Page 49 of Best I Never Had

Natalia Marquez

Dern Tech Solutions, Inc.

I return my focus to my work. A new email from Mark pops up on my screen with the subject: Kirby-Barton Meeting. I open it, reading over the details and taking notes to prepare for the meeting tomorrow morning. I’m going over the meeting’s itinerary and counting down the last hour until I leave the office when my phone buzzes on my desk. When I check my screen, I see Hayden’s name light up on it.

“No, Hayden,” I answer with a smile. “I will not wear the Playboy bunny costume for you.”

I peer up and see Martha still at her desk. She glances at me but doesn’t smile this time. Instead, her lips purse together as she eyes me with one brow cocked. I stand and close the door to my office before walking back to my chair.

“Oh no,” he answers. “I smothered those dreams the second I realized how ridiculous I would look in a captain’s hat. I think Hef was the only man in the world that could pull that look off.”

“Referring to one of the world’s biggest misogynists as ‘Hef,’” I comment sarcastically. “That sounds promising.”

Hechuckles lightly from the other end. “Actually, I was calling to ask a favor.”

“Another? Marshall, you better make it worth my while,” I tease.

“More lemon tarts?” he asks, a pouty plea trickling through his offer.

“I’ll do anything,” I offer, feigning desperation. “I’ll wear the damn bunny costume to the wedding.”

Another chuckle. “I was wondering if you could go with me to pick out a wedding gift.”

“Oh,” I say.

“Yeah. I mean, I could go off the wedding registry, but I thought it would be more fun if I got them something personal.”

“I thought the whole idea of a wedding registry was to pick out a gift the couple wants,” I say, nudging my phone between my ear and shoulder as I distractedly scan over Mark’s email.

“I had another idea.” There’s a small pause in our back and forth. “Do you have any plans after work?”

“A bag of teriyaki beef jerky and season four ofNew Girl, which I’ve seen about eleven times.”

“So you’re free?”

“I’m free.”

“Great,” he answers. “I’ll meet you in front of your building at five.”

19

Hayden

senior year

I nudge Toby’s arm,urging him to slide over a few inches on the cafeteria bench to make room for me. As I sit, I look up to see Alex Spencer sitting next to Natalia at her table, surrounded by her friends. They’re facing each other, with his hands moving wildly in front of him before his movements pause and Natalia shakes her head. Her lips mouth an “I’m sorry” before his shoulders slump and he squeezes her shoulder. His hand lingers on her arm longer than necessary before sliding over her hand.

I smirk. He doesn’t stand a chance. A girl like Natalia needs someone complex, not superficial and dull like Alex. She needs someone who understands her witty sarcasm and dry humor. Most of all, she needs someone who understands that underneath all of that, there’s someone who is sweet and caring and thoughtful. While Natalia gives off the illusion of someone that doesn’t givea shit about all the frills and drama of high school, she still cares. She cares about the people important to her, like her friends and her family, especially her sisters. She cares about books and learning what the stories are trying to tell. And even though she’s rolled her eyes at me enough times to cause them to permanently remain in the back of her head, she cares about me too. She cares enough to make me smile when I need it, to listen to me when I need someone to talk to. She’s the only person in this whole school that knows about the situation with my dad, and yet she hasn’t judged me for my lack of will to fight for my future.

My eyes stay on Natalia, watching as Alex inches closer to her and offers her half of his Snickers bar before she takes a bite. I’m taken by surprise when Jenny approaches me. Her gaze follows mine to see me watching Natalia and Alex a little too closely.

“Natalia’s your lab partner, isn’t she?” she asks, more of a statement of fact than a question. Her tone carries the telltale signs of irritation as her eyes ping-pong from Natalia back to me. “She’s kind of cute, no?”

I shrug. “I guess.”

Jenny crosses her arms in front of her. “So you think she’s cute?”

I finally look away from Natalia and land my eyes on Jenny. Her arms remain crossed, her right foot sitting just a couple of inches in front of her left with her hip jutted outwards. Her brows curve upward, waiting for my answer.

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