Both Simon and I look at her like she`s speaking another language.
„Oh come on guys, you know what I`m talking about. You need to do something over the top romantic to show her how much you love her and how sorry you are to have hurt her. A grand gesture.”
„Why can`t I just tell her I love her, and I`m sorry? I mean, why do you women insist on complicating things.”
I really shouldn`t have said that. My usually cute, Tinkerbell-like little sister transforms into the female equivalent of the Hulk in front of my very eyes, only instead of green, she turns an interesting shade of red.
„Excuse me? You act like a complete jerk, an idiot, a buffon, you make her cry and feel like crap, and then you have the audacity, the unmitigated cheek, the motherfucking nerve to complain about the fact that you have to work at getting her to forgive you? Men!”
„Hey, don`t log us all in. I think a grand gesture is a great idea,” Simon, the traitor, says.
„Of course you do, you`re not the one who has to do it,” I say.
Hulk Ema looks at me with all the disdain she`s capable of.
„Stop complaining and start thinking of an appropriate grand gesture, big brother.”
„Can`t you give me an idea. I mean, you`re not only a woman, but you also write romance novels; you must have lots of ideas.”
„Sorry, you`re on your own. It has to come from you, or it doesn't count.”
„Who the hell makes these rules?” I ask.
„The romance gods. Now, Simon and I are going to go and let you dream up something good for Sophie. If you need us to do something, we`ll gladly help, but you need to get yourself out of the mess you`ve made. May the romance odds be ever in your favor.”
Sophie
„Do you think a person can die from sexual frustration?”
Gwen looks up from the book she`s reading with a frown on her face.
„Honey, if that were a thing, I would be dead and buried by now. I`ve been in love with your brother for three years now, and since you took that job as Max`s assistant, I`ve seen him pretty much every day. So to answer your question –no, I don`t think a person can die from sexual frustration. Why?”
I shrug and take another bite from my bagel.
„Let`s just say hanging out with Max and not doing anything else is kind of ...frustrating.”
„Gee, I can`t imagine what that must be like for you.”
„Well, aren`t you the little sarcasm queen today.”
Gwen shrugs and scrunches her nose.
„Sorry, PMS is a bitch. Anyway, if you miss him so much, why don`t you just kiss and make up? I mean, he apologized, and you said you understand why he reacted the way he did.”
„I wish it were that simple, but there`s just something holding me back. You know, I`ve been thinking, and I`ve come to the conclusion I`m much more like my father than I ever thought.”
„How so?”
„Well, you know he hated the fact that my mom worked so much and was so dedicated to what she did, and that`s why he wanted a divorce. He felt unimportant, and he couldn`t handle that, and it`s just now, twenty-four years after their divorce, that I finally understand how he felt. Before now, I always thought he was too sensitive, too needy but now I can totally relate. Gwen, I just can`t forget how fucking small he made me feel, how totally insignificant. Him saying he cares isn`t enough to erase that.”
Gwen looks at me, pitty obvious on her face.
„I`m sorry you felt that way, honey. What do you think he needs to do to make you get over that?”
„I just don`t know. I swear I`m not trying to be difficult on purpose, I just don`t have an answer.”
Just then my phone chirps with an incoming text and when I check it I see it`s from Max.
Him: Hey sweetheart, I have a favor I need to ask
Me: Hey. What do you need?
Him: I have a big game on Friday, and I need your help
Her: Ha, you`re out of luck. I know absolutely nothing about football
Him: I`ll have to teach you then, but my game isn`t what I need help with
Me: What then?
Him: I need a good luck charm. It`s the first big game since the article, and I need to do an extra good job. Will you please come?
Me: You want me to come watch you play?
Him: Yeah, you`ll bring me good luck
Me: I don`t know if I`ll bring you luck but if you think it will help I`ll be there
Him: Thank you, sweetheart. I really appreciate this
Me: Of course, what are friends for
Okay, so that was a low blow. I have to admit I`m a bit frustrated with him for not doing more to get me to forgive him. I mean, I`m not expecting him to get down on his knees and beg but come on. You want me to forgive you, then do something about it. He isn`t doing anything, so the logical conclusion is the doesn't care that much.
He apparently didn`t like my last message all that much because it takes him five minutes to reply.
Him: I`ll send tickets tomorrow. You can bring Gwen and Sam if you want
Me: Yeah, okay. Thanks
Him: I`ll see you on Friday
Me: Friday
„You don`t look too happy,” Gwen says.
„That was Max. He wants me to come to his game on Friday as his good luck charm. He said you and Sam can come too. Are you game?”
She shrugs, but her mouth is full of the brownies I`ve made for her –I always make her brownies when she`s PMS-ing- so it takes her a minute to answer.
„Sure, I`ll go with you. I don`t know anything about football, but it beats staying home alone and stuffing my face. And if Sam isn`t working, I`m sure
