I bark out a laugh. “What?”
“All these skinny bitches want to do work meetings at Barry’s Bootcamp or SoulCycle.” She rolls her eyes and uses air quotes, “‘It’s good for the working relationship,’ says my idiot boss.”
Continuing to laugh. “You hate working out,” I say.
“No fucking shit. In a fucking wig to boot.” She chugs more water.
“Rebecca Rosenberg, watch your mouth,” my mom calls from the back.
Becks’s eyes widen. “What does she have, bionic hearing?”
“No, it’s your voice. It’s raised about two hundred decibels.”
“Sorry, Inès! Love you.”
“Love you more, sweetheart!”
“You good?” She points to my leg, which I’m massaging with deep pressure.
“Long day.” I lean back, close my eyes for a second, and try not to fall asleep. I could blame my lack of energy on the early hours bakery owners keep, but in all honesty, I haven’t slept a wink since last week. I can’t get my encounter with Harrison out of my head, and I hate to admit it’s affecting me.
Every night, I play back the scene outside the bathroom, wondering if I should have at least given him my last name. Who knows, maybe he would have looked me up because something in my gut is telling me he felt the energy between us, too.
Should I have let that nasty girl who stood in line behind me go in front to give us more time to talk?
Maybe I was wrong about our differences; I should have spoken up. Or maybe it’s all in my head, and he didn’t feel one ounce of attraction.
Either way, I can’t go back in time, nor can I tell my racing thoughts to stop, so I’m stuck in this hamster wheel of emotions.
“Hey, the place looks amazing. I just noticed the new paint,” Becks interrupts my very important thoughts.
I open my eyes and stare at the newly painted walls done in a beautiful cream and light sage, with a floral mural painted on the far wall. It came out beautiful despite our inability to afford it since the rent debacle. But we had already paid the company the deposit, which was non-refundable at fifty percent, so we had no choice other than to bite the bullet and pay the rest. It also complements our new glass cases that are trimmed with delicate gold.
“Thanks. I’m exhausted now. Do you want to come upstairs while I eat dinner?”
“I’ll come over tomorrow. I should head back downtown to finish up some work. But I wanted to tell you, you’re my plus one this weekend.”
That has me sitting up straighter. “For what? And you’re just telling me now? The weekend is in two days.”
“I only just found out myself. It’s this Friday, it’s also black tie, but it’s for charity, so that’s a bonus.”
“She’ll go,” my mom says as she walks out to hug and kiss Becks.
My bestie smirks. “I wasn’t giving her much choice, but I’m glad you’re here to back me up.”
“I’m not going to be here anyway. I’m going to Aunt Liza’s house.”
“What?” I snap. “Can you stop going there? I don’t trust them, especially Amber.”
“She’s been taking her medicine, and your aunt misses your father. I feel obligated; give it time, and I’m sure we’ll drift apart soon enough like we did all those years ago.”
I hope so, for Mom’s sake.
My aunt is all sorts of fucked up, and her daughter, my cousin, who I am not close with at all, unfortunately, self-medicates for her schizophrenia and multiple personalitydisorder…or, at times, doesn’t medicate at all and has had to be hospitalized on numerous occasions.
There was one time in my life when I can remember she took her medicine religiously, but then she had a psychotic break, and she’s never been the same.
“If Amber is there, I want you to promise me you’ll leave.”
