Sheslapped my arm with the back of her hand. “You know who. Tall, dark andtattooed.”
“You’regoing to have to be more specific,” I told her.
Makinga sound in the back of her throat she pointed atLilou.“Wyatt the Gyro Lover. He’s hot, and you know it.”
Ichewed on my bottom lip to keep from smiling. “He’s not ugly. I’ll give youthat.”
“Andthose piercings.”
Inodded. “They make him even less ugly.”
“So?”
Cuttingmy attention back to my meatballs and the next order, I avoided eye contactwith her. “So what?”
“So…you should hit that.”
“Oh,my God, Molly. You have a weird obsession with my sex life, you know that?”
Alaugh bubbled out of her, but she didn’t deny it. “I just want you to move on,Vere. And the fastest way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
Thistime I couldn’t help it. I stopped what I was doing and gaped at her. “MollyMaverick, I thought you were a lady.”
Herhead tipped back as she continued to laugh. “Don’t look so scandalized. Youknow it’s true.”
“Iknow nothing,” I argued. “And even if it were true, which it’s not, I wouldn’tbe into Wyatt. He’s not my type.”
“Yourtype is…what? Not hot guys?”
Irolled my eyes and turned to my station, wiping it down and cleaning it upwhile I had a break in customers. “My type is anyone not in my industry. I’mnot dating another chef.”
“I didn’t tell you to date him. Itold you to—”
Cuttingher off quickly, I said, “I know what you told me. But I’m telling you, even aone night stand is completely off the table. Especially with someone that worksacross the street from the business I own. No more drama, Molls. And no moredifficult relationships. I won’t survive it.”
Sheturned back to the window. I knew I’d shut her up by reminding her of my past.Instantly, I felt guilty. I’d promised myself months ago that I wasn’t going tolet my awful history ruin my present. I wanted to move on. I wanted a life. Iwanted to get over my bad mistakes and not be afraid to try new things.
Butdating wasn’t an option. Especially not a chef.
Notthat they were all like my ex. But generally, we were egotistical, narcissisticpeople. It was just the way of things.
Icould admit to being that way. I could also admit that two people with thosepersonality traits did not a healthy relationship make.
Molly’ssoft admonition filled our suddenly quiet space. “You will survive it, Vera.You’re stronger than you think. Stronger than anyone I know.”
Ididn’t answer her. She was wrong. I wasn’t strong. I was weak. Too weak. Soweak, I’d let myself be abused, mistreated and trampled on for two years of mylife. When I should have been taking important steps advancing my career I’dshrunk behind the shadow of a great chef and shitty human.
Itwasn’t until I had absolutely no other choice that I left. It wasn’t until mydreams had been stripped from me and my confidence battered and burned that I’dfinally, desperately escaped.
Andeven then, I hadn’t confronted him. I’d removed his name from my savingsaccount and ran away to Europe.
Thoseweren’t the markers of someone strong, someone courageous.
Iwas a coward, and we both knew it.
Butat least I’d gotten away.
Twohours later, Molly and I had shrugged off the weirdness that descended wheneverwe tried to talk about my last relationship. There were very few things thathad ever come between us, but Derrek Hanover was always one of them. I knew shedidn’t blame me for what I’d been through, but she also didn’t understand howI’d let any of it happen.
