I was aware that sounded stupid, but just then I saw my Office Manager, Jeremy Standing Bear, and I made a beeline toward him. If there was anyone in town I could trust to help me win Jillian back, it was him. Surely he wouldn’t turn his back on me.
But not only did he turn his back, but he was fleeing out the door with a full mug of ale and half a shepherd’s pie.
“What are you doing?” I hollered at him. “What is wrong with you?”
“Shhh,” Jeremy hissed back, his dark braid flicking back and forth as he looked anxiously around. “I can’t be seen with you.”
“You can’t—what?”
“Because of what you did.”
“It was one fuck-up!” I howled. “I’m never doing it again! And I’m going to make sure Jillian knows that. I’m going to make it up to her!”
“A fuck-up would be you putting meat before beans on your taco. That’s a mistake. You sleeping around on Jillian is a disaster of epic proportions, bro.”
“What do you mean? I’m trying to get her to see how sorry I am. I want to make it right,” I protested. “What can I do? You’ve got to help me.”
But he shook his head.
“Come on, man, we’ve been friends for years. I love you like a brother. You were the best man in my wedding.”
“If you love me, don’t acknowledge me in public,” Jeremy said. “I was Jillian’s friend first.”
Then he trotted off down Main Street, hiding behind parked cars like he was on some spy mission.
Well, fuck. My hope was starting to shrivel as I walked back inside.
Finally, Jillian was back. But my stomach sunk as I realized she was sitting way too close to Cash, with his big arm around her shoulders.
I had to put a stop to this immediately. It was all spiraling out of control.
“Jillian, please, can I talk to you?” I begged as I drew even with their table.
“No,” she replied. “We have nothing to say to each other.”
“Boo,” I heard Ronnie say from behind me.
“Boo,” Bonnie agreed, always ready to support Ronnie.
Then they all joined in. “Booooooo. BOOOOOO. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”
Soon the entire pub was a loud chorus of boos, all directed at me. In my entire life, I wasn’t sure a single person had ever disliked me, let alone an entire pub full of them, and I felt dizzy, the room spinning around me.
Suddenly something splotchy and red hit the back of my T-shirt and I twisted around.
It was a tomato.
“Please, Jills?” I begged as bright lights flashed in my eyes.
This was a nightmare.
Could it get any worse?
CHAPTER 15
Jillian
“Frankie, we’re just trying to have a drink here,” my date said. “Back up.”
