Chapter 5
Chapter Five
AVERY
Despite his claim that he’s in over his head, Josh is a natural with his little boy. He had me in stitches when he pretended to eat Percy’s crackers, going on and on in a terrible French accent about how they were “magnifique.” In my book, a buttoned-up man being silly with a kid is hotter than a shirtless firefighter in a calendar photo shoot.
Meanwhile, I’ve tried to schedule a meeting with Josh, but something or another has needed my attention at the end of each Playgroup meeting. Then, once I get back to my office, ten things or another demand my intervention, and I never get around to calling him.
Adding to the drama around CPR, Leia cannot stop complaining about how Elijah keeps showing up with his entourage to take photos and measurements and notes. She claims her grouchiness is all about the threats to the center, but I’m pretty sure whatever happened between her and Eli before he left town is upsetting her too. I guess even best friends keep some secrets from each other.
I know I have.
As I approach the atrium where my boss-friend and I share lunch at least a couple times a week, all her attention is on the contents of a manila file folder.
“Best tacos in town coming right up!” I say as I set the tray on the picnic table.
Flinching, she closes the folder and shoves it in her tote bag. “Great! Let’s eat!”
There’s something off about her chipper tone. Mostly that it’s chipper. “Are you hiding something from me? Like whatever’s in that file?”
“Pfft.” She waves my accusation away. “I just don’t want those reports to get grease-stained. What’d you get?”
I let it go for the time being because I’m too hungry to argue. “I didn’t eat breakfast so I may have gone overboard. You have a choice of bean, chicken, barbacoa, or tofu.”
“I’ll take the chicken and barbacoa, if that’s okay.” She unwraps a to-go spork and pulls out the containers of sides. “Not in the mood for vegetables.”
We’re both quiet as we divvy up the food and dig in, but after she takes a long sip of her soda, Leia grumbles, “Why do the assholes all have to be so good-looking?”
“Tell me about it,” I say with my mouth full. “That describes every person in your office the other day.”
She shakes her head. “Travis is a good guy. He’s just, you know, the engine’s running but nobody’s driving.”
“Come on now. Travis may not have a college degree, but he’s got people smarts.”
“True. You thought the others were hot?”
Her tone is way too casual as she picks up a plastic cup of salsa and drags a chip through it, but two can play this game.
“I mean, Elijah filled out nicely,” I say. When she stuffs a giant scoop of chip and guac into her mouth, my suspicions are confirmed. Leia is fastidious about taking small bites and chewing thoroughly, unless she’s upset about something. “Are you still hung up on him?”
“Of course not,” she argues with her mouth full. Also something she never does. “What about the other guy?”
“Which one?”
“The one who signed up with his kid for Playgroup. What was his name?”
Her tone is so fake, I know she knows his name, but I also know she’s not going to let this go, so I just give her what she wants. “Josh. His name is Josh.”
“Riiight. You think he’s cute.”
“Well, he is. Objectively.” Feeling my cheeks heat, I do my best to shrug it off. “He’s also married, Leia.”
“Really? I didn’t get that vibe from him.”
“Anyway, I’m not interested.” A ping on my phone gives me an excuse to change topics. “That reminds me, I need to get one of your kids to help me with this thing.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“You don’t know how lucky you are that you married and divorced Travis before apps. Peter and I shared all of them—TV streaming, music, you name it. And now, I can’t get his stupid preferences to stop screwing up my algorithms. I never liked heavy metal, but now?” I shudder. “I can’t stand it. Every time it shows up in my feed, I can’t press the thumbs down fast enough.”
“Why do you want my kids’ help?”
“Don’t teenagers know everything about this stuff?”
Leia freezes, spork midair. “I sure hope not. Travis and I share all our accounts for that very reason. So we can try and stay ahead of them.”
“Good luck with that.” I snort. “Oh, hey, that reminds me. I’ve had some parents in the toddler group ask about babysitting. Do you think the twins would be interested?”
“Probably not. Whenever I ask them about it, they say they’re too busy.” Leia throws a chip at me. “And don’t think you’re going to get away with changing the subject that easy.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I take a big bite of taco like I couldn’t care less about the first guy in I don’t know how long to make me feel all fluttery inside.
Before I can shove another bite in, she reaches across to grab my wrist. “I want my best friend to be happy, that’s all.”
“Did you not hear what I said? First off, Josh is married, so it doesn’t matter if I find him attractive.”
“Are you sure?” She frowns. “I feel like he was checking you out the other day.”
“He’s wearing a wedding ring.”
She stares off to the left like she’s trying to picture it. “I didn’t notice. And what’s the second thing?”
“Even if he were available, I’ve got too much going on right now. And too much baggage,” I add before shoving another bite in my mouth.
She slaps her hands on the table. “Just because Peter skipped out on you does not mean every man is going to do the same.”
Even though I brought up his name first, I can’t let her go further down this road. What really happened between Peter and me will never see the light of day. “Says the woman who hasn’t been on a date in… how long has it been?”
“Trying to keep track of two teenagers while running this place—” She gestures vaguely at the building surrounding us. “I’m way too busy to date.”
“Pot calling the kettle bla-ack,” I intone.
“Who’s dating who?” a deep voice asks from behind me.
I snort and Leia rolls her eyes. “We have no gossip for you, Travis.”
Leia’s ex and the center’s athletic director sits sideways on the picnic bench and leans over the remains of our lunch. “Oooh, is this from Tito’s?”
When he reaches for it, Leia grabs the paper tray and holds it out of reach. “Tacos for tea.”
You’d never think that a lifelong jock would be as into town gossip as he is sports ball rules, but Travis is the first to know anything in this town. He claims it’s for the welfare of all the kids he’s in charge of. I think it’s because he was a yenta in another life.
He rubs his hands together with glee, but I tune out as soon as I realize that he’s talking about their teenagers’ friends. Travis and Leia do a remarkable job of co-parenting post-divorce, but I don’t need to hear about teen love lives. Not when mine is nonexistent.
“Oh, and the person from Trede who was with Eli the other day?” Travis says after eating the last bite of Leia’s chicken taco.
My ears prick up at the topic change, but I keep my eyes on my phone.
“Josh?” Leia asks.
“I didn’t get his name. The tall, short-haired one.”
“Josh. Josh Harmon.” Clearly, Leia’s saying his name loudly to get my attention, but I continue to pretend I’m engrossed in emails.
“Got it.” Travis taps his temple like he’s filing away the intel. The man may not know a single Washington politician or state capital, but he knows the full name of every child in this town and most of the adults as well. “Anyhoo, I saw him chatting with Daisy outside the coffee shop this morning and they looked pret-ty cozy.”
The green-eyed monster stirs low in my belly. CPR’s art teacher is everything I’m not. She’s willowy; I’m pear-shaped. She’s a vibrant redhead; I’m a washed-out blonde. She’s talented; I’m just a paper pusher.
“Pfft,” Leia says. “That’s a work thing.”
“How do you know?” I ask before I can stop myself. I mean, they did the re-org meeting last week. Now they’re having coffee? Why is this information making me so angry?
Leia’s brows go up like I see you , but she just says, “He’s meeting with all CPR”—she pauses to make air quotes—“team leaders.”
“Daisy doesn’t coach a team,” Travis says, looking genuinely confused.
I pat him on the forearm. “She means department heads.”
“Ohhh.” Travis scratches his chin. “I should probably return his calls then, huh?”
“Yes, you should.” Leia says. “And then report back to me afterward.”
“I’ll do it now, chief.” With a salute, he stuffs the last bite of her barbacoa taco in his mouth and jogs to the door leading to the gym and his office.
Leia sighs. “You know what? Maybe it’s better if you avoid that guy. I can talk to him for you.”
“Josh?”
She just nods, balling up taco wrappers and stuffing them into the bag, but her gaze darts to her tote bag.
“But I’m a team leader. I should meet with him,” I argue, even though I’ve been spending the past week avoiding it. Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck goes up as I remember the look on her face after she stowed those file folders. “You were hiding something from me when I walked up.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“Yes, you were.”
“Wasn’t.”
“Let me see those files, then.”
I reach for her bag, but she moves it off the table. “Can’t. Confidential stuff.”
“I call bullnickles.”
She meets my gaze and holds it for several seconds before dropping her bag on the bench and her head in her hands. “I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”
Wishing I could rewind the past few minutes—heck, the entire past week—I force the question past my suddenly rigid jaw. “Find out what?”
She sighs heavily.
“What is it, Leia?”
She winces, swallows, and then blurts, “Playgroup’s on the chopping block.”