Page 15 of Here With You

“I’m finished listening.” He took another look at the list. “I should complete this by tomorrow. You can leave your next list with Margot.”

“What about tomorrow? We can meet for dinner and talk about things.”

“Sorry, I’ve already got a date.”

CHAPTERSEVEN

Did she hear him correctly? She shook her head and then processed his words again.

Tilly arrived with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “That didn’t turn out the way I expected.” She pulled a corkscrew from her pocket and opened the bottle of cabernet. The sun was setting and cast an orange glow on the nearby sand. It was a date-worthy scene, and she spent it with Tilly, who filled the wineglass half-full.

“He said he had a date.”

Tilly tipped the bottle and filled it to the rim. “I know.”

“You knew he had a date and still brought us a date-worthy appetizer?” She took in the beautiful display of meats, cheeses, jams, and a real honeycomb. This whole setup was proposal-worthy. Not that she was looking for anything like that.

Tilly pulled off her chef’s jacket and rolled it into a ball before taking a seat. “I was feeding my friend. And while I might have had hopes for a reconciliation, I would have settled for a truce.”

Em sipped her wine and set her glass down before she picked up a cracker and loaded it with artisanal cheese and honeycomb.

“Oh, we have an understanding. He hates me, and I hate me.” She took a bite. “How do you know he has a date?”

Tilly sighed. “I saw the reservation back inside when I checked the numbers for tomorrow.”

Em’s mouth hung open. “He’s bringing her to The Brown to eat?” She picked up a chunk of cheese and a piece of prosciutto and shoved them into her mouth. As she chewed, she simmered inside. “He’s punishing me.”

Tilly laughed. “Sounds like you’re punishing each other.”

Em frowned. “My punishment doesn’t hurt his heart. Whereas he kills me with a thousand tiny cuts.” She gulped her wine and filled it back up. “Do you have grease traps or something awful that needs to be cleaned in the kitchen? I can add it to tomorrow’s list.”

Tilly picked up a piece of salami. “You know what I like about salty meat? You can’t have just one piece. I’ve tried, but you get a little taste of something that delicious, and you just need more.”

Em stared at her friend in disbelief. “I’m having a life crisis, and all you can talk about is salami?”

Tilly grinned. “I’m giving you a solution, silly.”

“What do you mean?”

Tilly rolled up the piece of salami and stuck it in her mouth. She moaned and hummed and closed her eyes like she was in ecstasy. When she opened them again, she said, “Mmm, one piece is never enough.” She picked up another slice and tossed it at Em. “It’s time you took a lesson from the salami, but you’ll need the girls’ help. I can tell you to look delicious, but my skills remain in the culinary arts. I’m no miracle worker with beauty. You’ll need Charlotte for that.” She picked up her glass of wine and left Em alone on the picnic bench.

She picked up her phone and took a selfie because she couldn’t figure out what everyone was talking about, but all day long, people had been commenting on her looks, and not in a flattering way.

When she glanced at the photo, she gasped. She couldn’t believe she let herself out of the house looking like she was. If her mama were alive, she’d be madder than a wet hen because Em looked like one with her makeup gone and her lipstick talked off. Her hair looked like she’d passed through a car wash with her head out the window.

Tilly didn’t have to worry about her being like a bite of salami, all tempting and delicious. She looked like the meat—ground up and aged, before it was shoved into a sleeve and sliced into delicious perfection. No wonder Miles had a date. It was probably with someone cute, sweet, and appetizing.

She sat alone and sipped her wine while devouring the entire tray herself. She might as well make it a complete disaster. By tomorrow, she’d have to shove this year’s butt in last year’s jeans. It would be like putting ten pounds of taters in a five-pound sack, but what did she care? No one was looking at her taters, anyway. As she swirled the last piece of baguette into the honey, she considered Tilly’s advice. Did she want to be something Miles craved?

Her eternal teenager screamed yes, but the woman she’d become wasn’t so sure. She’d been fine all these years without him. She didn’t need Miles to make her feel beautiful. She had Charlotte for that. As she pulled out her phone to text her friend, she told herself it had nothing to do with Miles and everything to do with the travel critic, who would undoubtedly show up. There was no way she’d be caught looking less than perfect.

She typed a message to Charlotte.

I need a makeover. Can you help?

Charlotte responded immediately.

Oh, honey. That’s what I do. Is this about Miles’s date?

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