“You’rewrong.”
“Regardless, we were just having a bit of fun. Don’t take it soseriously.”
“Are you kidding me? Of course I take it seriously. Tyler, guys like you.” I took a deep breath to steady my voice. Whenever I got really angry, I would start crying. I hated that about myself and I just wanted to get these last words out before walking away. I didn’t want him to see me cry. “I feel sorry for you. It’s sad the only way you can feel good about yourself is to tear otherpeopledown.”
A few tears had fallen down my cheeks before I stormed off, but I didn’t regret it. I was so glad Tyler had shown his true colors before I made the mistake of actually dating him. It wasn’t fair people’s appearances didn’t always match their personalities. Tyler had lured me into a false sense of security with his boyish good looks, but he was the devilbeneath.
I had gone straight to Mike’s office after leaving Tyler to think about what I said. Frustratingly, he wasn’t nearly as outraged as I thought he should be. He went off on some rant about how there were always going to be guests who were difficult, it was important to keep our cool in midst of tense situations. I had told him I would finish my shift, but I needed to take a week ortwooff.
He didn’t argue. I chalked it up to his friendship withmydad.
I had practically no responsibilities beyond my part time job at the diner. After a week off I should have felt amazing, but the week had been emotionally draining. I was looking forward to a morning coffee date with Gwen. I arrived to the coffee shop first. It was one of two in town, if you counted the diner. And Ididn’t.
The place Gwen and I liked to meet was a cute little bakery and coffee house in one calledBeans & Things. The shop sold a variety of pastries from doughnuts to cupcakes. They were displayed on cake platters of varying heights and colors with their descriptions written on little chalkboard signs. It was exactly what I pictured a tea party would look like when I was a little girl. The seating consisted of several bistro style tables scattered around the main area and hanging flower pots in every window. It wasmagical.
Thankfully, Gwen didn’t take long to show up. I wasn’t ready to be alone with my thoughts and was glad she agreed to come on such a shortnotice.
“Katie, you’ve got to stop doing this.” She looked down at the extra mocha on the table. “I am happy to buy my owndrink.”
I gave her an unapologetic shrug in response. “Maybe if you got here first. But as it stands, I did, and I’m happy totreatyou.”
She thanked me and sat down, taking a sip before going on. “They have the best coffeeintown.”
“They have the only coffeeintown.”
Gwen rolled her eyes at me. “Oh, stop it. We may not be as fancy as your old home. But even you can’t deny this coffee ismagic.”
She was right. The coffee here was great. In Florida, I had gotten used to a plethora of coffee shops. I don’t think I had ever been more than five minutes away. We had the big chain, of course. But we also had a huge selection of small, independent coffee shops. The choices available back home were overwhelming, from hiptocozy.
Gwen was right, the coffee here was good. Not too sweet and not bitter, the flavor was the perfect combination. And Janelle, the lady who owned the place, made her own whipped cream to top her lattes. The aerosol stuff always melted too quickly and I loved how the real stuff sat on top of the drink and cooled those first few sips to the perfect temperature. It was the small thingsinlife.
“So, what’s going on, Katie?” Gwen had settled into her seat and was watching me with a serious expression on her face. “Longweek?”
“You could say that.” I sighed and looked down at my drink. “What do you know aboutJulian?”
Gwen looked at me suspiciously, her body language shifting drastically. The way she sat up was almost defensive. “Why are you asking aboutJulian?”
“I don’t know. Something weird happened last night and I’m not sure what tothink.”
“Did it have to do with Tyler?” she asked and her face transformed again. She was angry. “Listen, I know he’s been in a few times flirting with you, but he isbadnews.”
“I’m realizing that. But is Julian is bad astheysay?”
“Katie, we’re friends. But there are some things I don’t want to talk about. One of them being Julian and the crap his ex brought on him. He’s got a lot going on, but he is not the bad guy. I told you that fromdayone.”
“I know you did. It’s just I’ve known Julian for, like, forever. We live on the same street. We were best friends when we were kids. He was my firstcrush.”
“Really? Why didn’t you guys sayanything?”
“Idon’tknow.”
“So if you’ve known him forever, how can you even ask whatyoudid?”
“Again, I don’t know. He seems so different than I remember. And before you say people grow up, I know that. But he was such a joyful person the last time I saw him. Now, well…now he does look like atroubledteen.”
“I know what it looks like. And I swear, Katie, I want to tell you more. I just don’t know that much, and what I do know isn’t my place toshare.”
I started to argue because Julian was my friend. Or at least he used to be and I deserved to know what was going on. But Gwen must have seen I wanted to continue on with our conversation because she changed the subject faster than I could get the nextwordsout.
