Lilly:If the goats don’t care for you, then how on earth are you going to be the lord of the Sotherbys?
Evan:Great question. I’d love to have lunch with you to discuss it. (I figured that’s where this was heading, please correct me if I’m wrong.)
Lilly:No, you’re not wrong. How would you feel about coming to Strombly for some lunch? Feel free to bolt past the guards any time the conversation gets boring to you.
Evan:Boring? With you? Impossible. And I’d love to come for lunch. Name the time and date.
* * *
“He’s in there?”I whisper to Lara, pointing at the door that leads to the green room.
“He is,” Lara replies.
“Oh God. What am I doing?” I whisper so he can’t hear. “This is crazy. I mean, I just got left at the altar, and here I am, going out to lunch with another man. People are going to think I’m a floozy. Am I a floozy?”
Lara grips my shoulders and looks me in the eye. “The reason you told me you’re doing this is because you said you’re ready to move on, and you want to let Theo know you’ll be okay. But if you’ve changed your mind, I’ll go in there right now and send him home.”
I bite the corner of my lip. “The prospect of you sending him home is very appealing to me at the moment, but I can’t do that to him. It’s just lunch, right? It’s not like I’m going to slink to the floor and give him a blow job.”
“Jesus,” Lara replies, wincing. “Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know. I’m nervous. I say stupid things when I’m nervous.”
“Well, don’t say that to him. Remember, you’re still expected to remain somewhat poised.”
“Yes. I know.” I shake my arms out and bounce from side to side in my wide-leg trousers and black sweater. “I can do this. It’s just lunch.” I smile wide and get right in Lara’s face. “Is there anything in my teeth?”
She leans back and examines. “No. You’re good.”
“Good, starting off on the right foot. That’s great. Okay. Just lunch. I can do this.”
“You can do this.”
I head toward the door but then quickly turn around and grip Lara’s arm. “I’m still in love with Keller though, so this is weird and I fear that I might tell him that and getting over Keller is going to take some time but I don’t have time I need to do this now so please, for the love of cod, let me be normal in there and not mention that man who broke my heart into a million pieces.”
Lara blinks a few times. “Uh . . . good luck?”
“Thank you.” I turn away and then stick my butt out to her.
“What are you doing?” she asks.
“I need a solid slap to the ass. Like a go get ’em kid type of smack.”
“You want me to slap your ass?”
“Yes. As a friend, I’m asking you to spank me.”
Lara looks over my shoulder to the guards, then back at me. “Sometimes I truly wonder where you’ve come from.” And with that, she slaps me on the ass, sending me on my way.
The guards open the doors for me, and I walk into the room where Evan stands from his chair with a large smile on his face.
Dressed in regular clothes this time, a pair of flat-faced gray chino pants and a forest-green shirt, he looks very handsome but also slightly nervous.
As I approach, he adjusts his glasses and bows. “Lilly, it’s so nice to see you.” I step up for a handshake, which he takes, then places a kiss on each of my cheeks.
“That was so formal,” I say.
He chuckles. “Yeah, well it’s not very often you’re invited to a lunch date at Strombly. Consider me slightly shook.”
