“No. Of course not.”
“Not consciously, anyway. But maybe subconsciously?”
Carolina took another bite of salad, studying Stella. Finally, she waved her fork at her friend. “I think you have a vindictive streak in you.”
Stella laughed. “You think?”
“I still think some guy broke your heart and you never got revenge.”
“And you think I’m projecting my need for revenge onto you.”
“Yes.”
Stella laughed. “Trust me. If I wanted revenge, I’d go get it for myself. I just think Drew did you wrong, and I figured you took your opportunity to get him back.”
“I wasn’t out to get him back. What happened between us just . . . happened.”
“And then you ran out on him and haven’t spoken to him again. So what does that mean?”
Sometimes her best friend irritated the crap out of her. “It doesn’t mean anything, other than we’ve both been busy.”
“Or, it means that you got exactly what you wanted from him, and now you have no more use for him.”
Frustrated, she shook her head. “That’s not what it means at all.”
“So you do want to see him again.”
“I didn’t say that, either.”
“So you’re done with him.”
She laid her head in her hands. “You make me crazy, Stella.”
“It’s a particular talent of mine.”
Carolina lifted her head. “It just happened between us. It didn’t really mean anything other than we slept together, had one night together, and now it’s probably over. Except I am using him as a model for my line, so I guess I’ll be seeing him again.”
Stella leaned back and sipped her tea. “And how do you feel about that?”
Carolina let out a sigh. “Stella, spending a lunch hour with you is a lot like talking to a therapist.”
“So, you do feel something for him,” Stella said with another victorious smile.
“You’re a giant pain in my ass.”
“That’s what best friends are for.”
• • •
TWO WEEKS OF ALMOST NONSTOP ROAD GAMES WERE taking their toll on Drew. They’d had one series of home games, but it seemed as if he’d blinked and they were back on the damn road again.
He was cranky. They’d lost three games and he wanted nothing more than to get back to the Garden and the home crowd again. This new season wasn’t starting out the way anyone on the team expected, and if they didn’t turn it around soon, it was going to be a dismal one.
Even worse, after practice today he’d found a voice mail on his phone from Carolina. Using her most professional voice, she’d asked him about meeting with her. Not to see him personally, but to get together to meet about her line.
There wasn’t a single word or phrase she’d used in that voice mail that had been personal in nature. It was like that night they’d shared hadn’t even happened. Couple that with the disappearing act she’d pulled, and his lousy mood had increased, if that was even possible.
“You practicing your scowl for the game tonight?”