Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
‘I didn’t say that,’ I corrected her.
‘Ed, she says – oh wait, I’ll just put you on speaker.’
‘Sure, let’s share my embarrassment with the whole world.’
‘Just my fiancé will do for now. Come on, don’t keep us waiting any longer,’ Valerie begged.
‘Hi, babe,’ Ed greeted me. ‘Val couldn’t stop talking about it. Rough day, huh?’
‘Exactly!’ I said, nodding my head and throwing my hand up and almost sloshing my prosecco on my shirt.
Valerie groaned. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to call ever since you texted me this morning. What else do you want from me?’
‘He remembers me,’ I said, looking up at the ceiling. It was impossible to hold my giddy smile back. I knew it didn’t mean anything, but since all I’d felt was heartbreak when I assumed he didn’t in fact remember me, I was taking it as a win.
Valerie squealed, making me wince. I heard Ed murmur to her to take it easy, but my best friend’s voice only got louder.
‘You know what this means, right?’ she asked excitedly.
I rested my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes for a second. In another reality, it could’ve meant that I’d have a tiny chance of having another shot at someone I had a huge crush on, but in this reality where everything wasn’t so easy or romantic, it meant nothing.
‘Nothing,’ I mumbled, opening my eyes again. ‘It means nothing. But it was nice talking to…’
‘Charlie…’
‘Okay, fine, it was really really nice to hear that he recognized me.’
‘Charlie what are you talking about? It could mean…’
‘I’m going to move, you know this, so him being here means nothing. He looks amazing, Val. Insanely amazing. So he’s still a little out of my league, if not even more, and there is the fact that I’m going to mo—’
‘Charlie…’ This time it was Ed, sweetly murmuring my name. ‘You’re beautiful.’
I smiled, warmth spreading throughout my body, and put down my bottle. ‘Thank you for saying that, Ed. I’m not saying I’m the ugliest person in the world, I like myself just fine, but he is a little too much for me. Not that he wants me in that way right now, but even if he were mine I wouldn’t know what to do with him. Let me repeat it again, I like myself. And anyway,’ I continued before Val could interrupt again. ‘I can’t stay here, you know how it is with dad and grandma and even Kim. I’ll lose my mind if I stay here another year. I want a new start. A fresh one. Somewhere that isn’t New York. I’ll date anyone you deem worthy when I come to California. I solemnly promise.’
There was a stretch of silence on the other end of the line.
‘Sounds like a good plan, Charlie,’ Ed said when Val didn’t comment. ‘I didn’t see the guy so I have no idea what your concept of insanely good is, but he’d be lucky to have you if you wanted him as well. Valerie said you’ll be working with the guy, so I’d say dating him might be a bad move anyway.’
‘No,’ Val whisper-shouted. ‘Don’t say that to her! Why would you say that to her?’
Ed murmured something I couldn’t hear.
‘Thanks, Ed,’ I agreed, cutting Val off before she could start on him. ‘It was just a shock seeing him, you know. We met so many years ago and now he is here and I’m going to be working with him. I can’t wrap my mind around it. It’s a very… pleasant surprise, but it doesn’t necessarily mean something.’
I took a long long sip of prosecco.
‘Fine. Then just fuck his brains out,’ Valerie contributed.
I started coughing loudly, the bubbles going down the wrong tube.
‘What?’ Val protested, and I figured Ed must’ve said something while I was busy choking. ‘It’s been way too long since she had some. I don’t even count Craig the small snake.’ My eyes bulged out and I kept coughing. ‘Fuck him, kiss him. Do something. It’ll be like your vengeance,’ she continued unaware.
‘What kind of vengeance is that?’ I asked in a raspy voice, leaning forward and putting down my bottle.
‘He stood you up. You can fuck his brains out and show him what he’s missed all those years ago. It’s a win–win in my book.’
‘I love your logic. Since I haven’t had sex in years, I’d be so good at it now that for sure his mind will be blown and he’ll realize what a mistake he’s made. And thanks for telling Ed I haven’t had sex in years. Always wanted him to know.’
‘Okay, I don’t want to be here for this conversation. Babe, we need to head out anyway. We have plans with friends, Charlie.’
‘But, Ed…’ Valerie protested, then there were murmurings too quiet for me to hear.