Page 27 of Lessons in Heartbreak

My phone rang as I tightened the cap on my mascara, and the sight of my mom’s name had me smiling a little.

“Hey, world travelers,” I said after accepting the call. “Where are we today?”

“Portugal,” my mom answered. “We were in Spain a couple days ago, and it was wonderful. The architecture is absolutely divine.”

“Did you tell her we were in Spain?” my dad’s voice boomed in the background.

“I just did, Carl, didn’t you hear me say it?”

“No, I can’t hear anything with this shower on. Did you tell her we’re in Portugal?”

“Carl,” my mom sighed. “Either come in and talk to her, or just take your shower.”

I shook my head, hitting the speakerphone button so I could clean up my bathroom counter. The mirror hinged open to reveal the medicine cabinet, and I slid the mascara into its spot, then set the hair spray next to it. My prescriptions went to the right of that, and while I listened to my parents’ good-natured bickering, I straightened everything into place.

“Mom,” I interrupted. “I only have about five minutes before I need to be out the door.”

“Sorry, honey. How’s work going this week? Any news on the land?”

“No.” With the mirror closed, I took one last look at my reflection and flipped off the lights as I walked out. “We’ve got one more fundraiser, though. I’m hoping that’ll do it.”

“Well, let us know what happens.” She paused, covering the phone speaker, muffling her voice while she said something to my dad. “You taking care of yourself? You’re not staying up too late or anything, are you? You know how important sleep is.”

“Oh, should I not be going to raves until dawn? Might have to cancel my plans for tonight.”

Mom clucked her tongue. “I know. You’ve always been so responsible, but it’s harder than I thought, being away.”

Responsible.There was that word again. My own personal cross to bear.

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “If it makes you feel better, Lauren is pestering me to an adequate degree every day in your absence. I’m drinking my water and exercising and taking all my vitamins and medicine, and eating my vegetables and getting nine hours of sleep every night.” I slipped my feet into my shoes by the door. “Should I send you my blood pressure readings too?”

“All right,” she said. “I’ll stop.”

No wonder I was slightly neurotic. It was literally in the genes. “It’s okay, Mom. I know you guys worry.” I hitched my purse strap over my shoulder and patted Bruiser before I walked out the door. “I’m fine. I will be fine until you get home from your trip, which you should be enjoying because you’ve earned it.”

“We are, I promise. I’ll send you some pictures.” The sound of my car door had her pausing. “Where are you off to? Going to see Lauren?”

“No,” I said lightly. “I’m having drinks with a hooker, and then dinner with a professional athlete afterwards.”

She sighed. “Funny.”

Mom couldn’t see it, but my smile was grim. “I have my moments. Tell Dad I love him, okay?”

If the phone call from my parents was good for anything, it was that I hardly had any time to allow nerves a foothold in my stomach beforeI arrived at the address that Jimmy had emailed me. He was staying at a hotel in Fort Collins, which felt much safer than having him stay in town, and he’d picked a place about halfway in between. That also felt safer, because the thought of Lauren or Kenny walking through the door while I went on my bought-and-paid-for date with a sex worker made my brain explode.

Maybe, just maybe, you shouldn’t be doing this, then,an obnoxious voice hissed in the back of my mind. The voice sounded an awful lot like myself, and I blew out a harsh breath as I parked my car and walked briskly through the front doors, hand clutching my purse strap like it was the sole thing keeping me anchored to the ground.

Jimmy was waiting at a small table in a darkened corner of the room, and he stood with a friendly smile when I approached. Tonight, he was dressed in a deep-navy suit, his white oxford with two buttons left undone at the top, no tie.

Elegant. Understated.

To my utter relief, he did not look anything like a hooker.

“Thank you,” I told him when he pushed my chair in after I took a seat. His hands brushed over my shoulders before he settled into his own chair. Jimmy’s knee nudged mine under the table, and when he didn’t move it away, I adjusted my legs.

He merely smiled, eyes tracing my face. “I’m glad you came, Ruby. It would’ve been a shame if we’d missed the opportunity to get to know each other better.”

A shame. Uh-huh.

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