My apology dies in my throat. I search his scowl for hints of what he’s feeling, but I don’t find anything I recognize. Maybe “What the heck is going on?” but it doesn’t take a scowl-whisperer to figure that one out.
“Not exactly,” I say.
The frown line between his eyebrows deepens. “Not exactly your boyfriend? Are we engaged?”
He just asks flat-out, as if he fully believes me capable of saying something so crazy. I guess tonight pretty much proved that I have no right to be offended by that. Hello, crazy train.
“Not exactlyyou.”
His eyes widen a fraction, then shutter. He nods as if everything clicked into place. “You meant another Reed.”
I’m going to ignore the flicker of disappointment I’m reading into that. Clearly, I am a terrible judge right now.
“Yes, but also no.” I don’t want him thinking there’s some other man named Reed in my life, and he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s so much worse than that.
He stares at me for a second before pulling his arms across his chest. “I need more information. What does that mean?”
I exhale a long, slow breath. “I might have named my cat Reed.”
His expression flattens like a steamroller came by just for his face. Even his beard has lost its oomph, which is impossible. It’s a great beard. The perfect length between scruff and full. Highly scratchable.
“You named your cat Reed.” His voice sounds paper thin, too.
“Would you believe it’s a coincidence?”
“Not when you ask that way.”
Why didn’t I stick with the original name I tested out on that cat? I wouldn’t be in this mess if I still called him Captain Snuggles.
“He’s so grumpy. None of the other names I tried fit. His coloring gives him the cutest little eyebrows that slash down and make him look even grouchier.”
Reed is unimpressed by my enthusiastic description of his namesake. Really, he should be flattered. Kind of.
I point at his face. “His eyebrows look just like that.”
“This isn’t clearing things up.”
“I know.” I sigh, running my clammy hands down my dress. Where to even begin? “I’ve mentioned that my parents are on permanent vacation since they retired. They’re traveling the world, but they still check in on me all the time. Sometimes daily. They’re convinced I can’t…”
Why isthisworse than explaining how I accidentally told them he’s my boyfriend? He’s my boss and sort-of friend. I like and respect him. Perk Me Up is my happy place, and I don’t want to wreck that by looking like a complete fool in front of Reed.
If there’s any space left between “pretending he’s my boyfriend” and “complete fool,” anyway.
“Convinced you can’t what?”
I think through all their helpful hints on every call. The unsolicited advice. The never-ending stream of reminders, tips, and warnings. How small and naive it inevitably makes me feel. The doubt that creeps in because what if they’re right, and I don’t know what I’m doing?
Then I remember the sense of relief that washed through me the day they set off on their first extended cruise. Followed immediately by guilt crashing in like a tidal wave for being so ungrateful.
“Be an adult, I guess? They still baby me even though they’re on the other side of the world. I said your name talking to my cat, and when they thought I meantyouand that we were together, I…didn’t stop them from thinking it.”
Reed’s blank stare is just the worst. It’s like a horrible truth serum where if he doesn’t figure out what I’m thinking on his own, he’ll make me blurt it out for him. Usually, he exercises this ability on things like admitting when Troy leaves his shift early or that nobody wants to drink his horrible concoction of black coffee and orange juice. Not…this.
“I’ve been dumped a few times.” I hitch a shoulder, wishing my confidence-boosting dress had enough firepower for this situation. “A lot of times. I don’t know what’s average. But they’re worried I’m never going to figure it out. Letting them believe I’m in a relationship was easier than telling them yet again that I’m not.”
Reed gives me nothing. His scowl/stare combo is impenetrable.
“I know it’s stupid, and I’m sorry I got you involved. They’re in Australia! I didn’t think they’d turn around and tell Sunshine’s biggest gossips about our…”
