I knew there was something that we never had

 "I knew it would be good news!" Monica's face lit up when she heard Olivia was OK to start her new job. Suddenly, she put her hand over her lips. She knew Randy would think she was silly. Lately, she'd kept to herself. She wanted him to see that she wasn't a bother. Yet, she was self-conscious now that she wasn't serious enough.

Olivia was always serious. Monica still found her to be a mystery. There, Tristan was full of happiness. It was as if he were trying to trip Olivia, and sometimes he did.  And she would smile.

But she knew Randy would tell her with that stare of his, "No smiling. Get busy." And she'd walk away if he took one step closer. She went to her room ready to cry, but she fell onto her bed to look through some old decor magazines for inspiration. Perhaps it was cabin fever setting in. She reached for her ear buds, hoping to find the last song she'd played, something by THE SOUNDS. She smiled, remembering the song, which might be close to twenty years old or so, Living in America. Somehow, she found comfort in the song. 

A tap came to her door. "What is it?" Monica dully replied.

The tap persisted. She opened the door too quickly, she imagined, but there he was standing over her, hair in his eyes and straight-lipped, but still pretty as a picture.

"Let's get cake."

"Cake?"

"Yeah, I'll buy if you drive." He shrugged.

"Oh." She pressed her lips tight.

"Its warm, you'll just need your hoodie." He said, knowing her sigh.

"Why don't you drive?" Monica looked him in the eye. She knew she wasn't dreaming about how he tried to get them out of the mud that night when her car hit the river.

"It's your car." He looked at her point-blank as if there was no in between. She grabbed her hoodie as he went out the door. His long legs were hard to keep up with. It made her feel as if he just wanted to make her angry and bitter.

"What have I done to deserve this?" Monica wanted to know while they were on the elevator.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and even then it felt as if he was reading her mind. She pressed her lips tight before she said something regrettable. 

Once they got to the parking lot, he talked of a bakery that made nice little cakes. "We need to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" She gave him a sun grin, even so she wasn't up to driving. 

"Tristan gave me cash," he tilted his head as if he was doing something nice. They were doing this for Olivia.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Honestly. It was overwhelming, and she thought a deep sleep might overtake her.

"Why can't you drive?"

"We've been through this." Mr. Mattter-of-Fact.

"You could."

Monica said she didn't know where this place was, and she didn't like to drive to places she didn't know.

"Oh really?" Randy shook his head.

The doors unlocked on their own.

"I don't feel up to it." She couldn't help but look sad.

"If I drive there, you have to drive back." He came around to the driver's side, and she moved to the passenger side.

"But."

"Do you want to carry the cake?"

Monica shook her head, no. He pressed the key ignition. It was as if he owned the car. He drove like a pro. It was like being part of a magic show. Monica watched him with such glee. Her maybe boyfriend was a genius.