It was the official start of Danny and Alessandra’s relationship. Overall, they were good together.  Alessandra had a temper and Danny remained calm about most things, allowing them to balance each other out.  Danny worked full-time as a mechanic.  Growing up poor, Danny always seemed to understand more about the world than Aless did.  Yet being forced to be the man of the house at an early age had cause Danny to forget that he was still young.  Often, he acted too old for his age. So, Aless helped him have fun.  With Aless, Danny could be twenty, not forty. 

Around the time that Aless met Danny’s family, Danny also met Kayla.  In the beginning, the three got along wonderfully and Alessandra was excited to be able to hang out with both her best friend and her boyfriend.  By the second month of their official dating, Kayla seemed to change around Danny.  She was more distant and even resentful acting.  Every time Aless mentioned it, however, Kay would say that she was imagining it.

“Maybe I just want some actual girl time,” Kay finally said when Aless would not drop the topic. “All you ever do is hang out with Danny.  We never have just-us time. I mean when was the last time we went out dancing, just the two of us?”

“I am sorry, Kay.  I thought we did.  I can make more time,” Alessandra apologized.

Feeling guilty, Aless wanted to make Kayla feel included, but part of her wondered why it was never an issue when Kay had a boyfriend.  When Kay was in a relationship, Aless was constantly Kay’s second choice.  Aless had always accepted it and tried to understand, yet now that Aless had a boyfriend it was an issue.  It seemed unfair and part of Aless felt as if Kayla was hiding something from her. 

After a month and a half of Kayla acting weird, Aless brought the subject up to Danny, which instantly became visibly uncomfortable.  They were hanging out one Hyaloc at a local frozen dessert place when Aless finally mentioned her concerns to Danny.  Surprised, Danny didn’t speak for a long moment.

“What?” she pushed.

She studied the serious lines around his face. 

“It’s nothing,” he tried to wave it off. 

“It must be something for you to say it’s nothing,” Alessandra countered, annoyed. 

“It is really nothing,” Danny insisted.

His face told another story.  A slight flush was creeping up his cheeks. 

“Danny, I want to know the truth.  What is going on between Kay and you?”

“Nothing, honestly.  It’s just I’m not crazy about Kay because she tried testing me.”

“What do you mean testing you?”

His discomfort increased. Danny began fidgeting in his chair.

“Danny?”

“A few weeks after you introduce Kayla and me, we were all hanging out at that restaurant you guys like.  You know the one with the big fried ice cream thing.”

“Yes, I know which one you mean.  I remember that night. So, what happened?”

“You left to use the restroom and Kayla put her hand on mine and leaned in close. At first, I thought she was just trying to make a snarky comment about one of the other customers like you two do together, but she just smiled at me.”

“Okay…”

“When I asked what was so funny, she told me nothing and that she liked looking at me.   I thanked her, but I was very confused. Then she said that we should hang out sometime.  I told her sure, that we’d just check with you to see when we were all free again.  She said not the three of us, just her and me.”

Leaning forward, Aless listened intently.  As Danny continued to speak, he began to wave his hands around a little just as he always did when he was uncomfortable.

“I became even more confused and asked why.  Kay said she wanted to get to know me better.  I figured that wasn’t a bad idea, so I was like sure, we should be friends since we are both important to Aless.”

Alessandra listened with her stomach clenching.  She didn’t like where this was going.  She trusted Danny and she trusted Kayla, but this sounded like it was going somewhere bad, which wasn’t possible because Kayla had been her best friend since second grade.  There is no way Kay would actually hit on Aless’s boyfriend.  It didn’t make sense.

“Kay then told me that she didn’t want to hang out as friends.  That she wanted to get to know me more personally and she drew little hearts on my hand with her fingernail.  I guess I responded a little harshly.  I pulled my hand away and asked her if she was crazy.  I asked what the hell she was thinking because she was your best friend and you were my girlfriend.  Did she actually think I was that type of guy?  Kayla’s face went blank and she didn’t speak for a moment then she burst out laughing.

“That made me mad and I asked why she was laughing.  Kayla told me that she couldn’t believe I thought she was serious.  That she was just teasing and testing me because I was your first real relationship in a long time.  That I didn’t need to bite her head off.  I didn’t say anything else and she kept laughing talking about how serious I had gotten.  Eventually, I shrugged it off, but I didn’t like her testing me like that.  I get she was looking out for you but what if I was a creep or something?  I don’t know.  I guess I haven’t like Kayla that much since then and she probably can tell.”

He looked at his hands and Alessandra thought about it.  She could suddenly remember a day when they had been out together as a threesome and had used the restroom.  When she had returned Danny and Kayla had seemed awkward and flustered.  Instantly, she knew that had to be the day Danny just told her about.

“I am sorry she did that.  She didn’t have the right to test you like that.  I trust you and I hope you didn’t think I had anything to do with it,” she finally said.

Taking a hold of his hand, Aless studied the scars that covered both sets of knuckles. She still hadn’t gotten the courage to ask what the scars were from.  

“I know you didn’t, Aless.  And I know she meant well, but I don’t know.  It’s silly…”

“She hurt your ego.  I get it.  I just hope that in time you two will get over it and be able to be friends.  You are both very important to me.”

“You planning on keeping me around for a while then?”

“Long as I can have you.”

Kissing gently, Aless wished the knot in her stomach would go away.  Kayla had never once tested any guy Aless had dated before.  She trusted Kayla and Danny, but it just didn’t sit right.  Yet Kayla would never actually try to steal Alessandra’s boyfriend.  Best friends just didn’t do that.

Aless debated about asking Kay about it but found that when she had the chance the next day she couldn’t. Too scared and embarrassed to bring up what Danny had told her, Aless suggested that Kay, Danny, and her all hang out that night.

“We could go out dancing or something,” Aless suggested.

“That sounds awesome!  Maybe Danny could bring a friend for me since I’m back on the market,” Kay giggled.

Kay had briefly dated a guy named Lance from their school, but the relationship had lasted only two weeks.

“Sure, I bet his best friend DJ will be available.”

“Is DJ cute?”

“Super cute.  He’s twenty too.”

“Great!  Set it up!”

Aless purposefully didn’t mention that DJ was a mechanic like Danny because Kay would have immediately changed her mind.  Kay had a bad habit of ignoring perfectly nice guys just because they didn’t have money. Confirming with Danny, Aless told Kay that everything was set.  Excited, Kay began talking, babbling on like her normal self. In fact, she seemed genuinely excited about their plans to hang out with Danny and DJ. Aless struggled to piece together her friend’s behavior and Danny’s story. 

Strolling home later that afternoon, Alessandra mulled it over.  Did she really have any reason to doubt Kayla?  No, she rationalized.  Did she really have any reason to doubt Danny?  Another no.   She was over thinking it, she told herself.  Kay probably saw how serious Aless felt about Danny and that’s why she tested him.  Never before had Aless been so crazy about a guy.  Kay had just been acting as a good friend.

Wiping her forehead, Alessandra smiled in the sun.  It was hot for fall, but Aless didn’t mind.  A shadow passed by and stopped next to her.  Turning, she saw a large delivery truck with the same delivery guy from months before.

“You doing okay?” he inquired politely.

“Yes, just walking home,” she smiled. 

“You need a ride?” he offered.

“No, but thank you.”

“Are you sure?  I’m headed that way.”

Pausing, Alessandra looked at her watch.  Danny would be coming over in a little over an hour and walking would take her another twenty minutes.  With the heat, she wanted to shower and dress before he had arrived.  Their relationship was too new for her to be okay with being sweaty. 

“Okay, sure.  I’d appreciate the ride.”

Holding out a hand, the man pulled her up into the truck and she took the seat next to him.  Cold air blared out of the truck’s vents and she sighed a little in relief.  The man smiled and took off.  For a long moment, they were silent.

“I’m sorry I didn’t properly introduce you to my friend Kay.  I didn’t know how to pronounce the name I saw on your shirt the first time we met,” Alessandra finally admitted.

“Just call me Bal,” the man laughed. 

His laugh was soft and delicate.  It was not feminine, just airy sounding rather than deep and heavy.

“Alright then.  Thank you for the ride, Bal,” Aless smiled.

“You’re welcome…?” he started.

“Alessandra,” she offered.

“Ah, okay.  You’re welcome, Alessandra.”

He took a right turn and Aless had to brace herself, so she wouldn’t fall into his lap.  Apologizing, he explained that he wasn’t used to considering passengers.

“You always ride alone?” she asked out of curiosity.

“Yeah, delivering packages isn’t rocket science so I man the truck alone.”

“Does it get boring?”

“Sometimes, but at least I’m not stuck in an office.”

“That’s true. Did you always want to become a delivery guy?”

Glancing at her, Bal raised an eyebrow.

“That was a stupid question,” Aless acknowledged.

He laughed, taking another left turn.

“Naw, it’s okay. I have only been in Mᴔjin for four or five months.  It was the first job I could get.”

“Where are you from originally?”

“Alᵫmdaun.”

“Really? I’ve never been there.”

“You should go when you can. It is beautiful.  Large lakes, rolling green hills.  Freshest air of anywhere I have ever been.”

“Sounds beautiful. Why did you come to Mᴔjin?”

“Work.”

“But you just said that you are a delivery man because it was the first job you could get.”

Clearing his throat, Bal nodded.  Reaching for a bottle of water, he took a large sip before answering.

“Yeah, that’s right.  I came originally with a job in mind, but it fell through. That’s why I do this now.”

“Oh, okay.”

Something about his answer seemed false, but Aless didn’t feel it was her place to question him.  If he was lying, he had to have a reason. 

“How old are you?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Twenty-six.  Your, what, seventeen?”

“Yeah.  I’ll be eighteen during the Golden Moon Month.”

“Wow, that’s pretty close.”

“It is.  My friend Kay will be turning eighteen next month.”

“Are you doing anything special for her birthday?”

“Naw, probably a girls’ night out dancing.”

“Do you all always go to clubs underage?”

“There aren’t any clubs for minors, so what choice do we have?”

“Not going.”

Giving him an incredulous look, Alessandra couldn’t tell if he was being serious.

“Those clubs can be dangerous,” he insisted.

“I know how to take care of myself in a club.”

“What about that…”

“Do not bring up Tyler.  That was a special case.  It’s different when you know the guy, but with a stranger, I have no problem telling him to back off.”

“Why is it different?”

“I’m not sure.  It just feels different.  Like I know this person, so I don’t want to be too mean.”

“But it’s okay to mean to strangers.”

“Hell yeah.  If some weirdo is grabbing up on me, you bet your ass I’m going to break his pinky finger.”

For a moment, Bal just stared at Aless then he burst out laughing.  Removing his foot from the gas pedal, Ball laughed for a long time before regaining control of himself. 

“You are funny, Alessandra.

“You can call me Aless.  Everyone does.”

“How about Ale?”

“That works too.  I’m not picky.  Just don’t call me Catherine.”

“Weird, but okay…Gotcha.”

Taking a final turn, Bal pulled up to Aless’s house. 

“You didn’t have any packages to deliver on the way here?” Aless asked.

“I did but I’ll swing back around and do them. Thought I’d get you home first.”

“That was nice of you.  Thank you.”

“No problem, Ale.  I’ll see you around.”

Climbing out of the truck, Aless waved goodbye as Bal drove off.

“Huh,” Aless smiled. “He seems pretty cool.”