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“Yeah, sure.” He ducked his head. “Thanks,” he muttered as he brushed past her and disappeared into his apartment.
The new script Jonathan had given her was a love story. Only not really.
It was one of those aimless indie dramas about two people who meet by chance and change each other’s lives forever blah blah blah. Like Before Sunrise, only more boring.
It was literally about nothing. The entire story consisted of the two main characters monologuing inanely at each other as they wandered aimlessly around Los Angeles for a night before eventually going their separate ways. Clearly, it was meant to be romantic and meaningful, but it managed to be neither.
And yet, despite the utter absence of any plot, there was something more to this one, underneath all the artifice. Esther could almost see what Jonathan was trying to do with it, he just wasn’t getting it done.
It was definitely a more personal story than the other one had been. The main character was a blatant author insert, and she’d bet cash money the girl was based on some ex who’d broken his heart. Or maybe an unrequited love who’d gotten away.
She was going to have to be even more careful how she couched her feedback this time. She’d already brutalized him once, and Jinny was about to do it again. Plus, she couldn’t dump all over an autobiographical story without dumping on him personally. It needed to be handled delicately.
But how?
Fuck, how did she get herself into this situation?
Did you read it yet? Jonathan texted on Friday afternoon.
Yes, Esther texted back.
When do you want to talk about it?
Sunday?
He was going on his last date with Jinny tonight. If Esther put him off until Sunday, maybe his wounds would have time to scab over from being dumped. You know, before she ripped them off again.
OK, he replied. Same time & place?
Esther texted him back a thumbs up emoji.
Man, this was going to suck.
“I did it,” Jinny announced when Esther answered the phone later that night. It was only nine o’clock. She must have come straight home after dumping Jonathan at dinner.
“How’d it go?” Esther asked.
“Really, really well. Best breakup I’ve ever had.”
That was… Huh. She’d anticipated more drama. Crying, maybe. Jonathan seemed like he might be a crier.
Esther set her laptop aside. She’d been working on her notes for Jonathan all night. Trying to make them sound nicer, which didn’t come naturally to her. It was an uphill struggle. “He really took it okay?”
“Yeah, we were both very mature about it. I told him I didn’t feel like we were right for each other. And he said if that’s how I felt, then we should just be friends.”
“Wow.” Okay. Esther had not expected him to be so mature about it. Given his emotional state earlier in the week, she thought he’d take it harder than that. She was glad though. Hopefully, it boded well for their next critique session. Or as well as possible, anyway.
“The friends thing is total bullshit, obviously. It’s not like we’re going to be hanging out platonically after this. I’ll probably never see him again except when I bump into him at your place.”
“That’s going to be awkward.” They might need to stop hanging out at the pool. At least for a while.
“I don’t think it’ll be too bad. It’s not like we slept together or anything.”
“Sure,” Esther said. “Yeah.” Thank god.
“I’m kind of wishing I had now though.”
“Uh—why?”
