Page 58 of My Favorite Lost Cause
His head tilts. “No? Kristen told me she’d shared the hall pass thing with you. I was so fucking embarrassed, but…I assumed you knew I was interested.”
I love that he’s so open. I love that he’s not acting diffident, not keeping his cards close to his chest. I wish I could tell him that all this sounded great to me, and itdoessound great. It just doesn’tfeelgreat.
“Harvey and I are not even officially separated yet, so I hadn’t even begun to think about dating.” It’s not true, but it’s easier than sayinggive me some time to convince myself. “I just need a little time to get myself together?”
“Of course,” he replies, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand.
He pays the bill, and we begin to move through the restaurant. We’re nearly to the door when my phone buzzes.
Charlie
I’m outside. I’ll give you a ride home.
How does he even know I’m here? It doesn’t matter. My whole body is weak with relief. He isn’t going home with someone else.
“Charlie’s date went badly,” I announce. “He’s waiting outside.”
Andrew’s brow furrows at that, but he says nothing. He walks me to the door. “I’ll investigate the house situation alittle,” he says. “And you’ll let me know when you’re ready to date?”
“I will,” I say, kissing his cheek before I head toward Charlie’s idling car and climb inside.
“Kiss on the cheek,” Charlie scoffs. “Sad end to a sad night.”
I click my seat belt. “It was a lovely night, actually. And you’re one to talk about sad nights. What happened?”
He pulls onto the oak-lined road that will lead us to the highway. “She had a magnet on her fridge that made me lose all respect for her.”
I turn toward him, grinning. “You ended it over a fridge magnet. Was this magnet…pro Hitler? A Confederate flag? I’m really struggling to imagine what magnet could offend you to this extent.”
“It saidLive, laugh, love,” he replies, as if this is an entirely reasonable answer. “What is that supposed to do? Does she assume I was not planning to live, laugh, or love, but now that I’ve seen it on her refrigerator, I’ll think twice? Does she forget to do those things and simply need a reminder?”
“You’re being incredibly picky, Charles.”
“This from a woman now dating Andrew, a man whose only redeeming quality is that he’s not Harvey.”
I let my head rest against the window as I turn toward him again. “I’m not dating him, and he has other qualities.”
“Name one.”
I sigh. “He’s nice. He has a good job. He’s being decent to his ex as they divorce and he’s helping us with the house. He—” I pause because I’m struggling to think of anything else.
“You can’t come up with a goddamn thing you like about this guy other than the fact that he doesn’t belittle you the way Harvey did,” Charlie says. “Not a single goddamn thing. Is he attractive? Is he interesting? Is he charming? Is he powerful?”
“He’s attractive enough.”
He sneers. “That’s a no, then, to all of it.”
“Why do you care?” I demand, and he blinks, as if he’s been caught at something, just as the light turns green.
“Maybe because you’ve got terrible taste in men, and I don’t want to see you making another mistake.”
“That’s rich, Charlie,” I snap. “You were just about to fuck a girl you’d never met and got turned off by herfridge magnet, while my ‘terrible taste’ led to dinner with a guy who said he’s ready to settle down and have kids.”
“And you want children so badly that you would essentially prostitute yourself to get them,” he accuses.
“I wouldn’t be prostituting myself,” I argue. “He’s a great guy.”
“You’re way happier with me,” he replies.
