Page 91 of The Fine Art of Faking It
“Of course.”
“Oh, and there were the thirty-minute guided meditations on abundance, not scarcity.”
“I see.” He brushed his lips over her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.
“Apparently you were just one fish in the sea, Mr. Reynolds told me. I didn’t have to have my heart set on you when there were so many others. Grouper, halibut, sharks, salmon—”
“Salmon are freshwater fish.”
“Yeah, well, Mr. Reynolds’ analogies were lacking in many areas.”
“Well, while you were listing fish, I was agonizing over the fact that I let my parents force me into taking Taneisha to the dance.” He interlaced his fingers with hers.
“How did they do that?” she asked, wondering if there was an excuse in the world that would make her understand.
He sighed heavily. “They’d heard that we were planning to go to the dance together. My dad was so angry that I’d even consider betraying the family like that. I’d never seen him that mad. My mom was worried he was going to give himself an aneurysm... or another heart attack. They told me you asked me out as a joke. That you were going to embarrass me at the dance.”
Eden gasped and sat up. “I would never—”
“I know.Now.But back then, my parents had never lied to me. I tried to call you, but your dad wouldn’t let me speak to you. He told me you were going to the dance with Jordan Catalano.”
She covered her face with her hands. “Jordan Catalano was a character from My So Called Life. I told my parents that so they wouldn’t be suspicious.”
“My parents insisted everyone knew and you were just going to humiliate me. I pacified him by promising to take Taneisha to the dance and I thought I could straighten everything out with you when I got there. And then I saw your face. Then you were so angry, there was no way to undo it. And then you were dating Ramesh like you’d never really cared about me.”
Eden felt guilt bloom hot in her belly. She’d shut him down every time he tried to talk to her. She’d embraced the grudge and carried it proudly like war colors.
“I spite dated Ramesh. I’m not proud of it,” she said before he could interrupt. Her confession hung between them in the soft orange glow. “I was seventeen. I just wanted to protect myself, and I stupidly thought the best way to do that would be to date someone who wasn’t you. Don’t get me wrong. I ended up liking Ramesh a lot. He was smart and nice and funny. But he wasn’t you.”
“I’m here now.”
“And Ramesh is happily married to the woman he dumped me for.”
“And all is right with the world.”
“What about Taneisha?”
“She lived next door. Her date had just dumped her for a gig in Cleary with his folk band.”
“Hang on. Someone dumped Taneisha the Most Beautiful Woman in the World?” Eden demanded.
Davis chuckled softly. “No one survives high school without a few scars.”
Eden heaved a sigh. “Now what?”
Davis stilled his hands on her. “Now, what do you want?”
“Don’t you think after all this you should figure out whatyouwant?”
“I’m starting to get an idea,” he admitted.
35
“What if we use the high school as the meeting point for the community work day teams?” Eden suggested, circling the high school on the map Davis had sketched up.
Davis pushed the basket of cheese fries out of the way. They were bellied up to the bar at Shorty’s sports bar drinking beers and eating greasy food to avoid the chaos at the inn. The entire building had been overtaken by twenty senior citizens celebrating their sixtieth high school reunion.
They partied harder than a high school class on spring break. Eden had found one woman face-down in the upstairs hallway and assumed the worst. Her surprised shriek when the woman came to and started singing “Great Balls of Fire,” roused the entire second floor of the inn.
