by Hazel Kelly
I already knew what I intended to do, but I was grateful for the opportunity to make sure I did it right.
“Just pop in Monday morning to let me know it’s done,” he said. “And I’ll bury her in busywork until things settle down.”
Had he lost his mind? Hadn’t he figured out that he shouldn’t talk about her like she was some faceless office pawn in front of me?
“She’ll realize it’s for the best,” he said. “You both will.”
“Are we done here?” I asked, pushing myself out of the chair.
“I think so,” he said with a nod. “Thanks for your understanding.”
I turned towards the door and rolled my eyes, convinced that showing him respect no longer held the importance it did ten minutes ago.
“Enjoy your weekend,” he said as I opened the door.
I closed it without answering his fat face. I was too angry. Too wired. Too fucking determined to make him regret this conversation.
T H I R T Y S E V E N
- Margot -
It was like Landon and I had been dating for years. From the conversations we could have with our eyes to the flirtatious texts that peppered our day, I could count on him now the way I could count on air, and his attention was just as life-giving.
If it were anyone else, I’d probably be freaked out that things were moving so fast, but our getting together seemed so long overdue that the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. On the contrary, I was more interested in making up for lost time, which we seemed to be doing with flying colors. Especially on the physical side of things.
“I know I failed to object at the time,” I said, leaning forward to swap my white carton of chicken chow mein for something else. “But it really wasn’t okay for you to finger me during that conference call.”
“Looking for this?” Landon asked, tilting his takeout carton towards me so I could see the beef and broccoli inside.
I nodded.
“I’ll hand it over if there’s any orange chicken left.”
I stood off his couch just enough to survey the assortment of open containers. “You’re in luck,” I said, grabbing the one he requested.
He traded me and kept eating, reclined on the couch in a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt like he had no idea he was the most delicious thing in the room. “Admit Madame Wu’s is the best Chinese you’ve ever had.”
“Don’t change the subject,” I said. “I’m serious about what I said.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.”
I cocked my head.
“You were smiling when you said it so—”
“That’s irrelevant. We can’t take risks like that anymore. What if I’d made a funny noise or if one of the Fujama people had specifically asked me a question?”
“First of all, I muted our end of the call while that was happening.”
My eyes grew wide. “What?! How could you not tell me that?”
He shoved a big piece of orange chicken in his mouth.
“Well?”
“Besides the fact that it was obviously more fun for me?”
“Not cool, Landon,” I said, secretly admiring his genius.
“Didn’t you see me tapping the button so I could offer the occasional ‘uh-huh’ and ‘great idea’ while Karen was talking?”
“I thought you were messing with the volume,” I said, shaking my head. “I couldn’t think straight at the time, much less see straight.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, I’m all for fucking like rabbits after hours and on our lunch break—”
“Don’t forget the Starbucks bathroom Tuesday morning. That was all your idea.”
I sighed. “Okay. I realize that my slutty behavior this week is making it hard for you to take me seriously.”
“Hey.” He leaned forward. “You’re not slutty. You’re a sexual goddess. Big difference.”
“Sexual goddesses don’t give blowjobs for hot dogs at Knicks games.”
“Sure they do,” he said, smiling as he sank back against his black leather couch. “Which reminds me, I have to thank Christophe for those suite tickets. That was the best game I’ve ever been to in my life.”
“Was it really? ’Cause you had to Google the score after we left.”
“It was,” he said, reaching over to touch my cheek. “And I would’ve gotten you that hot dog even if you hadn’t done that.”
I laughed and covered my face. “You make me feel like a crazy person.”
“You’ve always been crazy, Margot. You’re just a little less repressed these days.”
“Still—” I pointed at him. “I don’t want to be careless at work anymore. I’m not good enough at my job yet to take on worrying about where the stairwell security cameras are.”
“Everywhere but the thirty-first floor, you know that.”
“Please, Landon. Just say you understand and that you’ll keep your hands to yourself during office hours from now on.”
“Because you can’t say no to me?”
“Oh, I can say no to you,” I said, setting my takeout carton on the table and grabbing my bottle of beer. “I’d just rather say yes.”
His eyes smiled.
“Pleease.”
“Don’t start begging until I’m done eating.”
“Landon.”
“Okay. No more funny business at work. I promise.”
My shoulders drooped with my cheeks. “I know I said that’s what I wanted, but it feels like there’s been a death now.”
“I know what you mean, but you’re right. The way things have been going at work isn’t sustainable.”
“It’s a learning curve. We’ll figure it out.”
He fixed his blue eyes on mine, and they crinkled at the edges for a second as if a sad thought crossed his mind.
“Is your eye twitching?” I asked, angling my body towards his.
He broke my gaze and lifted one hand to the corner of his right eye. “I was wondering if you’d noticed.”
“How long has it been doing that?”
He shrugged. “On and off since yesterday afternoon.”
“That’s the worst.”
“It’s fine. I’m just a little tired.”
“Are you sure you’re not stressed? That always happens to me when I’m stressed.”
“How could I be stressed?” he asked. “All I’ve been doing is hanging out with you and actively relieving stress.”
“Good point.”
He leaned forward and set the orange chicken at the edge of our carton collection.
“Another beer?” I asked, noticing his bottle was almost empty.
“Sure, thanks.”
I drained mine, sauntered into the kitchen, and pulled two cold ones from the fridge.
“Opener’s in the—”
“I know,” I said, pulling open his knick-knack drawer. Or at least, that’s what I called it, since it was full of mysterious kitchen gadgets. Every now and then I’d ask him what something was, because even though I could barely make toast, I found it amusing that my handsome boyfriend owned a spiralizer, a melon baller, and a crinkle cutter.
Apparently, they were mostly gifts from a former client, but I liked that they weren’t still wrapped in plastic or regifted like they probably would’ve been in my case.
I returned to the couch with the beers and settled into the nook Landon had made by resting his arm on the back of the couch. Even as a kid I fit perfectly in his armpit nook. I remembered because I always had to sit in the middle on long road trips, and I’d often fall asleep leaning against him instead of Matt. Back then it was never intentional, of course, but it filled me with joy that I could snuggle in on purpose now.
“You can have first pick,” he said, angling a white paper bag in my direction.
I peeked inside and saw two wrapped fortune cookies in the bottom corner. When I reached for them, I claimed the first one I made contact with and handed him the other.
&
nbsp; “Go ahead,” he said, nodding.
I tore the plastic open, broke the cookie in half, and slid the paper out. “It says, Sometimes not getting what you want is the greatest gift of all.” I scrunched my nose. “I hate that one. What’s yours say?”
He tore it open with his teeth, snapped it in two with the hand that wasn’t wrapped around me, and cleared his throat as he freed the white strip. “It says, A clever fox will always find a way.”
“What the heck? I thought you said Madame Wu always gave the best fortunes.”
“She usually does.”
I furrowed my brow. “So what gives?”
“Who knows?” he asked, squeezing his arm around me. “Maybe she knows we’ve got all the good fortune we need right here.”
T H I R T Y E I G H T
- Landon -
Our rate of beer consumption slowed after dinner, and Margot lay across my lap, lazily scrolling through Netflix as the city skyline lit up outside my window.
It was the homiest my place had felt since I’d moved in.
So despite what Dick said, I didn’t need to ruminate on his threats. Sure, the economy wasn’t what it used to be, but compared to women like Margot, jobs were a dime a dozen.
Not that jeopardizing hers was an option. It definitely wasn’t, but I still had another day to consider my next move. And as much as I wanted to get Margot’s opinion, the last thing I wanted was to burden her with Dick’s bullshit or make her feel awkward.
Besides, I knew where she stood. She liked her job, and she needed it, too. Next to me, it was the only thing she could count on in this city right now. So whatever I decided, making sure she was as minimally disturbed as possible was my main goal.
“Do you have a preference?” she asked, aiming the remote at the next row of recommendations.
“Not really.”
“I know that’s not true,” she said. “I know what you want to watch.”
“What do I want to watch?”
“Something gory and terrifying or anything starring Clint Eastwood.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Because I looked at your watch list.”
“I see.”
“Maybe we could compromise,” she said, making a selection.
My eyes scanned the description of a movie about a cheerleading competition that gets attacked by zombies.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Sounds pretty scary. I wouldn’t want you to choose something that will give you nightmares.”
“Very funny,” she said. “It’s either this or 10 Things I Hate About You.”
“I thought that was a kid’s movie?”
She gasped and sat up. “You must be joking. Heath Ledger was positively Oscar-worthy in that.”
“How about Warm Bodies?”
“Haven’t heard of it.”
“You’d love it,” I said, lifting my chin towards the screen. “See if it’s on there, and if it’s not, I’ll try and download it.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s a comedy about a zombie romance.”
She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Also known as a zom-rom-com.”
The corners of her mouth twitched with approval, and she turned her eyes back to the screen just as my phone rang.
“It’s Matt,” I said, answering before she could object. “What’s up, man?”
“I can’t believe you picked up,” he said.
Margot scooted away with eyes like a spooked cat.
I shrugged. “Yeah, well, even professional screeners need a day off.”
“It’s not that. I just figured you’d be with your squeeze.”
“My squeeze?” I repeated. “Since when do you talk like that?”
“Since I got wooed myself.”
“Marriage is making you a bit woo woo, all right.”
Margot’s crystal-blue eyes crinkled at the edges.
“It’s not marriage,” he said. “It’s the 1664 I’ve been drinking since three.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Day drinking, eh? What’s the occasion?”
“I met Chuck earlier to help plan his bachelor party.”
I nodded. “When’s it gonna be?”
“In a few months,” he said. “You might even get invited.”
“I should think so.”
“Assuming you introduce me to this girl you’ve been hiding.”
“She’s not a girl,” I said, eyeing Margot, from her messy bun to her yoga pants. “She’s a woman.”
“Well, excuse me,” Matt said, hanging on every syllable. “Can I ask why she blew you off on a Saturday night?”
“She didn’t blow me off.”
Margot waved a flat hand in front of her neck like I shouldn’t say she was there.
“She had plans,” I lied. “With some work friends.”
“Oh yeah? What does she do?”
Shit. “Oh, you know. Something stressful in a skyscraper like everybody else.”
“Uhhh.”
“I won’t bore you with the details when you’ve been drinking. It’d be way over your head,” I said. “Not to mention a bore.”
Margot made a digging gesture.
“When do I get to meet her?” he asked.
I squinted. “Soon?”
“What’s with the hesitation? You think I won’t like her or something?”
“Oh no, you’ll like her.” I smiled at Margot. “As long as you get her on a good night.”
She cocked her head and made a face like she was listening harder all of a sudden.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Matt asked.
“Nothing. She’s just a bit moody.”
Margot’s mouth dropped open.
“Sometimes she’s a bit introverted and other times she’s really, really bossy.”
Matt scoffed. “You’ve been out of the game too long, my friend. You just described every woman I’ve ever met. I’m sure she’s great.”
“I certainly hope you think so,” I said, fixing my eyes on Margot’s. “Because I’m pretty hung up on her, man.”
“I’m happy for you. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to experience the joy of keeping your balls in a woman’s purse.”
“That’s not really my style, but I’m glad it’s working out for you.”
“Don’t be a dick.”
“Don’t be a pussy.”
He groaned.
“Why’d you call me, anyway?”
“Oh right. I told Chuck I’d ask about your friend’s club.”
“What about it?” I asked.
“He’s still on the fence between going to Vegas or staying in New York, but if he keeps it local, he was hoping your boy might do a deal for him?”
“I’ll ask him and get back to you.”
“Cool, thanks.”
“No problem,” I said. “Anyway, I gotta go.”
“Right—one more question.”
I let my head fall back. “Shoot.”
“Did you know my sister is seeing somebody?”
I looked at Margot.
“What?” she mouthed.
“Did I know Margot was seeing someone?” I repeated.
“Yeah.”
She shook her head.
“No,” I said. “Can’t remember her mentioning anything like that.”
She nodded and gave me a thumbs up.
“Good,” Matt said. “Because if you knew something like that and didn’t tell me, I’d kill you.”
I swallowed. “What did she say to you about it?”
“Not much. She insisted it wasn’t serious, but I find that hard to believe because the girl doesn’t have a careless bone in her body.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?” she mouthed again.
“Anyway, if she mentions anything, take notes and report back.”
“Will do,” I said.
“Especially if she—I don’t know—mentions his addr
ess or something.”
I furrowed my brow. “His address?”
“Yeah,” he said. “You know, in case I have to murder him.”
I forced a laugh. “Maybe leave the beer at home if it comes to that. The slur in your voice is really taking the oomph out of how threatening you sound right now.”
“Point taken.”
“Goodnight, Matt.”
“Don’t forget to ask your buddy about the club.”
“Anything to make you look good,” I said before ending the call.
But I regretted it instantly in light of my calculated deception, and I couldn’t help but think Margot was right. I had dug myself a big hole, a big hole Matt would probably be all too happy to bury me in when he finally learned the truth.
T H I R T Y N I N E
- Margot -
“I am not moody,” I said, dropping my chin and folding my arms.
“Really? Because you were in a great mood a second ago and now—” Landon pointed at my face and moved his finger in a little circle. “You look sort of pissed off.”
“Seriously, Landon. Why would you say that?”
“Because—” He reached over and pulled me into his lap.
I straddled him reluctantly, keeping my eyes on his mouth so he’d know I was still looking forward to an explanation.
“If I’d said the person I was seeing was the sweetest, prettiest, smartest woman on Earth, he would’ve known I was talking about you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, letting a sly smile escape. “Good answer.”
He pushed a stray wisp of hair out of my eyes. “I was only trying to throw him off the scent.”
“How do you think you did?” I asked, swirling a fingernail across his chest.
“Better than you did.”
“What?”
“He thinks your new relationship is more serious than you let on.”
“Is that so?” I asked, rocking my hips to wake up his lower body. It worked instantly, and he tilted his hips up in case I hadn’t noticed. As if.
“He doesn’t take you for a casual relationship kind of girl.”
“And you? What do you take me for?”
“Fun, mostly,” he said, sliding his hands under my loose T-shirt. They passed over my bra and kept going, forcing me to raise my arms.
As soon as he dropped my shirt, I leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. His lips were warm and soft and took the lead from me right away, making it clear that I was the one being kissed.