Lena raises an eyebrow. "Would you do anything to him at a work event?"
"No." I shake my head. "I'm not that guy. But making him sweat a little? That's fair game."
"What about social media?" she suggests. "You could post about 'moving on' and 'finding someone who appreciates you.' Make him think you've already replaced him."
"I could," I muse. "Though knowing Adam, he'd just call me to figure out who I'm seeing."
"Block his number?"
"Tempting." I drum my fingers on the table. "What about you? What else can we do to Brad?"
She sighs. "I don’t think I’m creative enough for this."
I wave a hand. "You’re super creative. This is all gold. We could always do something classic. Change his Netflix password. Sign him up for embarrassing email lists."
"I like the email idea," she nods. "Especially since he uses his university email for everything personal."
We spend the next twenty minutes throwing increasingly ridiculous revenge ideas back and forth—most of which we'd never actually do, but it feels good to voice them out loud.Eventually, our laughter dies down, and reality settles back in. Lena's expression clouds over.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
She hesitates, then says, "I just remembered I don't want to go home tonight. Or ever… really."
"Because of Brad?"
"Yeah." She stares into her empty coffee mug. "The thought of facing him, of sleeping under the same roof..." She shakes her head. "Maybe, I can find a hotel for a few days."
"Hotels are expensive," I point out. "Especially considering you were already floating his lazy ass.”
"I know, but?—"
"I have a guest room." The words are out before I can think better of them.
She looks up, surprise evident in her expression. "What?"
"I have a guest room," I repeat. "It's nothing fancy, but it's private. And, you know, Brad-free."
"That's..." She blinks. "That's very generous, but I couldn't impose like that."
"It's not an imposition," I assure her. “It’s the first time I’ve ever lived without my twin and at least one other brother. It’s too much space for just me and my dog.”
"We barely know each other," she points out.
"True," I acknowledge. "But you're the team dentist. If you were an axe murderer, I'm pretty sure they would've caught that in the background check."
That elicits a small laugh from her. "Still..."
"Look, it would be temporary," I say. "Just until you find your place. And honestly?" I lower my voice conspiratorially. "It would give us more time to plot our revenge. Two minds are better than one."
She studies me for a long moment, clearly weighing her options. "I wouldn't be in your way?"
"There's plenty of space." I shrug. "And this way, whenBrad and Adam inevitably try to reach out, neither of us has to face them alone."
"What about rent? Utilities?"
"We can figure all that out later."
She draws a deep breath, then nods. "Okay. Temporarily. Until I find a place."
