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2
Two Months Later…
“A party is exactlywhat you need,” Jaymee disagreed, following me into the kitchen. “You’ve isolated long enough, and now it’s time to cut loose and live and little. The best thing about being single is being free to do whatever you want.”
“And what I want to do is enjoy a glass of wine, close my bedroom door and read a book,” I told her, grabbing the orange juice. “Trust me, I’m not the best company right now. I’m in my cocoon phase. I need to hibernate.”
“No, you’re molding,” Jaymee said. “I mean, yeah, you needed some time to grieve and all that, but it’s time to get back out there. You’re a gorgeous, accomplished woman, and you’re wasting the best years of your life by spending the majority of it in the bedroom alone.”
“Sex is overrated,” I said before sipping my juice to wet my throat before I tossed back my vitamins. “Besides, you and Phillip have enough sex for everyone in this house. Not even my noise-canceling headphones can blot out your sex noises, and it’s getting awkward.”
“You clearly haven’t had good sex,” Jaymee said, stubbornly bypassing my last comment. “Look, my party is the perfect place to let your hair down a little. Everyone is in costume, so you can dress up and pretend to be someone else for the night.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because it’s fun.”
“I don’t know, that’s not my thing. I’m looking forward to just chilling for the night. Halloween has never been my favorite holiday anyway.”
I thought that might be the end of it, but Jaymee was digging in her heels. “No, it won’t be relaxing at all because it’s going to be loud and obnoxious, so you might as well be part of it.”
I laughed. “Okay, so I’ll rent a hotel room for the night.”
“Someone might have sex in your bed.”
I made a face. “Eww.”
“I’m just saying that I can’t be everywhere at once.”
Jaymee had inherited her cute little house from her beloved aunt, who’d died without children. In the Santa Cruz housing market, it was a gold mine, and of course, it’d just fallen into Jaymee’s lap because that kind of stuff always happened to her.
The Universe always had a smile for Jaymee. I loved that quality about her, but it also seemed to shine a light on all the things that seemed to go wrong in my own life.
“A party?” I repeated plaintively, nearly begging her to let me off the hook. “Do you think anyone wants to be around me right now? I’m the poster child for a wet blanket. The only reason you tolerate me is because you love me.”
Jaymee rolled her eyes at my pity-party song and dance. “Get over yourself and stop moping around like someone died. Seriously, Birdie, you’re looking at this situation from the bottom of the barrel when you should see that you’ve been set free. There’s literally nothing stopping you from having the time of your life except you.”
She had a point, but maybe I wasn’t ready to face the scary world of dating again.
“Have you seen the dating pool lately? It’s nothing but hagfish and those weird glow-y angler fish that look like something out of a horror film. No thanks. I’m seriously thinking of getting a cat.”
“Phillip is allergic.”
“Okay, how about a dog?”
Jaymee scowled. “Look, of course, it’s your choice if you want to crawl in a hole and swear off all human interaction, but that means Roger wins. Do you want that? Where’s your sense of justice? He’s out there living his best life, and you’re here binging on Netflix and ice cream, just showing him that you’re lost without his stupid face around — and yes, his face was ultra-stupid.”
I chuckled despite the sting, but I didn’t remember how to do the dating thing. It all seemed so pointless and a waste of time when no one believed in being faithful anymore. “I’m not cut out for the hook-up culture. I can’t just increase my body count for shits and giggles, you know that about me.”
“I know. You are the most monogamous person on the planet, and it’s part of your charm. There’s someone out there who believes the same way you do.”
“I think he got hit by a bus.”
“I doubt that, but he certainly can’t find you if you’re hiding in your bedroom, wrapped in a hoodie and a blanket.”
But being wrapped in a hoodie and blanket sounded so lovely and safe, I wanted to wail. “Don’t forget the non-judgy yoga pants,” I quipped. “And stop hitting me over the head with logic and reason. I’m not ready for that level of truth.”
“Well, someone has to remind you that logic and reason are your bread and butter. I mean, c’mon Bird, you’re the one who always has the plan, always keeps moving to a schedule. I want to see the ‘Get my life back on track’ plan that only you could put together. You’re the best at that organized stuff.”
