I’m sitting in a booth at The Brewhouse, waiting for Will. It’s a few blocks off campus, and it’s a great place. They serve coffee and tea in the morning, and craft beer in the afternoon and evening. When I grab food, it’s almost always on campus because, well, Iwork at Drip, and Wolfie’s is close to my apartment. But the vibe at The Brewhouse is much more chill than those places. People come to eat and drink and read. I’ve even heard rumors that they’re building a bookstore next door. Of course, someone else said they were putting in a cat sanctuary, so who knows? Either way, I’m sipping coffee in a corner booth, waiting for Will.
I’m early, as usual, so I’m spending the time scrolling my life away on my phone.
One of myfavorite Sunday morning rituals is reading theAm I the Dumbass?column inThe Howler, Bainbridge’s online paper. Claire Fowler writes it, and though I don’t know her well, she comes into Drip regularly and orders a caramel frappe every time, extra whip, extra drizzle. And she gives fantastic advice.
Today’s writerwants to know if he’s the dumbass. Spoiler alert, he totally is. He was caught naked in bed with his roommate’s ex. He’s not just a dumbass, he’s a terrible friend.
Claire’s advice is right on point, and I’m devouring the article when my phone starts buzzing. Figuring it’s Will, I pick up without checking the number. (Now who’s the dumbass?)
“Hey,are you running late? I can order you a coffee since I know you’re gonna be crunched for time.”
Will’sgoing to run drills with some of the guys this morning, which is one of the reasons we’re meeting so early. That, and the fact that as soon as he’s done with hockey practice, I’ll head to Drip for an eight-hour shift. I figure he’ll be grateful for my offer of coffee, but Will’s thanks isn’t what I hear.
“Melanie,I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for ages. I’m so glad you picked up. I was hoping you’d be free today, since the boys are with their mother, but it sounds like maybe you have plans? Is Ian back in town this weekend?”
A chill runsdown my spine when I hear Chaz’s voice on the line. Damnit. I blocked his number. How the hell is he calling me?“Chaz, you need to stop calling me,” I say as clearly and plainly as I can manage. I want to scream, “Stay the hell away from me, you married asshole!” but I don’t need that kind of negative attention, and baiting him isn’t going to help anyway.
“Melanie,”he says, and it’s unfathomable to believe I ever loved the sound of my name on his tongue. “If you didn’t want to talk to me, you shouldn’t have picked up.”
This asshole.I swear. “I blocked your number because we’re no longer together. Whose phone are you using?”
“Corben gotahold of my phone and decimated it within seconds. Turns out phones are not immune to apple juice. So, I got a new one. But, Melanie, how could you block me?” he says, a laugh in his voice like he’s teasing me and I’m here for the playful banter. “We never really settled things between us, at least not properly, and I’ve always regretted that. All I want is the chance to clear the air, Melanie, just a few minutes of your time. Old friends meeting for a cup of coffee. Nothing major, so don’t let your imagination run wild. Just let me know when’s a good time, ok?”
Doesthis man not listen to a word I say?
“I’m not meeting you,Chaz. There’s nothing left to say.” And with that, I hang up, not caring at all about his response. I put my phone face down on the table, as if that will chase Chaz out of my thoughts. Ugh. I hear the hostess say my name and look up to see Will walking in my direction.
“Sorry I’m late,”he says. “Hey, are you all right? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
I shakethoughts of Chaz from my mind. I need to focus on the present, not the past. “I’m good, just a little caught up in my thoughts. Thanks for agreeing to meet up. I know you’ve got a long day ahead of you.”
“I could say the same,”he says, smiling at our server when she refills my cup and sets a fresh one down for Will. “Don’t you work today?”
“Noon until close,”I tell him. “But it’s Sunday, which is one of our busiest days, so the time will fly.”
“That’s good,”he says, nodding.
It seemsneither of us wants to bring up the subject, but we have half an hour until Will needs to head out, so I figure we should start talking and make a game plan. But just as I open my mouth, Will beats me to it.
“I figuredyou wanted to talk about last night. I’m sorry everybody converged on us. It was kinda nuts. Thanks for not outing me, though. I mean, I’ll come clean to the guys today, but that’ll be a lot easier than confessing to a hundred people that I had to ask you for dating lessons.”
“That’s actuallywhat I wanted to talk to you about. I assume everybody thinks we’re a couple?” After the guys caught us kissing, I slipped out of the party, saying I had an early shift. And Will walked me home, which likely only fanned the flames.
“Yeah,they all just assumed. And Ollie’s taking credit for matching us up.”
“Well,what if we kept up the charade?” I ask.
“Wait, what?”Will asks, adding creamer to his coffee.
“Listen,we both have problems that need solutions. Yours, like you said, is that you need some dating experience with no actual strings attached, right?”
He nods.“Yeah, without the pressure of a real relationship. I need, like, a clinic with a coach before the actual game, you know? It was easy with you. God, that sounds bad. I don’t mean for it to. I just mean…I don’t know. You’re gorgeous, ok. Way the hell out of my league. And you were doing me a favor. So, it was like the pressure was off, and that made things easy—well, easier.”
I’m flattered,and I get it. Because there isn’t anything real between us, it was easier for Will to relax and figure things out. But I seriously wonder if this kid has a mirror. It’s like he has no clue that any girl at the party last night would have been thrilled to be on his arm. He’s hot. And in fishbowls like college, that means a lot. But the thing with Will is that he has the personality to back it up. I mean, yeah, he can be a little extra and a little awkward, but who isn’t sometimes? It seems impossible, but over the past few weeks, we’ve become friends. I genuinely like the guy. I look forward to spending time with him, and the prospect of more time with Will? I’m totally fine with that because he’s a good guy, but also because there’s a benefit for me, too.
“Right—Ican totally see how it’s easier for you to get used to dating when the pressure is off. So, you need a coach.And I need my asshole of an ex to stop bugging me.”
“Wait,is that guy, like, stalking you or something?” Will asks, his brow furrowed.
