Page 33 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“Shit,” David said, running his fingers through his hair. “Well. You tried, right?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t really expect her to show up tonight. Otherwise, I would have thought of something better to say than ‘I’m sorry’. I must have sounded like an idiot.”
David walked over and leaned up on the lockers beside me as he slid his hands into his pockets. “Women are complicated creatures, Cal. Always have been. But with some persistence, and a little more effort than just an apology, I’m sure you could square things up with Lina. She’s not unreasonable.”
“Yeah, I know. I just have no idea where I’d start.”
“Call her,” he said. “Send her an email. Fuck, anything is better than just avoiding her for fifteen years. Right?”
I smirked. “All right. I deserved that.”
He clasped his hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good guy, Cal. You just made a stupid mistake when you were young. That shouldn’t define you. And if she doesn’t forgive you, you’ll just have to let it go. You can’t control that. And you have better things to worry about than patching things up with your high school girlfriend.”
Of course, what my friend was saying made sense, but I didn’t necessarily agree with it. I owed it to Lina to make it up to her. I owed her at least that.
I rubbed my temples and sighed. “You should have stopped me from being a dick back then, David. Isn’t that what best friends are for?”
David laughed. “I seem to remember sitting in the kitchen with you and your dad three weeks before graduation, trying to convince you to tell Lina about Harvard. And, for the record, your dad was on my side.”
“I don’t remember that at all,” I said.
“Yeah. That’s due to that selective memory of yours.”
I rested my head against the lockers. “I should have listened to you.”
He laughed. “No shit.”
“If I’m ever about to fuck up that big again, you’ll tell me?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
I grinned and pushed myself off the lockers. I glanced at my watch. “I think I’m gonna cut loose, man. If I leave now, I might make it home before Asher goes to bed.”
“Yeah, go for it. I still have some mingling to do. Katherine is looking especially fine this evening, and last I heard, her husband left her three years ago. Maybe she’s in the market for a bit of this.” He waggled his eyebrows and gestured at himself.
I laughed and shook my head at my friend. “If she is, make sure you tell her it’s non-refundable. She can never go back to a time before she slept with David Howard.”
“Of course, she can’t. And why would she? I’m spectacular.” He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes at him. “All right. Have fun. And David?”
David had started walking away down the hall, and he paused, looking back at me. “Yeah?”
“I have the holidays off. I’d like for you to come by and meet Asher one of these days. I should have made introductions sooner. I just got caught up with life, I guess.”
David gave me a broad grin. “You tell me when, and I’ll be there.” He waved and ducked back into the gym.
I left, shaking my head and smiling to myself. At least I had David to talk me off the ledge when my thoughts were getting a bit too depressing.
I made my way out through the lobby and waved at a couple people coming in that I recognized. I stopped and made small talk with a few but used my son as an excuse to duck out early. I walked out to my Beamer, got in, and turned the ignition to fill the car with heat.
I blew into my hands and rubbed them together. It was a damn cold winter—colder than it had been in the last few years by far. Usually, I liked the cold. I liked layers and boots and heavy jackets. I liked playing in the snow with Asher and building snowmen.
But this was the sort of cold that cut into your bones.
When the frost had ebbed away from my windshield, I pulled out of the parking lot and hit the road. Not many cars were on the street. In fact, nobody seemed to be out. They were smart and avoiding the cold winter night.
I took a bend in the road, and my headlights lit up a sight that made my heart leap into my throat.
