Page 26 of Single Mom's Guide to Love

Ms. Banks,

Sorry about the confusion, but it turns out the client will be available to meet tomorrow afternoon at the designated time. Directions and an address are attached to this correspondence. If for some reason you have already booked another appointment, please let us know your next availability, and we will move all of our meetings to make it happen. We look forward to meeting with you and thank you again for your cooperation.

Best,

Katherine Smith

I roll my eyes, wondering if this is finally going to happen. The cancellations and the reschedulings have been going on for months now. And while this might be the closest we’ve ever gotten to it happening, I’m still not holding my breath.

No, we’ll wait and see.

And until then, I’m going to sleep on my very expensive, comfortable couch with my son resting peacefully on my lap. And for just these few moments, I’ll relish in the fact that I’m not a bad mom.

Just a very tired one.

guide to love rule #77

If men have one thing in common, it’s that they all have the audacity. It just manifests itself differently.

8

maeve

I’m notone to waste hours in the day. The second my alarm goes off, I’m up and my day is starting. No rest for the wicked. Or Maeve Banks.

But this morning I decided to take my time. I had no faith that the lunchtime meeting with Katherine Smith’s boss was actually going to happen, so I was in no rush. I took Jayce to school in a pair of stylish pajamas. I treated myself to coffee and a breakfast wrap. I even took the time to throw in a load of laundry before settling in for my workday, which I was going to do from home. But even then it was just checking emails and making sure nothing was pressing. I put on a comfy lounge set, made myself some tea, and sat back waiting for the email to come that was going to inevitably say “we need to cancel.”

And I kept waiting.

And waiting.

I’d still be waiting if I didn’t look at a clock. And because I tried to be a go-with-the-flow woman today, everything that happened between realizing I had to get ready and now has been working against me.

It started with the shower I tried to take being ice cold. Then my hair straightener sparked mid flat iron, nearly causing a fire,which is why my hair is pulled back into a tight bun. Because I’ve been gone, my outfit options were limited, so I’m wearing a pantsuit that makes me feel old. And of course, today was the day that I forgot how to put on eyeliner and poked myself in the eye, making me need to dig into the luggage I haven’t unpacked to find my glasses. Then of course I realized how late I was running, which is why I’m now hauling ass on I-65 and putting on lipstick while steering with my knee.

This is my punishment for taking my time.

As I signal around to head into the left lane because everyone is going too slow for me today, my Bluetooth rings.

I take what I just said back,thisis my punishment.

“Hello, Josh.”

My ex-husband doesn’t call me a lot. Usually things we need to discuss are easily done over text messages. Which, funny enough, is how our relationship used to go. So when I am blessed with a phone call, I know I need to buckle in.

“Don’t sound so excited to talk to me.”

“I’m on my way to a meeting. What do you need?”

“Why do you assume I need something?”

I let out a sigh. “I don’t have time for this today.”

“Story of our lives.”

I don’t know if he said that to get a rise out of me, but even if he didn’t, he’s not wrong. It was one of the reasons why our marriage barely lasted a calendar year. I was building my business and working a ton. At the time, he was a bartender who barely worked full-time hours.

“I have ten minutes, Josh. Talk fast.”

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