At 11:30 that night, the house was packed full as the party guests danced to house music, drank massive quantities of alcohol, and chatted among themselves. Damian was relaxed and flirting with his ‘date,’ a girl from one of his classes he’d invited not just to try to score with her, but also to use her as a human shield against Shoshanna. Miriam, clad in a dark red sweater-dress and black leather boots (holiday gifts from Libby and Fink) was hand-in-hand with a sharply-dressed Gabe, who always seemed to be wearing a suit. This was his third visit to Denton in the week since the Finkelsteins’ party, and the guys had been taking bets on whether or not he owned a single pair of jeans.
Gabe had spent two evenings with Miriam in Denton since the holiday party – once for a double-date with Fink and Libby, and a second time just to dinner with Miriam. He hadn’t yet stayed over, but it looked like tonight might be the night – he certainly wasn’t limiting his drinks like he would if he were planning to drive home.
Jake had gone to Fink, Libby, and Damian with his concerns about Gabe after his conversation with Shoshanna. The four of them had debated with whether or not to tell Miriam what they’d heard about him, but in the end, Libby, Fink, and Damian had voted against it, citing that Miriam was an adult and could make her own decisions without them butting in, and that even if they said something to her, like Shoshanna had about Josh, she’d probably still give Gabe the benefit of the doubt.
With two minutes left until midnight, everyone seemed to have paired off – Miriam was curled up on the couch with Gabe, laughing at something he’d said; Fink and Libby had already ensconced themselves in his room for the night; and Damian was disappearing up the stairs with the girl he’d brought. Only Jake stood alone; drunk, grumpy, and bitter. His gaze kept travelling to Miriam and Gabe, and he didn’t like what he saw. Shoshanna sidled up to him in a slinky black dress and heels, following his line of sight and snorting.
“Friends, yeah,” she smirked. “If it makes you feel better, I can promise you it won’t last. They’ll seal the deal tonight, he’ll stick around for a few weeks – probably try to get her to change somehow, but that’ll fail miserably and he’ll get sick of her. Boom, he’s gone – she’ll be single again by February, guaranteed.”
Jake glared at her. “You’re kind of a bitch, you know,” he told her, slurring his words slightly. “And they’re not ‘sealing’ anything tonight – she’s not that kind of girl. It’s only been a week.”
“The type of girl who has sex with the guy she’s dating? Be realistic, Jake.” The clock struck midnight, and they watched Gabe pull Miriam into his lap as the pair kissed enthusiastically. Hands were in places Jake would have much preferred not to see them in, and then Miriam was off the couch and pulling Gabe up the stairs. “See?” Shoshanna turned to him smugly. “I know what I’m talking about.”
“Shut up – just, shut up,” Jake growled, and grabbed her around the waist before kissing her, hard. When he let her go, she gasped for breath. “Does your offer from last week still stand?” he asked her, his voice rough.
“It sure as hell does,” she breathed, grasping his arm as his hand gripped her hip.
“Good, let’s go. Just – don’t talk.” He led her up the stairs, ignoring the noise of the party behind them. They could all see themselves out, for all he cared. He just wanted to forget about this whole night.
***
On New Year’s Day, at half-past eight in the morning, Miriam yawned her way out of the bathroom and back down the hall towards her bedroom, planning to spend the next hour or so snuggled up next to a softly snoring Gabe. They’d had a great time at the party, and the two dates they’d been on since the holiday party had gone so well, she’d decided to throw caution to the wind and go to bed with him, even though it was so soon. Let Josh call her a prude now! She smiled to herself, thinking that just one night with a real man like Gabe had completely blocked years with Josh out of her mind. Now all she wanted was to get back to bed and cuddle.
What she had not planned on was witnessing Shoshanna Finkelstein quietly exit Jake’s room, shutting the door softly, her hair a mess and her dress very wrinkled – like it had spent the night on the floor. Miriam gasped, causing Shoshanna to whirl around and nearly drop her black stilettos and her phone on the hardwood floor.
“Miriam, you scared the crap out of me!” she hissed, glancing at Jake’s door. “He’s still sleeping, and I want to make sure it stays that way.”
“Did you sleep with Jake?” Miriam demanded in a harsh whisper.
“No, Miriam, we played Scrabble all night.” Shoshanna rolled her eyes. “Obviously, I slept with Jake.”
“Well, why are you sneaking out of his room without saying goodbye?” Miriam narrowed her eyes.
Shoshanna snorted. “Believe me, it’s for his benefit, not mine. I can’t imagine he’d be happy to wake up next to me.”
“You’re the one he slept with – who else would he want to wake up to?” Miriam asked, confused.
“He might have slept with me,” Shoshanna smirked self-deprecatingly, “but not because he wanted me.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Miriam shook her head, trying to clear it.
Shoshanna sighed, shifting her purse higher onto her shoulder. “Look, it’s his business, alright? If he wants to talk to you about it, he will.” She glanced at her phone. “Ugh, I’ve got a brunch date in two hours that I really need to go home and get ready for. It was good to see you, though – call me if you’re ever in Austin; we’ll party.” She smiled slightly. “And say hi to Gabe for me.” She disappeared down the stairs, and Miriam listened to the front door open and close before she turned back to her own bedroom, still confused and unsure.
Chapter Ten
January went by too quickly, between classes starting up again (including the government class Jake and Miriam had decided to take together on Thursday nights) and everyone’s jobs becoming busier. The roommates tried to spend their usual amount of time together, but Fink and Damian were juggling difficult graduate-level courses and full-time internships, Miriam’s music classes were advancing and she was picking up the slack at the lab for Britney, who’d changed her hours to better accommodate her class schedule, and Jake and Libby found themselves working harder than ever to keep up in their own classes.
Miriam hadn’t broached the subject of Shoshanna with Jake, recognizing that it was really and truly none of her business, but she couldn’t help looking at him funny every now and again when the image of Fink’s thoroughly rumpled sister leaving his bedroom crossed her mind. The whole thing left a bad taste in her mouth, although she couldn’t pinpoint why – she just knew that it bothered her.
At least things seemed to be going well with Gabe. Since the holidays, Gabe had come out to Denton most Fridays after work and stayed the night, going home either late Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, depending on how much studying he had left to do. They often went into Lewisville for their dates, as Gabe couldn’t appreciate the bohemian, artsy feel of Denton and its small businesses; there was no taking him to any of her favorite places in town. He even turned his nose up at the sushi restaurants she suggested, instead taking her to one out in Lewisville. That had been an awkward evening, as it turned out Mei was a hostess there. She kept finding excuses to come over to their table to chat, flirting with Gabe in an obvious way as Miriam quietly seethed across the table; she knew Gabe would be annoyed if she made a scene. She had waited until he fell asleep that night before creeping across the hall to Jake’s room, where she could rant and rave at length about Mei’s inappropriate comments. He was an active listener, nodding and agreeing with her, and she was able to peacefully fall asleep back in her room once he’d helped her calm down, rubbing her back as she whisper-yelled about how much she hated her former roommate.
With a week to go before Valentine’s Day, Miriam stood in front of her full-length mirror in a charcoal gray turtleneck, black pencil skirt, and high-heeled boots, carefully applying lip
stick in preparation for dinner out with Gabe. She didn’t love getting all dolled up like this for a standard Friday night, but she knew Gabe preferred that she dress ‘appropriately’ when they went out, and he always showed up in an expensive suit; jeans, sneakers, and a tee shirt were absolutely out of the question. He’d even taken her to the mall in Lewisville the previous weekend and picked out some clothes for her, so she knew this outfit would please him. The one thing he might not appreciate were here bright red tights, but she needed that pop of color or she wouldn’t feel like herself.
“You look fancy,” Jake commented from the doorway, as he did nearly every Friday night while she got ready. “Big night planned?”
“Yeah, I think we’re trying some new steakhouse Gabe found.” She played with her hair, unsure what to do with it.
“Well, you kids have fun – I think I’m going to take a nap.” He yawned. “Today was really busy; I’m way too tired to cook dinner right now.”
“Do you want me to bring something back for you?” Miriam offered, giving him a look of concern.
“Nah, I’ll go pick something up later, after my nap,” Jake shook his head. “Don’t worry about me – enjoy your date. And your hair looks pretty just as it is, by the way.” He disappeared into his room, leaving the door slightly ajar for Kharma.
Miriam frowned. Things felt weird between the two of them, but she couldn’t determine exactly why. More than ever, she wanted to ask about Shoshanna, but he had closed his door and she had a date to finish prepping for.
Gabe usually showed up at the house by seven, but at nine that evening, Miriam was still in her room, sitting at her desk, picking at her nails and wondering where on earth he could be. He hadn’t called or texted, and she was torn between worry and anger. She sighed, annoyed, and finally dialed his cell. He picked up just before it went to voicemail and she had to pull the phone from her ear due to the loud background noise.
“Where are you?” she asked, working to keep her voice calm.
“Out,” Gabe answered shortly.
“What do you mean, ‘out?’ I’ve been waiting for you all night!” Miriam hissed, livid.
“I decided to go out for drinks with some of the guys from the office,” he told her, unmoved by her obvious displeasure.
“And you didn’t think to let me know?” She couldn’t believe it. “I told you, I’ve been sitting here waiting for hours!”
Gabe sighed exasperatedly into the phone. “Look, I’m sorry; I should have called. I just wanted to avoid this conversation.”
“What conversation?” she asked, confused now. She heard noises across the hall, signaling that Jake was up from his nap, before he pushed his door all the way open and shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom without a word, obviously still tired.
“Miriam, I don’t think we should continue seeing each other,” Gabe said without a hint of emotion.
“What?” she gasped, jumping up from her seat. “Why not?”
“Look, we’ve had a good time, and you’re a nice kid,” Gabe began, his tone patronizing. “But let’s face it – this was never going to be a long-term thing. We both knew that going in.”
“No, we most certainly did not!” Miriam shrieked, causing Jake to stumble into her room from the hallway, clearly surprised to see her still home and yelling. He gave her a questioning look, and she waved him away. He sat down at her desk as she paced the room. “I knew nothing of the sort!”
“Well, Miriam, really,” Gabe replied, his voice dripping with condescension now, “I don’t know how you could have thought otherwise. We’re really not very well-matched, are we?” She could almost hear his smirk. “I mean, you’re still such a child – always wanting to hang out at those grungy college bars and coffee shops, so into your ‘music’ – honestly, with your father’s connections, you could be so much more than a teacher, but you’re set on living that lifestyle...look, if I’m going to be in a relationship with someone, she needs to understand what’s important in life – and it’s not slumming at a joke like UNT, wasting your dad’s money on a music degree.” He sighed. “I thought, when I met you at that party, that you had potential…but since then, I’ve come to realize there’s just no fixing you.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Miriam exploded. “Don’t you dare talk down to me like that! UNT is a great school – it’s not SMU, fine, but it’s one of the top music schools in the country! And the fact that my degree is in music ed doesn’t make you better than me! At least I’m not riding Daddy’s coattails through life like you are!” She took a deep breath, ignoring Jake’s wide eyes. “You know what, Gabe? You’re right – we’re not a good match at all. Because I’m a caring, decent person who wants to help others, and you’re just an arrogant asshole who only cares about himself.”
“Now, Miriam, there’s no need to sound so bitter,” Gabe patronized her. “You can’t think that caring about personal success is so terrible. Look at your parents – look at the Finkelsteins! You’re really naive if you think that a person can get by without looking out for himself.”
“Don’t you dare compare yourself to my family, or Fink’s! Their lives revolve around philanthropy; their social calendars are comprised almost entirely of charity events!”
“If you say so,” Gabe sighed. “I don’t think this conversation is going anywhere, and I need to get back to my colleagues.”
“Oh, yeah?” Miriam seethed. “Well, go fuck yourself, Gabe! Enjoy your heartless, cold existence!” She threw her phone at the wall hard, causing the case to break in half and the phone screen to turn black as she stopped pacing, breathing hard.
“So, I feel like maybe that didn’t go awesome,” Jake guessed, watching as her breathing returned to normal.
“You think?” She glared at him.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me,” he told her, frowning. “I woke up and you were still here, and screaming, so I came to check on you. Are...are you okay?”
“No,” she growled. “I made myself all fancy for him, only to get dumped on the phone. I have done everything possible in the past five weeks to please him, and it was for nothing.”
“You shouldn’t have tried to change yourself for him, though.” Jake shook his head, his voice sincere. “You’re perfect just as you are – if he couldn’t see that, he’s an idiot.”
Miriam promptly burst into tears.
“Crap, Miriam, don’t cry,” Jake protested, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest, soaking his tee shirt. “It’s going to be fine, I promise. He’s just a jerk.”
She just cried harder. “I know, but I r-really l-l-l-liked him!” she wailed. “What’s so wrong with me?”
“Nothing,” he consoled her, patting her soft, curly hair, “not a damned thing. He’s an idiot and you’re wonderful, trust me.” She lifted her head from its place on his now very wet chest and sniffled wordlessly.
“Come on,” he said, stepping back. “Let’s get some dinner, and then maybe some ice cream – well, it’s kind of cold for ice cream, actually – let’s just pick up some food and go to Art Six. Your Butterbeer is on me.”
She glanced down at her attire and snorted. “I can’t wear this,” she mumbled. “I have to change.”
Jake backed out of the room. “That’s fine. I’m gonna grab a hoodie and then we’ll go, okay? What do you want for dinner?”
“I don’t care,” she replied morosely, shutting her door.
***
That whole week, Miriam was a mess. After they got back from Art Six that Friday night, she shut herself in her room for the rest of the weekend, only coming out to occasionally use the restroom. On Sunday, Fink picked up breakfast burritos for everyone, because it was obvious Miriam was in no state to cook Sunday brunch. She did go to work that night, where she wordlessly and miserably took ID cards and sorted print jobs. Jake had taken to studying at the lab on the nights she worked, and now kept an eye on her to make sure she was
okay. Midway through the shift, Jake realized he hadn’t seen her eat since late Friday night (and even then, she’d mostly just picked at her food) and picked up a few things for the two of them to share on her ten-minute break. She picked at her cookie, only finishing it after a lot of prodding from Jake. Throughout the week, Miriam woke up in the morning to practice, went to her classes and worked at the lab, and didn’t say a word to anybody. She only ate if they forced her to – she didn’t eat breakfast and stopped showing up to Mack’s for lunch, instead going home to lie in bed, and only ate dinner because Jake brought it to her at work and to their Thursday night government class. Everyone worried about her.
On Friday, February 13, Fink called a meeting in the living room once everyone was home from work and Miriam was, as had become the norm, locked up in her bedroom without any music on. Fink, Libby, Jake, and Damian sat in the living room around the coffee table, sipping their drinks and occasionally casting worried glances up the stairs, where all was quiet.
“So I think we can all agree that this has become a thing which we cannot ignore,” Fink began. “Miriam hasn’t spoken two words to anyone in a week. She’s a zombie.”
“She’s got to have lost about five pounds.” Libby bit her lip. “And she didn’t have five pounds to lose.”