Chapter 15
I took a screenshot of my last message exchange with Mr. International and sent it to my friends so they could read it and prepare to discuss it at our monthly dinner that night. If we’d had a TV screen and a laptop, I would’ve presented the whole exchange as a slideshow presentation.
“Honestly, this is the cutest You’ve Got Mail thing I’ve ever seen,” Emma says with a sigh.
Camila sits back in her chair, folding her arms. “I don’t want to sound like a Debbie Downer here, but all this secrecy is giving red flag vibes. This dude is married or already in a relationship and is trying to keep his cover.”
“I’m with Camila.” Blair takes a huge bite of a breadstick, continuing to talk over the food. “The no exchanging of personal information is a sign that he’s already in a relationship.”
“No!” Emma straightens, ready to defend romance. “They watch movies together.”
“One time.” I hold up my finger. “We watched Interstellar together at the same time, once .”
My phone buzzes beside me on the table.
“Oooh, is that him?” Blair glances over my shoulder to read the name on the screen.
“No, we don’t even have each other’s phone numbers to text.” My entire mood sours when I see Nate’s name. It’s so typical of him to interrupt my Friday night when he could’ve easily texted me tomorrow. We don’t fly out until tomorrow night. “It’s Nate from work.”
Nate:
I have one more box of swag and no more suitcases to put it in. Can I drop it off for you to pack and bring?
“Hold on,” I say to my friends. “Let me answer him real quick.” I type my reply as conversation about what they’re going to order continues around me.
Carly:
Yes, I have an extra suitcase. I’m not home right now, but you can leave the swag on my porch tonight or bring it to me tomorrow when I’m home.
As I’m sending him my address, his response pops up.
Nate:
Where are you? Maybe I can just meet you now.
Carly:
I’m out to dinner with my friends. Let’s just meet tomorrow.
Nate:
No, this might be closer. Where are you at?
I shake my head, hating how bossy he is.
Carly:
Oregano’s on Camelback Rd.
Nate:
I’m just a few minutes away from there. I’ll drop it off.
Carly:
Fine. Text me when you’re here, and I’ll come outside and put the box in my car.
I set my phone down and look up at my friends. “Sorry! It’s just Nate bothering me, as usual. He’s going to drop something off here in a few minutes.”
Juliet’s eyes go big. “I’m so excited to see what he looks like.”
“Don’t get too excited. We’re just meeting in the parking lot, so you won’t see him.” I glance around the table. “Sorry, but can we go back to Mr. International real quick, because I really don’t know what to do about him?”
Emma nods like she’s been patiently waiting for me to continue this subject. “I think if you’re watching movies together, that’s a good sign he’s single. He’s not going to do that with his wife sitting right there.”
Camila’s frown shows her skepticism. “Maybe his wife was out of town.”
Blair raises her glass to the table. “Or at a girls’ dinner.”
It’s not like I haven’t thought about and dissected this before now. Mr. International is constantly on my mind.
“You guys are probably right. This much vagueness and secrecy after all this time isn’t normal. He’s probably married.”
“I thought you liked keeping things vague with him. Like, you were a proponent of that,” Emma says.
“I was in the beginning.” I lift my shoulders, thinking back on how fragile I was the first time we messaged. “Isaac had just dumped me, and the thought of dating or trusting another man seemed impossible. But if he was just some stranger online, that made things easier and less intense.”
Camila’s brows lift. “Yeah, but I think we’re past easy and less intense. You’re crushing hard on this guy.”
“It’s probably more than a crush. I really like him. If he’s semi-cute and normal-ish in real life, I could totally see myself falling head over heels for him.”
“Awww.” Emma’s hand goes to her heart.
“Unless he’s married,” Camila mutters.
“So true.” I shake my head. “Should I just come out and ask him if he’s married or dating anyone?”
“I think you guys are at a spot where you could get some more information from him without ruining the You’ve Got Mail fun.” Emma gives me an encouraging smile.
“I would ask him and then let us know what he says so we can dissect whether or not he’s lying.” Camila would honestly see right through any lie, so at least I have her in my corner.
“Yeah, if he’s dodgy, you need to cut off all communication,” Blair says.
My heart drops a little at the prospect of cutting off communication, but at the same time, I can’t have another Isaac situation. I can’t ignore all the red flags. My friends are right. It’s time I learn a little bit more about Mr. International.
“Hello, ladies. I hope I’m not interrupting.”
I turn over my shoulder to Nate’s familiar voice and die a little. He’s standing inside the restaurant by our table in jeans and a fitted t-shirt.
“Why didn’t you text me that you were here?” I scoot my chair back and stand.
“I thought it would be easier just to come in.”
“Hello, you must be Carly’s nemesis, Nate.” Camila reaches across the table to shake his hand.
“Nemesis?” His brows lift as a smile splits across his face.
“That’s right.” Camila smiles. “We’ve heard all about you.”
“Typical that Carly can’t stop talking about me.”
“No,” I snap. “I said you were dropping something off. That’s it.”
“I’m Camila.” Judging by her grin, she’s completely smitten by him.
“Camila, yes.” He nods as he shakes her hand. “I believe we talked on the phone. I’d love to hear more about that dream.”
“Over my dead body.” My expression darkens enough for Camila to get the hint.
“We’ll have to discuss the dream another time.” She gestures to everyone else. “This is Emma, Juliet, and Blair.”
Nate makes his way around the table, shaking all of my friends’ hands. “Emma. Juliet. Blair. It’s nice to meet you all and see Carly has friends.”
“Oh, you’re funny!” Blair laughs.
“He’s hilarious,” I deadpan, pulling on his arm.
“And cute,” Emma says under her breath.
“He’s just leaving.” I pretend like I didn’t hear her and hope that Nate didn’t either, but his pompous smile makes me feel like her compliment is already making its way to his ego. “Let’s get the box of swag out of your car.”
Blair scoots my chair out a little. “Are you hungry?”
“He’s not hungry.”
“I actually am a little hungry.” Nate sits down in my seat.
MY SEAT.
The look I give him is lethal. “What are you doing? You’re not staying.” I turn to my friends. “He’s not staying.”
“Oh, he can stay for a little bit.” Camila waves me off. “We were just about to order.”
I blink back at my friends in pure shock.
This can’t be happening.
My work nemesis has hijacked dinner, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And the worst part is, there’s no girl code with my friends. I mean, there is on the important stuff—they have my back—but trivial things? Nothing is off limits. I will be thrown under the bus in a matter of thirty seconds—it’s the group’s love language.
I plop down in the chair next to him, the one at the end of the table, and wait for my demise.
“So you’re the guy that gets under Carly’s skin at work?” Juliet leans forward.
“Under her skin, huh?” He switches our water cups, knowing full well he stole my spot.
“Yes, why don’t you two get along?” Blair asks.
“Who said Carly and I don’t get along?”
“She did,” Emma retorts.
“We don’t always see eye to eye at work. Carly is more particular than I am. But if I mute her, I think she could be a ten out of ten.” He shoots me the smirkiest smile that ever existed, and despite not being a violent person, I’d like to jab my fork in his ribs.
“Particular. That’s a good way of describing her,” Camila says.
Here it comes.
Emma places her chin on her hand, like a therapist unpeeling all his layers. “Are you really that awful or just driving Carly crazy on purpose?”
Blair’s shoulders lift as she reaches for her drink. “Maybe beauty and brains scare you. Carly is a lot to handle.”
“Helloooo! I’m right here.”
“She is a lot to handle,” Nate commiserates.
“You know what’s great about being friends with her, though?” Juliet pauses, and I’m scared of what might come out of her mouth. “I never have to carry a bag. I know she’ll have one and can hold my stuff.”
“So true!” everyone agrees.
Okay, if that’s the worst they have on me, this might be fine.
“I stopped packing sunblock when we go to the pool,” Emma adds.
“She used to make all our beds in college while we were at class.” Camila looks around the table. “Do you guys remember that? We called her the bed fairy.”
“What about when we’re on vacations and she unpacks my bags and puts my clothes in drawers for me?” Blair laughs.
“And how she gets to the airport two hours too early,” Juliet says. “Then makes us go check our gate to make sure it exists before we can buy food.”
I glance around the table at everyone laughing at my expense, and I know it’s going to be a long night.
Courtesy of Nate.
“Still right here,” I say as a not-so-gentle reminder.
“We’re just joking around. We love Carly.” Blair shoots him a tight smile. “And if you keep messing with her at work, then you’ll have to deal with all of us. I might look small, but trust me, I pack a punch.”
Nate laughs. “Noted.”
“Yep, Carly is the glue that holds our friend group together.” Camila looks at me. “We may joke about her little quirks, but it’s only because we appreciate them and value everything she brings to the friend group.”
“You’d love her too if you got to know her.” A sweet smile accompanies Emma’s words. “She’s someone you definitely want in your corner. On a moment’s notice, she’d drop everything to come and help you. Plus, she’s so much fun and adventurous. Nothing scares her.”
“Is that so? I haven’t seen that side of her, but I’d like to.” Nate eyes me, and something about his playful stare turns my stomach over. “But for me to get to know her, she’d have to drop her weapons of war first.”
I glare back at him, making it clear that no weapons are being tossed aside anytime soon.
He turns to my friends with lifted shoulders and an annoyingly handsome grin. “Until then, I guess I’ll just be the guy Carly loves to hate.”
Juliet’s eyes gloss over at the sight of his cute smile. “I think it’s just a timing problem. If Carly hadn’t just made the rule never to date a guy at work and hadn’t just broken up with?—”
“OKAY!” I jump up with a fistful of Nate’s shirt, forcing him to his feet too. “We’re done here.”
“What? Why?” He stumbles to keep up with my sudden stand or have his shirt rip at the seams.
I yank on the fabric, pulling him to me to give him a proper hostile warning, but I underestimate my strength. Our chests skim together as our faces and lips come within inches. Our eyes lock, and something more than mutual hostility passes between us.
Something that has my heart racing.
I lift my chin defiantly—terrible move, considering it puts our mouths even closer. But I stay the course, sweeping my heated gaze over his brown eyes.
“You are not staying,” I hiss.
His smirk is smirking in all the right ways. “Things were just getting good.”
“Amen to that!” Camila mutters.
I turn and see my table of friends glued to our interaction with knowing smiles.
My fingers slowly lift, releasing Nate’s shirt from my grip. Things might have gotten a little too heated. And I don’t necessarily mean that in the angry way.
“You’re leaving. Now. ”
I don’t wait for his response. I head for the door, counting on Nate to follow after me.
Once outside, I glance around the parking lot for his truck until I see it.
“I don’t know why you’re so mad,” he says behind me. “Your friends and I were having a great time.”
“Exactly!” Whipping around puts me against his chest for the second time in the last two minutes. I stagger back. “They are my friends. You don’t belong here. You’re part of my work life, not my real life.”
My march to his truck continues until we’re there.
“In fairness”—he opens the car door and retrieves the box—“they invited me to stay.”
“They were being nice.” I reach for the swag.
“I’ll carry it to your car. Where are you parked?”
“No, thank you. I think we’ve spent enough time together for one Friday night.” I grab the box from his arms. His fingers slide over mine as he transfers the weight to me, making the transition more handsy and awkward than I prefer.
Without another word, I spin around and leave Nate in my dust.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at the airport,” he calls behind me.
Not if I can avoid it.
“Tell your friends it was lovely meeting them.”
Oh, there are lots of things I’ll tell my friends once I go back inside.