Chapter 9
Nine
Colby rolled over in his bed and was relieved to find he was there alone. Wednesday evenings that start with strong cocktails at any one of the Hole in the Wall joints and end with a drag show at Industry Bar often make for awkward Thursday mornings.
He popped a few Advil, chugged a Gatorade, and debated whether he should Door Dash a sausage, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel to Kenny’s apartment.
When his best friend went to bed angry, hurt, upset, or depressed, waking up to an H&H bagel sandwich and diner-style coffee usually helped her start the new day with a clean slate.
This situation was extra delicate though.
It was unchartered territory and Colby had to proceed with caution.
He wasn’t exactly sure why Kenny left Hole in the Wall Mexican so abruptly and then ignored his calls and texts after that.
A small piece of him questioned if he could have been the reason behind her Irish Exit and subsequent radio silence.
Was she angry that he’d suggested she spend more time on her personal life?
Did she think he was trying to life coach her?
If so, that wasn’t his intention. He needed a life coach just as much as the next New Yorker.
Maybe she overheard people talking about Clinton White and that threw her back into a tailspin.
It’s possible those hormones were still going haywire in her head.
If she’s like this after a round of in vitro, what will she be like for nine months when she’s pregnant? he thought. Maybe she saw a guy from Bumble she ghosted and wanted to dodge him.
Regardless of which scenario caused Kenny to bolt before the bill came, she’d get over it with time and space.
He just hoped she’d bounce back before the next shoe dropped.
He had every intention of telling Kenny over margaritas that Border Books wasn’t going to publish Armchair Detective, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it the same day she lost the Clinton White interview.
Luckily, he now had a whole week to break the crushing news to his best friend.
When he was leaving the office for Margarita Wednesday, his boss, Muffin Evans, informed him that she was jetting to her home in Bora Bora for a few days and any rejection letters in the que would be held until her return.
Thank goodness for poor cell service in the South Pacific.