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Chapter 16
“Something just feels off,” I admitted to Poppy as I ran my fork through my salad. We’d met for lunch at Torino’s. “I don’t think he’s told his parents he’s dating someone new. Or, if he has, maybe they’re irate. He refuses to talk about them at all. And I know from what Yasmine told us in the car on our way down to Montecito that they used to have dinner with them at least once a week. He hasn’t gone over there in almost a month. I can’t help but think I’m the reason he doesn’t see them.” I speared a crouton that promptly broke in half. “I can’t be responsible for a breach in their relationship. He adores his parents. That would be horrifying.”
“Maybe he’s just giving them space,” Poppy suggested gently. “He proposed to Yasmine and made it official, and just a short time later, they called it off. His parents are probably reeling a little bit, and he doesn’t want to push it.”
“I totally get that. I do. Giving them space makes sense.” I gave up on my salad, setting down my fork. “But it makes me sad that he won’t communicate with me about what’s going on. In literally every other facet of his life, he’s completely open and willing to talk, but he shuts down or changes the subject whenever I ask him about his parents.”
“Have you spoken to Yasmine about it?” Poppy had gotten the pasta special, and it looked delicious, with lots of veggies in a creamy sauce.
“I haven’t,” I said. “She’s moving on with her life, and I don’t want to bother her with this.”
“I don’t think she would view it as a bother at all,” Poppy replied. “I bet she’s open to chatting about it. She’d probably have some insight about why Marco is acting the way he is.”
“Yeah, maybe I’ll reach out.” I mulled it over.
Poppy took a bite of her pasta. “Guys aren’t always on the same wavelength as us about sharing their emotions. I’m sure everything’s fine. Marco is such a transparent guy, if anything bad was going on, you’d know it.”
“I’m not so sure.” Thinking about Marco not being truthful or having a fallout with his parents completely bummed me out. Time to take a breather from this topic. “How’s the brewpub coming along?”
“Great,” Poppy replied enthusiastically. “We’re trucking along right on schedule. The guys decided to do booths along the side wall, and I just finalized the details yesterday. I can’t wait for you to see it. I’m mixing a bunch of different styles, so it’s going to be quirky and super eye-catching. I was worried for a second there it might be too much, but I don’t think so at all now. It’s just the right amount.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be amazing,” I told her. “You’re an incredibly talented designer. Once Zoe’s has its grand opening, I’m positive it will be the talk of the town. And Seattle is a big town. You’re going to have a lot of job offers come from this.”
“Man, I hope so.” Poppy stabbed a mushroom. “Then at least I’ll have one thing going in my favor.”
“That bad with Leo, huh?” I asked.
“It’s not bad, exactly,” she said. “It’s just not…much of anything. Most of the time, I feel like he’s not interested, but then he’ll do something, and I’m positive he is interested. We’re having this weird emotional tug-of-war of will-he-or-won’t-he. I should be woman enough to walk away and say enough is enough, but I really like him.” She frowned, sticking her bottom lip out. “He’s sweet, he’s funny, he’s generous, he’s absolutely my type one thousand percent. I’m so attracted to him that when we’re around each other, I feel like rubbing my head and face all over his body like a cat marking her territory, and then I want to ravage him while purring.” She took another bite of pasta, pausing thoughtfully. “I’m sure once we’re not working together every day, he’ll forget about me, and that’ll be that. The decision of whether or not we’re going to be together will be made for me, and honestly, it will be a relief. I can’t take much more of this back-and-forth. The sexual tension was cute in the beginning. Now it’s agonizing.”
“He’s not going to forget about you.” I took a sip of water. “I haven’t seen the two of you together recently, but on the occasions I have, he’s been absolutely into you. He pulls out your chair, he brings you a drink, he does all the things that a boyfriend does. It seems intentional and romantic.”
“I know!” she exclaimed. “You’d think that would lead to the next level, but it never does.” She made a face, raising her eyebrows and puckering her lips, and I giggled. “Then he whips out his phone, and he’s gone. When that happens, a lot of times, he just leaves the pub without even saying goodbye. It’s so weird. And hurtful. I should just tell him to go jump in a hole.”
“I get it. Maybe it’s time to have a chat with him? Put it all on the line.”
“Egads, no!” she sputtered. “Well, not until after the opening, anyway.” She speared a penne noodle. “It would be awful to have him tell me he wants nothing to do with me and then have to work side by side for the next four weeks. Blech.”
“That’s understandable. I lived in a place of unrequited love for a very long time. But look at me now.” I spread my arms wide, and she giggled. “You’ll get there. The waiting sucks, but arriving at your intended destination is amazing. I know you’re going to figure it out.”
“Hopefully,” she lamented. “If Leo and I don’t end up together, ultimately I’ll be fine. Eventually. There are other fish in the sea or whatever.” She spun her fork before popping a mushroom into her mouth. “I’m just sick of looking for the right partner, you know? It’s hard to meet men without using an app, and now you guys are paired up and super happy. I’m ready to have that kind of relationship. I love sharing my life with someone. It’s magical. I miss it. And I don’t want to be left behind while you guys start planning your weddings and having babies.”
“You’re not going to be left behind,” I assured her. “You’re going to find a perfect match. Love doesn’t operate on a timeline. It’ll find you. And let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Summer and Xander might be on a fast track, as they’re already talking about living together, but I don’t feel anywhere near there with Marco. It’s going to be a while before we’re ready for that level of commitment, even though I’ve had my heart set on him for years. Relationships are complicated and messy.”
She grumbled, “You should see my sister and her girlfriend. I’ve never seen Annabel so over the moon. Stephanie could be it for her. And Annabel’s two years younger than me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m ridiculously happy for them. But I want that for myself.”
“You’ll have it. You’re a loving, caring, smart, feisty, incredibly funny catch and a half,” I boasted. “If I liked women, I’d date you.”
“Really?” She narrowed her eyes. “C’mon. I’m not your type.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because I can be high maintenance on occasion.” She shook her finger at me. “But only on occasion. I’m a bit bossy, I irritate you to no end with my yammering, and I’m a short, nonathletic blonde. You’re currently in a relationship with a tall, dark, handsome man who enjoys working out. Those things don’t match. They’re not even in the same stratosphere.”
I chuckled. “It’s what’s in here that matters.” I pointed to my heart.
“Yeah, tell that to down here.” She gestured between her legs, and I burst out laughing. “This”—she pointed to her heart—“doesn’t always stimulate this”—she made a pointed head bob downward. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I do. You always make me feel better, Evie. I love you so, even though we’ll never roll around in the sack together.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “I hope you get this figured out with Marco and his parents soon. I want you happy and stable so you can hold my hand when I need it. Because handholding is going to be necessary when Leo dumps me. You’ll probably have to buy me ice cream and pizza, too. Let’s not sell ourselves short. And I like the fancy stuff. No skimping.”
“He’s not dumping you,” I said. “And if necessary, I will absolutely provide handholding and good, quality treats.” I picked up my fork again to attempt to finish my salad. “I hope I get it figured out with Marco soon, too. If he’s lying, or keeping important details from me, it’s going to affect our relationship. I have a funny thing about lying, as you know.”
