Page 55 of Little Gray Dress

I feel myself nodding but also wondering if that’s true. “Maybe we missed some kind of signal?”

“Signal?” He grabs his beer and leans back in his chair, both Lily and I waiting for his response. “Maybe it’s a signal that he worked his ass off in college and he’s almost accomplished one of his goals. Do you guys have these conversations about me?”

“No,” says Lily, wildly trying to silently signal me to agree with her.

“Yes,” I say at the same moment, not quite picking up her signal quick enough and earning a confused look from Josh.

“Great.”

“You haven’t done anything completely stupid like this yet, so we haven’t really had to.” Lily plants a reassuring kiss upon his cheek.

“Jack’s not doing anything stupid,” Josh repeats to me.

“Maybe he isn’t, but don’t you think him pushing her aside for weeks at a time is a little risky?” Lily asks him. It seems that I’m being completely booted out of the conversation.

“How’s that?” he asks.

“What if he’s pushing her into the arms of some other attention-giving man?” Lily replies, clearly disgusted by Josh’s nonchalant attitude over this entire conversation.

“Is he?” He looks directly at me.

“Well… no,” I sigh. “But he could be.”

“But he’s not, and it’s not like you’re going to get tired of him and dump him, so I say, learn to live with it. He’s a hard-working guy and he wants to make the most of a career he loves. Either accept it or move on.”

“Have I ever told you I don’t love your latest taste in men?” I say to Lily, who nods in agreement before giggling.

“He’ll learn the ways of us soon enough.”

A roll of Josh’s eyes says maybe he won’t.

He could have a point, though. Up until now Jack and I have never had an issue, in fact, we’ve never even had a serious fight. Maybe he really is completely innocent, and this entire problem is quite possibly just in my head.

But then again… maybe he’s not. Men do these things; they get wrapped up in their work and decide they don’t have time for a relationship. What if that’s what this is?

“I’m just going to have to talk to him about it.”

“You should. Do it tonight… Surprise him at his office.”

“Yeah, great idea. Men love that… when women surprise us anywhere. Don’t do that if your relationship means anything to you.”

“I’ll do it.” I glance over at Josh who’s giving me the I warned you look. He doesn’t know everything; he just knows a man’s perspective. I respect that, but I know Jack. And something’s wrong.

I order our favorite meals from Pastini: tortellini gorgonzola for me and fettuccini alfredo with chicken for Jack. Pastini is the restaurant I choose to eat at whenever it’s my turn to choose. I go to the Piece of Cake bakery and grabbed an entire Fantasy Cake. Which is the best cake in the entire world… cheesecake on top of chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. It’s like a chocolate cheesecake heaven. I even grab a bottle of wine that cost more than $15. Jack should be more than impressed.

I probably should have considered how I’d get this all into the building before ordering every food item I adore, but sometimes the stomach speaks louder than the brain.

“Do you need help?” a voice behind me asks. When I glance back I see Rachel, Jack’s assistant, coming out of the stairwell. “Oh! Emi, it’s so good to see you.”

“Hey, Rachel. I’d love some help. I’m just bringing up dinner to Jack, I feel like I never see him anymore.”

“Oh… Jack actually isn’t in the office; didn’t he tell you?”

“Tell me?”

“He and Andy were meeting with a client in Seattle. They left first thing this morning.”

I drop the Pastini bag on the floor. “In Seattle?”

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