Page 58 of Perfect Date
She answers after two rings, “How’s the hair?” Kimberly asks knowing I had an appointment, “And why don’t I have a photo of it yet?”
“It’s really great. I got some highlights and did a side swept bang that I really like.”
“Oh, sounds super cute,” she says. “Sending that picture now?”
“Yeah, in a minute, but hey, I need to ask you something.”
“Sounds serious,” she says and crunches loudly in my ear.
“What are you eating?”
“Chips, don’t judge me. I didn’t eat enough at dinner and now I have the munchies. Don’t talk about it.”
“Okay… anyway, while I was getting my hair done, I found out some interesting information.”
“Of course you did. Everyone does when they get their hair done. She’s like an epicenter for gossip. What was it this time? Did some patient try to say you stabbed them in the lip, or that you were trying to tell them they have a gum infection when they don’t? Who was it? Don’t let it bother you, this is typical.”
“No, nothing like that. And I’ve never stabbed anyone in the lip.”
“Yet. Just wait until they move on you.”
“Kimberly, I’m seriously. You’re distracting me.”
“Sorry. This really is serious.”
“She told me that Justin used to be engaged-“
“That’s interesting.”
“Yeah, but she said that he was engaged to this girl named Sam that I actually met. She’s a bartender at Greedy Goose.”
“Okay… is there more to it?”
“What? What more do you need?”
“Okay, sorry but at the expense of you thinking I’m stupid, I have to admit that I’m not seeing the problem here. Can you spell this out for me? Maybe I need to stop eating chips.”
“What do chips-“ I start to ask then stop. “Never mind. The problem is that they were engaged and they’re still working together. I just have this intuition from when I met her that she still has feelings for him and what if he does her too?”
“Ask him then,” she says simply.
“What? Just… ask him?”
“Well yeah, why not? How else will you know?”
“I guess…”
“Look, you like him,” Kimberly says and I remain quiet. She’s not asking, she’s stating because she knows, “Then if you’re worried about wasting any more time on him, ask him about it. Simple as that.”
“Yeah, I suppose…”
“Charlie, the man made it a point to be there and to talk to you each time you had a date at his restaurant. He eavesdropped. He made an appointment at the practice just so he could talk to you and get you to go on a date.”
“A fake date.”
“No way, it’s not fake to him, I guarantee it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
