Josie bangs on my door earlier than I expect and I’m still lounging, or as others may call it, sleeping. She comes in carrying two large coffees, and I know I love her. If I ever remarry and have kids, I promise to name one after her.
“Wanna skip the run and go for breakfast? Brinn’s gone to Miami so I have all day.” Josie’s always the voice of temptation.
“How about we run to the café and stroll back?” I’m seriously concerned about my thighs.
She shrugs as she wanders around my apartment opening blinds, then picking dead leaves off my plants.
“Hey it’s BOB,” she exclaims when she sees the package on my table.
“Who?” I return my focus to the soothing goodness of my coffee.
“BOB. Your new battery-operated boyfriend.” She opens the package, pulls the purple eyesore from his place of rest, and waves it around. I almost drop my coffee and die on the spot. I’d been torn last night when I stood at the car. I was afraid to leave it for fear of someone seeing it and reasoned I could hide it in my trash can and take it to the larger Dumpster on trash day.
“Hey.” I jump up and snatch it out of her hands. “Keep it down, will ya? I have elderly neighbors.”
“As if.” Josie yanks it back and walks into my kitchen.
I follow her and watch as she rummages through my junk drawer. “Seriously, Jo, the lady across the street is the nosiest of nosy. I swear she sleeps by her window and has binoculars.”
Josie loads BOB with batteries and turns it on. It hums in her hands. I cover my ears.
“Look here, it has a variety of speeds. Who cares if she sees? Maybe she’ll get one of her own and find something better to do with her time. Now let’s see, where shall we put this?” She taps BOB against her palm and surveys my apartment.
How about the garbage? Because it’s been shed of its package, I’m terrified someone will find it there and word will somehow get back to my mother. Maybe I’ll throw it in the Halifax River. I wonder if it floats? I suggest nothing. It doesn’t matter where Josie puts BOB because he’s not staying.
She walks into my bathroom, throws back the shower curtain, and lays it across the rack where I store my hair products and bath soap.
“Here’s a great place for the two of you to get to know each other. Now what do you say we walk to the café so we can enjoy our coffees.”
“Deal.”
I change and we head out. We walk along the Halifax River toward the restored historic district of Daytona Beach and talk about last night. Josie confides in me how Brinn is attempting to put together a deal to open his own commercial airline. Risky business in the wake of September eleventh. He’s flying back and forth to D.C. and Miami, meetings with investors. The whole thing makes Josie nervous for reasons she doesn’t explain but, if anyone can turn mud into millions, it’s Brinn McRae, I tell her.
She gently grabs my forearm and smiles. “Listen, I need a favor.”
Uh-oh. “What kind of favor?” Josie isn’t one to butter up a person. If she needs something, she asks.
“Brinn’s business manager will be here for a few weeks, and I’d like you to join us for dinner one night.”
“Huh? Is this a blind date?”
“Yes... No. Kinda. It’s more like evening out the numbers so he doesn’t feel like a third wheel, while putting two remarkable people together who I think will hit it off.”
“Is he a pilot?” I’m not crazy about pilots.
“No, he’s a number cruncher. He’s moving here, and we want him to have a good time.”
I give her a pointed look.
“Not a good time like that. Jeez, I’m not a pimp. I mean the four of us having a nice time together. No pressure.”
I do an eye roll. No pressure. I’ve heard that before.
“You said he’s a number cruncher. You mean nerdy accountant?” I sip my coffee and picture a guy who’s paper-thin with a bad haircut he probably gave himself.
“Yeah, but hot nerdy accountant.” She arches her eyebrows and we laugh.
“OK, I’ll do it. What the heck. Oh, speaking of hot. Guess who asked me out?”
I’m nervous telling Josie because she briefly worked with Jake and she’s never given him much attention. Meaning, in Josie speak, she doesn’t think much of him. I tell her anyway.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She throws her drink into a nearby garbage can and stalks ahead.
Stunned, I look around for a camera or someone to yell “psych.” Nothing happens and Josie’s getting further away. I break into a slight jog to catch up with her. At least I get some running in, and all without spilling my drink.
“What’s the matter?” I ask when I catch up. She stops dead in her tracks and I have to stop midstride and turn around.
“You give me a hard time about setting you up, yet you go on a blind date Kenley found for you. You make a date with Jake, but you won’t give this Hank a chance. If you hook up with Jake, you’ll be a two-time loser.”
“That’s mean.” My feelings are hurt. Does she think I’m a one-time loser?
“You’re better than he is. All I’m saying is Jake the Snake isn’t good enough for you.”
“Jake the Snake?” I laugh.
“Yeah. Jake’s the player of players. Word is he plays dirty.” She plants her hands on her hips. Her expression is straightforward and challenges me to argue back.
Hmm. Jake doesn’t give me the player vibe, just that he’s comfortable in his skin. I purse my lips. Trevor was a player. I didn’t get the vibe from him either, so there’s that.
“What do you mean ‘plays dirty’? Never mind, it doesn’t matter, because the point here is that I got a date without anyone setting me up.”
“It’s not a date with potential. You can stop any man here on the street and ask him out and get a date. You’re very pretty, and you’ll have better odds at finding something with more potential than you’ll find with Jake.”
“You are missing the point. He asked me out.”
“Ahhh! You’re missing the point,” she takes a deep breath, “OK, fine go out with Jake. See for yourself. He’s a sly fox.”
“Duly noted.”
We are standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, getting odd looks. I’m ready to get this behind us. I indicate with my hand for her to continue.
“Jake only wants one thing.” With her chin lifted and squinty eyes, she’s gearing up for a debate.
“Ohhh. You think he wants to play hanky-panky with me. Don’t you?” I clasp my hands in glee, hoping for some levity.
“I’m positive he does. Jeez, Paisley. He’s not the guy for you.” She drops her hands from her waist and walks away.
“Who says he has to be and why not?” I ask.
“He’ll never give you what you need, and he’ll break your heart just for kicks. It’s like you want to keep repeating your mistakes.” She shakes her head.
“Assuming I’ll give him my heart. Maybe this nerdy accountant dude will win my heart.”
Josie’s look borderlines pity. “You couldn’t date him more than once without giving a part of you. At the very least you’ll feel obligated or something. It’s who you are, honey.”
“I beg to differ. I’ve had hot, meaningless sex with Hank and seem to be doing fine.” Ha. Stuff that, Josie.
She gives me another of her pointed looks.
My temper rises. “I don’t have feelings of love or any other sort of attachment for Hank any more than I do the devil himself.” I use my haughtiest tone, pull open the restaurant door, and walk in without her. I’m about make an even saucier statement when my cell phone rings.
It’s the devil calling.
I gulp and suck in a breath before I accept the call. It’s been two weeks since I’ve talked to him. We’ve only been in touch through e-mail and text messaging.
“Hello?” Why, with current technology, do I try to pretend I don’t know he’s calling? Am I able to convey my ambivalence across a fickle and subjective line? No, I haven’t been waiting for your call. I’m indifferent to you calling me. My heart is certainly not racing. Can he pick up those messages with my one word?
“Hey, Paisley. Sorry I haven’t called sooner. I was unexpectedly out of town until yesterday.”
“Where’d you go?” I follow Josie to a booth and slide in. She’s staring at me with curiosity.
“Oh, just some place dry and hot. Listen, I know we talked about getting together this weekend, but things have changed.”
He’s canceling. I shake my head at Josie. I knew this was coming. I’m disappointed and vindicated at the same time. Hank Lancaster is like all the other guys. He only wants one thing, too. Like Josie says Jake does.
“I’d like to get together next weekend—”
“It’s OK. You sound real busy.” I give Josie an I-told-you-so look. Getting strung along by someone I barely know is one thing. It’ll be unbearable for Hank to do it. The last thing I want is to have him cancel on me again next week. How pathetic. I struggle to come up with a reason not to get together.
“Now, Paisley, don’t get crazy in the head. I’m coming to Daytona tonight and still want to see you if you’re free, but I won’t be alone.” He lowers his voice. “Work’s been rough and we found out today, one of the guys we were at the Academy with was wounded in combat and is in critical condition. Some of the guys need to blow off steam. Someone scored Coke 400 race tickets and... Anyway, I was hoping I could see you again next weekend, alone, to make it up to you. I didn’t want to assume you’d be willing to hang out with a bunch of sailors.”
“Oh. I hope he’s going to be OK.” I’m such a master of words. I should make a career of being a wordsmith.
“You wanna meet us for dinner tonight?”
“OK, sure.” And I’m a pushover.
“Great. Six o’clock at Hops sound OK?”
“Sure.” Now even Josie throws up her hands in disgust.
“OK, see you then.”
I put the phone on the table, look at Josie, and relay the conversation back to her.
“Sounds like fun.” She checks the calendar on her phone. “Dammit. I can’t go.”
I don’t point out she isn’t invited. It’s not like she takes no for an answer anyway.
“Why not?”
“My wedding planner called this morning, and I promised to meet with her to go over a few things. I wonder if I can reschedule her.” The last part she mumbles as she types out a text message.
I’m relieved knowing Josie won’t be meeting Hank yet. I don’t think I’m ready to share him with my Daytona friends. We manage to enjoy the meal and the walk back. She’s easily distracted with wedding talk.
In anticipation of my impending early dinner with Hank, I go clothes shopping. I buy a cute, ankle-length, straight skirt and two-inch heeled boots for the event, hoping the length of my skirt will be a deterrent. I know he says we won’t be alone, but I’ll take any reinforcement I can get. Perhaps meeting him on my territory, away from our childhood memories, will eliminate whatever pull he has on me. It’s a crapshoot, but one I’m willing to take.