AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You are no help whatsoever, do you know that, Grace? No help at all.”
“Kate, what do you need help from me for? If you like the guy, and he seems to like you too, then go have lunch with him. If you don’t like the guy, then don’t go to lunch with him. What’s with you? You’ve never acted like this. Do you or don’t you like the guy?”
“He’s a nice guy.”
“And?” She goads me.
“And he’s good looking.”
“So, what’s the issue?”
What is the issue? I didn’t ask him to come over yesterday, yet he did, and he was there all day and late into the night, even though I was not good company. He listened to me, and we both shared some of our life stories. If he wasn’t interested, then why would he have left that note? He could have just said ‘See ya around’ and left it at that. Or worse, just left without leaving a note.
“Hello. Are you still there?” Grace asks, knowing full well that I’m still here.
“Yes. I’m here.”
“Great. So, what’s the issue?”
“I don’t know.”
“Exactly. You’re letting fuckface dictate your future. He’s in the past. Not everyone on this planet is out to hurt you or will hurt you, Kate. You’re a wonderful person who deserves to be happy. Maybe this is your happy. Try it. You might like it, and if you don’t, maybe you’ll get some good sex out of it.”
“Grace!”
“What? Like you wouldn’t if he asked. I would.” She laughs and I have nothing to say to that because, although she’s the closest thing to family that I have, the jealousy that is bubbling up inside of me over the thought of her and Hudson is about to overflow.
“Girl, I’ve got to go to some stupid meeting,” she starts talking to someone else in her office, “… yes, Jay, I said it was a stupid meeting. Something that could be taken care of in an email, but no, we have to sit around and waste time listening to the boss man drone on. Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” She starts talking to me again, “Okay. Where was I? Oh yes, call him. Do lunch. It’s just lunch. You’re not marrying the guy. It’s just food. See what happens and then call me. I gotta go. Bye.”
“Bye” I tell her, but she’s gone before she hears me.
“I don’t know what Grace said, but I say, call him. What’s the worst that can happen?” Chloe interjects.
“You heard that?”
Her smile is like a Cheshire cat, “Yes, ma’am I did.”
“Ugh!”
I’ve been debating calling Hudson all day, but finally decided against it. If he really meant it, he would have called me. He was probably just being nice when he wrote the note. And by proof of this theory, he never called me either.
I closed up the shop and came home and now I’m scrubbing the back patio when Grace shows up.
“You chickenshit. You never called him, did you?” She says from the other side of the railing on my patio.
“No. How did you know I didn’t call him?”
“Chloe and I are in cahoots. She told me.”
I start scrubbing again. “You know, if she wasn’t such an excellent employee, I’d probably fire her for that.”
“No, you wouldn’t, but whatever lets you sleep at night.”
I wipe the sweat from my forehead and put away the scrub brush and start hosing off the deck. “Why are you here? Just to harass me?”
“Partly, and to give you the papers we need to sign for the kickball league. First practice is Wednesday evening.” She follows me into the house and hands me the paperwork.
“They couldn’t do this online? Save a few trees?” I ask as I fill out the forms. I can hear my grumpiness.
