Page 48 of Love In Translation

Rheo’s stomach churned and jealousy seared her throat. She hated that Carrie knew things about Fletch that she didn’t. She wanted to be the keeper of his secrets, the person who knew him best.Crap.She was sliding down that slippery slope from attraction tolike, and she couldn’t do that. It would be a seriously stupid move.

“You need to get out of your comfort zone, Rhee.”

Okay. Change of subject. “Is that why you insisted I hike with you? Because you think I’m in a rut?” she asked.

“Again, this isn’t a hike, it’s a stroll. And, yes, you need to get out of your comfort zone. You’ll get your confidence back quicker if you do things that scare you.”

“I don’t wanna.”

He ignored her. “Tell Carrie, see how she responds. Then tell your parents and your grandmother. You’ve got to start moving forward, sweetheart.”

Again, she didn’t wanna.

But he was right. She was treading water and she either needed to swim or she would sink.

Ten

The next evening, with Fletch opting to shoot pool in a bar somewhere, Rheo took the opportunity to catch up with Abi. When her friend bought the deli building with a small business loan, she had converted the second floor into an apartment and added a thin balcony just wide enough for a small table and two chairs, overlooking Main Street. It was a great spot to watch the tourists and the Gilmartin residents walking into and out of the bars and restaurants.

Abi released a contented sigh, and Rheo rolled her head to look at her. “I’m sorry for storming out on you the other day,” she said.

Abi lifted her wineglass to her nose, then took a healthy sip. “You apologized by text that night and the next morning. And again when you called. But I’m not convinced you’re truly sorry.”

Rheo picked up a chip and threw it at her. Abi and Fletch shared the same dry sense of humor.

“It’s all good, Rhee. Did you work it out with Fletch?”

“Yeah.”

“And you now know there was just a glitch with his card?”

“I do.” She wouldn’t tell Abi she’d been given a peek at his bank account. “If I hadn’t been so triggered, I would’ve remembered his top-of-the-line running shoes, all his tech toys, and the fancy watch. I’ve seen it. It can do everything but launch him to the moon.”

Rheo put her bare feet onto the railing and used her wineglass to gesture to the busy street. “Have you never thought about opening during the evenings? You’d do well.”

Abi took a fat black olive from the bowl on the wrought iron table between them. “Ugh, no. I’m too much of a control freak and I’d never take any time off. I’d be there 24/7. Nope, I’m happy doing what I’m doing.”

Lucky girl. Rheo dipped a chip into homemade guacamole. Abi was so comfortable in her skin, so confident about her place in the world. Rheo thought she’d been the same when she was in New York, but in hindsight, she hadn’t been, not really. Oh, she’d enjoyed her life and job, but she’d been constantly on edge, always looking around to see where she was, what could go wrong, looking for obstacles instead of seeking joy. She’d spent more time checking her plan and scanning the horizon for trouble than enjoying life.

“It’s so nice to see you,” Abi told her. “I’ve missed you lately.”

Oh God, was she one of those awful women who vanished when a new man came on the scene? She slapped her hands on her cheeks, horrified. “Oh, have I neglected you? God, I’m so sorry! And especially since you’ve been so good to me—”

Abi rolled her eyes. “Jeez, calm down. Trust me, if I had a hottie like Fletch in my bed, I wouldn’t pay attention to my girlfriends either. I’m not pissed, Rheo. It’s genuinely okay.”

Uncertainty rippled through her. Could she believe that? Was Abi just being nice?

“I hated it when Carrie did that to me when we stayed here over the summer. We’d be getting along okay, then a boy would come along, and I wouldn’t see her for the rest of the time. It happened once or twice in college too. I made a friend, she’d fall in love, and she’d disappear.” And it hurt, dammit. Making friends became more hassle than it was worth, and she stopped, choosing to focus on her studies instead.

“I’m not a teenager, Rhee, and we’re the type of friends who don’t need to live in each other’s pockets,” Abi told her, sounding firm. She lifted her glass to her lips, her brown eyes full of mischief. “So, are you falling in love with Fletch, Rheo Whitlock?”

“Pfft. As if I would bethatstupid!”

“What’s stupid about falling in love?” Abi asked. “Love and finding your person is the lifelong goal of some people.”

“I won’t fall in love with Fletcher,” Rheo clarified.

“He’s smart, hot, financially fluid.” Abi ticked off his attributes, and the last one made Rheo wince. Embarrassment still lingered.

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