Katie wasn’t as amused. She rolled her eyes and offered a quick, lopsided grin as she lifted her Louis Vuitton bag from her lap and sat it in the empty chair beside her. She took off her blazer and draped it across the back of the chair, partially covering her purse. She looked very dignified in her white, fitted, silk blouse with cuffed sleeves and her single string of pearls that played peek-a-boo with its high collar. The only other jewelry she wore were diamond stud earrings and gold bangle bracelets.
I watched as she squeezed a lemon wedge over her glass. Her manicured nails were long and polished with a clear coat. She pushed the lemon bowl toward me. I took two wedges, squeezed them into my water, and added more ice. Katie and I both drank our water and lowered our glasses at the same time, smiling at each other. Then she straightened her posture and cleared her throat.
“You were saying you needed to see the family. Someone ill?”
I smiled and shook my head. “No, it’s nothing like that. Since my dad retired, he’s been dragging Mom all over the country in that RV, so they’re rarely home. It’s been forever since I’ve seen them.”
“So they’re home now?” Katie asked.
“They’re coming home tomorrow.” I lifted my glass of water to my lips. “I should’ve ordered a cocktail,” I muttered.
“Why do you want a cocktail?” She chuckled.
“I dunno.” I shrugged. “Jetlag.”
“Uh-huh.” Katie rested her chin on her hand and looked at me. “I think you’re full of shit.”
“I think you need a cocktail too. You’re not very pleasant when you’re sober.”
She narrowed her gaze. “I know what’s bothering you.”
“Well then, let’s hear it, counselor.” I’m so anxious to discuss this for the nine-hundredth time.
“You have reservations about the reunion because Jackson may be there.”
My cheeks grew ruby red. As usual, she hit the bullseye. But I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it, so I took a deep breath and tried to change the subject.
“Nope. It’s totally jetlag. And I’m starving. How long does it take to make a salad?”
“Okay. I can take a hint.” Katie smiled and sat back in her chair. “So, how’s little Timmy?”
“He’s good. Still pitching at the university. Not drafted yet. He’s a senior this year.”
“And majoring in computer science, right?”
“Majoring in being a geek.”
Katie laughed. “Maybe so, but I bet he ends up making more money than you and I put together, especially if he goes pro.”
“You’re probably right.” I pursed my lips together. “Let’s kill him.”
“Somebody’s hormones are outta control.”
“Humph. That’s old news.”
“No, old news is you need to get laid.” She snickered. “Tell me something new.”
“Okay, meanie. How about this?” I raised one eyebrow. “Little Timmy has a girlfriend.”
“Seriously?”
“Uh-huh. Her name’s Sarah. He thinks she’s the one.”
Katie’s voice softened as a crushed smile split her face. “Good for him. Lord knows that’s what we all want.” She sighed and looked out the window at the amazing view. “It’s hard to find true love these days. Someone who’ll be faithful...”
At twenty-seven, Katie thought she’d found Mr. Right and decided to say, “I do.” But Mr. Right couldn’t have been more wrong. First of all, he was a politician. You’d think that alone would be enough to deter her. Secondly, he was fourteen years her senior. After dating for only two months, he’d popped the question, and she’d said yes. They were married in Hawaii six weeks later. I served as her maid of honor and thoroughly enjoyed the five-day vacation. But I should’ve known the marriage would never last when Stan-the-snake couldn’t keep his eyes or hands off the hula girls. In hindsight, I should’ve told Katie. But I didn’t want to ruin her honeymoon or her dreams of a happily ever after.
Three months later, she caught Mr. Not-So-Right upstairs in their bedroom playing hide-the-salami with an intern. Completely devastated, Katie divorced him faster than he could pull up his pants. She was awarded a very nice settlement, including the house in LA, the condo in Miami, the condo in New York, the Mercedes (which Stan had bought her for her birthday), and seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars cash. The fornicator was screwed, pardon the pun, from the get-go because Lovelady (one of the partners in the family law firm Katie worked for) and the ruling judge in the divorce were fraternity brothers. Stan claimed none of it mattered, that he never intended to hurt Katie, and he’d do anything to make it right. When really, he was anxious to make it all “go away” because he wanted to save his skin and his political future. The little slut he was banging? A senator’s daughter.
It had been several months since her divorce was finalized, but the wound was still raw. Poor Katie was a mess. The betrayal still haunted her. The vivid picture of infidelity burned in her memory. She had loved Stan, really loved him. That’s what made the whole thing so agonizing. That’s what made him such a prick.
After several moments, I whispered, “Katie? You okay?”
She nodded and forced a weak smile. This time, she was the one lying.
My heart hurt for her. I tried offering words of encouragement as gently as I could. “You’ll find someone who’ll be faithful. Someone who’ll love you like you deserve. Someone who’ll truly make you happy.”
She sniffled and quickly blinked away tears, the weak smile wobbling. “I’m fine. Really.” Her voice sounded choked. “Just stupid.” She cleared her throat and took a sip of her water. “I know I should be over it by now. But I can’t seem to get past the violation of trust.”
Violation of trust, I thought. Of course, she would say that. How lawyer-y. “You are not stupid, Katie. Calling yourself stupid is what’s stupid.” I reached in my purse and handed her a tissue. “Here. Your mascara’s running.”
“Thanks.” She took it and dabbed under her eyes.
“Stan’s the one who’s stupid. The pig. I hope he gets an STD and his pecker falls off.”
Her eyes widened as they met my narrowed gaze.
“What?” I grumbled. “I’m not as sweet as I used to be.”
“I’d say.” She smirked.
I stuck out my tongue at her.
She smiled. “You’re right. He’s a pig. And I hate him.”
“Me too.”
“It’s not like I want Stan back.” Katie shook her head. “I’d rather chew nails.”
“I’d rather shoot him with a nail gun.”
“That’d get you jail time, sis.”
“Not for my first offense.” I winked. “Besides, I know a great lawyer.”
She sighed heavily. “He’s not even worth the effort.”
“True.” I raised my eyebrows. “So, let’s hire a hitman.”
Katie laughed out loud. “Let’s not.” She dabbed her eyes. “It’s not even Stan. It’s the broken trust. The deception and the heartache. I’m afraid of being violated again. And I think I’m afraid of loving someone. It’s just not worth the risk.”
“Oh, honey. No.” I winced and shook my head. “Don’t say that.” She had no clue I’d been living with that same fear and insecurity ever since I had first moved to New York, but I wasn’t about to bring that up. She needed my support. “You can’t let what that sleazeball did to you keep you from having other relationships, Katie. Sure, when you’re talking about love, there’s always a risk. But that’s part of what makes it so amazing, when it works in spite of all the risks. When two people have chemistry, when they accept each other’s flaws, when they truly respect and appreciate each other, when they don’t want to live a moment without the other, and when they are willing to be vulnerable, despite the risk, because they put the other person’s happiness above their own, that’s love. And that’s why love is so amazing. That’s why love is, well, a miracle.”
My own words sent chills down my spine. I w
as speaking to myself as much as I was speaking to Katie. But I felt like a hypocrite preaching words of encouragement when I was having a hard time believing them myself. Why was I still scared? Why had I shut down when it came to intimacy? Why hadn’t I done the sensible thing a long time ago and seen a therapist or joined a support group? How could I give my best friend advice when I was just as broken?
“But what if it’s me? What if I’m not enough?” Katie had a pained expression on her face.
“You listen to me.” I leaned in closer to show her I meant business. “It wasn’t you who destroyed your marriage. You didn’t cause it, and you couldn’t have prevented it. It was all Stan. He’s a world-class asshole, Katie. So don’t question yourself ever again. You’re worthy of love, and you are enough.”
I sat back in my chair, feeling proud of myself for delivering such a powerful support speech to my best girlfriend. I sounded so professional, so confident, that I actually started to feel a little better about myself. Then I remembered Jackson had planted those seeds a long time ago, back when I was being bullied. I dismissed the memory and offered a gentle smile as I continued.
“Stan wasn’t the one for you, Katie. You deserve better. You deserve more. And despite your failed marriage, you will find true love. I know it.” I winked at her. “Your Prince Charming is out there. He’s gonna show up and sweep you off your feet just when you least expect it. Now let’s toast to true love.” I held my water in the air. “Raise your glass, woman.”
Katie smiled in a sigh of surrender and held up her glass of water.
“Here’s to true love. Unconditional, unequivocal, unremitting, everlasting true love. May we find it, or may it find us.”
“To true love.” Katie agreed, then we clinked our glasses together and drained them. “Okay, Jane Austen, this means you’re open for love too.”
“Oh, no, no, no. Not now, anyway. I’ve got more issues than Newsweek. Besides, there’s no one in this entire town that I’m remotely interested in, which is why I decided to build my life elsewhere.”
“I object. We both know why you left. You’ve been running from your past for ten years.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Rebecca, you are my best friend. I love you like the sister I never had. You’re not gonna like what I’m about to say, but I’m gonna say it anyway.”
“Like that’s ever stopped you before.” I rolled my eyes.
Katie pursed her lips and made a face at me that said this was no time for jokes.
“Sorry.” I huffed. “I’m all ears.”
“Okay. Here it is, sis. You need Jackson back in your life.”
I stared at her in disbelief. I knew this conversation was coming. For years I’d dreaded hearing his name spoken. Well, I survived. I was still breathing. My heart was in my stomach, but I had it under control.
“While you’ve been running on fumes, trying to stay busy and distract yourself from your feelings, you’ve completely lost your joy. And I, for one, am ready to see you get it back.”
I sighed deeply, glaring at her, listening to the pot call the kettle black.
“There’s a good chance Jackson will be at the reunion. And you are going to talk to him. Not some casual hello, not some two-minute conversation of small-talk. Uh-uh. You and Jackson are going to have a heart-to-heart. For once and for all, you’re both going to deal with the past. And whether anything comes of it, at least you’ll have some closure.”
“You’re crazy.” I shook my head. “Completely insane.”
“No, you’re the crazy one. Crazy in love.”
“That was a long time ago. We were all a bunch of kids. Besides, Jackson has his own life. I doubt he even remembers me.”
“You’re right.” Katie pressed her lips together. “That was a long time ago, and we were a bunch of kids. But you’re out of your damn mind if you think Jackson’s forgotten about you. You two were in love. You had that miracle. And it’s time you did something to get it back.”
I unfolded my arms and let my hands fall in my lap. They had become clammy. “Can we talk about something else, please? This conversation’s beginning to annoy me.”
“Exactly. If you didn’t still love him, then it wouldn’t bother you to talk about him.”
“If you cared about me like a best friend should, then you’d drop it.”
“Well, I do care about you, and I am your best friend, which is why I know what’s best for you.”
“You think dragging me here to attend our reunion and forcing me to talk to Jackson is what’s best for me?” Frustration rang out in my voice.
“Absolutely,” she said firmly. “It’s the perfect opportunity to make things right.”
“It’s the perfect opportunity to open old wounds.”
“Well, if that’s how you see it, then I insist you go. You can’t move forward without making amends with the past.”
“Thank you for the advice, doctor, but you suck.”
The corners of Katie’s mouth curled up. “Not on the first date.” She laughed.
“Eww! Thanks for the vulgar image. Now I’ve completely lost my appetite.”
Katie didn’t back down. “Your happiness is important to me, Rebecca. And let’s be honest, it’s high time one of us took some action to ensure it. That’s what friends do, ya know.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “I’ll go to this reunion. But there’s not a chance in hell Jackson’s going.”
“Oh yeah?” Her brow furrowed. “What makes you so sure about that?”
“It’s hard to go anywhere on four flat tires.”
“Rebecca! You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wanna put money on it?”
We were having ourselves a good laugh as Phil approached our table, carrying a large tray.
“Here we go, ladies. Two fresh ice-watuhs, two grilled shrimp salads, two saucers of our signature dressing...” He handled each dish with amazing poise, gracefully placing it all on the table. “And a basket of our famous hot, fresh honey-glazed rolls.” He positioned the basket of heavenly carbs between us and unfolded the bread cloth, releasing the mouthwatering aroma. “We have the best buns on the beach.” Phil puckered his lip.
“Oh!” Katie blushed.
“That’s right, sunshine.”
Katie and I laughed at Phil’s play on words. Neither one of us knew what to say, so we just left it alone and admired our salads. Each had a dozen grilled jumbo shrimp strategically placed like sunrays atop a bed of mixed greens, sprinkled with finely shredded cheddar cheese. Cherry tomatoes, black olives, and thinly sliced red onion accented the dish, and a mound of diced avocado crowned the salad right in the center. It was a work of art.
“This looks delicious, Phil,” I said. “Almost too pretty to eat.”
Katie offered up a warm smile. “Our compliments to the chef.”
“I’ll let him know, shuga.” Phil winked and gave us a Hollywood grin. “Now, can I get you girls anything else?”
“I think we’re good.” I smiled back. “Thank you.”
“Terrific! I’ll be back to check on you in a few. Enjoy!” He picked up our empty glasses and placed them on his tray, then hurried to see about his other tables.
Despite the talk of romance, Katie and I enjoyed our lunch. The food was scrumptious, but the conversation was most gratifying. We talked about old times and made plans for our next vacation together. And we laughed—a lot. Phil brought us two more refills and checked on us at least four more times.
I glanced at my watch. Close to an hour had passed and we’d been so caught up in conversation, we’d barely touched our salads. But in my defense, I wasn’t joking about not having an appetite. I hadn’t been able to eat much since I had agreed to come home for this ridiculous reunion. Seriously. Anytime I was nervous or worried, my stomach wreaked havoc—churning, cramping, and rolling with nausea. Add to that, thick spit, excessive sweating, and explosive diarrhea,
and it was a straight-up party. So much fun. Thankfully, my anxiety hadn’t gotten to that level. In Katie’s case, she never ate much. She claimed she was too busy, or she simply forgot to eat. I’d never understood that one. Who forgets to eat? Since we didn’t even put a dent in our salads, I picked out all the shrimp from both plates and set them aside. Throwing away fresh seafood was unthinkable.
As I covered the shrimp with my napkin, a tall man approached our table. He was handsome, with short black hair and dark-chocolate eyes. He appeared to be close to thirty and was dressed in a teal polo shirt and tan trousers.
“Excuse me, ladies,” he said.
Katie and I smiled. He had a nice build. He looked fit. And familiar. Then he smiled, and I immediately recognized the dimples.
“Andrew?”
His grin widened. “Rebecca?”
“Yes!” I stood to greet him. “It’s so good to see you. How’ve you been?”
“Good for an old guy.” He hugged me tightly. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. So do you.” I smiled and sat down. “Gosh, it’s been a long time.”
“Ten years.” Andrew nodded. “I heard you moved to New York. That’s exciting, huh?”
“Yeah, pretty exciting. Very crowded, but I like it.” Andrew glanced at Katie. He hadn’t heard a word I had said. I was sure of it. “So, who told you I moved to New York, Andrew? You been keeping tabs on me?”
“Oh, no! I mean… Well, umm…” He grabbed his chin. “You know, I don’t even remember.” He chuckled. Then his gaze moved back to Katie and their eyes locked. “Katie? Is that you?”
She smiled and nodded but remained seated.
“I thought so.” Andrew leaned over to hug her. “You’re as gorgeous as I remember,” he whispered in her ear. But I heard him, and I also saw Katie’s pupils dilate.
Truly, Katie hadn’t aged a bit. Her skin was still fresh and creamy, without a single sign of wrinkles. Her hair was still long, but she wore it straight, slightly turned under on the ends, and no more dreadful, overdone highlights. Of course, it looked good back when we were teenagers, but I always said her natural color was gorgeous, and she finally came to her senses. The mature, professional Kate was a fiery red siren. Beautiful as ever, but now more distinguished and far wiser.
Worth the Risk Page 13