Lucas made his way over to Jess. He could tell she was fuming over Brianna.
“Ready to get out of here?” he murmured.
With a curt nod, she preceded him out of the private dining room. A rainstorm had started, so he dashed out to the car and brought it to the door so she wouldn’t get too wet. Once inside, she let loose. “The nerve of that cunt,” she seethed. "One of these days, I am totally going to lose my shit with that woman."
“She’s not worth raising your blood pressure over.”
“I don’t know why I talked the others on my team out of exposing her bullshit over that training manual. I wish we had, but if I say anything now, everyone will think I’m making shit up to make myself look better because I’m jealous of her.”
She was a good worker and always did what was best for the greater good; she had her co-workers' and doctors’ backs, and people loved her. Why she stayed where she was, he’d never understood. “I know we’ve talked about this multiple times, but maybe you should start looking for a new job,” he suggested. “With your skills, you could go anywhere. There have to be hundreds of places that would love to have you.”
“I know…” She groaned. “Will it make you feel better if I actually tell you, ‘You’re right, and I’m wrong’?”
“No, it won’t make me feel better because gloating is not something I’m into.” He reached across the console and grabbedher hand, laced their fingers together, and squeezed. “You’re my friend, and you know that I’d move heaven and earth to keep you from being hurt. Unfortunately, you’re the only one who can fix this, Jessie.”
With a returning squeeze, she smiled fondly at him and pulled her hand away. “I hate it when you’re right,” she teased. She turned to look straight ahead out the windshield. It was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. “I feel like every aspect of my life is at a standstill. I moved here to get away from what was a dead-end job at home, only to find myself in a similar situation here. I’m never going to move up in the company as long as she’s there, but the thought of starting over somewhere new is not only exhausting, it feels like I’d be taking a step backward. I have friends here, but the thought of socializing with them feels like more work than it’s worth. Most times, I’d rather just stay home in my pajamas and read a book. Even dating since I’ve moved here has been a disaster.”
“Should I be offended by that?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. But what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t harass you for a comment like that?”
When they arrived at her house, he walked her to the front door. After opening it, she turned back to him. “You want to come in for bread pudding and bitching? Made a fresh batch today,” she taunted.
With a glance at his watch, he winced. “Damn. As good as that sounds, I think I need to take a rain check. Ezra’s at the theme park with friends, and with this pop-up storm, I’d feel more comfortable being at home if he needs me to come get him.”
“No problem. I’ll swing by your office tomorrow and bring you some to take home.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for sitting through that shit tonight. I couldn’texactly say no, and there’s no way I could have gotten through it on my own.”
“You’re welcome. Next time, though, I think I’d rather have a root canal.”
“Hardy har har,” she mocked. “Good night, Mr. Funny Man. Call me.”
“Good night. Get on inside. Lock the door.”
After he heard the lock click, he made the dash to his car. As he drove home, he let his mind go blank and focused on the slippery roads, not even turning the radio on. He didn’t want to miss a call from Ezra if it came.
When he arrived home and had safely parked in the garage, he came in through the mudroom. Walking into the kitchen, he loosened his tie, threw it on the island, then went immediately to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. Cracking the seal, he leaned back against the countertop, finally allowing his brain to process the conversation with Jess.
They met three years ago when Ezra took a helmet to the face during football practice his freshman year of high school, damaging a tooth. He was the only one in the waiting room, and they chatted while the tooth was being fixed.
Dating hadn’t been a part of his life since before he married Ezra’s mother, and after the divorce, he was focused on learning how to be a single dad. Once his son got older, there just didn’t seem to be any time or motivation to start dating again, so he was surprised when they went back for Ezra’s checkup a few weeks later, and he found himself asking her out to dinner.
They had a good time. She was fun, and he felt comfortable around her, so he asked her out again. After three months and a handful of casual dates, he wondered, with Ezra in high school and involved in so many activities, if the dates had been driven by a bit of loneliness. His son was more independent and wasn’taround as often. Had he simply been lonely as he adjusted to the new routine?
So he confessed that while he enjoyed her company, he really preferred to just be friends. He cited all the hours of planning and grading that went into being an English teacher, and that he was finishing up his doctorate, hoping to become a principal somewhere down the line, which would be an even bigger time commitment. Plus, Ezra was getting ready to look into colleges. Even if he wanted to get into an exclusive relationship, he wasn’t sure it was fair to her when he was so busy.
For the first time, he wondered if being friends with Jess had hurt her more than she let on. When he’d first broached the subject of being friends rather than dating partners, he thought she was relieved. That’s how she acted at the time, but her words tonight suggested she might have done a really good job of pretending. He never meant to hurt her. He genuinely cared about her.
Frowning, he turned to face the sink. Arms locked and braced around the edge of the countertop, the fingertips of one hand still framing the water bottle, he gazed out the window into the darkness. Looking back, he could admit to himself, at least, that if he’d truly been interested in her romantically, he would have made it work instead of giving reasons why it wasn’t the right time. Had she been hoping for more, and he was too selfish to see beyond his own wants?
Wow. It was entirely possible he’d been a complete dick and didn’t even realize it. That didn’t sit well with him. Did he need to have a heart-to-heart with her and apologize for not only being obtuse but also insensitive? Or would bringing it up after all this time make things worse? Hell. He wasn’t even sure she had feelings like that for him. It seemed egotistical to assume his not wanting to date was the reason her dating life was a“disaster.” Would apologizing based on an assumption be an even bigger dick move?
Frustrated with himself for not having thought of this a long time ago, he chugged the last of his water and headed to his bedroom to change into more comfortable lie-around clothes while he waited for Ezra to return home.
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
ELYXANDRE
