I look down like I don’t know how my own body looks. Honestly, I might not.
I used to think it was pretty decent, but over the years, it’s become harder and harder to see past the lumps and bumps. The stubborn spots that wouldn’t shrink no matter how many hours I spent on the treadmill or how many carbs I cut out.
The parts that were pointed out to me over and over again as yet another of my failings.
“But you’re not here to talk about how much Tobias is still in love with you.” Maren grabs a cart parked against the wall, rolling it toward me. “You are here to get stuff to fill your new office.”
I have so many questions for Maren, but I’m pretty sure I can’t handle the answers she might give me, so I keep my mouth shut as she pushes the cart around the room, collecting items as we go. Turns out I really don’t need to lead the conversation, because for every word I don’t say, Maren says at least ten.
“I am so glad you’re here. Everyone has been so freaking wound up since the explosion.” She adds a package of legal pads and a box of pens. “Which I get, because it was scary as shit.” Her eyes swing my way. “I’ll be happy if I never witness another person being blown up again.”
It’s been so long since I’ve gossiped that I’m a little rusty, but it’s also been so long since I’ve had a girlfriend that I’m willing to figure out how to get back into the swing of things. I need friends. Now more than ever. “You were there?”
“Rightthere.” Maren makes a gesture with her hands, starting with her fingers close together and then spreading them wide, mimicking what she saw. “Luckily, there was a lot of smoke, so I didn’t really see enough to have nightmares. But it was still pretty crazy.”
“I can imagine.” I lower my voice, because I don’t quite know who might be able to hear us. “Did you know the guy who blew up?”
Maren wrinkles her nose. “Unfortunately. He was creepy as hell.”
I’ve picked up bits and pieces of what happened, mostly from Deidre and Mariah, but I don’t know too many specifics outside of hearing there was an explosion and Titus pulled Mariah to safety.
Which has me wondering, “How did you get out?”
Maren groans, her eyes dramatically rolling back into her head. “I don’t even want to think about it, because it’s just going to annoy me.” She drops a ream of paper onto the cart, letting it fall a little heavier than the items before it. “Let’s talk about you instead.”
Dread grips my insides. At some point, someone is going to ask me what happened in California, and I’m going to have totell them. Admit my shortcomings. How stupid I was. How naïve.
How weak.
But like everyone else up to this point, Maren surprises me. “I heard you have a puppy, and I need to see pictures.”
“I don’t have any.” I’m a terrible dog mom. Maybe I should have sprung for a cell phone to commemorate Bruno’s first weekend with me.
But I do have a work cell phone now, and I’m sure it would be fine to take pictures on it, right? “If you give me your number, I can take some when I get home and send them to you,” I offer.
Why is it so scary waiting to see if Maren is okay with giving me her contact information? Probably because I haven’t been allowed to do this sort of thing for a long time, and it still feels illicit. Like I’m going to get in trouble for it. Like I’m doing something wrong.
When Maren grins at me, a little of the fear trying to spiral around my throat eases. “That sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard.” She looks from side to side before adding on, “I need to live vicariously through you since I can’t have a pet right now.” She sighs. “I’d also like you to teach me how to make a man pine for me after a decade apart, because I’m lucky if I ever get a second date.”
Bradshaw Brothers Group Chat
Trevor
Titus is about to get his ass kicked
Titus
Fake news.
Tucker
wtf happened now i swear to god if something exploded again im gonna lose my shirt
Tucker
not shirt shirt
Tucker
