Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 81843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81843 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
And I think about the fun part. A lot.
“Speaking of things that say a lot about you,” she says, resting her chin in her palm. “Did you call Bodhi back?”
“No, I didn’t call Bodhi back.” I mock her, earning a roll of her eyes. “I told you I wasn’t calling him back when he asked for my number.”
“Look, I get that he is a busboy at twenty-five, but he has potential. And with all the running around he was doing during the lunch rush, his stamina must be great.”
“My failure to return his call has nothing to do with his place of employment. Actually, I like the idea that he’s out there hustling his ass off.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
I sigh, sitting back in my chair. Nickie sighs right back.
We have this conversation at least once a week. My friend has decided that I cannot possibly be happy and live a fulfilling life without a man. She’s projecting. I’ve known her for three years—we started work at Brewer Air the same day—and I’ve never known her to go more than a week without a boyfriend.
On the other hand, I just passed the six-month mark of complete singledom. The guy before that wasn’t exactly a winner, but he did get the important job done. Mostly. I did learn to fake orgasms throughout that experience, which is a silver lining. I think.
“What will you do?” she asks, sounding like a broken record. “Stay single forever?”
“I think my relationship status bothers you a whole lot more than it bothers me, Nick.”
She leans forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Someone has to worry about you getting laid, and if that someone has to be me, then so be it.”
Jake appears out of nowhere, opening his mouth to interject an unwanted comment into our discussion. The mere thought of Jake getting laid makes my stomach lurch.
“Keep walking, Jake,” I say again.
His head falls forward, and he scoots off toward his office.
“Your relationship status should bother you more. Forever is a long time, Chloe.” Nickie doesn’t miss a beat.
I cram the rest of the muffin in my mouth.
“That’s ladylike,” she teases. “Go out this weekend and swallow like that at the bar. You won’t be single for long.”
I laugh, nearly choking on the last bit of blueberry muffin. “Stop it.”
“No, I won’t stop it until I’m satisfied that you remember that you’re a whole person who deserves love and affection and a big hard cock.”
I wipe the corner of my eye with a napkin and try to rein in my laughter.
“Do you have a secret boyfriend?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m starting to think you do. It’s the only answer that makes sense.”
“Trust me. If I had a boyfriend, you’d be the first person to know, so you’d shut up about it.”
She nods, smiling in satisfaction.
It’s easier with Nickie to pretend I’m not interested in dating at all. I once made the mistake of being open to the idea, and she came to work the following morning with a photo album on her phone filled with men she thought might be a good match for me. That morning, I learned that Nickie is a one-woman matchmaking company. She memorized their bios and statistics and rattled them off like a game show host.
It was as impressive as it was alarming.
But the truth is that I’m not anti-dating. I’m anti-relationship. Anti-marriage. When coupled with the fact that I only attract men who I’m not interested in and that I have zero free time thanks to a mountain of debt that’ll wind up crushing me at some point—my life is lonely.
I’d rather it be lonely than miserable.
“You have to make time for what’s important to you,” she says.
I hold up the muffin wrapper and grin. “I made time for this little nugget today, didn’t I?”
She groans, making me laugh.
“Look, my neighbor’s grandson is coming to town this week,” I say. “Thomas and I have a little friends-with-benefits thing going on, which will hold me over for a while. It’s the best I can do.”
“That’s absolutely not the best you can do.”
“Even if I wanted to meet someone—which I don’t—there’s no time. During the week, by the time I get home, I’ve been gone ten hours, and I’ve started picking up shifts at Fika’s if someone calls off in the evenings. I also need to spend time with Mimi since she’s alone at our apartment all day—which I feel terrible about, by the way. I barely have time to bathe and sleep, and I feel guilty when I do that.”
“Feeling guilty for taking care of yourself is ridiculous.”
I shrug. “I’m struggling right now thanks to a crap ton of debt, sky-high rent, and trying to keep Mimi out of a nursing home—all while managing not to get offed by the nasty guy on the first floor of my apartment building.” I pause while Nickie glares at me. “But my life is built on a precarious set of needs that must be met, and mine must be last right now. And that’s okay. It won’t always be this way.”