I nodded. That was true. “It’s supposed to be the reverse order, you know. Run and then tea.”
He shot me a smile as he washed the other tea items. “We’re mixing it up. It could be tea, run, brunch. See how flexible we are about accepting new things in our lives?”
I laughed, then took the tea strainer and measured the holiday mix into it. Decided to ask. “You’d really think about moving into the house with me… if it came to that?”
“Well, yeah. A lot more space and it’s a fantastic house in a great neighborhood. This place is so close to the university that I could rent it out for a profit. Then we could put money into your house, update it, maybe start a plan to buy it from your aunt.” He glanced at me. “That’s for the long term, though. We don’t have to think about it now.”
“You’ve been doing a lot of long-term thinking, it seems.”
He scratched his hand through his hair, considering me. Then folded his arms and leaned on the counter. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. Much longer than you. I’ve known what I wanted, and I’m okay with you taking as much time as you need to decide how you feel about that—and if you want the same things.”
Something about the seriousness of his expression, the way the intangible tension seemed to mount between us had my heart beating faster. “What are you saying?”
He shrugged a little, watching me carefully. “Nothing I haven’t told you before.”
My mouth had gone dry. The tea kettle whistled and the unfamiliar sound made me jump. With a look of concern, Jon shut off the burner and vented the steam so it quieted. Then he brushed my hair back from my temples, framing my face.
“Let me tell you again, so you’ll remember,” he said quietly. “I’m in love with you, Amanda Taylor. I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen and I think I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”
“Nobody falls in love at fourteen,” I managed.
“Romeo and Juliet did.”
“That’s a tragedy, not a romance.”
“Well, you and I know plenty about tragedy. Maybe we can work on the romance.” His thumbs brushed over my cheekbones. “I’m willing to stick it out.”
“And here I thought I was the Queen of Perseverance.”
“We can rule together,” he replied with a quirk of a smile. And then he kissed me, deepening it when I yielded, letting him in. Where I wanted him to be.
“I don’t know how I feel,” I told him finally, feeling that I should. “I don’t even know where to start on figuring that out.”
“How did you figure out your whole complicated tea routine—how did you go from your Mr. Tea to all of this?”
I blinked at the change of topic. “Well, the Mr. Tea burned up, like I told you. So, then I started trying other methods, and gradually…” I trailed off as he nodded.
“There you go. Throw out the old, start with the new. Step by step. Eliminate variables and refine until you’re getting good results.”
“So wise.” I made a face at him.
“That’s right.” He kissed me once more, then patted my bottom. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way, figuring things out. Have your tea and let’s try out those shoes.”
~ 27 ~
The shoes fit perfectly. After a bracing run through Jackson Park and along the lake, Jon made us brunch while I took a shower. Luxuriating under the rainfall showerhead, I entertained how nice it would be to have one at the house.
To have Jon at the house. I’d have to talk to the others about it, but it seemed he might fit right in.
After we ate, I took the L home, telling Jon I’d be back later with a bag to stay through Christmas. He wanted to drive me, but I made mysterious noises about shopping, so he finally gave up. I’d told him in no uncertain terms that the tea supplies counted as a Christmas gift. But I needed something for him and I had no idea what it would be. Definitely not the tuxedo I’d planned to make for Brad. Too much like the Brad condoms. Which I should donate to the cause and add to the supply in the linen closet with the collective feminine supplies.
Everyone was home, even Charley for once. They were all sitting around the dining table, strewn with empty plates.
“And there’s number five,” Charley declared. “A Christmas miracle.”
“You’re the one who’s never here anymore,” I retorted.
“True,” she agreed ruefully. “So you got my text?”
“No.” With some chagrin I rooted in the bag I’d just hung on the rack. “I’ve had it off since last night. Sorry.”
“Leave it. You’re just in time,” Ice put in. She looked better. Rested.
“Though you missed Julie’s amazing pasta,” Marcia said. “We were going to save you some, but it was too delicious.”
“I could make you something else,” Julie offered, looking a little guilt-stricken. “We’d decided you weren’t coming.”
“Or were coming,” Charley snorted, “and coming and coming.”
“Ha ha.” I sat in my usual chair. “And I am stuffed from the amazing brunch my new boyfriend made me, so there.”
They all hooted, waving fingers spread in a 5.0 at me.
“His score is holding steady then?” Marcia asked.
“Climbing daily,” I said with a smile that I’m sure looked like a cat in the cream. “What am in time for, if I missed the amazing pasta?”
“Charley has news,” Ice replied.
Everyone looked at Charley, who looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable as the center of attention.
“Good news or bad news?” I asked, acknowledging to myself that I needed to clarify these things and that was okay.
“Good, I think,” Charley ventured, her eyes going to Ice. “At least, I hope you all will be happy for me.”
Marcia squealed and clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes bright. Julie just shook her head at her. Charley reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a ring. A diamond ring. Which she set carefully in the center of the table.
Dividing her attention between me and Ice.
“Oh, mazel tov,” Julie breathed.
Marcia tore her hands from her mouth. “Congratulations!” she squeaked, waving her hands with excitement.
Ice picked it up, holding the ring so the diamond caught the light, sparkling. “But is it a fifty-thousand-dollar ring?”
We all laughed, and they looked at me. “Congratulations, Charley,” I said, meaning it and letting it show. “You and Daniel are great together.”
She shrugged, self-conscious as Charley never was, her cheeks pink and a little teary. “He said he was going to give it to me for Christmas, and then your thing went down, and we were talking about it after my show last night and…” She shrugged again, then nipped the ring out of Ice’s hands and slipped it on. “It just kind of happened.”
“Have you set a date?” I asked, and her green gaze flew to mine in horror.
“No! Jesus, girl, give me a chance to get used to this part.”
“I’m just saying, I have ideas for an autumn wedding.” I gave her a big smile. “And I still have dibs on designing your dress.”
“You don’t mind?” She asked me very earnestly, chewing on her lip.
“Mind? I’m jazzed to do it!”
“No—I mean, me getting engaged instead. It feels kind of heartless.”
“Well, we all know you’re heartless,” Ice drawled, lounging back.
“I really don’t mind,” I assured Charley. “I’m sincerely happy for you. In fact!” I jumped up and dashed into the kitchen, rummaged on the back of my shelf, and returned with the bottle of champagne. “I’d been saving this for worthless Brad. Much better to celebrate this.”
“Yay, champagne!” Julie clapped her hands together. “I’ll get the glasses.”
“Do you mind?” Charley turned to Ice as I worked on the cork.
Ice put her hand on Charley’s, the one with the engagement ring, and squeezed. “I’m really happy for you. An
d I’ll miss you.”
“We’ll still see each other,” Charley promised, but her smile stretched weirdly. “He did ask me to move in, though.”
“It makes no financial sense to pay rent here when you’re there every night anyway,” Marcia put in.
Julie, returning with the glasses, nodded. “We’ve been expecting it.”
Ice accepted her full glass, studying it thoughtfully, making me wonder if she had expected it.
I finished passing out the champagne and held up my glass. “To Charley and Daniel. Best wishes for a future filled with love and happiness.”
We all ended up mixing some tears in with the champagne.
“I have dibs on Maid of Honor, because I met you first,” Ice said suddenly, narrowing her eyes at Charley. They shared some silent communication, gripping each other’s hands as Charley nodded fervently.
“So,” Marcia said into the silence that followed. “That brings up a topic I’ve wanted to introduce. Damien’s lease is up in March. How does everyone feel about him moving in?” She spoke mainly to me, as ostensible landlord. “I was thinking he could just share with me, split my rent, but if he could have Charley’s room…”
“God, woman,” Charley sputtered. “My bed isn’t even cold yet.”
“Yes, it is,” Marcia retorted. “As you haven’t slept in it since before Thanksgiving.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Julie put in. “I like Damien. But we don’t have a provision in the Rules for it. Maybe we should—”
“No,” Ice and I said in the same breath, then grinned at each other.
“I’m fine with it, too,” Ice said, still smiling at me. “As long as you promised no drama if things go sour.”
“There is that.” Marcia made a face.
“Since we’re discussing,” I said, deciding to put it out there, at least as a possibility, “I’m thinking about updates to the house, putting some money into it, maybe arranging to buy it eventually from Aunt Katie.”
“You are?” Ice sounded amazed, and I wondered if it sounded like such a huge shift for me. Maybe so.
“Maybe? But the way the upstairs rooms are divided makes them pretty small. We could start by knocking out the wall between Charley and Marcia’s rooms, make it into a bigger space for her and Damien, maybe with an en suite bathroom.”
“That would be amazing.” Marcia wrung her hands together in glee. “I would commit to paying double rent, and if Damien and I go bad and he moves out.”
“That’s fair,” I said. Ice and Julie nodded. “He gets Charley’s share of chores, though.”
“Well, I’m not doing them for him,” Marcia asserted, “so I’ll make sure that’s understood.”
“What if you decide to move in with Jon?” Ice asked silkily, her dark eyes knowing—and challenging. “You seem awfully shiny this morning.”
“As for that.” I took a breath, but my heart rate stayed steady. “If things work out with us, he’d maybe move in here. If you all agree.”
They exchanged glances. “That was fast,” Julie offered. “I like Jon. A lot, but…”
“But really fast,” Marcia agreed.
“I know it seems that way.” I looked around the table. Only Ice seemed unsurprised. She gave me a little smile. “But I’ve known him since I was fourteen. He was my best friend at Wildwood. I just… forgot that for a while.”
“Wow,” Marcia breathed. “Real childhood sweethearts.”
“Teenagers aren’t children,” Julie corrected.
“I was,” I said. “And I’m still growing up, in a lot of ways. Besides, this is all talk, still. We’ll see how things go. I just wanted to mention since—”
A knock sounded on the door. Ice leaned back and pulled aside the sheer to peek, then gave me a wide-eyed look. “Brad!” she stage-whispered.
Charley stood. “I’ll get rid of him.”
“No.” I stood. “I’ll deal with him.”
~ 28 ~
I opened the door to Brad, handsome as ever. Perfectly dressed in a really nice suit, an enormous bouquet of roses in his arms. He gave me his most charming smile, the one that first attracted me. Behind him, his freshly washed BMW glittered at the curb, like a shiny ornament amid the Chicago slush.
He held out the bouquet. “Surprise,” he said. When I didn’t immediately take them, he added, “Sterling roses. Your favorite, right? I remembered.”
“Why are you here?” I asked carefully. To my relief, I felt steady, calm. Maybe some part of me recognized this wasn’t a surprise at all.
His smile didn’t dim. “I’ve been sending you a bunch of DMs and PMs. I even tried to call, but you didn’t pick up. So I thought I’d better old-school it and come see you in person.”
“I’ve been avoiding social media.” I raised my brows at him. “For obvious reasons.”
“Aw, c’mon, Ames. You know you shouldn’t read the comments. Besides, that thing is still viral. It’s even a meme now. You know there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Imagine what we could do if we re-staged it. Christmas Eve, like you wanted! Only this time you say yes.” He beamed at me, more with confidence than hope.
“Restage it,” I repeated.
“I know, I know. I was a shit to you. You really hurt my feelings, Ames. But then I got to thinking that maybe some of that was my fault. And I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you like crazy, babe.”
“You have?” I was keenly aware of my friends, eavesdropping with avid silence.
“Of course! We had such a good thing, and I fucked it up by not listening. I should’ve let you apologize.”
“Let me apologize.” I must’ve sounded dangerous because he held up a hand.
“I need to apologize, too. Can we go talk somewhere, please?”
I hesitated.
“Ames, we were talking marriage. I know that wasn’t just me. Surely that deserves a conversation, at least.”
“Fine. Hang on.” I took the roses and shut the door. Handing them to Charley, I took the rest of Marcia’s unfinished champagne and quaffed it.
“Good luck,” Marcia whispered, and the rest all gave me cheerful thumbs down.
I love my friends.
Grabbing my jacket and purse, I went out. Brad was already in the car, revving the engine.
* * *
He took me to Cindy’s, our place. And he’d been sure of me, because he’d called ahead for a table by the window and had a bottle of our usual wine waiting. An expensive Zin I really liked. It was interesting to observe it from my new distance, how smoothly he handled everything, including me.
Though he frowned when I refused the wine. “Are you sick?” he asked, then his eyes opened wide. “Or pregnant! That’s why you fainted. My mom wondered about that. And she’d be totally cool with it if you are. She really wants grandkids.”
“I’m not pregnant. I fainted because I have a bad reaction to surprises. When I was growing up, my—”
“Yeah, I know your family was crap. But that’s behind you now.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Tiffany-blue velvet ring box. “I still want you to marry me. I’ll be your family.”
“Brad.” I sighed. “It’s not going to work.”
“It can work,” he insisted. “My mom wants you to know that we could get married in June at the country house on the lake. You know how much she likes you. She wants you to come for Christmas Day and you can start making plans. Whatever you want. The sky’s the limit.”
I gazed at him, a little dumfounded. Everything I’d thought I wanted. Taking my silence as encouragement, Brad opened the box and extracted the ring. Seizing my hand, he slid the ring onto my finger. “Look,” he said. “A perfect fit. Exactly the ring you wanted, right? Say yes, babe.”
I looked at the ring on my finger. Its cold glitter. Then at the handsome man holding my hand. All the surface and none of the substance. “No,” I told him. “I’m sorry to hurt you this way, but this isn’t what I want.”
“We’ll pick out a d
ifferent ring,” he replied promptly. “We’ll go to Tiffany’s right now and you can have any ring you want.”
“It’s not enough,” I said, trying to pull my hand from his.
His grip tightened. “Amy. That’s a fifty-thousand-dollar ring. That’s serious commitment. That’s true love, right there.”
“No, Brad.” I didn’t know how to explain to him something I was just starting to figure out myself. “Money isn’t commitment or love.”
“Well,” Jon said. “I guess we can check off public humiliation, huh?”
~ 29 ~
More astonished than anything, I gaped at Jon. He stood next to our table, hands in his coat pockets, that stupid beaver stocking cap on his head. He gave me a crooked smile. “I was passing by.” He pointed his chin at the window. “Couldn’t help seeing you, so I thought I’d come say hi.”
“Who are—oh, the guy from the reunion party.” Brad held out a hand. “Jim, right?”
Jon didn’t shake. He just gave me a long look. “Anyway. Hi.” He turned around and left.
With my hand freed, I’d worked off the diamond ring and set it on the table. “Goodbye, Brad. Tell your mother I’ll write her a note and say Merry Christmas for me. Your folks were always good to me. I hope, when you find the right woman, that she’ll be a wonderful daughter-in-law for them.”
“Really?” Brad picked up the ring and stared at it, like it held the answers. “You’re really saying no.”
“I’m really saying no. And that I wish you happy.”
“Amy, I—”
But I was already hurrying after Jon, not bothering to put on my coat. The wind hit me hard when I stepped onto the sidewalk, and I scanned the mobbed sidewalk for the distinctive cardinal color of the MIT hat. It would have to be two days before Christmas, the crowds thronging downtown on a Saturday afternoon.
No sign of him anywhere. Well, I’d just go to his apartment and camp out there. I’d make him listen to my explanation, and—
“Hey.” Jon called from behind me. He was leaning against the wall, casually waiting. “Looking for me?”
Missed Connections Box Set Page 41