Page 86 of Text Appeal

I hug my pizza bread to my chest. “Okay.”

“Unless I see you tonight.”

“Why would you see me tonight?”

She pauses at the top of the stairs with a sly sort of smile. “Dad was talking about dragging Uncle Con out to the Lighthouse. You know. The place across the street?”

My mouth stays shut.

“After Christmas he was like all cranky and quiet. But now it’s like someone sucked his soul out or something.”

“Is that so?”

“Ugh. He’s been so cringe. Adults behaving all sad and pathetic are the worst.”

“Totally.”

“I am never getting old and dodgy like you.”

I just nod. “Okay. Thanks for that.”

“You know,” she says, cocking her head. “I could maybe give you daily updates. Tell you stuff that’s been said.”

“For the right amount of money?”

“Duh. Of course. Thirty should cover it.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Not sure encouraging you to spy on your family is the right course of action here.”

She rolls her eyes. “Ava would have paid me.”

“Probably.”

“Whatever. Your loss.” And she’s gone, racing off down the stairs.

Shanti mentioned something about a weekly games night at the Lighthouse. Had invited me to join her there tonight. Not that I am going to go. What with him most likely going to be there, it would be weird and awkward. No. Best if I stay home and rewatchPride and Prejudiceagain.

Decision made. And I feel good about it. Him sending me food packed full of nutritional goodness may or may not mean something. It’s a whole lot of effort to go to for someone you don’t want to be with. He chose to break up with me. So giving it some time and space is definitely the right thing to do.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“What do you think?” asks Shanti.

We’re standing next to the bar later that night. It would seem I couldn’t stay home after all. What can I say? I am a weak and lovelorn woman dying for the sight of him. And kind of wanting to kick his ass too for breaking my heart, but that’s beside the point.

This is my first official social outing as a single person. Apart from coffee runs, of course. I had no idea the Lighthouse Bar and Grill did such a roaring business during the week. They host a variety of events. Karaoke, trivia, and such. And a charity bar crawl happens the first Saturday of the month when a hundred or so locals do a walking tour of the six bars in town. The order in which the bars are visited and the charity donated to is alternated each time. It sounds great.

“They sure are serious about their Jenga,” I say, taking a sip of soda.

“So serious. You have no idea.” Shanti laughs. “Here we go.”

Joyce, the Jenga judge, blows on her whistle. “We want anice clean game. No hitting, no hair pulling, and no putting your competition in a headlock.”

Someone in the crowd boos.

“I heard that, Tommy,” says Joyce. “Am I going to have to call your mom and tell her you’ve been misbehaving again?”

A shame-faced middle-aged man answers, “No, ma’am.”

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