I waited for her to elaborate. And when she didn't, I asked, "So…what happened then?"
"So, before he leaves, I tell him flat-out the raisin thing is a bad idea, and he says, 'Don't worry, it'll be hilarious.' And then he looks at me for the longest time and goes, 'You look familiar. Do I know you?'"
Finally, I understood.Tessa was blonde and beautiful, with a body to match. Probably, she wasn't used to being overlooked. I couldn't exactly relate, but I still wanted to be supportive. "Yeah, I guess that'skindof insulting – that he didn't remember you, I mean."
She made a sound of frustration. "That's what you think? That I'm upset some guy didn't remember me?"
She sounded insulted, but for the life of me, I couldn't imagine why. Lamely, I replied, "Well…just look at you. You're gorgeous."It was true.Even in jeans and a light sweatshirt, she looked like she'd just stepped out of a lifestyle ad.
"Oh, please," she said, looking anything but flattered.
"Youare," I insisted.
Her voice sharpened. "Yeah? And what has it gotten me?"
Her reaction caught me off guard, and I shifted on the couch, not sure how to answer. I bit my lip. "Actually, I don't know."
She gave a half-hearted laugh. "Well trust me when I say it's not all sunshine and roses. Peoplethinkit's easier, but sometimes it's just a giant ticket to Weirdville."
Weirdville?I felt my eyebrows furrow. "So…how weird are we talking?"
She grimaced. "Trust me, you don't want to know."
I tried to laugh. "Is that a nice way of saying you don't want to talk about it?"
Her reply was clipped. "Yes." Looking seriously pissed off, she lifted her little bottle and drained it good and fast before returning it to the table with a thud.
Now I hardly knew what to say. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to pry."
She was silent for a long moment before saying, "You're not. I mean…I'm not mad atyou.But let's just stick with today, okay?" Her expression softened. "There's just…stuff I'm not ready to unpack."
Nowthat, I understood. "Okay…back to today." I kept my voice as gentle as I could. "So whyareyou upset? I mean...other than the raisin thing."
"Because after Ryder says that I look familiar, I tell him, 'Yeah, I waited on you the other day.' Andhesays, 'No, I meant from somewhere else.'" Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "And that was the last thing I wanted to hear."
"Oh." I was still trying to make sense of it. "So it was bad pickup line?"
"Not even close." Her voice rose. "Hemeantit.Literally. He was trying to place me – like a private detective or something."
"And that's a problem?"
"Of course it's a problem," she said. "I'm not looking for that kind of attention."
I didn't get it. "What kind of attention?"
"Anyattention," she said. "And that Ryder guy is just making everything worse." She reached for another bottle. "But forgetme. Look what he's doing to Griff, sending him food he hates. It's cruel, like sending peanut butter cookies to a kid with a nut allergy."
I fought a stupid urge to laugh. "It's notthatbad. I mean, it's not like raisins would kill him." I paused. "Meaning Griff, not the allergic kid. Obviously."
"But that's not the point," she said. "You don't do that to someone you care about. You just don't." She looked beyond disgusted. "That Ryder guy – he's a terrible friend."
21
Ribeye and Rumors
Griff
Ryder caught the waiter's eye and gestured toward my half-empty plate. "He'll be needing another ribeye."
