Page 10 of Clumsy in Love

“Long story,” Holly said. “One that ends with me all alone at the altar. I guess the idea of marrying me was just too much.”

“Oh,” Mark said, suddenly quiet. “Sorry.”

“Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses came on the radio, and she perked up, her attitude changing instantly. “Ooh. Great song. Turn it up.”

“This isn’t an Uber ride,” Cole said.

“Obviously,” she said then muttered something about a two-star rating.

“We could have arrested you, you know?”

“For what? Being clumsy? If that were a thing, I’d live half my life in jail.”

“Drunk and disorderly conduct. Inciting a riot. Destruction of private property. Assault.” He listed several crimes that sounded like a big deal but would never hold up in court.

“You’re kind of an asshole,” she said. “No offense.”

Mark burst out laughing, and Cole rolled his eyes. He hit the brakes a tad harder than needed, and she lurched forward, shooting him a dirty look.

“Hotel New York,” he said. “Have a nice life.”

Mark got out to open the rear door, said goodbye, and slumped back into his seat. “She’s cute.” He raised both eyebrows.

“Shut up.” Cole glared.

“Too bad we’ll never see her again.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Holly woke with a slight headache. After her ride of shame back to the hotel, she’d showered and washed her blouse in the sink. Then she ate her cache of snacks and drank a bottle of water, hoping to avoid a hangover.

Sleeping in was a rare luxury, and she took her time getting out of the soft, indulgent king-sized bed. Finally, she got up and dressed for a day of sightseeing. No more heels, that was for sure.

First things first, she stopped at the first hole-in-the-wall cafe she came across and ordered pancakes, eggs, and coffee. Once again, she sat at the counter so as not to look so obviously alone. While waiting for her food, she planned her day and texted her friends about the previous night’s run-in with the law.

Were the cops hot?Faith texted.

Holly replied with an eye roll emoji. Both cops were pretty cute, especially the one with the chip on his shoulder. But she’d never see them again,andshe’d sworn off men, so it didn’t matter.

Over pancakes and eggs, she answered a call from her mom, who had, of course, heard about what had happened. Holly explained that she didn’t know why Rick had bailed and confirmed repeatedly that she was fine. She cut the call short, saying she’d be in touch once she had more information.

After breakfast, she returned to Times Square for the bus tour. It was a hop-on, hop-off type of thing that hit all the big touristy spots. She got off in the financial district, saw the bull on WallStreet, the 9/11 Memorial, and Battery Park. Then ate lunch at a bar that George Washington supposedly frequented.

After lunch, she rode the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and then caught the bus again to return north. Everything was concrete and metal—skyscrapers, scaffolding, traffic lights, cars, and buses.

Sure, every so often, the bus would pass a block of green trees, and there were itty bitty parks here and there, but nothing like what she was used to at home. It had barely been two days, and already she missed the mountains.

The noise, the constant motion, and the chaos of the city weren’t nearly as appealing as she imagined they would be. Just this afternoon, she’d narrowly escaped being run over by a taxi, come within a whisker of being hit by a bike messenger, been yelled at by multiple people for walking too slow, and been turned away at several locations while trying to find a bathroom. She finally found a restroom and took care of that need. But a different kind of nature called. And in this city of cement, she’d take what she could get.

She stayed on the bus and rode it north to the south entrance of Central Park. Immediately, she relaxed, and the farther she went into the park, the closer to home she felt.

At some point, she knew she’d have to drill down on her emotions and deal with getting dumped. It was integral to moving on. Was it possible Rick wasn’t ready for marriage but still wanted to date? No, that wasn’t a thing. She had to assume Rick had broken up.

While she walked, she analyzed her feelings. Shocked, embarrassed, curious as to why, and, if she was being honest, miffed that she’d wasted so much time and money on the wedding. He couldn’t have bailed outbeforeshe purchased a dress and hired a caterer?

A few feelings seemed to be missing—devastation, sadness, longing. All the things someone totally in love would presumably be dealing with. Quite frankly, she didn’t feel anything. Except perhaps relief.

She bought a pretzel and sat on one of the hundreds of benches. She was finally ready to admit what she’d known deep down for a while. What she suspected Rick knew or could feel too. She wasn’tinlove with Rick. They were great friends, worked well together, and had lots of fun. And, yes, she loved him. It just wasn’t soulmate, can’t-live-without-you love. Her friends had been right about the missing spark.

---