“Stop sayingwhat. We were bound to end. It wasn’t going to work.”
“Murphy, don’t say that,” Hunnie said, pulling her legs underneath her and throwing her braid to one side.
“We were—are—too different. I’m from a world so different from this one, a world I don’t even understand. There are spoken and unspoken rules, and no matter how hard I try to let them go, I can’t. Keep in mind, they’re stupid and ridiculous rules, yet I still feel like I need to follow them.” I paused to sniff back tears. “And Ben, he’s too real. Too good, too ... too ... too better for it,” I said, rambling. “I’m not even making sense, but you get what I’m saying. I’m part of one world, and Ben is too special for that world.”
“Zara mentioned your folks coming in,” Hunnie said with a frown. “I should have assumed it meant disaster. You didn’t say they were coming, and Zara said it felt like a surprise, even though she stressed she was trying to mind her own business. I thought maybe when I texted you a happy birthday, you would have mentioned their visit or what happened, or the cake Gigi made for Ben. She’s been waiting like a pig in heat to hear.”
“It was awful.” I proceeded to explain the whole debacle to Hunnie, ending with, “Now you see why I didn’t mention anything over text? It was better for me to say I was busy with work or whatever, because opening my mouth is a land mine of awfulness. Oh, and we never had the cake.”
I pulled the blanket out from underneath the coffee table and wrapped myself against the emotional chill.
Hunnie patted the blanket over my arm. “Oh, sweetie. That’s horrible, but your mom and dad, they’re something otherworldly. You’re nothing like them, and I’m sorry you need to deal with that. You shouldn’t. My advice is to break away. It sounds harsh, but my grandma, the one who called me Hunnie, was a wise woman.”
She gave me a wink, trying to make me laugh.
“Grandma used to say you need to evaluate what’s sweet in your life and hold on to it extra hard, even if it’s slippery. And when something is bitter, you toss it away like a spoiled lemon. I know they’re your parents but they’re bitter for you. As for you and Ben, I’ve never been in love, so I’ve got nothing for you other than he’s sweet, so you need to hold on to him.”
This actually made me laugh out loud. “Oh God.” I grabbed my temples, trying to massage away the tension. “I can’t believe you’re my boss.”
“Boss-ish,” Hunnie said. “After all, you’re only an intern.”
“Either way, this discussion is silly because we’re not in love. Ben likes me and I like him, but it’s just a thing. A fling for old times’ sake.”
“Huh-uh. You’re in love, honey. Like golden honey infused with lemon basil, you two go perfectly together. Absolutely perfect.”
I shook my head, but maybe ... could we be? “Maybe that’s why this hurts so much?”
“That’s likely, honey bear,” she said, moving to the arm of the chair where I was sitting so she could run her hand down my back. “Look, it’s not your parents’ actions Ben’s blaming you for. That much I know about him. He doesn’t judge people about where they come from.”
“I know that all too well,” I said.
“Sounds to me like it’s your problem to solve. Ben believes in the good in all people, especially you. Maybe he doesn’t get why you can’t see all the best parts of you and break away? I know I can’t understand it. You’re amazing, Murphy—giving, caring, warm, and real. You need to see the good in yourself and stand up to your parents, which it sounds like you did.”
Fresh tears broke out at her words. “All my life ... my family, the other kids at Pressman, college friends and coworkers at Columbia, nobody made me feel like I was filled withgood.Thank you, Hunnie.”
She pulled me in for a giant hug—something else no one ever did for me—and held me tight.
“Now, you need to strategize how you’re going to get your guy back. Maybe some honey and a paint brush and no clothes?” She winked again, adding, “Gigi can give you some tips.”
I smacked Hunnie playfully on the shoulder and stood. “Let’s get through book club before you dive into all your sexual suggestions. I need some time to think about this. Obviously, it’s my responsibility to make things right.” I sniffed back snot and salty tears, trying to compose myself. There was no question my skin was blotchy as hell.
“Attagirl. Now, something came to mind when I mentioned lemon-basil honey. You know what that is?”
With Hunnie, I had zero ideas. “Should I be afraid?”
“No way, girl, you should be happy. I was thinking hot toddies made with lemon-basil honey.” She stood and was whipping up a batch of her creation within moments of mentioning it. “By the way, what did you think of the rose-petal honey?”
And that was Hunnie, right back to business as if I hadn’t just had an emotional meltdown. I needed to catch a dose of herjoie de vivre.
“It’s perfect,” I said, “and you know it.”
This made her laugh and give me a bow.
“Keep mixing,” I barked at her from the velvet chair. “I’m going to need several hot toddies for the liquid courage to even think about getting Ben back.”
32
Murphy
