“See, that’s a dick move. You probably traumatized him.”
“Nope.” Evan plucked a strawberry from the rim of his glass and popped it in his mouth with a grin. “What I did was exchange blow jobs with him in the locker room after gym class in tenth grade.”
“Men are the worst.”
“What? He wasn’t traumatized. He had a crush on me, too.”
“I just mean, you think sex fixes everything.”
Evan picked up the bar menu and started perusing the appetizers. He raised an eyebrow at Lauren. “Ah, I see what has you all riled up. He frustrates you. You say you hate him. But you still want to bang him.”
Lauren sighed and looked around for the waitress so she could order another martini.
“I mean, I get it,” said Evan. “He’s foxy.”
“He’s not… That’s not what I…”
Evan just grinned.
Okay, Lauren was attracted to Caleb, and he was quite foxy, but she was not in the habit of sleeping with people she found annoying—or sleeping with anybody, really, since it had been awhile—and it seemed like a bad idea to bang the guy who worked next door. They didn’t exactly work together, but if things went wrong, which they totally would, she’d still have to see him.
Of course, he seemed to be avoiding her. He hadn’t stopped in for coffee since that first day. He probably didn’t have much fondness for her, either.
Whatever, it didn’t matter. Caleb was an infuriating man. If Lauren slept with anyone, it would be with someone with whom she got along, someone she had mutual respect with.
Evan pursed his lips and gazed at the menu. “I want something salty. You want to share a bowl of their homemade potato chips?”
“Sure.” But before Evan could flag down the waitress, she said, “You know, you’re one to talk.”
Evan scoffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If sex fixes everything, then why are you here with me and not with Pablo the barista?”
Evan shrugged. “I’m playing the long game. He did get a job at the bookstore, so I guess I’ll have to catch up on my reading.”
“Right.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
Evan successfully got the waitress’s attention, and after they ordered several appetizers and Lauren ordered two more martinis because happy hour was almost over, Evan said, “This doesn’t have anything to do with Derek, does it?”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“I’m sorry, just the timing. I know you don’t want to get back together with Derek, but his wedding photos have been all over my social media feeds, too, and I know that can’t be easy.”
“No, it has nothing to do with Derek. Well, not directly. I mean, yeah, seeing him all happy with his new wife is not exactly filling me with warm fuzzies, but that’s not it. I’ve made a decision.”
“Yeah?”
“Derek was… I mean, he’s a great guy, but being with him didn’t really make me happy, nor did the stupid rebound fling with Jason the Math Tutor. You know what I’ve decided? To find what makes me happy. Working at the café makes me happy. Rescuing cats makes me happy. Spending time with my friends makes me happy.” She reached over and gave Evan a soft punch on the shoulder. “Even when they irritate me. So I’ve decided rather than pursue some relationship just for kicks and sexual gratification, especially with a guy I hate, who probably thinks I’m an idiot, I’m going to focus on the things that make me happy. I want to build a fulfilling life. If I happen to meet a nice man, great, but if not, that’s okay, too. As long as I’m happy.”
“All right.”
“You think that’s stupid, don’t you?”
Evan shook his head. “I mean, you do you. I want you to be happy, too. But I couldn’t go that long without sex.”
“Are men lining up outside your apartment while you’re playing the long game with Pablo, or…”
“Shut up.” Evan scowled at her for a moment. Then he said, “Oh, speaking of, I ran into that girl Jen who used to work at Star Café. The really tall ginger? She works at the wings place in the Atlantic Center now.”
“Sure, I remember her.”
“She told me the reason it closed is there’s some up-and-coming developer buying up buildings in the neighborhood and jacking up the rents. He thinks the proximity to the Barclays Center will bring in some big-money tenants.”
Lauren grimaced. “Right. Because what this part of Brooklyn needs is more banks and cell phone stores.”
“I know.”
“One of the best parts of Whitman Street is that it’s so cute and full of mom-and-pop stores. Did Jen know what the Star Café is going to become?”
“No, just that the new owner raised the rent well beyond what the café could afford. Should we place bets?”
“Chain coffee shop.”
“Fast-food restaurant.”
Lauren winced. “Ugh. What did that video store near your place become?”
“A chain fried chicken place. And the bodega at the end of my block became a Duane Reade.”
“That tracks.”
Evan sighed. “Your block is so gosh-darn cute that I’d hate to see it go big corporate.”
“I think you’d have to pry the building from Diane’s cold, dead hands.”
“I can’t see her selling, either, but stranger things have happened. Remember that guy, Charlie, I dated? He used to live off Flatbush Avenue, before we dated. When they built the Barclays Center, he had to move because of eminent domain. There was a little old lady in his building who refused to move and delayed construction.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember that.”
“If this real estate developer plans to buy up most of the block, he could want to put in a big-box store or a mall or something.”
“Bad enough that the meat market gym is across the street.”
“Don’t knock the meat market. If I had a few hundred dollars to blow on a gym membership every month, I’d be trying to pick up rich jocks there.”
Lauren laughed. “Well, let’s hope the Star Café is the only
