“You date a woman on the other side of the country.”
He hesitated. What did a hesitation mean? That he wasn’t dating Alexis? That he was mentally composing his proposal to Alexis?
“Since when is a long-distance relationship a crime?” Miller finally asked.
“When you never see one another.”
“Alexis and I are both busy people.”
So hewasdating her again? “And what is it you see in her?”
Miller paused again, and I wondered if it was because he was loathe to reveal personal details or if the question truly stumped him. “Neither one of us likes to complicate things. We enjoy each other’s company when we’re together but acknowledge we’re both very busy people with businesses to run.”
“And the work comes first?”
“Of course. She has big goals, as do I.”
“Very sexy.”
“Those goals keep us overscheduled, and we both understand that. We don’t make demands and neither one of us is in any hurry to book a chapel or change our address. If we go days without talking, no one is offended. It’s been a relief to find someone like Alexis who is…is…”
“Barely conscious?”
“Who isn’t nagging me for a picket fence and a giant engagement ring. Someone who doesn’t expect me to call her four times a day and FaceTime as we eat dinner in different time zones. Neither Alexis nor I want more at this point. Is that okay with you?”
I knew he expected me to volley with a line of sass, but I didn’t. I was too sad. “I think that’s just tragic.”
“A date when I want one and time off when I don’t? Go pity someone who isn’t living his dream.”
“How can that be what you want? Your relationship sounds so empty.”
“It’s functional.”
“Orthotic inserts are functional. You should be looking for someone who gets you for the real you and pushes you to be the better version of yourself. Not someone who tolerates your calendar. What about butterflies in your stomach and feeling giddy every time you see that special person?”
“That’s worked well for you, has it?”
“You need to be with someone youwantto FaceTime during mundane moments, someone who makes you laugh and frustrates you. Someone you want near because when she’s gone, you miss her.”
“Do you know what your problem is?” Miller asked.
“My boss is overbearing and can’t admit when he’s wrong?”
“You romanticize love.”
Did he even hear himself? “That’s kind of how it works. There should be romance.”
“I can be romantic.” His eyes flashed with heat.
I didn’t doubt his ability to stoke the romantic flames at all. Not one bit.
“But I’m also a realist,” Miller said. “Something you could stand to be more of.” He held a finger to my lips to silence my immediate rebuttal. “You fall for someone based on giddy feelings and poetic gestures, but that doesn’t last. You want glitter and fireworks, but all that fades after the mystery is gone.” His eyes fell to my mouth, as if suddenly aware of the touch.
I’d been aware of enough for both of us and wondered if I’d melted into a puddle in the floor yet. Was I little more than drool and sighs?
I willed myself to say something, to return to my present body. “There’s more to a relationship than both of you valuing your spreadsheets.”
“What you have with the men you select works for the guys—up to a point. You give your all, put everything you have into the deflated relationship to keep it afloat. Isn’t it time to be with someone who isn’t a rehab job?”
