We’re both supposed to work at the yacht club tomorrow, but I called and quit. I refuse to be around Max and his yuppie friends and family who think they’re better than everyone else. I have to exclude his mother and Mark from that. Kitty tried to get me to stay for the rest of the race, but I couldn’t stomach being around Alyssa and hearing her talk about how Max proposed to her last night, followed by an extravagant night she’s too ladylike to talk about. It took all I had not to rip her fake hair extensions out and smack her in the face with them. I’m not a violent person, but being around her enraged me. I’d give anything to put her in her place one good time.
Once Kim and I are in her car and on the highway, I breathe a sigh of relief. I want to forget everything that just happened. Getting away for a few days will help. Who knows, I might decide to stay away a lot longer than that.
“All right, London, spill. If I quit my job for you, the least you can do is tell me what happened.” She glances over at me, her eyes sad. It takes all I have not to break down. I can’t give Alyssa and Max’s bitch of a stepmother and father the satisfaction. Even though they can’t see the damage they did to me. Why do I even care? The answer’s simple…I fell in love.
Her pitying stare makes my heart hurt worse. I turn toward the window and peer out, ignoring my reflection in the glass. I hate myself for being weak, for falling for a guy I knew was bad news. My phone rings again, but I reach into my purse to shut it off.
“What happened at the regatta, London? You were so happy when you left.”
I scoff. “Yeah, until Alyssa Worthington shows up parading around with a ten-pound engagement ring on her finger. Apparently, Max was with her last night.”
Kim gasps. “Seriously? What an asshole.”
The anger comes back with a vengeance. “Oh, and that’s not all.” Clenching my fists, I turn to her, my cheeks hotter than fire. “His dad had the gall to say I was nothing but a minimum wage waitress used as a fuck buddy to quell his son’s needs before walking down the aisle.”
Kim’s mouth gapes. “Holy shit. I’d love to ram a hot ass poker up his ass and say it quells my need to punish him for being a dick. What kind of man says that crap to someone?”
“A man like Sheldon Richmond,” I say through gritted teeth. Tears form in my eyes. They burn, but I refuse to let them fall. “Things were going great there for a while. I was sitting with Kitty and Mark, drinking mimosas, and having a good time. Max’s mother is so sweet.”
Kim huffs. “Obviously, he didn’t get the sweetness from her.”
“Exactly,” I scoff.
Closing my eyes, I replay it all in my head. I don’t want to, but it’s like it’s on a rapid loop through my brain. I’m sitting there laughing and smiling, watching Max on the water. Everything feels right. But then it all goes to shit when Sheldon and Brandy Richmond show up with Alyssa. I’ve never hated anyone in my life, but I loathe them. They’re bad people. You can feel their toxicity oozing off them in droves. How miserable do you have to be to cut someone down the way they do?
I shrug. “I feel like such an idiot, Kim. Why would Max use me like that? How could he do it?”
“Because men suck major assholes, my dear friend. Sometimes I think I need to be a lesbian. Women know what other women want.”
She has a point, but something tells me it doesn’t matter if I’m with a guy or girl. There will always be complications. Love is never easy, especially with my luck. I have one failed marriage under my belt, and I’ve been used by another man who I thought cared for me. Guess it goes to show how naïve I am.
“I’m going on a detox while we’re away,” I say in all honesty. “A man detox.”
Kim giggles. “So, will I. Then again, I don’t think we’ll have much of a choice in Maine. Your parents live in the middle of nowhere. There probably isn’t a man our age in sight.”
After everything that happened at the regatta, the only place I knew I could retreat to was Maine. My parents are ecstatic to have me and Kim stay at their house for a few days. They think we’re coming there for vacation, but in all honesty, I’m running away. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to Newport. My job is gone, which in a way, really sucks. I won’t get the management position now. All that hard work was for nothing.
“We’ll be fine,” I promise her. “Remember, a man detox. Maine is a beautiful state. We can go to the beach and go hiking in Acadia National Park.”
“How long are you planning on staying? I need to head back to Rhode Island in a few days.”
How long? I don’t know exactly. I look over at her and sigh. “I’ll stay as long as it takes.”
Even though Maine isn’t where I grew up, it feels like home. Then again, my parents are probably laying on the charm pretty thick because they want me to stay. I can’t complain though. I’ve missed them.
They bought a small farmhouse on a couple acres of land. It’s not much, but they’re really happy with it. They have a chicken coop in the backyard, a beehive where they raise their own bees for honey, and an empty barn that could house several animals. In a way, I hope it stays empty or else they’ll have me out there mucking the stalls. I never thought my parents’ dreams were to
