CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I should’ve known better.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Even if it’s true?”
Hayley shoots me a scowl from across the table. “So, his ex called. Granted, yes, that was a deliberate move on her part. I’m surprised she waited as long as she did.”
“Yeah, and she got exactly what she wanted. He was in there, fighting with her, for almost an hour. The movie was over by the time he finished, and his food was cold.”
She lowers her brow, giving me one of her stern looks. “She got what she wanted because neither of you bothered to pick up where you’d left off.”
“There is such a thing as being in the moment, Hayley. And after hearing him fight with that woman, I wasn’t particularly in the mood anymore myself. It sounds like she’s really putting him through the wringer.”
“What the heck were they fighting about?”
“I don’t know. Something she was looking for at the apartment that she couldn’t find?
Something of hers she accused him of hiding someplace?
I could hear him going through the closet, shoving things around and telling her over and over that he couldn’t find it.
I don’t know what it was, but that’s what happened. ”
“I’m sure whatever it is, it either doesn’t exist or she has it.”
“I know. I wanted to say that to him, too, but I didn’t think he’d want to hear my opinion. I don’t know her. And it would only sound like I was being nasty.”
“At the end of the day, it’s his situation, not yours.”
“I know, but it affects me.”
“Are you starting to …” She points to her chest, right over her heart.
I know better than to try to lie. “I would like to see if I can make things work with him. What’s so bad about that?”
She rolls her eyes, very dramatic. “I won’t bother giving you the whole song and dance about how you’re supposed to be keeping it casual.”
“Thank you very much.”
“But you’re supposed to be keeping it casual, you dork.”
I lift my martini glass in salute. “You never let me down.”
“I’m serious. You keep setting yourself up to be hurt.”
“What was I supposed to do? I’m sorry, Hayley, but I can’t turn my emotions on and off like I’m a light switch.
And I could understand if I’d flung myself at one of those guys on the dating site just because they happened to be a doctor and that happened to be who I was writing about right now.
But I didn’t. He found me, or I found him, and something happened.
I can’t explain what, but I know we both felt it, or he wouldn’t have given me his number in the first place.
I really like him. I’m not saying I’m falling in love or anything, but I really like him.
For once, I would like for things to be simple. Is that too much to ask?”
She sighs, and now, she manages to look sympathetic. “Sweetie, I hate to tell you this, but there’s no such thing as simple once you start getting a little older.”
“I’m twenty-five, Hayley. The same as you.”
“Yeah, and I already know of at least three girls we graduated with who are divorcing or already divorced.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. Life moves fast. Plus, you’re dating men older than we are. The older they get, the more history they’re bound to have. Crazy exes. Children. Child support payments, weekend guests who smear peanut butter and jelly all over the place. Aging parents. Responsibilities.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she makes a good point. She usually does.
“So, you’re saying I should be the cool girl and let this slide?” I ask, toying with my glass. Somehow, that doesn’t feel quite right to me.
“What’s so wrong with that?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug.
“You’re pouting.”
“Am not,” I lie, pulling my bottom lip in where it belongs. “But I can’t pretend it didn’t bother me. He apologized a bunch of times, and I told him it was no big deal.”
“He did apologize though,” she points out, holding up a finger, which she then uses to signal a server.
The woman is magic, I swear. I could stand on a chair and wave my arms over my head until it looked like I was signaling planes to land, and I’d get nowhere. All she has to do is lift a finger.
“Yes, ladies?” He’s cute and he gives Hayley that sort of special smile that I’m sure is supposed to be a signal. Hey, baby, I’m off work in an hour. Meet me out back.
He doesn’t know Hayley. She is not the girl you meet out back.
“We’ll need another round of drinks, an order of nachos, and four shrimp tacos.” Once she’s finished, she turns back to me, leaving him to do his job.
“You need to stop doing that,” I warn as he walks away.
“Doing what?”
“Breaking hearts everywhere you go.”
She scoffs, barely taking the time to shake her head. “Anyway, all I’m saying is, if she’s been away for a long time and there’s still stuff between them that needs to be worked out, this sort of thing is to be expected.”
My head hurts. I fold my arms on the table and rest it on top of them. “Why is everything so impossible?”
“Knock it off.” She laughs. “It’s not impossible. It’s just life. Not everything is as perfect as it is in your books.”
“But can’t it be? Why can’t it be?”
“Because what you write is fiction, my dear. Which is what separates it from reality. Reality stinks—which is why people flock to fiction, by the way. It’s an escape. Really, you should be glad reality is such a kick in the nuts since that’s why you have a career in the first place.”
“Do you ever get tired of being right?” I groan.
“Nope. Being right is too much fun to get tired of. Now, sit up before I have no choice but to pour my water over you. Everything will be fine.”
“Will it though?” I ask, lifting my head. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t do what she ordered strictly on principle. Nobody tells me what to do.
But I know her. She’s not above drowning me in the middle of a restaurant to prove a point.
“Sure, it will. This will blow over, and one day, you’ll sit back and laugh over how dumb it was to ever let this Erin person get in your head.”
“You should see her.”
“No, thanks,” she sighs, twirling her hair around one finger.
“She’s beautiful. Like, almost as beautiful as you.”
Hayley rolls her eyes.
“And brilliant. A surgeon. I don’t know what kind exactly, but I know she was overseas on a research team for eight months. That’s the sort of thing smart people do, right?”
“Smart people also write books that end up on the New York Times Best Sellers list,” she reminds me. “Several times over, in case you forgot.”
“She has a hold on him.”
“She thinks he’s a loser for changing his career path.” My mouth falls open. “Well, she does!” she insists. “You already told me before that she dumped him because he’d changed things up, become less career-driven. That hasn’t changed, so why would she?”
“It’s obvious she wants him back.”
“That’s her problem.”
“Oh, is it?” I ask as the server returns with our drinks. I make it a point to smile at him, which is a big change from the scowl I was just shooting at Hayley.
“Yes, it is,” she hisses when we’re alone again.
“When she’s getting in the way of my good time, I have to say it’s my problem too.”
“It didn’t have to be.”
“You weren’t there!” I practically shout.
A few people sitting at the bar turn to look at us.
Sorry, I mouth with a shrug.
“You could’ve expressed sympathy and laughed it off. I know; I know. It’s easy for me to say. I wasn’t there. Blah, blah, blah.”
“Well, you weren’t.”
“Now, you know how to handle it should it ever happen again.”
I snort. “It’d better not happen again.”
“It’ll probably happen again.”
“I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better.”
“Have you ever known me to shove smiley-faced platitudes down your throat for the sake of making you feel better?” she sighs.
“Good point.”
And thankfully the nachos arrive when they do because I feel the sudden need to shove something into my mouth. Bonus: I can’t blurt out anything idiotic when I’m busy crunching on tortilla chips and guacamole.
“Erin is the past. You are the future, if you choose to be. You’re the girl he wants to spend time with now.
” She leans in, meeting my gaze while I shovel chips into my waiting mouth.
“You’re the girl he still wanted a hot make-out sesh with in your grandmother’s pantry, even when he found out you weren’t being honest with him. ”
I can’t offer any stunning, cutting reply to that with a mouthful of food.
There’s nothing for me to do but mull it over while I chew.
She’s made a good point once again. He didn’t have to be so accepting and willing to go along with things when he found out I might be writing about him.
He had every right to tell me to stick it where the sun didn’t shine.
But he didn’t. And he wanted to see me again after that. Immediately after that in fact.
Maybe things aren’t as bleak as I’m making them out to be. They rarely are. Whenever Hayley accuses me of being overdramatic, I fight like heck to convince her otherwise.
The truth? I know I can be. That’s why I’m so good at writing romantic drama.
Or so I tell myself.
“So, you don’t think I’m a step down from a hot, brilliant surgeon?” I ask, chewing my lip.
Hayley’s eyes widen. “Jesus, is that what you think? Is that what has you worried?”
“Well … yeah. I thought that was pretty clear by the way I kept comparing myself to her.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She puts her hands on the table, palms down, eyes burning holes in me.
“Listen, because I’m not going to repeat myself.
I don’t care how hot she is. I don’t care if she operates on brains or hearts or whatever it is.
I don’t care if she has a new procedure named after her.
I don’t care if she’s a genius. She’s not you. ”
“Like I’m so special?” I smirk.
She doesn’t blink. “You are Kitty fucking Valentine. Yes, you’re special. Now, eat the damn nachos and lighten up.”
Who am I to argue when she makes such a strong point?
“I love you,” I manage around a mouthful of refried beans and cheese.
She smiles. “I know. And you have cheese on your chin.”