Why is he acting like this? What does he expect from me? Too many thoughts and questions are rolling around in my head.
“I’m not trying to upset you. I just want you to be yourself. I don’t think you should change yourself in pursuit of a guy. I don’t care if that guy is my brother or not.”
I scoff at this. “I’m not changing myself and I’m not pursuing anybody. I was merely making conversation and showing interest in someone’s hobbies. It was the polite thing to do.
Luckily, we’ve arrived at my apartment complex by now and not a moment too soon. I’m out of my seat before the car is even in park. Eric grabs my wrist and pulls me back into the seat.
“We’re not done with our conversation.” He looks upset. But I ignore it because, why should I care if I’ve upset him?
“Yes, we are.” I grab my keys from his hand, slam the door, and head towards my building. Drunk Macy knows how to make a dramatic exit.
Chapter 4
I wake up on Tuesday and my head is pounding. It has a lot to do with the margaritas I drank at the restaurant but it has more to do with the bottle of wine I drank once I got home.
I admit, I overreacted. Are you happy now? Now I just have to get the balls to apologize to Eric. I was rude to him and in the light of day, I feel pretty crummy about it. Last night it totally made sense. I was fuming mad when I walked into my apartment last night which led me to get drunk off my ass. That, in turn, led me to maybe call Eric and yell at him some more. I’m not entirely clear on everything that was said because my memory is a little fuzzy from all the alcohol. But I do know that he was really calm and patient as I just bitched at him.
I’m officially the worst.
I immediately take some medicine for my headache and down a glass of water. And then another one after that.
I grab my laptop and set it up at the bar so I can log in and check my work email. I’m responding to a couple of emails that were sent after I left work yesterday as my phone pings. I left it in my bedroom and I’m not about to go get it. I’m lazy today. But luckily, I have a MacBook so it pops up on my computer screen as well.
Eric: How are you feeling this morning?
That’s weird. Eric has never directly texted me. We’re in a group chat together which is pretty much the only reason I have his number but we never text each other outside of that. Also, why would I feel bad this morning? I mean, I feel terrible but how would he know. He doesn’t know I drank a bottle of wine when I got home. Unless I told him, but why would I do that?
Me: I’m fine, why do you ask?
Eric: Well, when you called me last night you had to pause your lecture to throw up. I almost came back over to check on you but I figured my chances of getting kicked in the nads was high.
I cringe, he was nice to me when I called and I was a total ass.
Me: About that…. I’m sorry
Me: I was so off base last night. I should not have called you.
Me: I also shouldn’t have drank that bottle of wine preceding the call.
Me: But that doesn’t excuse my behavior. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.
Eric: It’s ok. I figured it was only a matter of time before I found out how you truly felt about me.
What does he mean by that? Did I say something else? Did I mention that I wanted to lick his face when he was buckling my seatbelt?… Oh no…
Eric: I mean, I knew you weren’t my biggest fan but now I know how much you despise me.
Whew, at least he doesn’t know I wanted to kiss him. But now I start to feel crummy again because I made him think I despised him. Which I don’t. I think I just see this persona he portrays and it rubs me the wrong way. I wish he’d go back to being the old Eric. The one I never got to know. The one that Dan swears is still there.
Me: I don’t despise you.
Eric: And I don’t believe you.
Me: I swear. I just overreacted. I feel terrible about it. I also have a massive hangover if that makes you feel any better.
Eric: It doesn’t. I don’t want you to feel bad. I just wanted to talk to you last night and you went off on me. I don’t know where to go from here.
It’s not like we were besties before this. I mean, yes, he’s in the group that I collectively call my best friends but individually, not so much. But, I also don’t want to do anything to mess up the group dynamic. We all get along so well and always have. As much as Eric has annoyed me in the past, this is the first time I’ve actually yelled at him. So I extend a metaphorical olive branch and cross my fingers that he takes it.
Me: Truce?
Eric: Truce
I take that to be the end of the conversation so I get back to work. I have a conference call at 9:30 so I start preparing my notes. Once the meeting is over, I check my messages again. I have a new one from Eric, which I wasn’t expecting.
Eric: Do you want to grab brunch today?
I’m totally taken off guard. Char would shit a brick if she knew I was contemplating going to brunch with Eric by myself. I would normally tell her all about this but I’m so embarrassed by my outburst last night that I selfishly want to keep this to myself. I also don’t want to make a big deal about him asking me to go to brunch. He probably just wants to make sure I’m not going to go psycho on him again before we hang out in a group setting. This is a smart idea since we’ll be going to Mexico soon and it’d be good to clear the air in person.
Me: Sure. When and where?
He gives me the details and I start getting ready. The good thing about working from home some days is that my schedule is pretty loose. As long as I don’t have a meeting scheduled, I can pretty much work whatever time of the day I want to as long as I get my work done.
It takes an embarrassing amount of time for me to put my hair in a messy bun that looks cute but doesn’t look like I tried too much even though I tried really hard. Then I spend extra time on my makeup for that no-makeup makeup look. I don’t want him to think I put in extra effort to my look even though I totally did. I swear, it takes longer to look like I don’t care than it does to go full glam.
I put on a pair of Nike shorts and grab a tee from my closet. It’s a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt from Cozumel. I got it a few years ago on vacation. I’m so pumped that we’re going back to Mexico so I thought this would put me in a better mood and make me think of the sunny beaches ahead.
We live in Lakeview which is a suburb north of Houston, Texas. It’s totally picturesque with all these cute little shopping areas with restaurants that aren’t chains. And of course, the name implies that we have lakes which we do, in abundance. I grew up here and I’m pretty sure I’m going to die here. We meet at The Vintage for brunch. It’s the most adorable restaurant and their food is amazing. They have brunch every day and it’s easily my favorite in town. It’s also a little pricey so I don’t make a habit of coming here often but it’s a nice treat occasionally. I’m surprised by Eric’s choice of restaurants but I’m not going to complain.
He holds the door open for me like he’s a gentleman or something. I start to say something about his odd behavior but I guess he’s already starting on our truce so I keep my thoughts to myself.
He made a reservation so we’re seated immediately I feel so odd, sitting in this booth with Eric… by myself. We order a pitcher of mimosas which is probably not the best idea but maybe it will actually help my hangover. Then we go ahead and place our food order because I’m starving and I want my food as soon as possible!
Eric excuses himself to use the restroom. I stare after him as he walks away. He has nice buns, I can’t help myself. He’s wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt, much like me. He also has a messy hair-do but I bet his didn’t take half an hour to perfect. I’m 99% positive he rolls out of bed looking that hot.
I make myself busy, pulling out my phone and checking my email. Our drinks arrive so I go ahead and start on my first mimosa. I need some liquid courage since Eric’s new demeanor is totally messing with my h
ead.
Eric returns to the table and quirks an eyebrow at me as I finish off my first mimosa in record time. They come in tiny champagne glasses so honestly, it’s not that crazy but I should probably pace myself. I pour myself another from the pitcher but this time I don’t down it immediately. I just sip it like a lady or, I guess, like any normal person.
Eric breaks the silence, “So I was thinking, we should be friends.”
Am I being put in the friend-zone by someone I’m already friends with? Not that I want to be out of the friend-zone but seriously these Hastings boys are so hard to read.
“We’re already friends. Did you hit your head or something? I’ve known you for years.”
“I know we’ve known each other for a long time and we do hang out a lot. But it’s not like we’re really friends, individually. This is the first time you’ve willingly been alone with me.”
It’s totally true but I don’t want to admit that. Instead, I take my time to respond. I take a drink of my mimosa. I glance around the restaurant and wonder what’s taking them so long to bring me my waffle. Then my gaze lands back on Eric.
He fills the silence, “Even if you don’t want to be friends, I’ll eventually wear you down. I can be pretty persistent.”
This makes me smile.
“Well, then let’s be friends. I can always use another friend. Next time I need something done to my apartment or car, I’ll call you instead of Dan. You’ll come in real handy.” Not that I can’t do things like that myself. I’m a strong, independent woman. But I’m also quite short and okay, not very physically strong. So that limits my abilities to an extent. I probably won’t call him, though, I always use Griff as my backup when Dan is busy.
He laughs at that. It’s a deep laugh and I almost swoon. What has gotten into me? Oh right, mimosas. I’m starting to think I shouldn’t mix alcohol and Eric. My head gets kind of fuzzy when I try to think of all the reasons I don’t like him.
“Glad to be of service,” he responds. He then switches the direction of the conversation completely.
“Why are you letting your brother marry Lauren?” This catches me by surprise.
“I’m not letting him do anything. He’s a grown man and he can make decisions for himself. If he loves her then she has to have some redeeming qualities.”
“And what would those be?” He asks.
“Hell if I know but I do know that it’s none of my business. Dan deserves to be happy and I’m not about to mess with that. Why haven’t you said anything to him if you have a problem with it?”
“No one is going to take advice about their love life from a guy who went on a reality TV dating show. I just thought you might say something to him before it’s too late. The wedding is so close.”
“Well, you’re wrong when you say he won’t take your advice. He still sees you as the same person you were before that awful show. Not that I know who that person is.” My voice sounds kind of wistful so I clear my throat and continue. “I know the wedding is close but I’m going to choose to believe he knows what he’s doing. Maybe Lauren is different with him.”
“I just think someone should say something to him before we all go to Mexico for a wedding that is either A) not going to happen or B) ends with a doomed marriage.”
“You’ve got to keep the faith,” I cheerfully respond. “Plus, I really want to go to Mexico.” I’m half joking about this. I’m honestly trying to be happy for Dan but at the same time, I kind of agree with Eric. And I really do want to go to Mexico but that isn’t as important as Dan’s happiness.
Eric doesn’t look so cheerful and for some strange reason, I want to cheer him up. Maybe we could be good friends. He’s been nice today. He hasn’t even slapped me on the butt once.
“Listen, everything will work out how it’s supposed to. You have to believe in Dan’s ability to choose his partner for life by himself. But if it will make you feel better, we can subtly bring it up to him. We can’t go in there guns blazing or he’ll get defensive.”
Before he can respond, our waitress returns with our food. In this moment I couldn’t be happier. I’ve ordered a waffle with fruit and a side of bacon. I moan with delight and Eric laughs at me. Again, his laugh catches me off guard. It’s a real laugh. I beam with pride a little bit because I caused that laugh.
Eric ordered a huge breakfast sampler and I’ve already decided that I’m going to be stealing some of his food because it looks amazing. We’re friends now and friends can share food. At least that’s what I think to myself as my fork makes its way onto his plate. I snag a bite of his eggs as he swats my hand away.
I’m laughing at him and then it hits me. I’m content just sitting here eating with Eric. This is a hell of a shocker to me and I polish off my mimosa to help me digest this revelation.
Suddenly, I’m really happy that I was a bitch to him last night because as a direct result of that we’re actually friends. I’ve discovered that I can spend time with him and not have the urge to roll my eyes the entire time or clock out of the conversation.
“So when is the first cookout at your house?” For some reason, I’m really curious about his house. I guess I’ve always kind of wondered about it but now we’re basically besties so I feel extra curious.
“Probably a few weeks after we get back from Mexico. I’m sure we’ll all be sick of each other after spending so much time together so I’ll plan it for a few weeks after. Dan will still be in Mexico when we get back anyways so that will give him enough time to get back and settled into the new house.”
I sigh dreamily at the mention of the new house. “I wish I could buy Dan’s old house. It was just too much for me to afford right now, though. The first thing I would have done to that house is add a porch swing. I don’t know why he never had one on that beautiful porch.”
“What’s the second thing you would do?” He looks genuinely interested in my response. I like this version of Eric. He’s so attentive. I decide he’s a good friend and I’ll keep him.
“I’d paint the front door yellow. It’s so cheerful. I think it’d make the house happy.” I smile to myself because the thought of a house with a yellow door just makes me happy for some reason. It’s the little things in life, you know?
“That sounds like you. That yellow cardigan you wore last night is in heavy rotation in your wardrobe.”
I didn’t think anyone would notice something like that but then again it’s a pretty bright cardigan.
“Actually, I have two of the yellow cardigans.” I omit the fact that I have two of pretty much every color. But I really do wear the yellow ones more often.
“It suits you. It’s a happy color like you said. And you’re usually pretty damn happy.”
That’s also true. I have a great family, awesome friends, and a decent job. Not much else could make me much happier, except a nice sunny beach. The only time I get down is when I think about my non-existent love life. My last serious boyfriend was over a year ago and I haven’t really had much luck since then either.
“What’s your favorite color?” I find myself wanting to know all these little things about Eric. Things you’d know about someone that you’ve been friends with for years but as he said earlier, we weren’t really friends. So I’m making up for lost time.
“Blue. I’m kind of boring.”
“I totally should have guessed that. I’m pretty sure every shirt you own is blue. What shade of blue? There are like a million to choose from”
“I’d say pretty close to the color of your eyes.” It’s not a pickup line, he says it like that’s the closest thing to him that is the shade he is referring too.
I blush anyways. I excuse myself to go to the restroom. When I blush, I blush all over and it’s so embarrassing so I hightail it to the back of the restaurant.
In the bathroom, I look at myself in the mirror and notice that I’m not blood red as usual but my cheeks are lightly flushed. It’s actually a good look for me. Maybe I should wear
blush more often than I do to recreate this look. I make a mental note to stop at Sephora before the trip.
When I return to the table, the waitress is taking the check from the table. I was totally going to pay for my food but I’m not going to pass up free food.
“Thanks for brunch. I’ll pay next time.” As I say this, I realize that I really want there to be a next time.
“Deal.” He agrees. Eric is looking at me with surprise but also like he’s a little happy too. He’s not smug like he usually is. Something must have happened to him. I hope he doesn’t have a tumor pressing on his brain making him act differently. Because that’s a real thing, it happens, and not just on Grey’s Anatomy. Although, Grey’s is totally what made me think of that.
As we walk out the door, I snag a mint from the front of the restaurant. I fall into step beside him as we walk to the parking lot. I’m totally stuffed but my day has definitely improved.
“So I’ll see you on Saturday bright and early?” He’s referring to our departure for the trip to Mexico. Our flight leaves at 5 in the morning which I’m not looking forward to.
“Don’t remind me! I’m totally going to sleep on the plane.”
We’re beside my car now. He actually walked me to my car! Such a good friend.
“Thanks again for brunch. It was so good. This place is my favorite.”
“I know, you came here with Char a few months ago and I swear you wouldn’t shut up about it for weeks. You were a walking advertisement for the restaurant. But I must agree, it’s pretty damn good.”
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