me.
"Sushi." I said. "A burger, Trace, are you insane?"
She shrugged. "I'm starving."
All my friends are twigs and eat like cows. I just look like a cow. We bundled into our coats and went outside. The air was crisp and biting.
"Ah." Eliana took a deep breath. "Much better."
"Fresh air is good for hangovers."
We walked in silence as I surveyed my friends. There was Jax, your classic sassy redhead. Jaqueline Faye Goldberg, to be exact. Eliana Schwartz, who I think was a rebellious rocker in a former life, and Tracey, with her blonde curls and twinkling blue eyes. We were an interesting group, I mused.
"Hot neighbor at 6:00," Tracey murmured. We all swiveled our heads in unison. Adam, my downstairs neighbor, gave us a wave and grin. We all waved back.
"Is he still seeing the Brooklyn chick?" Eliana asked.
I shook my head. "Staten Island. Curly hair, wears denim skirts, chews gum really loud."
"Ew."Tracey wrinkled her nose. "He could do so much better." We all nodded in agreement--Tracey was hopelessly in love with Adam.
None of us were currently seeing anyone--between the four of us, we had had 4 dates in the last 4 months. 3 for Jax, 1 for Eliana. Tracey was happily rejoicing in singlehood, I was bitterly annoying everyone else. Well, not all the time. I had been pretty good this weekend. Then again, I had been drunk. I am not a depressed drunk--some people get all morose and contemplative. Not me. I get hyper and happy and loud. Well, louder. I am always loud.
"What are you thinking about?" Jax asked as we got on the subway.
"Last night was fun, right?"
"Yeah!" Jax pulled her camera out of her bag. "Want to see how fun?"
"Not yet." I laughed. "I need sustenance first."
"It's really not as bad as you think," she reassured me. "I was just teasing."
"I called David."
"Yeah but you didn't talk to him," Eliana pointed out. "It's not like you left him a rambling message about how you still loved him or anything."
"You didn't!"
Eliana ducked her head. "I might have?"
"Eliana!" I scolded her. "You didn't!"
She held out her phone. "4 minutes and 12 seconds."
"Oh, babe."
We all sat in silence. Eliana and Ben had broken up two months ago after dating for 6 months. They had a big fight and a mutual parting, although no one can remember what the fight was about or why they had broken up, but neither side would give in. Eliana had gone on one random date since the break-up, but has declared the guy "so unlike Ben." She was hopeless.
"Eliana, "I said gently. "Why don't you just talk to him?'
Eliana shook her head and turned her head. She was a tough cookie, but I could see her eyes glistening.
We got off the train and headed to the only kosher sushi place in Manhattan worthy of patronage. Tracey opened the door, stopped, and turned around. "Um, are you sure you want sushi?"
"Yes."Eliana and I both said.
"Let's go to the Sushi Garden instead." She suggested.
"Ew!" Jax cried. "If we are going to eat sushi, we're having it here!"
"We are not going in there." Tracey said firmly.
"Who's in there?" I craned my neck to see past her. And there he was. David.