Kristen’s eyes lit up as if she hadn’t expected to be put in the hot seat. “Truth.”
My brain searched for the perfect question. “What is Jake’s worst character trait?”
Rach snickered, then tried to hide it with a cough.
“That’s easy.” Kristen leaned forward, her expression showing she could hardly believe she was about to reveal this. “He wants me all the time.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re counting that as a flaw? Come on.”
She thrust a hand to her chest. “My career is emotionally draining. In the evening, before bed, is fine. But he can’t wake me in the middle of the night or early in the morning and expect me to always be willing.”
“Sounds rough. I feel so sorry for you.” I should’ve known she’d never find anything wrong with the ever perfect Jake.
As I pulled my clothes off a hanger and began changing out of my too-small gown, I couldn’t help wondering if staying with George so many years had made me miss my window to find a guy who wanted me morning, noon, and night. Let’s face it, at my age, the best guys were taken. Not that twenty-nine was over the hill or anything, but weren’t the odds getting microscopic at this point?
“Crisis averted!” Ellen burst into the room and pretended to wipe her brow. “The dress designer has a size ten in stock that they’ll messenger over to the seamstress who will take it in for you. Can you believe the luck?”
“What a relief,” I said, flatly. Although, my mouth started watering as I pictured all the cookies I could snack on and still fit into a size ten. . . .
The room fell silent and Ellen checked out each one of us suspiciously. “What’d I miss?”
“Gina’s moving in with me and I’m setting her up with a date for your wedding. Which just leaves Rachel.” Kristen turned to Rach. “Should I hook you up with—”
“No way.” She shook her head. “I’m going stag.”
I suppressed a laugh at Rachel’s emphatic response. Ellen had recently arranged a blind date for Rach with her fiancé Henry’s friend. The date had started out promising with a pleasant dinner, then the guy suggested they make hot fudge sundaes at his place for dessert—naked. To say he’d misjudged Rach’s fondness for ice cream à la nude would be putting it mildly.
As we were packing up our stuff to leave Blissfully Bridal, Ellen put an arm around me. “You okay?”
I gave a small laugh. “About moving out of my place with George or moving in with Kristen?” Her hazel eyes filled with concern and I sighed. “Truth?”
She tilted her head. “Of course.”
“I’m good, just nervous. What if I waited too long to get out of the wrong relationship? What if I missed my chance to find the guy for me?”
“Maybe it wasn’t the right time before.” Ellen’s gaze drifted down to the sparkly gem on her left ring finger and the corners of her mouth lifted. “We never know when the right guy will come along, but he will. Trust me. And now you’ll be ready for him when he does.”
“I’m really happy for you, Ellen.” As I pulled my friend into a hug, I imagined her walking down the aisle toward the love of her life and this time there wasn’t an inkling of pain.
George wasn’t the right guy.
Maybe timing really was everything. Maybe agreeing to live with Kristen would be the best decision I’d ever made. And maybe I should switch to low-fat ice cream.
CHAPTER TWO
I showed up to work Monday morning wearing sweats. Normally, I dressed up for the office, but I’d been at this software company for five years and worked in the accounting department so it’s not like I ever met with customers. Besides, I’d taken the afternoon off to haul the last of my stuff over to the condo. Yes, that’s right. Finally. As annoying as Kristen was, she’d made me realize my part in the entire debacle that had been my relationship.
I mean, what kind of girl gives her boyfriend the ultimatum to propose or it’s over? So not romantic. George and I started dating in college after we’d participated in a game of Quarters. He’d impressed me with his ability to bounce that silver coin into a cup. Ah, young love. Somewhere along the way, beer games stopped being as impressive to me.
“Going somewhere special after the office, I assume?” a sarcastic voice startled me out of my thoughts.
My head whipped up and I saw Rach standing in the doorway to my office, eying my outfit with raised brows.
“You scared me.” I flared my eyes at her, then plopped back in my chair. “Just getting the last of my things out of the apartment this afternoon while George is at work. He got a little psycho dividing up the CDs yesterday. Like each and every one were precious to him or something.”
Rach adjusted the clip holding her hair up in a messy twist. “That’s ridiculous.”
“It wasn’t just that.” I sighed, fingering my own short, dark curls, then tucked one side behind my ear. “George said he misses me and thinks maybe he can change.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re kidding me.”
“It’s fine.” I clasped my hands on my desk and leaned forward. “A couple months ago I would’ve crumbled, thinking I could find a way to make it work. Now, I realize that George’s mastery of Beer Pong? Not so hot at twenty-nine years old.”
She chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t fall for his desperate plea now that he’s supposedly figured out what he lost. You deserve better.”
I shrugged my shoulders and reached for my candy jar. “I’m not even mad at him anymore. He is who he is, you know? I just want to get the rest of my things without a hassle.”
She hesitated, appearing deep in thought, before accepting the wrapped butterscotch I held out for her. “So, you’re over George. Is that what you’re saying?”
Her body language told me she was up to something. “Why would you ask that?”
“No specific reason.” She shifted back and forth on her feet before taking a breath. “I, uh, do have a favor to ask of you though.”
I hesitated, wondering why she looked so tense. “What’s up?”
She stepped toward me and lowered her voice. “You heard that Chris Bradley gave his two weeks notice last week? The traitor is going to work for the enemy.”
Chris was an amazing sales associate and we paid him well, but apparently our biggest competitor had made him a better offer. “Good for him. Too bad for us, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s sad to see him go.” She fiddled with the empty plastic candy wrapper, avoiding my gaze. “So, I’m totally swamped with work this week. Since you and I are the only ones left on the party committee, would you mind handling the cake, food, and decorations for Chris’s bon voyage bash? I know it’s my turn, but it’d really help me out.”
A few phone calls weren’t all that time consuming, but this request felt like something more. “Sure, I can do that.”
Her face lit up. “Thanks. You rock.”
“Not so fast.” I made an eh-eh-eh sound. “Truth or Dare?”
“For real?” She flipped her light brown hair over her shoulder, then crossed her arms. “Fine, Truth.”
“Are you avoiding Chris for any specific reason?” I said, using a sultry tone. Chris Bradley was super hot and a serial dater. Maybe since her last date had been such a meltdown she’d had a little fling with him.
“No! Of course not.” She gasped. “I can’t believe you even thought that.”
“Just checking.” I set the top back on the crystal candy jar, then laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. “Not like it’d be an insult to hook up with Chris Bradley.”
I pictured his sunny California tanned muscles, brown hair lightened from the sun, and baby blue eyes framed in dark lashes. No, dating Chris Bradley wouldn’t be a hardship at all. My belly danced at the idea, then my face heated as I mentally cringed. Sure, I’d always known Chris was hot, but I’d never thought of him in that way. My new single girl perspective must’ve clicked into overdrive.
Rach stared at me pointedly, showing she’d guessed where my brain had gone. “Maybe you should ask him out. I hear he’s not dating Cyndi anymore.”
“Me?” I shook my head, adamantly. “No way.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Why not? Chris is sweet. And you thought he was good enough for me.”
“Yeah, but I’m not interested in the casual dating scene. I’m looking for a guy I can settle with and you know as well as I do that Chris never brings the same girl to a company party twice.”
“Dating’s not against the law, you know.” She turned toward the door, then flipped back around. “You should give him a try. I totally see you guys together.”
My mouth dropped open. “Do you want me wasting more of my golden years with another commitment-phobe?”
She pursed her lips. “Uh, I think the golden years are in our fifties.”
“Whatever.” I pulled out my keyboard tray to finish my work and leave. “I made a vow not to waste my time on guys who aren’t looking for a serious relationship and that’s a plan I’m sticking to. I’ll order his cake for you, but that’s it.”