Page 92 of Why Not Now?

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ava,” she cuts me off. “I have studying to do.”

Then she closes the door. At least she doesn’t slam it.

I turn and leave the house, going out to my car. The rain of the morning has eased off, so it’s drizzling now, and I’m getting wet as I stare at it.

He paid for repairs on it, not the car itself. But he did it behind my back. He should have come to me and told me what Carter said.

Then again, if he had, would I have listened? Or would I have simply told him no? If it isn’t in my budget, I don’t want it at all.

“Ava?” Theresa calls from next door. “Why are you standing in the rain? Your car didn’t break down, did it?”

“No.” I face her, suddenly realizing that it is nice to know it’ll start every time I turn the key. One less thing to stress about. “I was thinking about something else.”

We move toward each other, meeting at the fence. She has a raincoat on, and I miss the waterproof shell Derek loaned me. My jacket is getting wet.

“Want to tell me about it?” she offers.

And because I’m an emotional wreck, I do. I tell her how Lacey is talking to Derek and not to me, how he’d paid for part of my car behind my back, how I need to go to Blue Vista and he’ll be there and it’s going to be awkward, but I have to do my job or else I’ll lose it.

When I’m done, Theresa shakes her head. “I never did like Derek. Are you sure he’s not going to tell your boss to get rid of you?”

It hadn’t even occurred to me that he might, but now she says it, I realize he could. Except…

“He wouldn’t do that. Cindy hasn’t called me to tell me not to come in, so he hasn’t yet at any rate.” I shake my head. “Anyway, I have to go. I’ll see you later.”

She waves and heads back inside while I climb into my car. As I knew would happen, it starts as soon as I turn the key. On my way downtown, I think about what Theresa said. Derek wouldn’t tell Cindy to fire me. But he might tell his friends what happened, and they might be cold toward me. Any help they’d offered regarding my photography business would no longer be available. I park in the garage close to Blue Vista, a few stalls down from Derek’s red car.

Inside, I meet Bethany in the lobby.

“How’s it going?” she asks with a smile.

I open my mouth to respond, but I don’t have anything to say. Now that I’ve gotten it all out to Theresa, I’m not sure if I want to tell the whole story over again. But I also don’t want to lie and say I’m good.

I’m saved from speaking when Spencer arrives.

“Hey, Ava. Bethany. The regular rooms are in use today, but you guys can set your things down in the meeting room if you want. Cindy should be here any time.”

I don’t move, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. But Spencer doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t bring up Derek, doesn’t even look at me with anything other than polite professionalism.

Bethany breaks the silence first. “The meeting room would be great,” she says.

Spencer leads us there, then says, “If you need something, come find me and I’ll see what I can do. Vic, Derek, and Adalie are all here as well. They’re planning to leave after the reception gets started. Lis is here and will have dinner for you. She’s planning to stagger it so one of you eats before it’s served upstairs and the other two after. I’ll be here all night.”

“That all sounds great,” Bethany says and Spencer nods, leaving us to our set up.

As I unpack my things, I wonder if Derek mentioned anything to Spencer. Maybe he didn’t? But he tells his friends everything. He told them about his father, and he doesn’t tell anyone about that. He must have told them what happened this morning. So why didn’t Spencer say something?

Cindy arrives and we go about business as usual. Most of the day, I’m focused enough on my work that I don’t think about Derek every second. Only every other second. I don’t see him. I’m not sure if that’s just how it’s worked out or if he’s specifically avoiding me. The rest of the Blue Vista crew are around at various times during the day and all of them are polite and seem happy enough to see me. Maybe hehasn’ttold his friends.

When Lis finds me to tell me my dinner is ready if I want to go eat it, I head downstairs, sitting in the meeting room with my plate. I stare at the food, not able to bring myself to taste it, until someone comes in and sits across from me. Derek.

He has his hands clasped in front of him and has changed his clothes, wearing a button-up shirt that’s open at the collar. He’s exchanged his glasses for his contacts and watches me for a second as though he’s not entirely sure where to start.

“The one and only Ava Calligan,” he says. “How’s it going?”

“Going pretty bad, actually,” I respond.

He nods, dropping his gaze to his hands. “Same.” He touches the bridge of his nose in a gesture meant to push his glasses up. “Fuck.”

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