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She felt August’s eyes on her and sighed when he asked, "So are you going to see him?"
"I've already seen him. What else is there? He looks the same."
"Botox," August said, with a smirk.
"I don't think so."
He frowned. "You're right. Maybe not yet. Give him a few more years out here and he'll be having it all done."
"We all will," she said dismissively.After a beat she looked him in the eye."If he calls, do you want to go with me to see him?"
"Oooh. Could I? I would kill to see the look on his face."
She chuckled. "So would I, actually." Jill leaned back in her seat and sighed. "August, it's been so long.So why, when I saw him, did I immediately feel like it only happened a month ago?Or a day ago?"In a softer voice she added, "And why did my stomach flip?"
"Unfinished business," August replied, with a shrug as he fingered the raised lettering on one of the envelopes.
"But it is finished. He finished it. Kaput. Buh-bye, Jill.Finished. And I'm a thirty-year-old woman now."She shuddered dramatically at the last statement. "Twenty-nine year old woman.I'm in the middle of a divorce.Everything is different."
"But you didn't get any answers. Even after all this time, you want to know why. Why did he just go without a word? Why did he not love you the way you loved him? Why did he have to break your heart? You never stopped loving him, Jill. You just compartmentalized the feelings and moved on. Seeing him again brought it all back."
"Oh, he left without a word because he's a coward. He didn't love me like I loved him because--well, he just didn't.You can't make people love you.Why'd he have to break my heart?There just wasn't any other way out of it for him." She sighed again, rolling her eyes at herself. "It's this divorce. I'm just completely unstable.Completely. Yes, come to the Grammy’s with me. Dress me. Make me over into your vision of my greatness."
August laughed. “What a fantastic invitation. Lucky for you, I’m too desperate to get my hands on your closet to turn you down. For now? Why don't you let me take you to lunch and then we'll do some shopping? Your wardrobe is not LA. You look like an uptight ghoul. I'll have you smiling and looking like you belong here in no time."
"Mm shopping.Lunch.You.Okay," Jill winked at him."Let me change clothes."
She trotted out of the room just as her phone began to ring."Get that will you?" She called, "It's Royce.He's calling to tell me what we're doing tonight.Just write it down or something. Or just forget it. I don't want to know!"
August was laughing as he picked up the phone, "Hello?" he asked mirthfully.
She did a quick sweep through her closet, frowning. He was right. She was not outfitted for LA. Everything she had looked like Upper East Side and everything she’d seen since stepping onto the plane at Newark had been more surf than chic. August could help her build a small capsule wardrobe that would last until she could get back home.
If she went back home. Just the word home didn’t feel right anymore.
Finally, she chose a pair of champagne-colored, silk palazzo trousers and tucked a salmon-colored chemise into the high waist. Back in New York, she would have completed the look with pearls and nude Manolo’s, but she wasn’t in New York, so she picked up some gold hoops and wedge-heeled sandals instead. It was fine, she decided in the full-length mirror, then pulled her hair up in a ponytail that felt too casual until she wound it around into a bun. Again, she thought, fine. Adequate. Would do for the moment.
August was pressing the end button on the phone and setting it on the counter when she walked back in. "And good riddance."
Jill walked in, giving him a twirl to critique. "Was it Royce?"
August rolled his eyes, "No. Unfortunately. You look lovely. Maybe studs instead of the hoops?”
"You don’t think that’s too stiff looking? I’m going for relaxed, not chic. Who was on the call then?" she asked, pausing for a moment before adding. "Oh, was it Rhiannon?"
"Rhiannon? That's a name I haven't heard in a while. Mm, I think chic is always preferable."
"So, not her," Jill said, raising her eyebrows, starting to take out the hoops. "Who called?"
"Kline Scott. You know, the movie star?" August followed her back to her bedroom where he started sifting through her jewelry. “Here. Wear these.” He handed over a pair of diamond studs.
That made her laugh. "You were awful to him, weren't you?"
"I was," August smirked. "And it felt good."
"Oh! Oh!August, I totally forgot!Guess who I saw Kline with?"
"Kara Viceroy. His costar on his last film."
