Saying good-bye was hard. When I walked into the bar earlier in the week, I thought Layton and I would have a good time and share some quick laughs. That’s it. I never expected him to spend the night—or to look the way he did.
God, I had just made up my mind that I liked him. He was witty, funny, and caring. And now he was freaking gorgeous.
It made me take pause and question who I was ... even more than I’d already done. I’d certainly judged the hell out of him when I first saw him on the plane. Torn between my mom begging me to date Garrett and Janie’s criteria for the type of guy I should date, I didn’t want to like Layton.
But I did anyway, and had fought it by ditching him via an SOS call from Janie.
He continued to remain true to who he was, a nice guy, and I had finally come to terms with that. And then bam! Suddenly he was a hottie too.
My phone rang early on Sunday after Layton went back. He’d flown out Friday afternoon, needing to get back because the movie was behind schedule and they were shooting today. It was a pivotal scene and he needed to be there. Otherwise, I was certain he would have stayed.
Or maybe it was wishful thinking on my part.
“Hello, J,” I said, sipping my coffee. I’d been up, staring into space and dreaming of my time with Layton.
I’d turned intothatgirl.
“Come on, we’re going spinning and then for brunch,” Janie said. “You’re going to fill me in whether you want to or not.”
I stared at my bare feet, my pink-polished toes splayed on the hardwood.
“Janie ... really?”
“Really. See you at the spin place in an hour. We’re gonna sweat our butts off and then your mouth is gonna be running.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and tossed on a pair of leggings and a to-and-from-yoga top, threw my spinning shorts and shoes in a bag, and filled a water bottle. Janie had been hot on my trail since I mentioned Layton was coming.
Janie greeted me outside the spinning studio without even a hello. “You’re the one who went MIA for forty-eight hours ... don’t give me that look.”
“It’s freezing out here,” I said, ignoring her comment as I hoisted the door open. I went straight to the changing room and plopped down on the bench to remove my UGGs and put on my shorts.
“Charleston, I thought something happened to you. If I hadn’t seen your picture on Instagram on Thursday of your run with him, I would’ve called the police.” She shoved off her lululemon leggings, no shame in being commando, and tugged on mini biker shorts.
I actually heard a small note of panic in her voice as she sat down next to me, and felt horrible about not touching base with my best friend for days. I broke girl code.
“I’m sorry. I just got so swept away. And, well, Layton is hot now.”
“Um, I can see that in the picture. Even with that blurry filter, I can make out all his hotness.”
“But he’s also so kind and funny, and really genuine. He’s a good one.”
She ran her hand down my hair, braiding and tying it, when I bent over to put my shoes on.
“I’m truly sorry I worried you. He blew into town like a hurricane and then stayed a day longer, but he had to leave and go back home. I sat staring at my laptop like a jilted woman yesterday.”
She stood and tugged my hand, gathering me into her arms.
“You’re crazy silly, Charli. You’re a girlin likeand I forgive you, but next time I’m going to call the cops. You had me so nervous, I could’ve spit, and I was pacing like my mom waiting for her brisket to be finished.”
I laughed. “Come on, let’s spin, and then we can chat over coffee.”
“I have to go somewhere where they have almond milk,” Janie said as we left the locker room, clicking in our spinning shoes.
“Oh God, what now?”
“Listen, not all of us are so lucky to work out and eat what we want and then find love.”
I punched her arm.
“Okay, findlike. But seriously, you’re such a happier person now that you write and eat a bit more. Me, I’ve got to watch my Jewish thighs. Lord help me if I gain another ounce. So I cut out dairy.”
“That’s nuts, but okay. Only almond milk for you.”
We spun, changed back into our clothes, and wrapped our sweaty bodies in our coats and walked down the street to a small coffee shop in the Village. We ordered and found ourselves a private table in the corner so I could tell Janie the whole story.
Well, most of it. I kept what Layton did with his mouth to myself.
I also kept my growing panic over how I didn’t deserve him to myself.
