“I’m surprised you sought me out, Nat.” She smiles behind her cup before taking a sip. “On our last phone call, I got the sense that you didn’t want to see me.”
A very accurate observation. “You made it impossible for me to do that, Layla.”
“Aw, Nat. That’s sweet. I’m happy to see you too.”
That’s not what I meant.
“You look good.” Layla’s eyes slide down my face. “The haircut is sexy. Brings out the squareness of your jaw. It suits you.”
I frown.
Layla wiggles her fingers beneath her chin, showcasing her daring makeup look. She has blue eyeshadow and something dark ringed around her eyes. That dark outline reminds me of Riley.
And I really wish I were with her right now.
“What do you think?” Layla flashes me a grin and a wink. “Have I changed much since we last saw each other?”
“You look the same,” I say dryly, picking at my donut.
“Is that all?” Layla pouts. “I got highlights and I applied fake freckles.” She points to a smatter of brown spots over her nose.
Why apply fake freckles? That doesn’t make any sense to me. “Mm.”
“You used to notice all the little things about me, Nat. Where did that guy go?”
“I am no longer your boyfriend, Layla,” I say firmly. “And out of respect for your current boyfriend, I’d like if we could keep this conversation professional.”
Layla’s flirty smile drops and she rolls her eyes. “You weren’t this cold to me the last time we saw each other.”
“You mean the day you dumped me?”
“Are you still upset about that?”
I open my mouth to tell her I’m not, but she launches into a monologue.
“I did you a favor, Nat. You and I weren’t going to get married and have the two and a half kids with the picket fence like you wanted. I’m the girl you have fun with, not the one who wipes your drool and organizes your pain meds.”
Her self awareness is astounding.
I put the donut back down because it tastes like dust. Phil’s usually hits the spot, so it’s not the donut. It’s the company.
“You’re right. We were incompatible from the start.”
“Puh-lease. Don’t act like you were perfect back then.” Layla tosses her hair over her shoulder, offended. “You liked me for my looks. You liked that, whenever I walked into a party with you, everybody would watch and we’d be the center of attention. I more than held up my end of the relationship.”
“You think I was only with you for your looks?”
“Weren’t you?” She stares at me with a frank expression.
My eyebrows hike, and I’m hit with a moment of self-reflection. I used to praise Layla’s beauty often because I genuinely thought she was a knockout. But if looks were all I cared about, there were alotof women with pretty faces and nice bodies throwing themselves at me. Especially when I was at the height of my career.
“I didn’t stay with you for your beauty, Layla. I thought you were funny, smart and ambitious.”
Until I realized that ambition didn’t have a line. Layla would go after her own interests at anyone else’s expense. That side of her personality became crystal clear when she called it quits after the accident.
Layla’s eyes widen and she blinks as if it’s the first time she’s heard that I liked her personality too.
And maybe it is.
