6
Bernadette
What. An. Asshole.
It was so sunny before I encountered him, but as soon as I decided to stop to talk to him it clouded over.
I stomp around lower Manhattan for half an hour before finally settling on a place to eat lunch, fuming about how rude Matt McGovern is, and then stomp back to Sebastian’s place and settle into his office to stare at my laptop without typing anything because I have so much anger coursing through my veins. At least, I think it’s anger. It might be an infuriating cocktail of anger, confusion and horniness. But the horniness has nothing to do with the fact that he looked so fucking great in his sleek black shirt and jeans, and everything to do with the fact that I need to get laid. In general. By no one in particular. Especially not by one particular person who happens to be living next door to me, who is a total asshole.
I briefly flip through my mental Rolodex of past and potential sexual partners. It takes all of two seconds, because my past partners are either now partnered up with someone else or have moved out of state or got too clingy for comfort and I swore off seeing them again. The only potential partner I can think of is my boss, and there’s barely any real potential.
Sebastian is in his studio, with the door closed. Tommy is done posing for him, and I probably won’t see him for a while because he just started rehearsing an off-Broadway play. But I pick up my phone, planning to text him to tell him I’m available to meet up tonight if he wants, because he is an awesome wingman and he will definitely help mama get some.
I almost swallow my tongue when I see that I have an e-mail notification from “[email protected].”
TO: BERNADETTE FARMER
FROM: MATT MCGOVERN (personal)
Subject: Hi.
Sorry if I was rude earlier.
That’s it. That’s all it says. I scroll down to see if I’m missing something, like an explanation as to why he was rude earlier, or why he’s a rude person in general, or perhaps an emoji of a sad face, but nope. That’s the message.
Without hesitation, I click “reply.”
TO: MATT MCGOVERN (personal)
FROM: BERNADETTE FARMER
Subject: That’s nice.
I assume that by “earlier” you are referring to every interaction we’ve had since we met.
I thought you said you had a meeting to get to.
I’m sorry you felt the need to lie just to get out of having lunch with me.
I would have declined the invitation anyway.
TO: BERNADETTE FARMER
FROM: MATT MCGOVERN (personal)
Subject: Nice try
Already had the meeting. On FaceTime.
FYI, my protégé thought you were hot, and I was just trying to save you the annoyance of having him ogle you while you tried to eat your lunch.
TO: MATT MCGOVERN (personal)
FROM: BERNADETTE FARMER
Subject: Thanks?
What makes you think I’m not totally used to being ogled while I eat lunch?