Maddie made a face. “That was a bit passive-aggressive, wasn’t it?”
The women laughed. “That’s okay,” Penny replied. “I just want to know why.”
Maddie rocked her head from side to side. “Well, Matt says I can’t always avoid my problems and need to seek confrontation.”
“So, Mister Hot Arrogant is a problem?” Anna inquired.
Maddie nodded. “He’s the egomaniacal divorce lawyer next door.”
Lucy clicked her tongue. “He’s beneath you, Maddie! You can’t win against Connor Stone. As his name suggests, he’s a rock. The other day, when he showed up at your door complaining about something ridiculous, I said the weather was nice. He asked if I was a meteorologist or just terribly boring.”
Penny laughed while Anna leaned forward curiously. “So your problem with him is that he’s an asshole?”
“Not only that. He’s killing our business!” Maddie complained. “He tells all his clients who are considering applying with us after their divorce that they might as well perform a shamanic love dance or ask the spirits of their ancestors for help in finding a new partner.”
“Oh, he’s the ultimate cynic,” Lucy stated angrily. “Don’t let it bother you.”
“Child of divorce,” Penny immediately stated. “Statistically, ninety percent of divorce lawyers are victims of their parents’ divorce. So, their cynicism has a root cause.”
Maddie frowned. “Is that true?”
Penny grinned. “I don’t know. Sometimes I just make up statistics to support my point and hope no one fact checks it.”
Anna laughed. “I bet it’s true. Although even children of non-divorce can become cynical.” She pointed to herself with both thumbs.
“Yeah, but your childhood was also super messed up. A divorce might have helped,” Lucy said
“What was so bad?” Maddie asked, but added, “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“Oh.” Anna took a deep breath. “The relationship was simply dysfunctional…my mom was complicated and my dad…”
“Was an asshole?” Lucy suggested crisply. “Really, the things Dax told me… I can see why he’s so glad to cut off contact.” She laughed. “He says he’d rather get a puck smashed between his legs than speak to or see him again.”
Anna lowered her gaze to her gin and stirred it with the straw as guilt gnawed at her. She hadn’t told Dax that their father had written to her for exactly the reasons Lucy had just mentioned. It would make him angry that she’d replied. But, he’d be even more furious to learn that their dad lived near Phoenix and she wasn’t just traveling to the away games to take care of injured hockey players.
She needed closure, though. Her parents were the reason she thought long-term happiness was a fairy tale, and not the watered-down American versions. No, the original German ones, where heels were chopped off and princes were riddled with thorns. And lately, she’d grown…sick of short-term happiness because it usually just left her angry, disappointed, or confused.
Time to change the subject.
“Oh, Anna, we’ve gotten off topic. So, who’s your kissing guy?” Lucy wanted to know.
God, no. Not that subject again!
“I’m interested in that too.” Penny rested her elbows on the table and looked at her expectantly.
“It’s nobody. I made the whole thing up,” she replied hastily.
“Great, so that means you can sign up atMatch Me!” Maddie suggested enthusiastically. “If you’re still single? I’ll find you the love of your life.”
If Anna were a cartoon, she’d be sweating bullets right now.The love of your life… Who could guarantee love for a lifetime? She had trouble imagining love for a few weeks.
“No thanks,” she said hastily. “I’ve had my fill.”
Maddie grinned broadly. “So, you have a boyfriend?”
“No!”
“An ex-lover?”
