I need someone
The unpleasant ringtone of Jen's phone shook her from her Facts of life- haze to find that it was already almost 2am. Much later than she had intended to stay up for. And she also found out with the same glance that Judy too was restless tonight.
"Hi." She picked up, not yet knowing Judy well enough to know what exactly to expect from the other woman's late night phone calls and whether they would be a common occurrence. It had been around a week since they had last departed, for the third time, and neither woman had taken contact. But then again, they were busy people with their own lives and friends.
"Hii!" Judy's familiar voice rang in her ears, she couldn't help but work up a smile, despite her feeling exhausted. "Shit! I didn't like wake you up or something?"
"Nah, I'm up."
"Why are you up at this time? Don't you have work tomorrow?"
"I'm not a very talented sleeper." Jen put the call on speaker and set the phone on her night stand next to her empty wine glass.
"Me neither." She could hear anticipation in Judy's voice, and for once she wasn't dreading the thought of a conversation with the other woman. Jen got cozy in her spot in bed.
"What are you doing to keep yourself sane at this time of night?"
"I'm actually knitting." Jen could tell that Judy was very excited about this skill of hers, and with almost anyone else she would have ended the conversation on a “ bohoo knitting sucks ass”, but it was Judy, and Judy was kind of a cry-baby, was what Jen reasoned in her head. And Jen was also very lonely, and it wasn’t that she needed Judy specifically, or anyone for that matter, but she could maybe use the company.
"Whatcha knitting?"
"Some socks?" Judy sounded more like she was asking her than responding to her question.
"You're not sure yet?" Jen didn't really even know what knitting was supposed to look like.
"I think I've done something wrong so it could just end up being some pretty snazzy leg-warmers."
"Leg warmers are always a hit, especially in July."
"Maybe they are more of a fashion statement than a practical piece." Judy seemed to be pretty convinced of that at least.
"Sure. I'm sure they look extremely fashionable."
"What's your late night hobby?"
"These Facts of life reruns are keeping me pretty busy." Jen hadn't concentrated on the screen in front of her in a while, so she wasn't exactly on top of the events that were currently going down in the show.
"Oh I love that show! What channel?"
Jen found it surprisingly comforting to spend her early morning hours laughing with Judy, watching Facts of life. It felt like an unlikely connection was forming between them, a one that she couldn't quite compare to anyone else she knew. But she felt in her bones that she and Judy were becoming fast friends.
----
The next few nights, Jen was almost expecting Judy to call, but she didn't. And Jen almost considered calling the brunette, but she didn't. Because she was fine on her own.
But on the night Judy finally called, Jen couldn't deny she felt almost giddy with excitement.
"Hey." Jen answered, like it was an old friend calling her after a long time. Familiar comfortable air filled the room.
"Hi." Judy responded, with the same calm warmth that Jen was carrying. It was almost like they both knew that this was what was supposed to happen, like this was how it was meant to be. And what an odd thing it was, to feel faith tied to a conversation over the phone, especially when the topic spoken was barely scratching the surface of either person beside their phones. Yet they felt content.
----
"Wait, wait... you're a realtor?" Judy didn't hide her surprise when two weeks later the subject of work came up over the phone. They had been calling steadily every night, and there seemed to be a surprising amount of things to discuss.
"Yeah." Jen felt like it made perfect sense for her. "Do I not seem like the kind of person who does real estate?"
"No you totally do." And Judy chose to furiously agree.
Jen couldn't help but let out a laugh just thinking about very aggressive nodding that was going on on the other side. She could almost hear Judy's smile.
"I feel like coming from you that's an insult." Jen teased her.
"No no! I mean that's an honorable job, no judgement here." Judy was quick to assure her, but Jen knew the other woman probably doubted whether this job was really a calling or just to get by. And the brunette was right to question that.
"And what do you do?" Jen was biting her lip, awaiting to hear Judy speak up again. "Let me guess... you're a hippie life coach?"
"Not quite. I teach arts and crafts at an assisted living facility."
"Wow. Yeah, you would." She really would, and that was not an insult.
"Hey! The people are really nice there and I like my job a lot!"
"Sounds like a fucking blast. I'm glad you like it there." At this point Jen and Judy were no longer acting like they were concentrating on Facts of life at all, and even though the reruns were a nice excuse for a nightly phone call, they tended to just talk until sunrise, which was really fucking up Jen's routine and couldn't have been good for Judy either.
Still, like they hadn't learned anything, the chatter wouldn't quiet down until morning.
-------
"God I really needed this." Jen said as she sat herself down on her couch with a glass of wine.
"Me too." Judy agreed from the kitchen, bringing a spare bottle with her, like an angel.
"I don't know whats wrong with me I literally can't get through my day without wine." Jen chuckled, but could definitely recognize that it might be the time to slow down.
"Oh I think that's just plain old alcoholism." Judy noted seriously, worried, like she tended to be a lot of the time. She was a worrier for better and worse.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"You ever think to listen?" Judy's loop-sided smile failed to be as easy going as she perhaps intended for it to, but the brunette wasn't really one to intervene. Apart from the whole thing with Ted. She totally was.
"Yeah I just think to myself that I'll come back to it when I'm sober."
"Which is?"
"Exactly." Jen smirked a little, hoping to earn a smile from the other woman in return.
"You really should see someone about that." Was all Judy commented on the subject, but it was clear that that was just for tonight, and the conversation was far from over.
-----
"I don't miss Ben, you know? I just fucking don't. Christopher is just projecting his own shit onto me. I'm fine on my own." Jen felt like she had been talking forever, but Judy was listening to her with such care, that made her feel at ease. She looked at the people passing by as the two women walked beside each other, conversing in a way that she wouldn't have expected the first time they met.
"Everybody needs someone, though?" Judy offered, maybe thinking she should give another perspective, but Jen felt pretty set on living alone a lonely lifetime just to prove she could be on her own.
A slight déjà vu hit Jen, and she considered what she should take away from the fact that she kept so strongly insisting she wanted to be alone.
"I don't! I kinda love being my own fucking boss." She responded but her voice was definitely lacking some confidence.
"I wish I had some of your independence." Judy admitted scrunching her nose a little. She looked like a baby animal, Jen thought to herself. Annoyingly adorable. "I miss Steve so much it hurts."
"That bastard cheated on you, Judy." Jen was fuming all of a sudden, at the thought of Judy getting back together with that piece of shit. Definitely didn’t help that Steve reminded her of Ted. Men were just not worth the work. "Don't give him another thought." Jen had to awkwardly scoot a few steps away from Judy, to give some room to the crowd of people coming their way. Jen didn't know the occasion but 20 people running on a busy street had no business interrupting her day like this. She aggressively gestured for them to run faster.
"I can't help it!" Judy yelled from the other side, clearly louder than she had had intended to, earning a few looks from the runners. Judy blushed at the attention, smiling awkwardly at last men making their way past her. "I can't just erase the love I have for him. It's not so easy." The brunette said, returning to her place by Jen's side.
"Store it for later." Jen shrugged, as if she knew.
"I'm not sure that's how it works." Jen wasn’t either, but Judy’s eyes, filled with worry and apathy, were an encouragement enough.
"Oh I think I would know. I'm the fucking love expert."
Judy giggled a little lightly, Jen basked in the light.
"Oh right. I totally forgot." Judy teased her, nudging Jen gently. "Maybe someone will just magically come along who'll want it all."
"Just start asking around. If you have a good sales pitch, I'm sure someone will tend to your heart." Jen kept stealing quick glances at Judy, taking in the joy of cheering the other woman up, but not quite certain why there was a discomfort surrounding the idea of keeping up her gaze. As if there was such a thing as too long of a time to look at your friend.
"Oh what a good idea." Judy jumped up, gathering that enthusiasm she needed for her new quest. "Miss, would you by any chance be interested in a very good deal if I say so myself?" She offered her hand to Jen in the process.
"Tell me more." Jen held onto it, too busy laughing to pay much attention to the soft but automatic movement of Judy's thumb against the back of her hand.
----
Only a month and hours of phone calls later, Jen found herself on the beach, her hair sandy and her stomach cramping from laughing too much.
"Can I say something weird?" Jen turned to look at Judy, laying right by her in the sand, eyes curious and hopeful. It was maybe just Judy's pot talking, but Jen felt the need to be vulnerable for once. Judy nodded and turned to lay on her side, to face Jen. "I think you might be my best friend." Before Judy had the time to respond, Jen rushed to continue. " No No, like seriously. It's stupid I guess but I kind of think it just took the universe a few tries to get me to see that. I'm stubborn like that." Jen spoke quickly and nervously, left behind with slight regret that she didn't carefully press on each word just to make that extra effort to tell Judy that she was trying to connect, instead of rushing through her point like it was a presentation she didn't want to be a part of.
But Judy's eyes were glowing as if she had just recited a fucking love poem to the woman, and the intensity of her gaze made Jen almost uncomfortable.
"You are." Judy was quite clearly moved by the confession. And Jen didn't feel annoyed or unsettled by the tears creeping up on Judy's face, wetting the dry sand hugging her face, because the blonde could feel her eyes watering too. It felt like a relief to just be. To have someone.