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“Oh, believe me, we’ve discussed this ad nauseam. He knows exactly how I feel and I know exactly how he feels.” She put up her fingers to make air quotes. “‘I want to find a way to help other people and give back to the community,’” she mocked. “He can help other people by helping himself first and he can give back to the community by living up to his talent and becoming a surgeon. I told him I’d marry him if he was willing to make a big gesture. As usual, he took it literally. This wasn’t the big gesture I meant.”
Wow. Initially, Lauren had felt sorry for Nate, but now she was beginning to think he’d dodged a bullet here. “You mean, you want him to follow you to Miami.”
“Exactly. See? You get it. I don’t know why he doesn’t.”
Lauren knew she shouldn’t ask, but just like she’d been compelled to stay in the bathroom and listen to Jessica, she felt compelled to find out what would happen next. “So, does this mean the two of you are going to break up?”
Jessica’s gaze sharpened. “Bingo.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but if the two of you have really different goals in life, then maybe it’s for the best.”
Jessica leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Don’t be sorry. I’ve thought this through, and I think the only way Nate’s going to get his head together is if he thinks he’s going to lose me permanently.” She readjusted her dress, smoothing down the fabric over her flat tummy. “He’s completely lost without me. You probably didn’t notice him, but that suit he has on? And those glasses? I have to practically dress him myself. You should have seen him when we first started dating.” Jessica shuddered. “He looked like something out of Duck Dynasty. Except without the beard.”
Of course, Lauren had noticed him tonight. Most women would, she realized with a start. She’d never thought of Nate as handsome before, only because she’d been stuck seeing him the way he’d been in high school. With his scruffy hair, big glasses, and faded jeans, he’d been like the original Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Only he’d grown up to look like an Armani cover model. Ew. It was weird to think of Nate and sex in the same thought, but there it was.
“I’m afraid he’s left me no choice, really,” Jessica continued. “I’m going to have to play hardball here. Tonight, when we go back to his place, I’m going to break it off completely. I’ll let him know that it’s either me, or this town. Trust me, one day, he’ll be on his knees thanking me.”
“So, you’ll think he’ll pick you, huh?”
Jessica smiled slyly. “I give him a week, tops, till he’s on a plane down to Miami begging me to take him back.”
The whole thing sounded so messed up. But who was Lauren to stick her nose in anyone else’s relationship? “Well, good luck with that.”
Jessica hugged her again. “Thanks so much for all your advice!” Lauren wasn’t sure that she’d given Jessica any advice. She knew what she’d like to tell her, but she doubted Jessica would listen.
Back at the table, their entrees had already been cleared. “Didn’t think you were going to eat the rest of that, so I took the liberty of having the girl box it up,” Ted said. Lauren must have made a face, because Ted laughed and said, “Don’t worry, you can take it home with you.”
Lauren grit her teeth and smiled. They went through the pros and cons of dessert. By now, she should have been in tears watching the residents of Bedford Falls save Jimmy Stewart from being hauled off to prison. The part where the bell chimed (signaling that Clarence, his guardian angel had gotten his wings) choked her up every time.
“I’ll have the fudge volcano,” Lauren told the waitress, purposely picking the most outrageous dessert on the menu.
“I guess someone’s not afraid of getting fat!” Ted joked.
The waitress sucked in a shocked breath. “Is that to share?” she asked, her eyes darting between them.
“Oh, no, that’s just for me.” Lauren handed her back the menu, then gave Ted a fake smile. “And no, strangely, I’m not afraid getting of fat.” I’m only afraid of having to spend more time with you.
Ted shook his head. “I just meant…a little thing like you? Where do you put it all?”
She knew where she’d like to put it all. But Ted was an acquaintance of her mother’s and it wouldn’t be polite, so instead she sat back, plastered a pleasant expression on her face and listened to more of Ted’s business talk as she ate her fudge volcano. It was the most decadent thing Lauren had ever put in her mouth—a mixture of rich chocolate cake, fudge and vanilla ice-cream. She struggled, but it was worth the million or so extra calories to see the astonished look on Ted’s face every time she took a bite. Every once in a while, she’d come up for air a
nd glance at the table across from her. Jessica seemed to have no problem chatting away while finishing her meal. Nate, on the other hand, pushed the food around on his plate with a total look of misery.
For one wild second, Lauren thought about telling him about Jessica’s little plan to slap him back in line. But again, it was none of her business. Maybe Nate liked having someone manipulate him. Lauren had spent ten minutes in the bathroom with Jessica, more than enough time to discern her true nature. According to Jessica, she and Nate had been together for years. He had to know exactly what he was getting there.
*~*~*
The temperature had dropped while they were inside the restaurant. Lauren tightened the shawl around her shoulders as Ted made small talk with the tall valet who’d parked his car, while the shorter one brought the Ferrari around to the restaurant entrance.
The tall valet was assisting her back into the car when Lauren remembered her leftovers. “I’ll just run back inside and get it,” she said to Ted. The valet offered to do it himself, but Lauren insisted. “It’ll just take me a second.”
She opened the door to the restaurant to find the hostess holding up the bag. “Your waitress said you forgot this.”
“Thanks,” Lauren said. There was almost half a meal in there. The price of which would have covered almost half a week’s groceries. Not that Lauren was a miser, but now that she was supporting herself, she valued the cost of a good meal and she wasn’t about to let it go to waste.
She stepped back out into the nippy air, doggy bag in hand, and for the first time tonight got a full view of the Ferrari from the back. On the car’s bumper, sitting squarely in the middle for everyone to read, was a sticker that read, MY OTHER TOY HAS TITS.
Lauren tightened her grip on the doggy bag. But it was a poor substitute for Ted Ferguson’s neck. No wonder the valets had snickered! Her face went hot. Her pulse began to race. She was about to throw the mother of all hissy fits when she saw the look on Ted’s face. Yep. He knew she’d seen the bumper sticker, all right. He immediately went into action.
