Soon

**Bonus tomorrow, check back! Have a great weekend - xoxo**

I woke up on Sunday and immediately reached for my phone eager to see what Dylan's response was to my drunken request. My heart dropped when I saw that the only text I had was from Nick, circa 8 a.m. 

Hey I'm heading back into the city today, want to grab a bite? It's been a while.  

I hadn't seen Nick since our impromptu dinner a few weeks ago. Again, my mind wandered to Dylan, but I knew I couldn't hold out for a guy who I might possibly never see again. 

Sure, dinner at BarBacon? 

I replied, referencing a bacon-centered restaurant near my studio. 

Bar..bacon? Sounds like my kind of place. I'll meet you there at 4. 

I rolled out of bed and hopped into the shower, turning it all the way to the left so that steam filled the tiny room. I didn't want to admit to myself how upset I was that Dylan hadn't replied, but the ache I felt in my chest was speaking for itself. I shaved my legs, rinsed my hair and stepped out onto the thick rug next to the shower. Wiping the steam off of the window, I lathered on face moisturizer and padded back out into the bedroom. Ashley was awake, scrolling through Twitter on her phone.

"I'm having dinner with Nick later," I said to her by way of greeting.

"God woman, I can't keep up with your love life," she answered with a smile.

"Well looks like the count is back down to zero, seeing as I texted Dylan last night and have heard crickets." 

"What did you say?" 

I showed her the phone, and she shook her head. "It's only 11, he could still be asleep. You did send it at 2 a.m." 

"Maybe," I said, trying to ignore the shred of hope I felt at the suggestion. I tossed my phone onto the bed and dug out a t shirt and shorts from the dresser.

"I'm not meeting Nick until 4, want to grab brunch?" 

Ash nodded and tossed her long legs over the bed. I mused not for the first time how weird it was that two grown women had been sharing a bed for the past two months. "We really need to move," I said with a laugh.

"Yes, yes we do, you snore," she said, pointing at me accusingly. 

"You're the one that showed up at my door, homeless. I took you in, no complaints," I pointed back. 

A few hours, an order of eggs benedict and two more episodes of Orange is the New Black later, I was surveying the green dress I had chosen to wear to meet Nick.

"It's not too much?" I asked Ashley, who was shoving her iPad into her bag. Her company was launching of a new line of bags that week and she had missed a lot of work being in Salt Lake, so she planned to spend her Sunday evening doing inventory. 

"It's perfect, but you asking me that worries me," she replied, hoisting her tote over one shoulder while raising an eyebrow at me.

"Please, Nick and I are way too confusing right now for anything to happen. Plus, kissing three guys in one week is borderline Samantha Jones," I argued. 

Ashley rolled her eyes as she walked past me towards the door. "I'm not judging, have fun!" 

I heard the door close behind me and grabbed my purse to follow suit. 

The restaurant was mere steps from my apartment, so I wasn't surprised that I beat Nick. I took a seat at a high top by the front, so that we were practically sitting outside. I loved how in the summer, nearly every restaurant in New York opened their storefront so that there was hardly a separation between outside and in. While I waited I checked my phone for the 4,389th time that day. Still no Dylan. 

"Hey you," I heard Nick come up behind me, planting his hand on my shoulder and kissing my cheek. I inhaled his familiar smell and smiled.

"Hi stranger," I replied. He took a seat across from me, freshly tanned from his long weekend at the shore. The blue in his plain t shirt set off his eyes, and his shaggy hair was even longer from weeks without a cut. 

"How was your fourth?" he asked, as the waitress came over to take our drink order. She let her gaze linger on Nick a little longer than I was comfortable with. After years of him being mine, I still got defensive when other girls were around. 

I ordered a Dirty Martini to Nick's beer and the waitress walked away to fetch the drinks, a little too much of a swing in her step as she retreated.

"It was quiet, I actually stayed here with Ash. Caught up on errands and Netflix," I smiled.

"That sounds nice," he replied, as the waitress (who I had by now privately named Candy due to her strong resemblance to a stripper) returned with our drinks. 

"Anything else I can get you?" she crooned, angling her body towards Nick and sending him a sticky-sweet smile. 

"We're good for now," I replied. She didn't even look my way before stalking off. 

"That girl wants your bones," I said to Nick, while glancing at the menu.

"She does not," he replied with a laugh. "And even if she did, there's not much you can say." 

I looked up at him, unexpectedly hurt by the comment. "I guess not."

We ordered the bacon tasting platter, a heavenly combo of four flavors of bacon, along with two BLTs. The food was incredible, as most things are that involve bacon, and the conversation felt natural. Nick paid the check and we stepped out onto the street. 

"You should consider the lower east side," he said, nodding towards my building. I had filled him in on the imminent move over dinner.

"Why, so I can be close by for your beck and call?" I said, tilting my head up flirtatiously. I knew I shouldn't kiss him, but that didn't mean I couldn't flirt a little. 

"Exactly," he said, leaning in to give me a kiss on the forehead- my weakness. "By the way, I have this work function on Thursday. Want to be my date?" 

I did a mental scan of my calendar (completely empty) and nodded. "Sure, just text me the details." 

"Great," he replied, suddenly distracted by something over my shoulder. I turned to see what he was looking at and nearly keeled over. 

It was Dylan, two feet away, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. 

"You said soon," he said to me, looking uncomfortably at where my hand was joined with Nick's.