Page 117 of Just One Night Together
Haley understood that.
Tiff bumped her shoulder. “Maybe the guy who isn’t a guy doesn’t want a commitment, but let him decide with all the information. Join the parade, Haley. Dad would want you to.”
Haley dug in her purse for her phone and took a deep breath before she called Damon’s number.
“On speed dial even,” Tiffany murmured with an angelic expression.
“Shut up.” The call went immediately to voice mail, and Haley thought that was probably a good thing. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of Damon’s voice, even in a recording. “Hey, it’s Haley,” she said when it was time to leave a message. She hated how breathless she sounded. “Thanks for the drawing. And, um, I just wanted to tell you that um, I got a tattoo. Of a mermaid. Because maybe you’re right and you have to believe to find one.” She swallowed. “And I love you. If you change your mind about possibilities and promises, please give me a call.” She ended the call and looked at Tiffany, her mouth dry. “Happy?”
“My heart is all a-flutter. Really, Haley, you didn’t exactly exude warmth.”
“Well, I had no time to prepare!”
“Maybe you’ll get better with practice,” Tiffany said, her smile mischievous. “Love you, sis.” She gave Haley a hug and a kiss. “See you in a couple of weeks—unless he takes you up on that offer.”
And then she was gone, turning to wave before she strode into the terminal. Haley saw her breaking into a run, as if she’d just realized she was late.
It would serve Tiffany right to miss her flight.
Haley thought about the billboard as the cab drove back to Queens. She held her phone tightly but it didn’t ring.
Get lucky at F5F.
The rings were the big difference. Those two were together for the duration.
Her time with Damon, however, had been just a temporary thing.
He wasn’t going to call her back. He kept his word.
But he’d encouraged her to take a chance and start over again. Maybe that was the important thing.
Haley wasn’t convinced, but she told herself to get used to it.
Damon was part of her past.
Funny how having her career as the focus of her life, even with her dream job, didn’t feel that ideal any more.
Fifteen
After a little more thana month of therapy, Damon returned from Boston, newly confident that he could conquer his nightmares. He felt stronger and more resilient. The therapist was convinced that Damon was on the right path. He’d been sure of it himself, even before he got his phone back and heard Haley’s message.
I love you.
That was all the encouragement he needed.
Even so, Damon listened to it a dozen times.
His first stop was at F5F, where he caught up on all the news from Cassie and Kyle, and of course, Meesha. The tattoo shop in the lobby was open, too.
Talk about one-stop shopping.
Damon tapped on the door of the tattoo shop and the blond woman at the back turned around. She was dressed in black leather with a ton of eyeliner. She wore a torn T-shirt and pink tips on her hair. She looked about as friendly as Haley’s cat so he decided against making any comment about punk rock being dead. “Hi. I’m Damon Perez, one of the F5F partners.”
“Chynna,” she said, offering her hand. Her fingers were cool and her gaze assessing. “You’re the design guy, right?”
“Right.”
“So? What do you think of the result?” She indicated the shop.
