Page 10 of Forgettable in Every Way

Simon

SIMON SAT ACROSS FROM JULES in one of the café’s booths while they waited for their food to arrive. She mesmerized him. It was like he was seeing her for the first time. How had he never noticed her willowy figure or her smooth, olive skin that appeared to shimmer? Or that when she smiled, one dimple appeared on her left cheek?

Jules, on the other hand, did everything in her power not to look at him. Instead, she focused all her attention on Jack, who had squeezed himself between Jules and Calista, unwilling to be away from the princess. Jules was currently drawing him a realistic-looking lion on a napkin. He’d forgotten how well she could draw. Memories of them being in the park, and her sketching kites flying high in the sky or dogs catching balls and Frisbees came to mind. He’d always try to peek at her sketches, but she would never show him until the drawing was complete.

Jack roared loudly. “Make the mane bigger! Please,” he added.

Jules, without a second thought, happily complied with his request. With her pen, she filled in the mane.

The way Jack took so easily to Jules caught Simon by surprise. While Jack was an easygoing kid, he was shy around strangers. It probably didn’t hurt that he thought Jules was a princess. Simon silently thanked his lucky stars Jack hadn’t shouted out the Daft Prince’s identity. He certainly was daft.

Simon smiled as he watched the way Jules thoughtfully gazed at Jack. Sadly, Penelope had never looked so contently at her son. For that reason alone, Simon had never brought any of his dates around to meet Jack. He never wanted another woman to disappoint his son. Not that he had dated a lot since his divorce. He was wary of relationships, considering Penelope’s betrayal. But admiring Jules had him thinking that maybe it was time to think seriously about dating again. Perhaps to see if friends truly do make the best lovers. Somehow, he and Penelope had skipped becoming friends, and it had hurt their relationship. Now that he was more mature, he was more interested in a woman with whom he could have long conversations, and laugh and explore. If only his younger self had been wiser. Or at least smart enough to have noticed his beautiful friend.

Simon noted Jules wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. He tried to think of a way to casually mention he and Penelope divorced last year, but he was coming up short on ideas.

Simon averted his gaze for only a second to find that Calista was glaring at him. Jules’s reluctance to be in his presence and her friend’s reaction left no doubt in his mind that Jules no longer held him in high regard. Not that he blamed her. He’d really mucked up their friendship. Jules had bared her heart to him in that photo album, and now that he thought about it, probably silently during the months they’d spent together in New York. Never had anyone been so happy and eager to spend time with him. And what did he do to repay her for all her kindness? He let her disappear from his life without even a goodbye or a thank-you for doing her best to help his dreams come true. Even though his Broadway career never took off, she had believed in him. Jules had every right to ignore him. Simon was well aware that if not for his son, he wouldn’t be sitting at the same table as Jules.

“So,” Calista interrupted his admiration of Jules, “what brings you to Aspen Lake?” she asked with a snap to her tone, almost as if she were daring him to answer.

While Simon wasn’t sure what that was all about, nor did he appreciate her curtness, he was grateful for the opportunity to tell Jules exactly why he was there. He cleared his throat. “Actually, my ex-wife,” he emphasized, “wished to move back to the States.” Simon’s eyes lingered on Jules to see how she reacted to the news that he was no longer married. To his disappointment, she didn’t acknowledge it at all.

Instead, she asked Jack, “What animal should I draw next?”

“An elephant!” Jack loudly requested.

Simon wasn’t sure what to do other than to finish telling Calista why he’d moved. “Penelope, my ex-wife,” he emphasized again, just in case Jules hadn’t heard him the first time, “had the opportunity to buy the dance studio here in Aspen Lake. For Jack’s sake, we all made the move.”

“Interesting,” Calista responded.

To Simon’s frustration, Jules made no attempt to respond.

“Are you a dancer?” Calista grinned.

“I can dance, but I’m mainly a voice actor now.”

“How very interesting.” Calista’s eyes danced mischievously. “What does a voice actor do?”

“I mostly do commercials and narrate novels.”

“And how will you work here?” Calista sounded like she was interrogating him.

Simon was tired of conversing with Calista. He’d hoped to catch up with Jules. “I have a sound booth in the house I’m renting off the lakefront.”

“Hmm. Which house would that be?” Calista was relentless in her line of questioning.

Simon sighed before replying, “It’s a cottage near Sapphire Bay.”

Jules snapped her head up, her cheeks pinking. “The white Cape Cod house with dormer windows?” she squeaked.

Simon smiled, happy to finally get a reaction out of her. “The very one. Do you know it?”

Jules nodded, refusing to look directly at him. “I love that place,” she said, more to herself than him.

“It’s near your parents’ house, isn’t it?” Calista deviously asked.

Jules swallowed hard. “Yes,” she whispered.

This news perked Simon right up. “How providential.”

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