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From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: Do tell
How’s everything going, Rhys? Did you make it back okay? I haven’t heard from you again, so I hope so. You never did tell me about your record when you were here; is everything good with that? I suppose it isn’t easy to wrap up something like that.
Keep in touch, okay?
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: Do tell
I’ve been busy working on it all week. I think things are starting to gel. I don’t have much time right now, Ginger. The summer season’s started and this year I’m working more nights. Everything okay with you?
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: Crazy busy
Yeah, everything’s good. I’ll be working the whole summer too, even though I convinced Kate to take a few weeks off later on so she can go visit her parents back home. We’re getting the winter catalogue ready, but we’ve done a good job planning, and I feel like we’re on top of it.
Summer must be super intense there.
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: Gossip
You won’t believe it, Rhys! I’m actually still in shock. The other day, I decided to go home because I didn’t feel great, and you know what I found? My sister and Kate kissing on the sofa. FOR REAL. I couldn’t have imagined that in a million years. According to Donna, it was obvious Kate leaned that way, since, looking back, she never said anything about being interested in guys, not even when we were in college. But I don’t know…it still caught me by surprise. At first, it was uncomfortable, especially because I felt like they’d been hiding it from me, but then I realized they just didn’t want to tell me until they knew whether or not it was serious, because they were scared it could mess things up at work.
I’m still trying to process it, but I’m happy. Now I understand why Donna was painting again so enthusiastically this past month and what was going on all those weekends when they kept asking me, all interested, if I was thinking about staying over at James’s place.
They’re a perfect couple.
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: Gossip
Sometimes I read some story like that, like Logan’s with Sarah or your sister’s with Kate, and I almost feel like love could be easy… But I guess it just seems that way. Like in the end there’s got to be a trick, a surprise ending or something.
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: Always
Love should be easy, Rhys.
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: Always
Is it like that with James?
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: RE: RE: Always
I think so. I think that’s exactly what it’s like.
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Always
What do you think it would have been like with me?
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: I can’t
Rhys, don’t do this. Just don’t.
Don’t make things more complicated.
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: I can’t
I didn’t know things were complicated.
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: RE: RE: I can’t
Well, they are, because I told James everything. I told him the truth. What happened in the office the day we went to lunch, and what kind of relationship you and I have had these past few years. He didn’t take it great, as you can imagine. So I need…a little distance, okay? I need everything to go back to how it always was.
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: [No subject]
Okay.
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: Thanks
Thank you, Rhys, really. It’s just everything’s a little too much for me. Work, my nerves, all these emotions. And I really hope this thing with James works out. I know I’m selfish to be asking you this, but hopefully you can be happy for me. Can you? He’s a good guy, Rhys. And we want the same things; we have similar life plans; our dreams are similar… Do you understand what I mean?
I hope you’re taking care of yourself too.
Have you talked to your mom lately?
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: Why?
Why do you ask, Ginger? Yeah, I talk to her every week or two. And I’m taking care of myself. Did I look bad the last time I saw you?
Stop worrying about nothing.
From: Ginger Davies
To: Rhys Baker
Subject: RE: Why?
I just asked because sometimes I have the feeling that that’s where the problem comes from. From your parents. It scared me to ask you, because I don’t want to force you to talk about it. And you know how grateful I am that you told me you were adopted, and I’m aware of how hard that was for you. But I think you need to reflect on it. Have you ever done that?
From: Rhys Baker
To: Ginger Davies
Subject: RE: RE: Why?
Are you for real, Ginger? I don’t have problems. I’m not one of those guys that need saving. Maybe I’m not fucking perfect like James, maybe I don’t have my life planned out all the way up to my seventy-third birthday, but I’m fine. I know I have my faults, I accepted that a long time ago, and I realize I can’t meet your expectations or be good enough for you. But that has nothing to do with my parents. And like you said, I don’t enjoy talking about it, so let’s drop it and go on pretending everything’s okay.