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“That was the morning I found you two, wasn’t it?” she asked.
I nodded as my eyes held hers.
“You want to know what I think?” she asked.
“What?”
“It sounds like the two of you are meant for one another.”
I didn’t even try to hide the shock that rolled across my face.
“I know, right? That statement coming from me, yeah. But it’s true. The two of you do have a lot in common, and out of all the men in Manhattan, Logan signs up and he’s the one who’s paired with you? That seems a little too coincidental to be anything but fate.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. He’s your ex,” I said.
“And if you want him, I won’t stop you.”
I had no idea if I could believe her, but I sure as hell wanted to.
“Look, if the only reason you are pulling away from Logan is because I was being a hardcore bitch, then that’s not an excuse. Now, if he’s a dickwad to you or secretly an asshole or something, that’s another story. But if you’ve turned your back on all that simply because of me, then don’t. I won’t stand in your way and I won’t try to stop you. I’m happy, and I want you to be happy,” she said.
I nodded before I pulled her into one last hug. I didn’t want to answer her because I didn’t know what to think or how to feel about anything. I stood up from the couch to go, and Camilla ushered me out her door. As I made my way to my car, I took the time to absorb everything that had just happened. Out of all the reactions I had expected, a heart-to-heart conversation was the last thing I had thought would take place. I looked back at Camilla’s apartment before I slipped behind the wheel of my car, then let out a heavy sigh.
Still, I didn’t know if things would ever go back to the way they had been between us. She made it sound like she wanted to work on things, but after seeing a side of her I had never known existed, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to repair things. Yes, she had been my best friend, but I couldn’t let that toxicity back into my life simply because she was sorry for it. I cranked my car up and backed out of the parking space, driving myself back to my own apartment so I could sit and think a little longer.
Not so much about my relationship with Camilla, but more regarding my status with Logan. Because if she really meant what she said, I wondered if maybe I could fix things with him, if I hadn’t broken them beyond repair.
Logan
Sitting in the recording studio of Save the Date, I cleared my throat. This was the only avenue I had to reach Ava since I had been reassured she would see the testimonial before it was spliced, edited, and aired. I smoothed my hand through my hair before adjusting my suit jacket, then drew in one last deep breath before the lights came on. The camera button flashed, and I saw someone counting down. When they pointed their finger at me, the speech I had rehearsed for the past three hours flowed effortlessly off my tongue.
“Tell us what Save the Date meant to you,” the interviewer said.
“For me, Save the Date was more than a dating agency, more than a hook-up sight. Yes, it began with me signing up to be an educator, someone the company could entrust with their clients and the services they required. But it quickly became so much more than that,” I said.
“Care to explain?”
“When I first signed up for the agency, I was heartbroken. My girlfriend of a little less than a year revealed to me that she had been cheating on me, and it broke my heart. I signed up partially to teach, and partially to heal my own heart, to show myself that there was life after such a devastating piece of news. I wanted not to simply teach women how to interact with men, but to teach them how to care for one, just like they expect a man to care for them. And in my mind, if I could coach one woman on how to do that, then I could somehow slowly rewrite this double standard in the dating world.”
“Did you have any success?”
“I had more than success. I met the love of my life,” I said.
The interviewer’s eyes widened as a grin crossed my face.
“Yes, it started with the two of us planning an evening where she could lose her virginity. And yes, I took it. I taught her about sex. But it ended up being so much more than that between the two of us. I fell in love with the woman who was meant for me, and that would have never happened had it not been for Save the Date. The encounters we had were structured and planned down to the wire, just as advertised. They were safe, romantic, and everything both of us required from the moment. A pluses all around for fulfilling expectations. But when the encounter was over, my connection with her was not. Somehow, I’d fallen in love with her, and I wouldn’t take any of it back.”
