“What do I say?”
“Just feel him out and see what his deal is. I think this sounds like the old Matt, thoughtful and deep.”
“I know, right?”
She popped out of the chair, looked at me, and pointed toward the door. “Go, Now.”
21.I Looked for You Inside of Everyone Else
MATT
One Tuesday, a few weeks after I posted the letter for Grace to Craigslist, I was walking to my building from the subway when my eight-year-old nephew called, wanting to know if I’d sponsor his jog-a-thon. I adored the kid and said I totally would, but just as I was about to hang up with him, his mother got on the line.
“Matthias, it’s Monica.”
“Hey. How’s Alexander?”
“Great. Working like a dog and outshining all the other partners, as usual. You know Alexander.”
“Sure do,” I said, not unbitterly. “And you? How’s life in Beverly Hills?”
“Cut the shit, Matthias.”
“What’s up, Monica?”
“Elizabeth called me and said she and Brad are having a baby.” My sister-in-law could win an award for figurative ball size.
“Yeah, I’m aware. I get the privilege of working with those assholes every day.”
“She was my sister for eight years, Matthias. Don’t you think I have the right to know?”
I laughed. “You guys weren’t exactly pals, so calling her your ‘sister’ is ridiculous. And sheleftme, remember?”
“You’re an ass. She wouldn’t have left you if you weren’t so hung up on Grace.”
“Grace had nothing to do with my marriage or divorce.”
“Yeah right. Elizabeth said you never got rid of your photos of her.”
“I never get rid of any photos I take. Why would I? I’m a photographer. Grace was the subject of a lot of my early work. Elizabeth knows that better than anyone. Also, why are we even having this conversation?”
“I just wanted to make sure she gets a gift from us.”
“The postal service can help you with that. She still lives in our old apartment. You know, the one I gave up so she could play house and make babies with her boyfriend.”
“Husband,” she corrected.
“Bye, Monica. Tell Alexander I said hi.”
I hung up, took a deep breath, and wondered again, for the tenth time that week, what the fuck had happened to my life.
When I got to work, I found Scott getting coffee in the break room.
“You get any responses from that post?” he asked.
“Nope, just a few really sweet ladies who offered to be my green-eyed lovebird.”
“Dude, what’s your problem? Take advantage of the situation. She’ll probably never see it, but that doesn’t meanshe’s the only green-eyed lovebird out there.” He batted his eyelashes at me.
