Page 121 of Love Undecided
Remi sits down just then. She’s wearing a very sheer white peasant blouse, pulled low off the shoulders, with a black lacy bra underneath, paired with a full, knee length black skirt and some sassy, red, peep-toe wedge sandals. I don’t know how she gets away with wearing some of the things she does at her office.
“How’d you fuck up everything with sexy not-ex that I so painstakingly put back together last night? Wasn’t it any good?” she asks.
“Last night was amazing!” And I proceed to tell her what I’ve just told Lexie. Apologizing to Lexie for having to hear it twice. But when I get past the parts I’ve already told Lexie and to the part about Brad and I not being together, Remi says, “That is so not the guy who was texting me last night. I find it hard to believe that guy would ever leave you.”
My eyes start to fill with tears. “Why do I always fuck this up?” I ask.
“You haven’t fucked anything up. It’s just a little fight. Fights happen all the time,” Lexie says.
“What if it isn’t just a little fight? What if I’ve finally gotten what I want and I’ve just thrown it away? It wasn’t even that important to talk to the perp. I just dug my heels in when he said no. Why didn’t I get an intuitive feeling then that told me to shut up? I’m so stupid,” I say.
“Oh shit, I got salsa on my blouse, I’ll be right back,” Remi says.
“I don’t see anything,” I say. But she’s already heading for the ladies room. In her defense, she is way more particular about clothes than either Lexie or I are.
Remi returns to the table a short while later and we order our food. I tell them about the case and how it all played out and how my intuitive feelings helped. And I tell them about Gil and I swear that by the time I’ve finished, they feel sorry for him too.
“It’s weird to feel sorry for someone whose actions are so repellant, right?” I ask.
“Yes,” says Remi. “But we are more feeling sorry for the boy that he was and the life that he could have had then we are the adult pedophile of today.”
“You think so?” Lexie asks.
“Definitely,” Remi says.
“Well, that would make me feel better. To know that I’m not sympathizing with someone I’d like to see rot in hell,” I say. “Even though I really kind of am sympathizing with him.”
“I still say it’s normal,” Remi says. “But more importantly, cheers to a job well done, my kick-ass crime fighting friend!” She raises her glass toward the middle of the table.
I blush at the compliment, but of course still cheers to it.
My phone dings with a text from Brad. My breath catches in my throat. I open it and it looks like a picture. Of a green blob.
“What is this?” I show the picture to the girls.
“Beats me,” Lexie says.
“It looks like a tree to me,” Remi says. I look closer and she’s right.
I get another text from Brad.
Brad: Currently watching Ethan rescue a parrot and a cat from a tree.
Me: A bird and a cat? You’re texting me this, why?
Brad: Lady accidentally let the $10,000 bird out. Apparently he likes it in the tree. Cat jumped on the opportunity, pun intended, now both are stuck about 20’ up. Thought you’d enjoy it.
Me: I’m sorry, did you say $10,000 bird?!?!
Brad: Yep. And that’s Ethan half in half out of the telescope platform trying to get in a position to at least rescue one or the other.
Me: So that’s what the picture is. It looked more like a green blob.
Me: For some reason I thought you’d be texting me an apology.
Brad: Apology? For what?
Brad: Wait, are you saying YOU’RE mad at ME?
