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I bet you can,Paige thought now, putting down the not-so-thrilling thriller she was reading and checking her phone for messages, finding none. Almost twenty-four hours had passed since Mr. Right Now’s last text. Was he really that busy or was he just playing games? Why hadn’t he made another suggestion to meet up in person? Maybe he was testing her interest, waiting to see if she would break established protocol and make the first move. Would she? she wondered, as the phone rang in her hand. “Chloe, hi,” she said, answering immediately. “How are you?”
“I’m great,” Chloe said, sounding as if she meant it. “I have big news.”
Uh-oh,Paige thought, looking at the storm clouds gathering outside her living room window. Had Chloe done another about-face, agreed to forgive Matt, taken him back yet again? Would she never learn? How many times did she have to be betrayed?
“Matt’s agreed to everything,” Chloe said, interrupting Paige’s silent litany.
“What?”
“He got served with divorce papers this morning, and I was bracing myself for this big explosion. But he just called and, believe it or not, he said he’s not going to fight me. On anything. As far as the house goes, he says that when we sell, well, he naturally wants his half and, of course, he wants the listing.” She laughed, babbling on before Paige could interrupt. “But he says there’s no rush, that he’s caused me enough grief, that the kids and I can stay here as long as we want. And he’s not going to fight me on support. He says I’m being more than reasonable with what I’m asking for. And best of all, he’s not going after custody. He’s not even asking for joint custody, says he’s given it a lot of thought, and because the kids are so young, they’ll be better off with me, and that as long as he has generous access, he’s happy, which, of course, I’m thrilled with. He says that just because he was a jerk when we were married doesn’t mean he has to be one when we get divorced. Can you believe it?”
No,thought Paige.I can’t.“That’s so great,” she said.
“Isn’t it? I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to start laughing, tell me it was all a big joke, that he’d rot in hell before he paid me a dime, but he just kept apologizing for everything. He actually said that he hoped that when this is all over, we might be friends.”
“Wow,” Paige said. “That’s quite a turnaround.” Maybe Matt already had a replacement waiting in the wings, she thought. Or maybe he was hoping that such tactics would convince Chloe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all, persuade her to withdraw her divorce petition and come back to him.
Would she?
“I’m not going to change my mind about the divorce,” Chloe said, as if Paige had spoken her thoughts out loud. “I know you’re worried, but…”
“Hey,” Paige said. “You have to do what’s right for you. It doesn’t matter what I think or what anybody else thinks. You have my support, no matter what you do.”
“I know. Thank you. You’re a great friend, and I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“I have other news,” Chloe announced.
Paige held her breath.
“I got a job.”
“What?”
“Well, it’s just part-time. Three days a week, from ten to two, so it doesn’t interfere with the kids’ schedule. At this little pastry shop in Harvard Square. I saw their sign in the window when I met Matt for dinner, and I called and asked if the job was still available and they said it was, so I went in to see them, and…well, I start Monday.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“It’s no big deal. Minimum wage and everything, but I’m kind of excited.”
“You should be. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. What about you? When’s your next interview?”
“Not till the end of next week.”
“What about that guy you’ve been texting?”
“Things seem to have stalled.”
“They’ll pick up again. I have faith.”
That’s what he said,Paige thought, as her phone pinged to indicate an incoming message. “Oh, my God. That’s him,” she said. “I can’t believe it. He’s texting right now.”
“There you go. See what a little faith will do?”
“I’ll call you later.”
