“Says it’s his new job.”
“Oh, sure. That’s part of it. Get me a beer, will ya?” Bennett says to Cal. “But he should’ve adapted to that by now. He’s slow to change, not incapable of it.”
“I’m also sitting right here,” I grumble. “You can talk to me instead of about me.”
Bennett waves off my grumpiness and takes the beer Cal offers him. “The rest of that storm cloud belongs to the girl he let get away.”
“I didn’tlether get away.” I glare at my brother then take a hearty swig of whiskey.
“Is she here?”
I suck my teeth. “You know where she is.”
“I don’t,” Cal says, leaning on the bar. “Fill me in.”
“Lucy is a dancer. She was offered her dream job, touring with some pop star for a year. I told her to take the job. Live out the dream.”
I think of the video Lucy sent the other day, her giving a tour of the stage and stadium before the show. She was so pumped. So happy. So… everything.
That woman is my everything.
Not the first time I’ve had the thought. Won’t be the last either.
“Fair.” Cal bobs his head. “And she took it?”
I nod. “She’s been gone a month now. We still talk every day. Or mostly every day. So, no, I didn’t let her get away,” I finish, hitting Bennett with a look that he’s all too happy to return.
“You didn’t fight for her either.” He lifts his beer to his lips, pauses for me to digest his bullshit, then tips it back.
“What was I supposed to say? ‘Don’t do the thing you’ve been training your whole life to do because I’ll miss you?’ That wouldbe colossally selfish.”
Bennett takes another swig of beer instead of answering, which somehow manages to infuriate me. I swivel so I’m facing him, arm on the bar, anger in my heart.
“What’s wrong with that? I didn’t want to be the guy who begged her to stay when she wanted to go.”
“No.” Bennett draws out the word and meets my eyes. “You didn’t want to be the guy who got hurt.”
I glance at Cal for backup, but no help there. He listens more than he talks. Always has.
“You keep acting like you did some big noble thing,” Bennett continues, “but you didn’t even talk to Lucy about what she wanted, did you? You assumed she wanted to go, opened the door and basically pushed her out, because you were too afraid of what might happen if you told her how you really feel.”
I throw back the rest of my whiskey then plonk the glass onto the bar. “Careful, Ben.”
“I’m just sayin.’”
“What you’re doing is sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
“You’re my brother. Lucy’s my friend. My nose is exactly where it belongs.” Bennett shakes his head and sips his beer. “She told me, Nash. She told me she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. I told her to talk to you, and you know, I actually thought you guys would have a real conversation and come to the conclusion that somewhere along the way you’ve fallen in love with each other. That you’re good for her and she’s good for you. I actually thought Lucy would stay. Imagine my surprise when you told me she was leaving.”
“Lucy told you she wasn’t sure she wanted to go on the tour?” That’s news to me. Correction, that’suncomfortablenews to me. “When?”
“The day her agent called. You were at work. She needed to talk. She called me.” Bennett levels me with a look. “And don’t get all weird about it.”
“I’m not getting weird.”
“I see it all over your face, man. You’re getting weird.” Bennett turns to Cal. “He’s getting weird.”
“He’s been weird since he walked in.” Cal holds up his hands. “You should’ve been honest with her, Nash. I heard from Trayvon who heard it from Jesse who heard it from Simon Holiday that Lucy told her friends she would’ve stayed if you asked.”
