I can almost hear my mother speaking to me. “You didn’t manage to sleep with Ollie, either, did you?”
At lunch on Monday,I explain to Vivi that Nick is now back on my sofa.
“Just as well you aren’t involved with Ollie if you’re busy giving sponge baths to your ex-husband.”
“I am not giving him sponge baths. I helped him get his shirt off once.”
Vivi rolls her eyes at me. “And you don’t think Nick is pretending to be less capable than he is to get back in?”
“He would choose a rock tour over me any day.”
“You should kick Nick off your sofa and tell him to get a hotel. You know that, right?”
“Which I would love to do, but he spends so little time with Hannah, I can’t justify it to my kid. Oh, and speaking of Ollie, his ex-girlfriend is back in town and wants to dance with him again. And she’s gorgeous.”
“But he’s not dating, right? While he goes through his whole personal growth thing?”
I shrug. “Dancing with her wouldn’t be the same as dating, I guess.”
“So you’re screwed.”
I nod slowly.
“I don’t know. I still think Ollie is into you. What’s this I hear about Ollie jumping into the ocean to rescue you?”
“He jumped in to rescue a teenager.”
“Well, all the women on Katy’s floor are enraged. They think you jumped in on purpose so he would rescue you. You’re on some kind of hitlist up there. Watch your back, the female lawyers probably own dart guns.”
Did Ollie really jump into the ocean for me? I cling to the thought like it’s a life preserver.
Brant walks upto me shortly before the end of the day. “So Ollie’s heroics on the boat tour are the talk of the office.”
I frown. Brant has become especially hard to read since we’ve been serving on the committee together, and I keep suspecting that he knows more about me and Ollie than he’s saying.
“It was nice of him to save that boy.”
Brant leans against my desk. “I don’t think he went into the Long Island Sound for a random teenager.”
“I told you that we’re friends.” The further I get into this lie, the harder it will be to back out of it, I realize.
He sighs. “Laura, as someone who knows men, I think his intentions are a little different than friendship.”
“I appreciate the warning, but nothing is going on.”
He shrugs. “I’m just saying, I don’t want you to be blindsided.”
“My ex-husband is currently staying on my sofa for a couple of weeks, so that is plenty for me to deal with right now.” That part is true, at least.
Brant’s frown grows deeper. “I thought you said things were over with him.”
“They are. He’s just recovering from an injury.”
Brant doesn’t seem appeased. “You’re not moving to Atlanta on me again, are you?”
“No. Definitely not. I promise. My plans here are permanent and long-term.”
He nods slowly. “Just remember there’s a reason you split up with him in the first place.”
