Chase: I’m so sorry. I screwed up. I want to make it up to you.
Blocked. The message wouldn’t go through.
My stomach growled. It’d been who knows how long since I’d eaten, or showered for that matter. I shuffled into the kitchen but couldn’t get excited about the ingredients I’d purchased for my dinner with Tamra. Instead, I pulled out a beer. Because drinking on an empty stomach was sure to fix my problems.
After a few more beers, I tried again to text Tamra. Blocked. Apparently, I was a slow learner. I gave up for the night and poured myself into bed, miserable from my mistakes and with no clue how to make it right. How did you apologize for missing your apology date?
The next morning, I sat at my computer, but I had no words. What had flown freely the day before had dried up like a stream in summer. I forced myself to sit at my desk for over an hour with a cup of coffee, writing gibberish only to delete it. Pretty soon my open document looked like a naughty boy had been tasked with writing lines on a blackboard. I will not screw up again. I will apologize. If only typing it over and over again could make it true. I took a bike ride to try to clear my head, but every thought circled back to Tamra and what a mess I’d made of things.
A text message was waiting for me when I got back, and my heart rate accelerated until I realized it was only Jimmy.
Jimmy: How goes the apology tour? Did you grovel your way back into Tamra’s good graces?
Chase: I wish. That train never left the station. I messed it up.
Jimmy: HOW? You had ONE job.
Chase: I know! I got to writing, and you know me when I write ...
Jimmy: How long was your bender?
Chase: Honestly not sure. I finally surfaced about 3 hours after we were supposed to meet and called her.
Jimmy: And is she speaking to you?
Chase: No.
Jimmy: I don’t blame the woman. You’re lucky she didn’t light a match to your apartment with you still in it. We’re meeting for lunch and you’re buying. See you in thirty?
Chase: Deal. See you there.
I sighed and went to take a lightning quick shower before throwing on jeans and a T-shirt to meet Jimmy. I pulled up to our favorite brewpub in Tacoma on time, and I tried not to pat myself on the back so hard that I fell down. Showing up was simple, and I was kicking my own ass for not being on the ball when it was time to meet Tamra.
Jimmy had charmed the waitstaff into giving us our favorite table by the window, and I ordered a burger and beer without looking at the menu. Jimmy let me get settled before starting in on me.
“So. Apology didn’t go well, or at all really, and now she’s not talking to you? Is that about the size of it?” he asked.
Frustration leaked into my voice. “I can’t believe I stood her up. I knew how important last night was, but I just ... lost track of time.” I rubbed my hands through my hair, gripping the back of my neck. I hated the pity on Jimmy’s face. But this was all my own fault.
“Do you want to try to apologize—again? Or is she that forgettable?” he asked pointedly.
“She’s not forgettable at all. She’s all I think about. That’s part of the problem. I can’t get her out of my head, to the point that this latest book has become all about her. I try so hard not to write autobiographically, because hey, in real life I suck at romance, but this book, it’s all her.” I couldn’t sit still, and my hands made their trek from hair to neck to table again.
“Did you tell her that?”
“I didn’t get the chance. She’s blocked my number on her phone.”
“Are you going to give up?”
My jaw firmed. “No. Abso-fuckly not.”
“You’re making up curse words now, so the creativity must be flowing. How are you going to win her back?”
I sighed. “I’m not sure I can, but I’m going to try. I’ve been plotting all day, but I’m worried most of my ideas are more creepy than romantic.”
“Lay them on me. Your social acceptability radar is usually about fifteen degrees off-center, but I haven’t been slapped once when I didn’t truly deserve it,” Jimmy finished with a wicked smile.
“Okay, here goes. I thought I could make a big romantic gesture, like sending her flowers. But not just to her home; to her work. Hell, I’d arrange for them to arrive while she’s at the grocery store if I could manage it. Truly shower her in flowers.”
“I get what you’re going for, but A) super creepy, and B) you’ve described Tamra as uber practical. You think a woman like that wants hundreds of dollars of death sent to her?”
“Death? Flowers aren’t death, they’re romantic.” Jimmy didn’t look convinced. “She may be practical, but she also devours romance novels. There’s the heart of a romantic in there, and I think maybe she’d appreciate the gesture. Especially at the hospital, she’s probably surrounded by flower deliveries for other people. I imagine it would make her feel invisible over time. I want to show her that she’s important to me and make her feel special.”
Jimmy nodded. “I’m willing to concede that receiving flowers at work isn’t all that terrible, but absolutely no flowers anywhere else. Again, creepy. I doubt that’s enough to do it though, what else have you got?”
“Food. We first bonded over food, especially recipes and cooking. I thought I could get her townhome manager to let me in to make her a decadent meal for when she comes home from work.”
“Why would
