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Olivia ignores this and barrels on. “That’s not a tall order, either. That’s, like, a basic requirement for having an adult relationship. A foundation for dating, I guess.”
Dating.
Ha.
I tried to ask Olivia on a date…
Now I’m back to thinking about choking on my bologna sandwich. Standing in her grandparent’s driveway. Asking her out, and how fast she said no.
Two seconds.
That’s about how long she thought about my offer.
Andthatwasn’t a fluke, that rejection. We’ve been sort of frosty toward each other since then. Barely talking directly to one another, except for ragging on each other now and then.
I’m not her type, that’s the thing.
I know this because I’ve seen the guys she goes for. They’re flashy and brainy and sophisticated.
All the things she is.
All the things I’m not.
“Look, I’m fine how I am,” I say, my tone gruff. “Maybe you want a guy better at the touchy-feely stuff than me, and that’s great. You go get him. Thanks for the advice, but I’ll figure out my own life on my own.”
It feels horrible to say this stuff to her. But I can’t seem to help it.
Guess this is what it feels like to have hackles up. I’m like a dog with a ridge of fur along his back, ready to fight back.
And the worst part is, I can’t seem to lower my defenses.
She won’t look at me. She twists to face the window, too.
Now we’re back to that strange, loud silence that seems to hum between us like an engine running in too high of a gear.
I hate how I acted, just now.
I hate this tense silence, too.
But I can’t think of a way to break it.
Skye makes her way around the circle and lowers down in her original spot. She claps her hands twice. “Pause, my friends! Let’s take a moment to close our eyes and take a breath.”
Around us, there are more of those air-sucking sounds. Olivia’s whispered voice mingles with the sighed exhales. “Anyway, I’m going to call her, I think. Beryl. I’m going to invite her to the wedding. I’m pretty sure I have enough miles racked up from my credit card rewards that I can actually cover her ticket, too. Beryl’s always broke.”
So, we’re back to the Beryl thing.
I’m not gonna waste my breath, trying to talk her out of this. She sounds like she’s already made up her mind. It won’t matter what I think.
I blow out a frustrated sigh instead of answering her. I fit in great with the rest of the cross-legged deep breathers around me.
“I’m going to need to borrow your truck,” Olivia whispers to me.
At the front of the room, Skye launches into a monologue about honesty.
“No,” I whisper back to Olivia.
“Yes. I can’t find a drop of Wi-Fi or cell service around here. And I need to check my email desperately. I’ll get the keys from Skye tonight and leave first thing in the morning. There was a town not that far away, I’ll go there.”
