Page 47 of Breakaway Heart
“Uh-huh.”
“What did happen with Georgia?”
“Georgia…” Randall stared off into the distance and sighed like the weight of the world was on him.
“Georgia was a fix. It just worked for both of us. She wanted the shine and attention it came with, and it helped me, too. The press and social media ate it up, endorsements came in. It was easy. I didn’t have to be anything for her.”
“So, what? Like, a marriage of commercial convenience?”
“We did our own thing, but we’d both be there when we needed to be for the cameras.”
“But, you must have had some feelings for each other?”
“For a hot minute, maybe. Then, it was more like we worked together. I know that sounds odd.”
“But you broke up, more than once.”
He waved it away with his hand, “All for show. Just feeding the media.”
“So, if not Georgia, who were you seeing?”
“No one in particular, some people here and there. Honestly, I was more interested in myself back then. I was a selfish and self-absorbed brat.”
I watched him move uncomfortably in his seat as I considered it.
“You know, I wanted to ask you, too. What happened?” He asked.
“With what?”
“Your marriage.”
I grimaced.
“Not a good line of questioning if you’re looking to get some action, Randy.”
“Okay. You wanna go fuck in my car instead?”
“Um. Hard pass.” I looked at his amused grin. “Has that ever actually worked, by the way?”
Randy wiggled his eyebrows at me in a way that made me want to both laugh and punch him in the face.
“Fine.” I groaned. “Seeing as we’re sharing.”
The waitress came and filled us up two cups of hot coffee. I waited for her to leave us as the deep notes of the aromatic steam rose into my nose, teasing my senses awake.
“I’m not proud of this,” I started, giving him a look that told him I wasn’t looking for any jokes to be made. In return, Randall gave me his best-behaved and serious look back.
Did I really want to get into this?I’d spent most of the time since that disaster just trying to block it out. But, perhaps, it was time to let it out. Wasn’t that exactly what I’d once told Randy to do?
I took a deep and long sigh as I felt my feelings wobbleuncomfortably inside, knowing I would have to say his name out loud.
“Jack… Jack was perfect. I mean, really. He had his shit together. Good job, dressed real nice, flowers, dinners, all of it. He was everything I could ever imagine. God, he was a beautiful man, too. All my friends were jealous. They didn’t have to say it, but I knew. I would’ve been too.”
Randy pulled a face at this, then went back to listening while sipping on his coffee.I will not cry in front of this man, I told myself, at least half-convincingly.
“But, something just didn’t feel right. It was like I started to feel like I was one of his possessions. A part of his collection of things. We always did what he wanted, and Jack always got what he wanted. Like, if we were going to the movies, he’d choose the film without even asking. I didn’t get to have an opinion, or at least my opinion wasn’t asked for… Or important.”
“So, he liked dumb movies, got it.”
