Cici was a morning person and altogether too chipper, but I figured she’d leave if I just appeared drowsy.
“Betty, c’mon. I came to do the first half to the clinic. I figured we could have breakfast?—”
I opened the door a crack, sheltering poor Mary. Continuing now in my mother tongue, I said, “Uh… maybe later. I gotta run an errand.”
“An errand? Why?”
“None of your business. Why don’t you go downstairs and?—”
“Do you have a boy in there?”
My face went white. “Maybe.”
“Oh shit. Shit! I will… wait downstairs,” Cici winced, then whispered. “Where is Hank?”
I rolled my eyes. “He isn’t here, Cici! God!”
“Sorry, sorry,” Cici said, padding away looking mortified.
Slamming the door behind her, I turned back to Mary who was now hurriedly dressing.
“I will deal with it,” I promised, not remembering to switch back to English. “I’m sorry, I should do this in English and?—”
“It’s fine. I understood.” Mary’s voice was clipped.
“Baby, please, I… I know this looks like a mess?—”
I couldn’t understand why Cici’s annoying questions led to this response. She looked so angry and her voice was so sharp.
“So, the guy you came with last night… Hank… he’s your usual hookup?”
“He is my ex,” I answered. “He’s also my friendandmy coach. He came as backup trying to get me to talk to you. We haven’t been?—”
“What so he could join us at some point?”
It took me a moment to comprehend her implication. I set my jaw, upset.
“No. He is just a friend who cares about me. Is that not allowed?” Heat rose up my face, both from anger and worry.
“Whatever.” She pulled on her trousers and zipped them with finality. “This was clearly a dumb idea. I’m going to call… an Uber or something.”
“Mary, there aren’t any Ubers out here. We’re in Buttfuck Norway.”
“Well, I will walk then!”
“Stop, please stop,” I pleaded. “Why are you being like this?”
She shook her head and set her jaw. “Girls like you are always a disaster and I should have known.”
“Girls like me?” Tears welled.
“Betty, everything with you is a lie of omission. I groveled for you! I don’t do that! I can’t save you. I won’t.”
Save me?What was that about?I felt the tears running down my cheeks. Rejection ran through my veins, and I collapsed in tears while trying to pull on a pair of overpriced pink full seat breeches. She didn’t respond. I felt Mary’s eyes on me but couldn’t dare meet her gaze.
“I will drive you,” I sniffled, trying to pull myself together. “But I deserve more respect than that.”
Mary did a double take, seemingly surprised by my callout.
