I was destroyed the summer after graduation and the whole first semester of college. Thank God for Jess. I wouldn’t have made it without her.
“You going to be ok?” Jess breaks me out of my zoned-out state, and I tell her I’ll be fine.
“So, not to add to the shit pile, but your ex will be on the red carpet tomorrow night.”
When it rains, it pours. My ex is Billy Bennett. Yes, that Billy Bennett—season twenty-two winner ofI Spy. His dark hair and eyes and perfectly sculpted muscles won the hearts of ladies around the world. We met at the live show where he was crowned the winner. I was there with a friend; her husband was a producer on the show, and they needed to safely fill the live audience, so I volunteered.
I went home with him—stop judging me—and we were inseparable since that first day. We were also in the middle of a pandemic, so in hindsight, maybe we were both a little thirsty for human interaction. We married in Vegas two months later. It was fast, but we were living life because life is unpredictable. You only live once. Seize the day! And all that shit.
Plus, we were compatible. He was supportive of my career and understanding when I had to work long hours. And he loved tagging along to all the events with me. It was good enough for me.
She winces. “He’ll be there with Kandi.”
“Of course he will.”
Kandi Kelly and Billy Bennett. They sound like they were meant to be. Kandi is also a reality star slash influencer slashbeauty-brand mogul. I’m over my ex, but getting dumped for a gorgeous celebrity would fuck with anyone’s self-esteem. Even worse, I’m the one who introduced them. He filed for divorce on Valentine’s Day last year, claiming irreconcilable differences. We were together for less than two years, so it shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, but it was a friendly reminder that men are for fun, not forever.
“I need a plus-one,” I say as I scroll through my contacts.
six
. . .
WYATT
Lostin my thoughts about seeing Blair again, I missed my floor and am stuck riding this elevator to the top, where my father sits with the other partners. Now I’ll have to pretend it was intentional. There’s no way he isn’t here already. Maybe he’ll be in a meeting, and I can fake that I forgot all about his schedule and then steal whatever homemade item his secretary, Pat, has made.
Well worth the unintentional detour.
“Wyatt! What brings you up here so early? You here to see your dad?” Pat comes around from her desk and heads straight to me with open arms. Even though she’s nearly the same age as my dad, I think she’s been playing the grandmother role her entire life. She’s been supporting either my father or grandfather since she graduated college and is basically family at this point.
“Um, is he in his office?” I ask rather than confirm or deny my intentions.
“He sure is. You go on in there. He doesn’t have any appointments for another fifteen minutes.” She pushes me toward his office, and while I know it’s meant with love, it takes some restraint not to stand firm so I don’t have to go in there.
“Wyatt? Did we have an appointment?” My father asks when he sees Pat usher me into his office.
“Oh, Jack, stop it. Your son does not need an appointment to say hi to his father.”
Sweet and optimistic Pat. If only she knew how much he would prefer our conversations scheduled.
Actually, same.
“You mentioned a new client yesterday,” I say. “Was just following up. How can I help?” I place my hands in my pockets to help stop me from fidgeting. This is so out of character for me, and I can see the skepticism splashed across his face when he squints his eyes.
I’ve been a disappointment to my father for as long as I can remember. Although, from the outside, you’d never know it. He loves to brag about his children, but if you listen closely, he’s really just patting himself on the back for all we’ve accomplished.
“Did you hear Wyatt made law review? I knew when I set him up for the internship with my good friend, Judge Phillips, there was no way it wouldn’t happen.”
“He graduated top of his class! Good thing I had all those mentors and tutors on standby.”
I was smart but not focused enough.
I was ambitious but not motivated enough.
I was social but not charming enough.
You see the pattern.
