Page 60 of Plot Twist
@jamesthetangto quote John Waters, “If you go home with somebody, and they don’t have books, don’t fuck ’em.”
@tokcrafty2meJust be yourself, Soph
25
SOPHIE
O’Gradys was not a bar Sophie was familiar with, but when she entered, she had to allow her eyes to adjust because...damn, the place was dark. Like, they had not paid their electric bills and just decided the glow from people’s phones would have to suffice. Still, she managed to walk forward with her hands outstretched, feeling around to make sure she didn’t bump into anything.
She spotted an open two-top table and made her way toward it. She had no idea if Kyle was even there yet. But with her luck, if she tried searching the restaurant, she’d trip and knock herself unconscious on a plate of hot wings. She sat down, took out her phone, and sent a text.
Here! At a table.
She drummed her fingers along the wooden tabletop. She wasn’t nervous to see Kyle, exactly, but she’d been a very different person when they were together. She’d allowed their relationship to be unbalanced, like how she’d gone to every one of his stand-up shows, but he’d never even offered to read the book pages she worked on.
To distract herself, she swiped open her phone and went into her messages. There was Dash’s name, but nothing new. She shouldn’t even be looking at his texts. He wasn’t an option. But then she couldn’t help wondering what dry joke he’d make about a bar like this one.
Sophie exhaled as she typed a message, but to Carla—the person she needed to focus on.Miss you, she typed, then deleted because those words didn’t feel right.How’s your night going?she wrote instead, then hit Send.Her phone pinged, and she was surprised to hear from Carla so quickly but was soon disappointed.
Unfunny Kyle:Coming.
Sophie looked up and saw his long, lanky arms first—Kyle was duck-under-doors tall. She needed to get their meeting over with, so she stood and stretched out her arms to go in for the hug.
“Hey.” She wrapped him in a tight, meaningful hug and held him there for a few seconds. He froze, but eventually softened and gave her aThere, therekind of hug back. Which...fine, she would take whatever meant that he was willing to have a conversation. When they broke apart, she added, “It’s good to see you.”
She lied.She had to, otherwise her memories would force her to flee the restaurant.
“You, too,” he answered hesitantly.
“This is a really interesting spot.” She tried to make small talk and rocked back on her heels, wishing she could speed up to the part of the night where she got to leave.
“Yeah, I’ve been here for about three years now,” he dryly said.
Oh, great. He was leading with sarcasm, trying to make her feel bad because, apparently, he’d been waiting for her to show up. She took a deep breath in and braced for more.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“Oh, you don’t have to get me anything. Let’s just sit and catch up.” She sat down at the table and waited for him to do the same, but he just stood there.
“I have other tables.” He looked at her then, holding a pad of paper and a pen, which is when she realized that this person wasnotin fact Kyle but the waiter.
Which was made even more apparent when an equally tall man with slicker hair and a ratty T-shirt came up and sat down at the table across from Sophie.
“Ordering without me?”
She looked at the waiter, then at Kyle. “God, I’m so sorry,” she told the waiter.
But Kyle, in very Kyle fashion, assumed she was talking to him. “Appreciate the apology. I’ll have a double vodka, please.”
“I’ll have a soda water, thanks.” Sophie was deeply grateful that the low lighting concealed the embarrassed flush that ran hot across her cheeks.
Their waiter nodded, then walked away quickly, not that she could blame him.
Kyle scratched at his patchy beard. “You’re not drinking? On one of those weird cleanses again?”
Sophie sucked in her top lip, then said, “I’m just not drinking tonight.” Even though she kind of needed a drink to get through this chat with Kyle, she hadn’t had a drink in almost a week. And, to be honest, not drinking helped her feel way more in control of her life than she had in a while. She might just keep it up, but that was none of Kyle’s business.
He readjusted the collar of his shirt and looked at her. “So what’s this all about? You know I’m kind of seeing someone, right?”
