CHAPTER 20
“Well, hello.”
What were the odds that after a long day of work, Harlow would go to the bar she used to be able to sit at and enjoy a beer by herself, and she would see Ashlee, the woman from a few weeks ago, whom she’d never seen before that night?
High. The odds were high, clearly, because Ashlee was sitting in a booth, and she had said hello to her the moment she’d seen her.
“Hi, again,” Harlow replied.
“Back for another drink and some deep thoughts?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Do you even remember my name?” Ashlee asked with a little laugh.
“I do, actually, Ashlee.”
“Well, I’m impressed, Harlow.”
“You act like I took you home, we had sex, and then I left before you woke up.” Harlow laughed.
“It wouldn’t be the first time, but I’m usually okay with it. I don’t know if I would be with you, though. You have that air of mystery about you that has me wanting to know more, and I think it would take more than one night to figure you out.”
“Thanks for that, I think,” Harlow said. “I’m going to sit at the bar and get my drink. Have a nice night.”
“You’re really not going to sit with me?”
“I doubt I’ll be able to get much thinking done if I do.”
“Is that a compliment? Like I’m a distraction?”
“I think it’s more of a fact, but you can take it as a compliment.”
Ashlee laughed and said, “I can buy you that beer if you want.”
“No, I’m good. I can get it. But thanks for the offer.”
“Harlow?”
“Yeah?”
“You seem to have something on your mind, and you were here the last time, also trying to think. Is it about the same thing?”
“Not really any of your business.”
“I know,” Ashlee said. “But if you won’t let me buy you a drink, maybe you’ll let me lend you an ear. I can listen.”
“To what?”
“Do you have someone to talk to about whatever it is you keep coming here to think about? I’m not trying to get in your pants right now, I promise.
I came here to meet someone I met online.
They’re now thirty minutes late, so I think it’s safe to say that they’re not coming at all.
I was going to get my check, pay and go, but you walked in.
Maybe there’s a reason for that timing. I’m being serious here.
I’m not hitting on you anymore. I’ve more than taken the hint, okay? ”
“I appreciate the offer, but–”
“Who’s the girl?” Ashlee interjected.
“Sorry?”
“Come on… It could really only be about a girl. A job problem or family issue wouldn’t have you coming to a bar, would it? You’d buy your six-pack and take it home. You’re here for a reason. A girl, right?”
“Woman,” she corrected.
Ashlee laughed a little and said, “See? I was right.”
“I’m going to get my beer and hang out at the bar, but you have a good night,” she repeated.
“Oh, sit down, Harlow. Just tell me what’s going on. I can help, maybe. Despite the fact that I just got stood up and you saw me here last time without anyone, I’m actually pretty good with this stuff. Want to know why?”
“Why?” she asked with little interest.
“I’m a couple’s therapist,” Ashlee shared. “A single, divorced one at that. Who else knows better how to avoid relationship pitfalls than me, right?”
Harlow laughed and said, “I really appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll–”
“All right. I get it. I should pay and get out of here anyway. I have a bottle of wine already opened at home that I can finish off while I take a bubble bath to help me wallow. If she didn’t want to meet me, she could have just texted me and let me know. No need to stand me up, you know?”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. That sucks,” Harlow said.
“Well, here’s my card.” Ashlee stood and handed her a business card. “If you ever do want to talk.”
“As a patient?”
“No, just as someone you met in a bar once or twice. Call me selfish. If this woman doesn’t give you a chance, maybe I can have one later.” Ashlee winked. “See you around, Harlow.”
Harlow tucked the business card into her back pocket and headed to the bar.
◆◆◆
“Hey,” Harlow said when she walked into the house.
“Did you just get home?” Larissa asked as she looked up from her computer at the kitchen table.
“You didn’t notice that I wasn’t here?” Harlow gave her a little smile. “How engrossed are you in whatever you’re doing there, Larissa?”
“Journal reading,” Larissa told her. “Lots of charts and graphs,” she added and rolled her shoulders before looking back at Harlow, who was behind her. “Hi, by the way.”
“Hi back.”
“What time is it?”
“Um… After ten, I think,” she replied and checked the clock on the stove. “Yeah, just after ten.”
“Were you at work this whole time?”
“No, I went out,” she replied. “Bar.”
“And you drove?”
“One beer. I finished it an hour ago and had some mozzarella sticks before I left, so I was good to drive.”
“Did you hang out with someone from work?”
“No, I just went on my own,” she replied. “Wanted to have a beer and stare at the TV behind the bar for an hour or so. They have four games on at the same time.”
“Sports?”
“Yes, sports.” Harlow chuckled. “Did you eat dinner?”
“I ate lunch. Does that count?”
“No. Larissa, you have to pause to eat sometimes.”
“I was going to make grilled cheese. I even pulled out that can of tomato soup to go with it, but my mom called to tell me that she and my dad need me to take care of the house for a few days next week. They’re going to visit my grandma. I got distracted after that.”
“Everything okay with your grandma?”
“She’s fine. She’s just alone there now that my grandpa is gone.
They’re going there to spend some time with her and, I think, try to convince her to move in with them.
They have that in-law unit. They built it for them to live in when they got older, but Grandpa dying last year has her clinging to the house they shared together. ”
“I can understand that,” Harlow said and walked into the kitchen. “Did you happen to get the–”
“I got all the cheeses you like at the grocery store. And there’s bacon, too, if you want to add bacon to yours. I assume you’re still hungry, but do you really want more cheese? You just had mozzarella sticks.”
“I always want more cheese. What kind of a question is that?” she joked.
Larissa laughed as she opened the fridge to find the food.
“I got three kinds of bread, so go to town. Oh, and we were out of butter, so I got new butter, too.”
“Mayo?” Harlow asked.
“Yeah, it’s in there. None on mine, please.”
“I know,” she said and went about making them a late dinner.
“How was work?” Larissa asked.
“Fine. Boring, but fine.”
“It’s boring because you’ve been doing the same thing for so long.”
“Well, there aren’t any promotions being handed out.”
“But you could try to find a different job, if you wanted to. It’s always better to look while you still have one, right?”
“Yes, but that takes time, and I’m pretty busy right now.”
“When aren’t you busy? I think that’s just the adult way now: busy all the time,” Larissa pointed out. “And when you lie down for even ten minutes, you feel lazy or something because you’re not doing something. I was even working while I was talking to my mom.”
“You better double-check whatever you were working on, then. What kind of bread do you want?”
“Whatever you’re having.”
“Cheese?”
“Whatever you’re having.”
“So, just whatever I make for me, but no mayo?”
“Yes, that would be great,” Larissa confirmed. “Do you want to eat in the living room? We can put something on. A game, maybe? Are they still playing games somewhere at this time of night?”
Harlow laughed and said, “I’m sure there’s a game on somewhere in some sport, yes, but you can just put anything on. I’m not picky.”
“Beer?”
“Sure.”
Larissa grabbed them each a beer bottle and moved to the living room, where she opened them and set them down. Then, she turned on the TV and started to scroll while Harlow cooked.
“What about a compromise?”
“Huh?” Harlow asked as she flipped their sandwiches.
“A sports movie.”
“Oh, God… Please not again.”
“What? You like Remember the Titans.”
“I do, but it’s the only sports movie you like to watch. Can we watch any other sports movie? We’ve seen that one at least a dozen times this year.”
“We have not,” Larissa argued.
“At least,” Harlow insisted.
“Fine. A League of Their Own?”
“Yes to just the movie tonight. We can watch the show this weekend or something.”
“I haven’t seen the show,” Larissa said.
“That’s because I watched it with Alicia, and you hardly watch TV without me.”
“I might not make it through the whole thing tonight.”
“That’s okay; we can finish it tomorrow.”
Minutes later, Harlow had their sandwiches on plates and soup in bowls.
Larissa helped her carry everything to the table, where they set it all down and started the movie.
They talked while they ate since they’d seen the movie before, and Larissa did the dishes while Harlow changed out of her work clothes before returning to finish the film together.
Despite Larissa thinking that she might not make it through the entire thing, she always got choked up when the players started singing their song, and Harlow was surprised by how awake she felt herself.