And I walk out.
It’s not until I’m exiting the building with my box of packed things inside that I realize what I’ve done.
I’ve walked away from the most important part of my life.
And I’m jobless. Thus, without an income.
So what the hell am I going to do now?
CHAPTER THREE
“A blind date?” I stare at my best friend, Alyssa, across the table at the café where we’re eating lunch.
Oh, and we’re drinking plenty of wine to mourn the death of my career.
So, while good and buzzed, we’re brainstorming on what I should do next.
It only takes two glasses for us to decide I need a vacation. Alyssa can’t get off work, so I book myself a staycation at a local ranch.
I check in tonight, and I can’t wait.
I don’t take vacations.
I can’t remember the last time I haven’t worked.
So I’m going to take some time for myself.
Because I’ve had some kind of a month.
“First, your boyfriend dumps you,” Alyssa says as she pours us both more wine from the bottle sitting in the middle of our table.
“For his job,” I add with a frown.
Literallyfor his job.
Henry landed a long-term consulting opportunity overseas, and he said he couldn’t pass it up.
Before I could even think of a solution, he said he needed to do this alone. Staying together long distance would only complicate things.
While I was still reeling, he said he thought it was a sign.
A sign that he and I wanted different things.
“So we’re over?” I said, pointing from his heart to mine.
“Emery.” His eyes flashed with pity. He nearly touched his styled hair filled with product, but he stopped himself. His hair takes forty-five minutes to style every morning, and nothing could make him ruin that, apparently not even breaking up with me. His perfect teeth flashed as he leaned in close and kissed my cheek in a manner so patronizing I nearly slapped him. “I’ll miss you. But I’d miss this career opportunity more.”
Henry and I were both career-focused, so I couldn’t really blame him for taking a job opportunity. But when the darkness started to subside, I got angry as I realized all that I’d sacrificed over the past three years. Especially in the intimacy department.
Henry wasn’t just a shitty boyfriend who forgot important dates like our anniversary and my birthday. He wasn’t just a narcissist who spent twice as long getting ready in the mornings as I did.
He was also aterriblelover.
“You’re still angry about that asshole,” Alyssa says. “Which is why you need a blind date.”
“Why would that help me?” I ask her. “I told you that, after Henry, I was done with relationships.”
She points at me. “And that’s the beauty of a one-night date with a total stranger. You have hot sex with him. Just like you told me you wanted after your breakup. You never followed through. You were too busy working.”
