She gave a pleased little wiggle as she bit into her muffin. "I think it was sweet he was up that early waiting for you."
I gave her an unamused flick of my eyebrow. "He works in construction. They're usually up at the ass crack of dawn. He doesn't get any extra points for that."
"Extra points," Rachel emphasized, eyebrows wagging. "So he has some saved up already."
I sighed as I typed, ignoring her. The last person I wanted to be thinking of was Brian. He had minus zero points as far as I was concerned, and I was frankly a little annoyed that my sisterhood was crumbling. All over a basket of muffins and a coffee. What happened to those colorful phrases they all bestowed on Brian and Lissa at The Homestead? We even raised a toast in their honor.
"Here's to no more fuck boys and bitches!" We’d yelled before downing our shots.
I didn't expect them to throw a perfectly delicious basket of muffins away, but I didn't expect to be knocked aside in their haste to grab one. They were just muffins—empty calories.
My stomach growled as I caught a whiff of Rachel's muffin. I swear she warmed it up just to tease me.
"Did you at least thank him for the muffins?"
"We don't know it was from him."
Rachel raised a groomed brow at me. "He sent us the exact same basket of muffins when you were dating."
Yes,weredating. So in my book there was no reason for him to contact me again or send me anything. Especially given how we'd left things the last time. There shouldn't have been any doubt in his mind that I was done.
"He left a note last time," I pointed out. "No note came with those," I gestured out the door, where I was considering kicking her out to. "Ergo, you can't say for definite that they came from him."
They so came from him. And it infuriated me. It was a quickfire way for him to receive a doggy bag full of poo.
"Coffee and muffins. Mmm, mmm. He sure knows how to win a girl's heart."
"Wow, doesn't take much to impress you, does it?" I angrily clicked my mouse to open a document.
"I've done more for less," she shrugged.
So have I. That was why my body count would put a porn star to shame and why I had to see a therapist once a week.
Frustrated, confused, and a little hurt, I gave Rachel a long stare, my mouth turning down in disappointment. "You really think I should talk to Brian? After he disrespected me on our date and after we all watched him take Lissa home? Is he really who you see me with?"
Rachel's mouth dropped open into a little O. Her eyes softened in remorse before she wrapped her half-eaten muffin back upand placed it on my desk. I wanted to swat it away in a fit of pettiness.
"No, I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I didn't mean to make light of it. I know you liked him." She gave me an apologetic smile before leaning over and squeezing my hand. "We're just messing with you, but we're on your side. Would it make you feel better if we dumped the muffins?"
I rolled my eyes before removing my hand from under hers. "Why bother? There's only, like, two left."
"One." Rachel held up a finger. "I stole a few and put them in my bag for later, but if anyone asks, I only took two.
My shoulders relaxed, and a bubbling laugh shook me. I fixed her with an absolved nod. "Alright, get outta here before I dock your pay."
Rachel saluted me before dusting herself off and hopping down from my desk, heading towards the door. She disappeared before her head popped back in, her ponytail swinging. "Hey, next time you see him, can you tell him some tacos wouldn't go unwanted?".
I scrunched up a paper and threw it at her. "Out." Her laughter echoed down the hall.
The silence was maddening after Rachel left. It didn't help that she forgot to take her half-eaten muffin with her. I glared at the offending cake before snatching it up and throwing it in the waste basket beside my desk.Tough titties, Rachel.
I tried to re-focus on work, but the words on my screen blurred, and I ended up typing and deleting sentences. My mind continued to drift. I replayed the last few conversations I had with Brian until I drove myself mad trying to decipher it. Especially our last meeting. Well, ambush more like it.
I analyzed his behavior over and over, running through his words as if I could garner what he could possibly have left tosay to me. I knew I made the right decision to move on without knowing. Right? Yes, absolutely.
Heck, despite Rachel's teasing and despite the fact that those bitches out there chose to hover over that basket of muffins like damn vultures, I knew they were supportive and adamant that I made the right call with Brian. We made a toast to it and everything.
But then those damned texts and calls started filling my phone, messing with my head. And sometimes, when I thought about it enough, his stupidly handsome face swam into my mind. I could picture him standing outside my salon, the morning sun highlighting his windswept hair, with a sheepish and hopeful smile, coffees in hand.
