by Leigh James
“Have you talked to her again?”
“Nah. I refuse to answer my phone ever again. She’s made her own bed—it’s got nothing to do with me.” I took another sip of my beer.
Ryan peered at me over his glasses. “So why aren’t you with the new girl?”
“The new girl doesn’t want to talk to me.” I shrugged. “Not only did she overhear me on the phone with Katie—”
“You weren’t doing anything wrong, though. I know you.”
“Right, but she doesn’t. I’d be suspicious too if the dude I’d just started seeing was on the phone at three a.m. with his ex. I get it.”
Ryan continued to beat me at pool. “Why don’t you just talk to her about it?”
“Because I pretty much burned that bridge.” I’d explained about punching Tyler and yelling at Mrs. Delaney. “And really, we don’t have anything in common. I left my high-powered job because it was sucking the life out of me. Maddy’s career is the thing that energizes her.”
“So?” Ryan asked. “Who says you have to be exactly alike to be happy? Sounds boring to me.”
“No offense, but why am I taking relationship advice from you again?”
“Because I’m your friend. And a real friend will tell you the truth, so hear it is: you are screwing up. You’re letting what Katie did mess with your head still. You can’t let her win, bro. Like you said, she’s a man-eater. She belongs at the zoo; you belong with the new girl.”
I opened my mouth then closed it. Because really, what could I say to that?
Later, when I was back home, I gave up on trying to sleep. I put my phone on my nightstand and just stared at it.
What if I call her? What’s the worst thing that could happen?
The phone beeped, making me jump, and a text from Katie lit up the screen.
Katie: Still waiting to hear from you. This is not cool.
I grabbed the phone and texted back:
That’s because I have nothing to say. STOP TEXTING ME.
I turned my phone off and raked a hand through my hair. Christ. That was why I couldn’t get involved with Maddy. I still had Crazy Pants texting me every five minutes.
Madison deserved someone great, someone who would make her happy and had a clean slate. I wish I were that guy. I wanted to be that guy.
Maybe someday I would be.
When I woke up the next morning, I had one thought in my head:
Fuck this.
It was true, my crazy-ex-girlfriend had left the guy she’d left me for at the altar and hadn’t stopped calling me since. But you know what? That actually had nothing to do with me. I wasn’t still hung up on Katie. If she still had some sort of weird feelings for me, even after everything she’d done, that was her problem. She was just trying to make it mine.
I thought about what Ryan had said. You can’t let her win, bro. He was right. He was my best friend, but I hated it when he was right.
But what was I going to do?
Act like an adult, for starters. I poured myself a coffee and watched the sun come up. I’d done a few things I’d regretted. That wasn’t a great way to start a relationship.
I imagined my mother up in heaven, shaking her finger at me and tsking.
Sighing, I went and grabbed my hoodie. First things first—I was going for a run. The way forward required a clear head.
If I was going to lose big, I was at least going to give it my best shot.
Chapter Twenty-Two
MADISON
I straightened the collar of my blazer and went over my notes one last time, even though I knew my pitch by heart. If I won the brokerage account it would be huge for me. It would also be a large amount of work, but what else did I have to do?
I sighed, looking at the sleek lobby of the firm’s Financial-District building. People hustled by on the streets outside, the collars of their coats turned up against the wind. A UPS truck pulled up to the curb and my heart lurched—but then a young woman in a brown uniform hopped out, package and tablet in hand. Her ponytail swung behind her as she brought the package in and had the receptionist sign off.
I sighed, unable to tear my eyes from her. I missed Roberto Palmieri, a.k.a the Italian Stallion. I knew that if I called him, he might not want to talk to me. He’d tried to explain himself before and I’d refused to hear him out. The way things had ended after the wedding, and the ensuing silence, didn’t bode well for us as a couple. I probably wasn’t very appealing girlfriend material. And then there was my crazy family…
I smiled at the assistant who came to bring me to my meeting. But inside, my heart ached. I wanted to call Bob. I wanted to give whatever we had a chance. But I knew the odds were against me.
Being an A student wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“We’re really looking forward to working with your company.” Jesse, the VP from the brokerage firm, crossed his arms against his admirable chest. He wore a beautiful light-gray suit and had mocha-colored skin and dark-brown eyes. “Unfortunately, the contact will be from another department so I won’t be seeing you.”
“Well that’s a shame.” I smiled at him. “Thanks for setting up the meeting. You’ve made the whole process easy and fun.”
This was true. It was also true that Jesse was very handsome, and didn’t wear a wedding ring.
“Would you like to have dinner sometime?” he asked. He cracked a smile. “I don’t usually ask our partners out, but I’ve enjoyed talking with you, Madison. I’d love the chance to get to know you better.”
“That’s really nice of you, but I’m seeing someone. Thanks again.” I hustled down the hall before he could see my cheeks flame. I couldn’t believe I’d lied like that. Jesse was handsome, smart, and seemed like a good guy. I’d enjoyed talking to him over the past few months. He was also, literally, the first guy to ask me out this year.
I sighed as I got into the elevator. If I was knee-jerk saying ‘no’ to handsome and accomplished Jesse, I clearly had it bad for a certain unheard-from Italian.
In my professional life, I always knew my next best move. But I was at a loss when it came to addressing the current situation with Bob. Okay, Madison. If this were business, what would you do? I needed to think clearly about my objective. I needed to formulate a plan. I also had to accept that this particular pitch, so near and dear to my heart, could likely fail.
I didn’t go back to the office, even though it was early afternoon. I decided to pick up several pints of ice cream on the way home. I needed reinforcements. I lined the containers of Ben and Jerry’s up on my countertop as if they were soldiers I was about to call into battle.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you’re up.
My doorbell rang and I jumped—I wasn’t expecting anyone.
“Madison! It’s me.”
I opened the door and found my dad, holding out my garment bag. “You forgot this at the house, sweetheart.”
I ushered him inside. “And you came all the way from the island to give it back to me?”
He scrubbed a hand across his face and followed me into the kitchen, where he warily eyed the ice cream. “Everything okay, Maddy?”
“Yeah, it’s great. I pitched that investment firm earlier and I landed the account.” I handed him a pint of ice cream and a spoon. “How’re you?”
“I’ve been better.” He had a bite of ice cream.
“What’s wrong?”
“Frank won’t let me live that tennis match down.” He frowned, his perpetually tan face sagging a bit. “He’s really rubbing my face in it.”
“No offense, but Dad? You totally deserve it.”
“Ah! I know that.” He put the ice cream down. “It’s that boyfriend of yours I’m mad at. I want him to come back for a rematch.”
“Dad. He’s not my boyfriend.”
He eyed the ice cream again. “You two have a fight, or something?”
“Not really. I mean, kind of. It was more of a falling out, I guess. And he was never really my boy
friend.” I put my hands on my hips. “Did Mom put you up to this?”
“No—your old man was just worried about you. And I can tell by all this ice cream that my instincts were once again correct.” He chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? Is this about that crazy ex-girlfriend of his?”
“Don’t you already know? You and Mom interrogated him about her. Pryce tapped his phone. You basically ran him off.” I started pacing. “Why would he want to date me when my family is absolutely nuts?”
Dad didn’t flinch. “Have you met his family?”
“No.”
“Ten bucks says they’re crazy, too.” He shrugged. “Everybody’s family is. You’re not a special snowflake in that regard, honey.”
“Well, I probably won’t ever meet them. I didn’t handle our weekend together very well.”
“But his ex-girlfriend kept calling him, and then she jilted her new fellow. Sounds like you had a reason to be less than perfect for once.”
I stopped pacing. “Dad… That’s sweet. But let’s face it. I’m not nearly perfect in the relationship department. I haven’t had a boyfriend in years. All I do with Mom is fight. I barely see Sienna. Josie and Claire are my only friends.”
“Your sister’s got a different agenda than you, and so does your mother—always have.” He patted my shoulder. “You don’t have to take resposibility for everyone else, Madison. I know you’re a big-time CEO and you’re used to controlling all the details. But life isn’t always like that. It’s messy. People are messy. Your mother and your sister aren’t perfect. This fellow Bob probably has a few issues, too. And some people are so obsessed with their winning tennis record, they continually bully and humiliate their old friends just to hold onto a feeling that doesn’t really mean anything.”
I blinked at him. I hadn’t been sure my father was that self-aware. “Huh. Thanks for that, I guess.”
He smiled. “You just have to take care of yourself. And if you like this guy, don’t write him off just because he didn’t handle everything perfectly. Don’t run away from your feelings just because you’re scared that he’ll see that you and your crazy family aren’t perfect either. It’s called giving him a chance.”
“But… Don’t you disapprove of him? He beat you at tennis. Then he decked Tyler Dermody on your court!”
“Tyler’s an asshole.” Dad shrugged. “And yes I disapprove of him—not only for beating me, but for talking to another woman while he was spending the weekend with my daughter—but sometimes even I make mistakes in judgment. I’d be willing to give him a second chance.”
“Mom said no way. She said he wasn’t ‘good enough’ for our family.”
“Well, your mother can be an asshole too, sometimes. But she’s not all bad.” Dad’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe you could give her a second chance.”
He kissed me on the cheek. “I have to go, sweetheart. Give me a call soon and let me know what’s happening.”
I watched him climb into the back of the SUV waiting outside and drive away.
Once he’d disappeared from view, I put all the ice cream away except for one pint. I took it to the couch and snuggled underneath my velvet throw. I ate the ice cream. I thought about what my father had said. It’s called giving him a chance.
In order to do that, I had to fully accept that Bob might say no. He might very well say hell no. For all I knew, he could be back together with Katie. There were a lot of what if’s, but they didn’t matter. What mattered was being brave. What mattered was trying.
And there had never been a better time to try. If I failed, at least I had seven pints of ice cream in the freezer.
Chapter Twenty-Three
BOB
I’d finished my four miles and was heading back to my apartment when I saw a large black Escalade idling outside of my house.
Chip rolled down his window. “Mr. Palmieri, do you have a minute?”
“Uh…”
He got out and opened the rear door. “Trust me. You want to hear this.”
“Okay, Chip.”
Much to my surprise, the backseat was empty. “Are you kidnapping me?”
Chip met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Only if you refuse to come with me, in which case yes.”
“Where are we going?” My T-shirt was sweaty, stuck to my skin.
“I’m not at liberty to say. But my employers wanted you to know that it’s important.”
“Is Maddy okay?” I asked immediately.
“Yes of course. I would have led with that.” He pulled out onto my street and headed toward the city.
“You can’t tell me anything?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t.” Chip’s gaze flicked back to me again. “You know what the Delaneys are like.”
I nodded and looked out the window. “Yes. Yes I do.”
We drove in silence until he maneuvered the car into a residential neighborhood in Back Bay. He parked in front of a townhouse and motioned to it. “Number 233. They’re expecting you.”
“Dude. Can’t you tell me who it is?”
He turned around and looked at me, an apologetic expression on his face. “It’s bad, that’s all I can say. But it won’t be as bad as it seems at first.”
“Gee, thanks.” I climbed down from the car with a pit of dread in my stomach, reminding myself that I didn’t have to do this. But curiosity got the better of me and I rang the doorbell.
Aileen Delaney surprised me at the door. “Roberto, it’s a pleasure,” she purred.
“Uh… Hi.” My brow furrowed. “Is Madison here?”
“No darling, she’s not. But there’s someone inside I’d like you to see.”
“Okay?” But nothing about this seemed okay, although I was vaguely relieved that I wouldn’t be alone with Aileen.
“Bob?” A woman’s voice, familiar and husky, called me from the next room.
“Katie?” I glared at Aileen. “What did you do?”
It looked like Mrs. Delaney attempted to arch an eyebrow, but her face was so frozen, I couldn’t be sure. “Come with me. I want to see something.”
I followed her into the living room, half-scared I’d find Katie tied to a chair. But she was fine, if a bit pale, as she rose from the couch. “It’s nice to see you.”
I scowled first at Katie, then at Aileen. “Um, I don’t want to be a jerk, but why the hell am I here?”
Aileen pointed at Katie. “This woman tells me you haven’t been to see her once since you’ve been back from the island.”
“Yeah…so?”
“You really hurt me, Bob.” Katie’s voice wobbled as she took a step closer.
“I’d say I’m sorry, but I didn’t do anything. You made your bed, and it had nothing to do with me.”
She reached for me. “Don’t say things like that. You just need to give it a chance.”
Even on the verge of tears, Katie looked great. She always did. Her glossy brown bob showed off her cheekbones and striking blue eyes. Her toned body was showcased underneath her leggings and slim-fitting sweater.
But to me, she was as pretty as a scorpion. “No I don’t. I don’t owe you anything.”
She rocked back on her feet as if I’d slapped her. “Bob. This is a very emotional time for me. I can’t believe you’re being so cold and adding to my anxiety like this.”
I turned to Aileen. “Why am I here?”
She crossed her arms against her chest. “I just wanted to see something.” She flicked her fingers in Katie’s direction. “That’ll be all. I’ll have my assistant send you a check. Let’s go, Roberto.”
“Bob, wait—” Katie reached for me again, her hand grasping my arm.
I backed away immediately, as if she might have cooties.
“There’s nothing to say. I can’t even tell you that I’m sorry about what happened between us, because I’m not.” I shook my head. “I thought I had real feelings for you until I met someone else, someone who I truly cared for. So if I wasn’t done with you befor
e, for what you did, I sure as hell am now.”
The tears started streaming down her face and I sighed. “I don’t wish you any harm, Katie. But get on with your life. It’s got nothing to do with me—it never did.”
I followed Aileen Delaney outside. I had a million questions swirling through my head, not the least of which was: “What the hell was that all about?”
“Nothing.” She gestured vaguely in the direction of Katie’s house. “I just needed to make sure that you weren’t still in love with that girl.”
“I don’t… I don’t understand.”
Aileen secured her wrap around her artfully, then smoothed her hair over her shoulders. “If you’re going to date my daughter, you need to be emotionally available.”
“She doesn’t… I haven’t heard from Madison, Mrs. Delaney.”
“You should probably do something about that.” Chip hustled out and opened the door for her. “Her office is that way.” She pointed down the avenue. “And the next time you come for dinner, try not to punch anyone out, all right dear?”
“Wait.” I stepped forward and she paused before getting in. “I thought you didn’t think I was good enough for your daughter.”
She shrugged one elegant shoulder. “No one is, darling. But at least you have some testicoli. That goes a long way in a relationship. You also seem to have a semi-decent head on your shoulders—except when you’re fighting, referring to yourself in the third person, or blowing it with my daughter, of course.”
I coughed. “Of course.”
“My daughter deserves the best. So give it to her.” She got into the car and Chip tipped his cap at me. I watched as they disappeared down the road.
And I just stared after them, scratching my head.
Chapter Twenty-Four
MADISON
My cell phone buzzed as I drove into Somerville. It was Sienna.