Page 13 of Head Over Heels

“If you are going to be weird about this, Chase Crayton, tell me now and we’ll scrap the whole thing, because I willnotlet you mess up our friendship.”

Her arms are crossed, her eyebrows drawn together in a glare.

“I’m not going to be weird about it. And you’re the one who’s messing up our friendship by moving to Denver.”

“We can still be friends if I live in Denver. I’m not going to the moon.”

I don’t argue with her, although I’m not convinced. Sure, we can post on each other’s Facebook walls or text each other after a bad date with a few funny comments, but it’s not like it’ll be the same.

Which sucks. Let’s just put it out there. It may be a weird tradition, but it’sourweird tradition. And I never thought of anything changing between Liv and me, even when I knew she was looking for a job. It didn’t occur to me that she’d leave Seattle. Even though I shouldn’t be surprised. She changes her hair, her clothes, her nannying jobs, and even her boyfriends all the time, so why not cities?

“Okay, so we’re okay with the dating, right?” Liv asks, shrugging. “You go out, you get laid, you come home whenever, no biggie.”

Something tweaks me about that. “I’m not necessarily going to have sex—”

“Sorry,” she says quickly. “That was out of line. I know you don’t always. I just meant I know how it is, right? Nothing is going to shock me, and I don’t judge. Just go on your date, and I’ll stay here with Katie.”

“What about you?”

“Whataboutme?”

“Your s—dating life.”

I actually don’t know all that much about Liv’ssexlife. I mean, I know—or at least assume—she has one. She’s got more of a typical girl dating pattern, kind of a serial monogamy thing. Though she always breaks up with guys before it getstooserious. She says stuff like:

He was starting to talk about marriage and kids.

He wants us to move in together, which would mean I couldn’t take live-in nanny jobs anymore.

He wanted me to spend weekends at his place.

He wanted me to leave some of my stuff at his place.

Huh. I didn’t realize until now that her relationships are getting shorter, her reasons for ending things coming sooner, each guy actually demanding less of her before she bails. I wonder if she’s noticed.

She sweeps her hair back with one hand and says, “Yeah, there’s this one guy I might go out with, like on Sunday or whatever. But I never bring guys back someplace I work, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

This one guy.

Something curdles in my pit of my stomach.

Liv crosses her arms, all businesslike. “Is that it? Are we done? Because I should head home.”

Ignoring the disturbance in my gut, I say lightly, “You livehere.Itishome.”

“Temporarily.And my stuff is still at Eve’s. I can come back whatever time you need me tomorrow morning.”

“Seven thirty?”

She winces. “Mike’s doesn’t open till ten.”

“I was thinking about going in early to do some strategy work, but if that doesn’t work for you, no biggie. I’ve gotta try to figure out how to win back some of the business we’ve lost to Big Win. You know, that new superstore?”

“Are they taking a bite of your business? Shit, of course they are. Maybe I can help you brainstorm strategies.”

“That would be really cool.”

“You got it.”

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