Page 11 of Off the Wall
Hmmm. I’m not feeling a bath or wine, but Icouldtake down a tub of butter pecan right now. So I text Hayden next, to find out when she’ll be home to commiserate with me.
Me
Are you still at your mom and dad’s? I thought you’d be back by now!
While I wait for her reply, I move to the window seat and curl up with my phone. This side of the apartment faces a stretch of red brick shops across the street. The view is cheerful enough, with multicolored awnings and trees in between the buildings. But I prefer The Serendipity.
The property used to be a women’s dorm half a century ago, so there’s a history of romance here. Stories swirl about handsome men who’d come courting. Of first kisses. Proposals, even. No wonder everyone thinks some kind of magic lingers here. But I’ve never felt anything special myself. And tonight is proof I’m nothing but unlucky in love. I’m gearing up for a fresh sigh when my phone pings with Hayden’s text.
Hayden
I decided to stay overnight. I’ve got cake tasting here early tomorrow, so it didn’t make sense to drive back and forth.
And there’s the sigh. Alone again.
You can probably still do half a gallon of ice cream on your own.
Hayden
How was your date?
I groan out loud. I don’t want Hayden to feel bad for me, but I have to be honest. We’re always honest with each other.
Me
It was a complete nightmare. Not only did Warren Snuze turn out to be the human personification of nastiness, but Dr. McMuffin was having dinner there too. His girlfriend is beautiful. And also a doctor.
Text bubbles dance across my phone, then disappear just before Hayden’s FaceTime request comes in.
“Forget texting,” she blurts when I accept the call. “I’m gonna need every detail. And I need to see your face.” Her ginger ringlets take up more than half the screen. “Did Dr. McMuffin ignore you again?”
“Worse.” I scoff. “He came right up to our table and humiliated me. Maybe not on purpose, but still. I wanted to die. And he’s even better looking up close, which is basically a tragedy.”
“So he really is a jerk, then, huh?” Hayden frowns. “I was kind of hoping we got the wrong impression of him.”
“Yeah, well …” I take a beat, considering the fact that Cash Briggs wasn’t actually a jerk tonight. In fact, he was kind of nice to me, and maybe even a little chivalrous. But I can’t afford to see him in a positive light. The man is way too attractive, not to mention he’s already spoken for. Accentuating the negatives is the safer option in the long run.
“So tell me about this girlfriend of his,” Hayden continues, before I can walk back her assumptions about Cash’s jerkiness.
“She’s as ridiculously gorgeous as he is. And her name is Dr. Margaret Hanson. But she said I could call her Maggie.”
“Hmm.” Hayden purses her lips. “That’s either adorable or … annoying?”
“Both,” I say. Then I proceed to fill Hayden in on the entirety of my dismal date with Warren Snuze. I begin with the Gas-X and the snails, and end with the fact that my stomach is almost certainly permanently queasy. “Like, for the rest of my life,” I say.
“Thatiswhat permanently means.” Hayden shrugs. “But I don’t know, Nori. Now that I’ve heard everything, Dr. McMuffin doesn’t sound so bad.”
“You’re not helping.”
“No, seriously. Maybe there’s a bright side to this situation.”
“A bright side? You must’ve missed the part where he was out with a stunning woman who is also a doctor.”
“So you won’t date the guy,” she says. “We could still be friendly.”
I push down the knot in my throat that says Hayden might be right. “But I don’t want to be friendly,” I say. “Dr. Cash Briggs moved in two months ago, and his love life is already thriving. Meanwhile, I’ve lived here forever, and I’m dating the likes of Warren Snuze.”
“Wait. The rich doctor’s name isCash?”
