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“Let’s just say he rocked my world.”
“Nice. I hope you did the same for him.”
“He seemed to enjoy himself.”
If a bed could have burst into flames, Lucy’s mattress would be ashes this morning. Thank goodness her neighbors were older and hard of hearing. The gossip was going to be bad enough because people saw them leaving the wedding together.
“That’s probably the understatement of the century,” Jane giggled. “If I’m reading the situation correctly, you like him and wouldn’t mind if he stayed in town. But he’s not going to do that. Are you sure? Has he talked about his plans? Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe he wants to stay.”
Lucy had told Zack that she would keep his secret about quitting his job. It wasn’t her place to reveal his personal life. Besides, it probably wouldn’t make any difference. His life wasn’t here in Winslow Heights. He hadn’t spent any real time here since he’d gone off to college. He could have his pick of any place to live on the planet.
“He hasn’t said anything about staying. We haven’t talked about the future much.”
“Live in the moment. I got it. Do you want my advice? Or do you just want to talk about it? I can do either with you.”
Did Lucy want advice? It wouldn’t change much. She doubted Jane would tell her something that she hadn’t said to herself, but it wouldn’t hurt anything to hear it.
“Only if your advice is brutally honest. Don’t sugarcoat it for me. I need to hear the truth.”
Jane rubbed at her chin, screwing up her face for a moment before replying.
“Okay, here it goes. I think Zack Winslow is smoking hot. A lot of women wouldn’t kick him out of bed unless it was to…you know…do it on the floor. Is that the old saying?”
“I don’t know. Is there a saying like that?”
Maybe Lucy had been too sheltered her whole life.
“It was something my ex said to me. About another woman, if you can believe it. Right to my face, he said that. He was talking about a buddy’s girlfriend and how sexy she was. I should have left him right then, but I hung on for two more years. Anyway, as I was saying, Zack is hot and it sounds like the sex is good. From where I’m standing three things could happen.”
Three things? Lucy had only thought about one so far.
“I’m listening.”
“Number one - Zack likes you so much he decides to stay in town and see where the relationship goes. I would say that this is the best-case scenario. Unless, of course, you’re around him all the time and you find out he clips his toenails in the kitchen. Then it’s not so great.”
“Did your ex clip his toenails in the kitchen, too?”
Lucy had heard many stories about Jane’s ex and few of them were positive.
“No, but one of my friends in college had the honor of having a boyfriend who did that. He had many other disgusting habits as well. She dipped on that relationship pretty quick once she found out.”
“I don’t blame her. What’s number two?”
Although number one didn’t sound bad. Minus the toenail clippings, of course.
“Zack goes back to his life in New York City, but he likes you enough that you try a long-distance relationship. You visit him, he visits you. You have smutty phone calls and FaceTime sex. You both fall madly in love and you sell the bookstore, leaving me friendless and unemployed while you live the fancy life in the Big Apple with a handsome stud for a husband. Oh wait, that became about me, didn’t it?”
“It did, but it’s fine. What’s the third option?”
“He leaves. And he doesn’t look back.”
“Shit, that is brutally honest. I needed to hear it, though. I’ve been telling myself that it’s the most probable outcome. I know that he’s not going to stay. My life is here, and his is somewhere else.”
“Do you regret sleeping with him?”
“No,” Lucy replied immediately. “I don’t. I went in with my eyes wide open. I knew that this wasn’t a forever thing. I don’t even know if I want forever with Zack.”
“But you wanted to decide that for yourself,” Jane said shrewdly. “Knowing what the outcome is going to be doesn’t mean that your heart won’t hurt when he goes. It just means that you’re human.”
