4. Grey
Chapter 4
Grey
“ G rey,” my sister-in-law, Julie, deadpans after I tell her about my introduction to Aspen.
“What?”
I look to Piers for support, but all he does is wince at me from his spot behind the stovetop.
“I can’t believe you,” Julie huffs, taking a sip of her wine. “That was so rude.”
“It wasn’t rude,” I defend. “It was honest. You’re the one who asked how it went.”
“This is why I have to ask questions like that. Because most of the time, you come off like a real dick.”
“I’m a dick?” Again, I look to Piers for support.
“Sort of,” Piers answers with a shrug. So much for that.
“I didn’t say you were a dick. I said you can come off like a dick. You know damn well that the correct response to her invitation was ‘Sure, Aspen, I’d love to.’ But you told her no, and then patted her on the shoulder like she was a little kid instead of your equal.”
“The shoulder pat was supposed to be encouraging. Like ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’” I retort. “Even though it is her, and not me. See, that was me being nice,” I add.
“A woman wouldn’t see a man patting her on the shoulder as encouraging,” Julie scoffs. “She’d see it as condescending.”
“Fine. Next time I won’t pat her shoulder.”
“Why don’t you want to go get coffee with her? I told you, she’s a nice girl,” Piers says.
“Because, like I told you , I don’t like nice girls. They’re absolutely no fun,” I respond. “Besides, I’m sure she’s in the ninety-nine-point-nine percent of women who only want to go out with me for my looks anyway. It’s just better not to let anyone in, especially my colleague.” I learned that lesson the hard way , I silently add.
Julie rolls her eyes. “You’re filming a romance movie, not engineering rockets. It must be so hard being a universal heartthrob. Really, I pity you.”
“It actually is,” I respond defensively. “Like I said, women only want me for my looks. Do you think that only works one way? Men can be objectified too. Hell, I’ve been nonconsensually groped so many times that I’ve lost count. Must be in the thousands at this point.”
Julie’s face falters for a second before regaining its strength. “I’m sorry to hear that, Grey. I guess I never thought about that aspect of it. But still, I think you’re throwing out the baby with the bathwater. You’re making generalizations about all women, simply because of the bad behavior of a few. And I suspect maybe even a certain one—a previous costar.”
“It’s more than a few, and surely more than one. Stop therapizing me.” I take a sip from my whiskey.
“Can’t help it,” she says in a way that tells me she very much could help it if she wanted to. “Just like you can’t help but see that I’m right, and you were a little rude to Aspen.”
I glare at her and she raises her eyebrows in a tell me I’m wrong gesture.
“Fine,” I reply. “Maybe I was a little rude in hindsight. But I’m not going to get coffee with her, or go out with her in any sense of the word.”
“You don’t have to. But you can at least politely decline her.” She pauses and squints her eyes a little, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. Nothing good ever comes from that look. “You’re afraid that she’ll push you away once she gets to know you, so you’re pushing her away first before she even has the chance. That’s not healthy, Grey.”
“You’re reading way too far into things,” I protest. “Piers, help me out here.”
“You know what, Jules?” he responds. “I think you’re right on the money.”
“She’s absolutely not. Don’t make me give those Lakers tickets to one of my neighbors,” I threaten.
“Fine.” Piers holds his hands up in surrender.
“Just food for thought,” Julie says. “But you’re right, let’s change the subject.”