“Yes, I understand.” I grind my teeth to keep the tears at bay.
“Good girl.” He picks up the menu, which is printed on card stock.
“Did you know this place is dog friendly? We can bring Truman,” he says conversationally.
“There is no ‘we.’” The tears are coming now. “You’re a monster.”
There’s that dark light in his eyes.
“Am I?” He raises his voice. “I’m not the one who lied to my date that she’s dating another guy.”
“None of these men are stalking me.”
“And Brock’s not dangerous as long as you’re not in a relationship with him,” McCarthy says mockingly.
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
I jump as he slams his hand on the table. “I see what they’re doing to you, how he’s affecting you.”
“That’s not them! It’s you!” I scream at him.
He blinks and jerks back. “I haven’t done anything to you.”
“You yell at me, you don’t respect my work, you’re playing some sick game trying to manipulate me to fall in love with you or something, as if your ego needs to get any bigger, like there aren’t other, better women out there who clearly have no problem losing their minds over you.”
“You’re jealous.”
“I am not. You hate me for some reason.”
“I don’t hate you. You drive me crazy.” He leans toward me, forehead pressed against mine to whisper the words to me. “That’s all.”
“I already have too many crazy men in my life.”
On the table, my phone rings and rings. I can’t tear away from McCarthy.
It finally stops ringing, then a message comes in.
“Wonder which crazy ex it is,” McCarthy remarks.
“Oh no. Ernie.”
37
MCCARTHY
Jenna turns in her seat then whirls back around when a man with a parrot on his shoulder scans the brewery’s oversized dining room.
“I can’t believe this is who you thought you were going to replace me with. Cupcake, this guy looks like he’s going to make a suit out of your skin.”
Parrot Boy seems upset when he stomps over to the table.
I lean forward in the chair.
Jenna’s babbling at him. “I… He just showed up here. I obviously wanted our date to happen. I was looking forward to it. I—”
“You lied to me.”
