Page 6 of It Couldn't Be You
“Talking about journaling,” Ricky said, patting the couch behind him.
“Well, we thought Emma could relate to Maggie’s story about her friend,” Katie said, drawing us back into the group conversation.
“What’s the story?” I asked, turning from Gabe.
“Oh, I was telling them how I have a friend who has broken up with all her past boyfriends for the silliest reasons. Like she dumped her last boyfriend because he didn’t like Taco Casa,” Maggie said.
“Wow, I am definitely back in Texas,” Gabe said, sitting up but still on the back of the couch.
“Wait, how could I relate to that?” I asked.
“You love Casa sauce. You would use like ten packets,” Gabe said.
“No, no, Katie said Emma dumps guys like that,” Ricky said, running his fingers over his buzzcut.
“Emma dumps guys over fast-food restaurants?” Gabe crinkled his nose quizzically.
“I do not do that.” I rolled my eyes.
“Kind of…” Katie winced.
“How does shekind ofdo that?” Gabe asked.
“Oh, you know how Emma was with guys,” Katie said.
“No, how was Emma with guys?” Gabriel asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Emma always has her disqualifiers,” Katie said as if this were fact. “And sometimes they’re just as ridiculous as the Taco Casa thing.”
“I did not know this,” Gabe said, liking this conversation too much.
“It is such an Emma thing. I could just wait a few weeks after Emma declared her love for someone for her to say, ‘Well, he’s really great, but he eats too much tuna.’”
“I have never stopped liking a guy over tuna,” I defended myself.
“What’s so wrong with tuna?” Ricky asked, defensive of tuna, apparently.
“Yes, yes, you did,” Katie said, her voice rising. “That guy we met at the campus cafeteria. The two of you were always flirting and making eyes at each other, and then he finally came over and asked for your number at the end of the semester… And you told him flat-out no. When I asked you why, you said that he ate too much tuna.”
“Okay, well, first of all, I never even knew him well enough to like him. He was just my cafeteria crush. Secondly, I had started dating someone else by the time he finally asked for my number,” I said. “But he did, likealwayshave a tuna sandwich every time I saw him, which is weird.”
“See,” Katie exclaimed, tipsy with wine and happy. This made Maggie burst into her own wine-fueled giggles.
“You’d already started dating someone. You heartbreaker. Poor cafeteria crush.” Gabe shook his head sympathetically.
“You better act before it’s too late,” I said without thinking, looking him straight in the eyes. The wine was making me speak and move quickly—impulsive.
He didn’t look away.
“But, like with tuna guy, there was always this one random thing that ruined every guy for Emma,” Katie said. “Except Jordan. He can do no wrong in your eyes.”
“Ah, so Jordan is flawless?” Gabe’s cheeks were red from the merlot as he spoke.
“Jordan isn’t flawless, trust me.” I instantly regretted saying it. Why did I say that? Katie looked confused at me because I hadn’t told Katie about any of Jordan’s breakup-worthy flaws. I hadn’t even dared to tell myself any.
“Dang,” Ricky muttered.
“What are his flaws?” Gabe challenged me. “I bet you can’t think of one.”
