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“It kinda is ridiculous, though.” Rachel drops her phone in her lap. “Because you’re a gorgeous, successful, independent businesswoman. Any guy would be lucky to have your attention. So some random dude from a dating app is not worth all this anxiety. Especially if you can’t even remember his name.”
“That’s a fair point. Jake?” I muse. “My phone’s over there charging. I’ll check it in a minute.”
“So, what’s the real reason you’re distracted and disinterested? Is it Greg?” Amber’s blunt approach is part of what I love about her. She doesn’t pull any punches, and that’s refreshing after walking on the eggshells of my marriage and the separation.
“God, no. Fuck Greg. I’m much better off. You know our marriage was over years ago.”
“So what is it, then?” Rachel leans forward, and they watch me expectedly.
“Okay, fine. Fine.” I take a deep breath and release it slowly. “Isaac asked me out on a date.”
Rachel gasps theatrically, covering her mouth with her hands, and I have to admit, it’s kind of thrilling to get this reaction out of them.
“Twice, technically,” I add, enjoying the rise I’m getting out of them. Amber’s speechless for once, her mouth hanging open.
Rachel moves around until she’s sitting with her legs crossed, eyes wide as she talks. “So what did you say?”
“I mean, no, obviously.”
“You don’t…” Amber finally snaps out of it enough to talk.
“The first time he asked me, I accused him of cheating on Ashley. I didn’t realize their situation. And the second time, he asked me to dinner tonight, and I’m already going out with…Jack!” I exclaim, popping up. “His name is Jack.”
“But you like Isaac?” Amber keeps probing, now fully invested, but Rachel’s face blanches. I wonder if she thinks the age difference is too much for me to be into Isaac.
“I am definitely attracted to him. And we haven’t spent a lot of time together, but yeah, I like him,” I admit. “I haven’t talked to Ava about it, though. He’s her little brother, and he’s younger than me. He has a new baby. It’s just…I don’t know. I don’t want anything messy.”
“And Jack wouldn’t be messy,” Amber states. “He’d be easy, right?”
“Well, it’s just dinner. We might hook up and that be it.”
“It could get messy too,” Amber warns me. “Everyone has baggage. You may not know about it yet, but it could fall out of the overhead bin and knock you out when you least expect it. At least you and Isaac are aware of each other’s mess.”
“That’s a fair point,” I muse as I make myself climb off the bed. “I guess I should get ready if I’m going to go.”
“Are you second-guessing yourself now?” Rachel pipes up, her face finally resuming its normal color.
“I always second-guess myself, Rachel. But normally after I’ve already fucked everything up.” I grab my phone and swipe through the dating app, then I sit back on the bed, showing them the picture Jack has as his profile photo. “See, this is Jack. He’s pretty cute.”
“Oh, he’s super hot,” Amber chimes in, peering closer. “Pretty green eyes.”
Rachel’s staring at the photo, her eyes widening, and to my shock, filling with tears.
“Is he that ugly to you?” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood. To my complete surprise, the tears begin to slip down her cheeks.
“No, he was my high school boyfriend. He’s the one that got away.”
“Oh my god, Rachel.” I grab her hands. “I’m not going out with him, then. That’s way too weird.”
“You’re not?” Her eyes meet mine, and I’m surprised to find them filled with tears.
“No.” I grin at her. “But you are.”
TEN
WE’RE GOING OUT TONIGHT
While I’m thankful that my sister rented out her spare room to me, it’s a bit lonely when she’s not here. Which is a lot of the time lately, if I’m being honest. She’s spending more and more time with her boyfriend at his cabin in the mountains, and I’m sure she’ll be moving in with him before long. I’ve been looking for a place of my own, though, so it’ll all work out.
