LOVE: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING

Keith wakes up just before noon, but was hoping he could just stay asleep and not have to deal with the day or his best friend. He didn't want to get out of bed but knew this was something he could not avoid. Andy was not one to let something go like this. He forces himself out of bed, eats breakfast, showers, shaves, and just waits for two o'clock to come around.

He is just sitting on his couch in the living room of his apartment when he there is a banging at the door. He looks at the clock as sees it is only one fifteen. "Who is it?" He yells out at the door.

"Your fourth favorite person in the world," says the voice behind the door.

Keith shakes his head and walks over to the door and opens it. "No, you are the third behind my niece and nephew and don't start saying you are not behind the woman from last night."

"Oh come on, what's wrong with her? She seemed really nice and into you." Keith starts to get an angry look on his face, but Andy quickly puts his friend's mind at ease. "Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything personal. I only said that you like to self-punish yourself sometimes. She looked concerned but I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."

Keith sighs and lets Andy into the apartment. "There are somedays I just want to sew my mouth shut so I don't say anything stupid like I did last night." He closes the door and both sit on the couch of the small apartment.

"Let me guess, you did the over-analyzing thing and went too deep into what you say."

"Yep, I know I freaked her out and I just....I hate not knowing when to just shut up."

"Dude, that is a part of having Asperger's. If anything, I'm impressed you can actually read people the way you do." Keith just looks at his TV not wanting to continue the conversation. "Seriously, you have come a long way since we first met. I know you've probably replayed everything in your head ten times already with five different scenarios of how she wants to kill you, but everything will be fine."

Keith closes his eyes and shakes his head, knowing everything Andy is saying is true. "You're right, it is just scary in my head sometimes."

"I know, but now it is time for me to scare with you my moves on the court."

Keith looks back at Andy. "Your moves are easy to read without me having Asperger's."

Andy gets a grin on his face. "Same bet or shall we increase the stakes?"

"Loser pays dinner at the new hibachi restaurant in town," Keith says with a big smile on his face.

"You're on!" Both of them head out of the apartment and down to the basketball court next to their apartment complex.

"So he just got up and left?"

"Yep, just got up and left." Jackie says while taking sips from her coffee sitting at her kitchen table.

"And yet you still want to see him again and get to know him?"

"Yes."

"Ok, why do you want to see him again?"

"It's hard to explain Melissa. Even though what he said hurt, it is like he saw me for who I really am and why I was really at the bar. I'm very curious about him and what makes him tick."

Melissa shakes her head sitting across the table, still not understanding where her best friend is coming from. "Are you looking to just be friends with him or are you looking for something more?"

"I...don't know. Something tells me he wouldn't ask me out anyways." Jackie takes another sip of her coffee and finishes her cup. "Something about him just bugs me too."

"Let's see, he's shy, he overacts, he doesn't stay and face the situation, he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut, he..."

"He did know when to keep his mouth, I pushed Keith to tell me more. I wished I hadn't done that." Reflecting on the events of the previous night, Jackie looks down at her empty cup and can't help but to think she might never see this guy again. She called her best friend over that morning to talk everything over and hopefully make her feel better. So far Melissa had yet to make her feel better.

"You know he'll be at the bar again. Didn't you say that the bartender is his friend?" Jackie looks up at her friend smiling knowing she's right. "So you'll be able to see him again, strike up a more appropriate conversation and get to know him."

Jackie slowly starts to realize that she will see Keith again and maybe things will be less awkward. "You're right Melissa. Thank you."

Melissa smiles knowing her job is done as best friend. "Hey, it's what I'm here for. But now you must pay," she says with a devilish smile on her face.

"I offered you coffee and you declined."

"Yes, but I'm thinking of trying out the new hibachi restaurant and I think you shall pay for me." Melissa says, forcing the biggest fake smile she can muster.

Jackie's smile disappears and gives an evil stare. She hates being manipulated, especially by her best friend. "You want me to treat you to an expensive dinner for helping me get over my little Keith thing."

"If I didn't come over, you would still be figuring out what went wrong instead of realizing you can see him again soon. Also I know you love hibachi restaurants and it is your turn to treat for dinner."

"I hate you." Jackie hates it when her best friend is always right about these things. Just once she wishes she could shut her up and let her be without using good logic against her.

"So what time do you want to eat?"

"Let's get there at five thirty. It might take us a while to get seated with a full table and for the chef to come out and cook our food."

"Sounds like a plan."

"You got lucky," says Andy, sounding very bitter.

"Lucky? You hardly hit rim on half of your shots," says Keith as they sit down at their table waiting for more people to be seated.

"You always use some sort of excuse when I beat you. The sun was in my eyes. The pretty girls were distracting."

"Hey, even you were distracted by those women watching us play last week. How many air balls did you have again?"

Keith couldn't help but laugh remembering that day. "Only four...and some really bad misses from close range."

"Yeah, we were both off our game. Those two women were very attractive."

"Yes, they were, but you still lost to me," says Keith with a big grin on his face.

Andy just shakes his head. "I know I'm a sore loser, but you don't make it easier for me sometimes when you gloat about..." Andy just stops midsentence looking towards the entrance of the restaurant. Keith looks where Andy is looking and his eyes widen in fear when he sees Jackie. His fears get worse as she and her friend are not only seated at their table but she is sitting basically next to him. Hibachi restaurants cook the food in front of you while the chef also puts on a show. The table has a flat top attached to it with three seats on each side and four on the main side. The chef cooks the food on the fourth side while putting on a show. Keith is sitting on the edge seat on one of the short sides and Jackie is on the edge of the seat next to him. They both nod at each other and smile. Andy just has a huge grin on his face while looking at Keith.

The rest of the table gets seated and a waiter comes by to take everyone's drink and food order. Keith and Andy order steak, Melissa orders chicken while Jackie orders salmon. There is just an awkward silence between Jackie, Keith and Andy. Melissa can't figure out why everyone is so silent so she decides to break the silence. "Hi, I'm Melissa and this is my friend Jackie."

Keith and Andy look at each other trying to figure out how to handle the situation. Keith shrugs his shoulders and Andy nods, both realizing there is only one thing to do. They both turn their attention to Jackie and Melissa.

"Hi Melissa, I'm Andy. It's nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Melissa. I'm Keith. How are you doing Jackie?"

Jackie looks at Keith a bit surprised. "I'm doing good Keith, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing good as well. My friend here is paying so I get to enjoy a free dinner."

Melissa gets a big smile on her face. "Funny, Jackie here is paying for me as well. I had to help her get over some guy she met at a bar last night and this is her price."

Keith and Andy couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Andy puts his hand on Keith's shoulder. "So first you leave this beautiful young lady at the bar for me to clean up your mess. Now she has to pay for dinner for her friend. Keith, you really can put women in bad situations."

Melissa's jaw drops as she hears this. "Wait, you mean to tell me he's the asshole that left you?"

Keith closes his eyes and chuckles. "Yes I am and now I feel even guiltier." He opens is eyes and looks at Jackie. "I'm sorry I ran out on you last night. I felt like I made an idiot out of myself and didn't know how to handle it. Can I make it up to you next Saturday?"

Jackie smiles hearing the offer. "Thank you Keith, that is really sweet but you don't have to."

Melissa lightly smacks Jackie's arm. "Jackie! Let him treat you to dinner. It's the least he can do."

"Melissa, please don't."

"Don't what? He needs to pay you back and treat you like the beautiful woman you are."

"Melissa, please stop."

"Melissa," Keith says strongly, "if she doesn't want to me to make it up to her, that's her choice. Don't push her into something she doesn't want to do."

Melissa looks back at Keith in disgust. "Of course you want the easy way out. I bet you treat all women this badly."