“You’re cutting it close.” Beth tapped her watch as I joined her in the queue for the theatre. “I thought you forgot our movie date.”
“Sorry. Yoga ran long, and I had to shower and change.” Balancing my bag of popcorn and water bottle, I wrangled my phone from my pocket and located my e-ticket. “I texted.”
“One lousy line.” She glared. “At bedtime.” Her eyes narrowed. “I spent Monday worrying about you, and then you cancelled for Tuesday.”
“Will you ever forgive me?” I did my best rendition of puppy dog eyes. “It’s been crazy.”
“Unless crazy is a euphemism for ‘hot guy who’s helping me get over my exes had me pinned to the mattress,’ you’re not forgiven.”
I presented my phone to the sullen teenager at the wicket and followed my friend into the theatre.
“Is that what happened?” Beth asked as we located our seats. “Some random hot dude, making you forget all your troubles?”
I smothered a snort and shovelled a handful of popcorn into my mouth.
“Ahhh. Avoidance. As long as you didn’t sleep with Jake, or contact Jake, or pine over Jake, you’re forgiven.” She looked at me. “Oh, crap. Pining. I knew it!”
“You sound surprised.” What else would I do in this situation besides overthink, overanalyze, overreact, and then curl up in a ball and cry it all out for endless hours, periodically peeking at the massive bouquet from Jake? Ha. This woman called herself my best friend.
“Well, call me an optimist. Sue me for harbouring some hope that you’d broken out of your usual self-destructive pattern, realized the danger you’re in, and ended it. You did, right?” The suspicion in her eyes told me she wasn’t fooled. “Call him and end it!”
“I will. I’ve been busy.”
“You’re trying my patience. Get unbusy and do it. Tonight.”
Well, touché. “Speaking of being pinned to the mattress, what’s happening with you and Greg? That was some heavy-duty flirting, and you went home with him.”
A delicate flush rose in her cheeks. “Not that you deserve an answer, but that man is not only smoking hot, but a total sweetheart. We’re going for dinner on Saturday.”
“Mister Blond n’ Blue-eyes sucked you right in,” I said under my breath as music blared and the previews began.
Beth nudged me with her elbow. “What was that?”
“Shhh. Oh, that looks good,” I pointed at the screen.
“Yeah. Right.” My friend adjusted her glasses and reclined her seat. “Don’t think I’ll forget,” she whispered.
No, of course not, but there was still hope. Maybe my reprieve would last beyond the end of the movie.
As we dropped our garbage into the bins and exited onto the sidewalk, a gleam appeared in my friend’s eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?” Beth tugged me to a halt. “You did the deed with Jake again on the weekend, and now you’re depressed.”
“You did the deed with Greg. What’s your point?”
“Greg’s not my ex.”
“Worse. You’re getting all gushy over him. A one-night stand, fine, but you’re winding yourself up for more. You’re warning me to be careful with Jake when you should be taking care not to fall too hard for Mister Blond n’ Blue-eyes. You barely know the man.”
“You know his friend.” A hopeful lilt coloured her voice.
“Do I?” That was debatable. The current grownup Jake was an enigma. Widower, now-a-daddy Jake existed on virtually another planet. At this moment, he was probably buried in childcare arrangements, diapers, and doctor’s appointments.
“Why are you so against me being happy?”
I bit my lip, stalling all the things that wanted to fly from my mouth. “I love you, Beth, and you deserve a strong, loving man. A man who will put you first. Is Greg him? I have no idea.” My lovely friend had been shattered by an endless stream of faithless lying cheaters. The aftermath was exhausting and painful to watch.
“At least I don’t run whenever a guy pays too much attention.”
Ouch. Is that what she thought? “I’m beat.” I smothered a yawn.
Beth sighed, but fell into step as we trudged uphill toward home, a steady flow of vehicles swishing by us. Her downturned lips and shimmering eyes made me wonder if I’d been too harsh. This rare and precious woman deserved more than the spineless players that lurked in the dark corners of every club.
“I’m just Jake’s diversion,” I said when I could no longer ignore her sighs and sideways looks. “Maybe not even that. Even he admits that his life is messed up and us being together is wrong. You don’t need to worry.”
“Ummm … I believe I do, actually.”
“No. I told him we shouldn’t continue whatever this is.” I focussed on the ground, kicking at a small stone and sending it skittering across the pitted cement as we headed toward the front door of my building.
“Amara …”
“It’s not running. It’s being sensible.”
“What is?” asked a deep and familiar voice.
“Traitor.” I mouthed at Beth before turning toward the man leaning against my building with a small package tucked under one arm. “Why are you here?”
“Many reasons, actually, work being one of them,” he said.
“I’m Beth.” The traitor extended her hand. “We meet at last. Properly, at least.”
Jake smiled, that adorable dimple in his right cheek appearing as he gripped her hand. “What has Amara been telling you?”
“Umm, not much.”
That was at least partially true. Most of what she knew came from Greg or the bits she’d dragged from me during my self-defence mode. Besides, sharing too much would break my beautiful fantasy world. The one I clung to in those wee hours before dawn when sleep evaded me; the hours when I pretended a future with Jake was possible.
“Uh-huh.” One of his brows rose the tiniest bit.
“I should go,” Beth said. “Nice to meet you, Jake. I’ll call you later, Mar.” She hugged me, whispering in my ear, “Hell, he’s even sexier in person. No more shenanigans.” As she walked away,
