Brad sighed. “I have never met a more stubborn woman. She’s not going to forgive and forget.”
“Oh, I’m aware,” said Lauren. “You know why she hates you, right?”
“She thinks I cheated on her. I didn’t, by the way, but she dug in her heels and didn’t believe me. I can’t even deny that what she saw didn’t look great, but she just…left. Wouldn’t let me try to make amends. Maybe that’s what she needed to do, but I also like to think I’ve grown as a man since then.”
“I mean, you seem fine. Although I’m easy. Those cupcakes are amazing. And also, I’m not trying to date you. And she’s my friend, so of course I also think you’re no better than a piece of gum stuck to a subway platform.” She shrugged.
“Fair.” Brad picked up a cleaning cloth and wiped down the outside of the display case. He’d been surprised at how nice Lauren was being, but he also appreciated her professional distance, such as it was. This was a chatty workplace, but Lauren never talked about Lindsay unless Brad asked, which he wasn’t generally inclined to do. Except, for some reason, talking to Lauren about Lindsay now felt like a lifeline.
“I hope you know, I didn’t hire you because of Lindsay. Or despite her. I did it because you were the best pastry chef we interviewed.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“Anyway, apparently the review she wrote went viral.”
“What review?”
“You have your phone on you?”
“Yeah.”
Lauren raised an eyebrow.
Brad pulled out his phone. He’d had it on silent while he was working in the main part of the café, but it was quickly becoming clear that Lauren was pretty loose about that kind of thing if there weren’t many customers around. He had a handful of text messages from various friends, most of them referencing Lindsay. One contained a link to a story inEat Out New York, so he clicked on it.
He leaned against the espresso machine and read the article. Lindsay really laid into that new restaurant across the street. Brad knew the chef by reputation only; a buddy of his from culinary school had worked alongside him slinging burgers at some middle-of-the-road tavern in the theater district. Rumor had it this guy was a hack, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that the restaurant boasted bland food and sugary cocktails.
The review was clever, too. Lots of wordplay, but also a clear knowledge of food. Lindsay had known her way around the kitchen; that was apparent when they were at culinary school together. She was a great chef. It had always saddened Brad that she’d opted to become a food writer instead. But maybe writing about food was her calling. He barked out a laugh at a particularly funny line. She was good at this. And if this made her happy, then that was great.
Maybe it was arrogant, but he’d sometimes wondered if what had happened between them had made her want to leave the kitchen. But that still wouldn’t have been his fault. Would it? And maybe that idea was completely off base if she was turning in articles like this.
“This is a great review,” he said to Lauren. “She really let this place have it.”
“I was there with her at dinner. The food was just as bad as she says.”
“The hipster irony line is good.” Brad pocketed his phone. “So Lindsay’s still mad at me, eh?”
“Yep.” But rather than elaborate, Lauren made a face.
“What?”
“I shouldn’t say anything. I mean, I want it to be clear, I’m on Lindsay’s side. Sisters before misters.”
“Of course. I would expect nothing less.”
“But, like, I think it says something that she’s still mad at you. Are you mad at her?”
“No, not at all. I’d love to see her again.”
Lauren looked at him thoughtfully.
“If I could take back what happened to end our relationship, I would,” he said. “Biggest regret of my life.”
“All right. I will make a note of that.”
Brad laughed. He understood that obviously Lauren’s friend came first, but he hadn’t been joking when he’d said he’d love to see Lindsay again. He’d been wanting a chance to explain himself for years. He’d thought for a long time that if he could just tell her what really happened, she’d see reason and come back to him.
He didn’t hold out much hope that Lindsay would forgive and forget—she really was the most stubborn woman he’d ever met—but maybe they could at least be friends again.
