“Him!Scott.”
“He’sengaged?!”
“Not now. Before you met him. Before he went toEmerson.”
“What? I had no idea. He never mentionedit.”
“Well. He was. And he got dumped. Hard. Sam toldme.”
She says ‘Sam told me’ as if Sam has been telling her things for years. I don’t know why this piece of information matters to me. I really don’t know why it hits me so hard. But it changes the way I see him. It’s like inThe Empire Strikes Backwhen Darth Vader has his mask off in the meditation chamber and you see the back of his scarred head. It makes Scott seem more human and vulnerable and it makes me feel more uncomfortable than ever. I shake itoff.
“Are youokay?”
“Yes. No. Why do people keep asking methat?”
“Also he went to Columbia for two years before he started at Emerson and his family is superrich.”
“Well, that I knew.” He was on track to major in Financial Economics at Columbia University. At a college of communication and the arts, people treated him like he was exotic, because being good at math and having more than a basic understanding of asset allocation and being brave enough to give up a future career in finance for a future career in Hollywood apparently made you a hero. Being a girl who always knew she wanted to write kissing movies apparently just made youadorable.
“Areyou okay?” She’s looking down at my balled-up fists. What she can’t see—and what no one can see (I hope) is the tiny flood that started forming in my panties as soon as Braddock grabbed my arm, and the aggravating dull ache between mylegs.
“No. Can we gohome?”
“Come dance withus.”
“Maya.Please.”
“Will you tell me what’swrong?”
“I can’t articulate it, I just want to go home, get in my pajamas, watchGilmore Girlsand eat Laughing Cowcheese.”
She studies my face. “Youwantto fuck him now, don’tyou?”
“Shhhhhh!”
“Oh my God just doit.”
“That’s like telling me to have sex with Black Jack Randall fromOutlander.”
She rolls her eyes. “Girl, you are drowning in a pool ofnerd.”
“Please don’t like his best friend. I’m beggingyou.”
“I really like him. I feel very comfortable with him. Come dance withus.”
“I don’t feel likedancing.”
“Okay. I’m gonna go dance with him for two more songs and then we cango.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But no cheese. Kale chips. Order a Lyft we can leave in fifteenminutes.”
“I love you. Even though I hate your kalechips.”
“You sure you don’t want to dance?” She does The Robot and The Running Man and somehow makes them looksexy.
“Go have fun. I’ll order the car.” She runs over to Sam, who has been waiting for her by the dance floor. They start dancing and they’re so cute together I almost feel bad about making herleave.
