Page 25 of The Last Dance

‘Don’t you write the food column?’ he asks.

I wish he didn’t know everything about me. I really want to do nothing but spew out slams with every question he asks because that’s what he deserves. But that’s gonna get really weird really fast. I have to do the professional thing here. I’m in a business meeting. And he is basically a client. As much as I don’t want to, I have to treat him like he didn’t break my heart right now.

‘I do. Clearly, I’m a natural…’ I point to my neck with a nervous laugh. ‘But the celebrity guy quit, and my boss gave it to me temporarily.’

A smile hangs at the corners of his lips.

I stare at him, unable to look away. I’m not sure if it’s because I haven’t had quite enough embarrassment for one day and I’m paralyzed by the shock of seeing him again or if it’s because I don’t know how to feel about him nearly smiling at me, happy that I might be excelling in the job he insisted I was capable of.

He relaxes in his chair and this time his smile is a little more obvious. ‘I’m really proud of you.’

I only nod.

I know I’m not much of a prayer but, please, God, let us talk about anything but me. Puh-lease.

I’ll gladly talk about the weather right now if they’d like. I could probably talk a pretty detailed conversation on the different types of clouds thanks to the fifth grade, if need be.

The table is awkwardly silent.

‘How did you two meet?’ The question surprises even me when it comes out of my mouth. I don’t want to know how they met. I don’t want to know anything about his life with her. Ugh, if only I could control my own speech right now.

‘Oh…’ Karmen gushes, leaning over and planting her lips on Henry’s, which makes my skin crawl in a way that hurts. ‘It’s kind of funny actually. A girlfriend of mine convinced me to try roller-blading with her on the boardwalk back home. I grew up in San Diego and surprisingly both Henry and I were there from LA for the weekend visiting friends.’ I watch her hand on his arm as she speaks; it’s like I can’t look away. I don’t want her to touch him all lovingly while I can see it. Actually, for reasons I don’t even really understand, I don’t want her to touch him at all. ‘Let’s just say I wasnota natural.’ She laughs, causing me to look over at her. ‘I crashed, skinned up my knee and then fainted at the sight of my own blood. Ridiculous, I know. I woke up to Henry securing a Band-Aid to my injured knee. My knight in shining armor.’ She runs her hand down the length of his arm, gazing into his eyes as if they are the only two in the room, lovesick puppy dog plastered across her face.

‘Huh… sounds like a realGrey’s Anatomyepisode.’ I force a laugh to match the enthusiasm of her own, trying not to seem completely uninterested in their story.

Their little ‘meet cute’ isn’t exactly anything made for a romantic comedy movie. Obviously, she hasn’t seen as many as I have. Never once have I fallen for the guy in the beginning who puts a Band-Aid on the heroine’s scratched-up knee. I need the big overdone, hearts-racing, if-he-doesn’t-hurry-it-might-not-happen kind of moment. Kind of like when he dislodged the chicken from my throat a few minutes ago. Not that I want Henry to be my knight in shining armor but once upon a time, for a brief moment, I thought I did.

He looks over at me, looking the tiniest bit guilty, as she pets him. Pleading with his eyes to please not make this any more difficult than it already is. I hear ya, Henry, and I challenge you to feel what I’m feeling. You’re getting off way easier than you deserve to. I glare, causing him to finally look down as he grabs his beer.

‘How’s Ben and Claire?’

‘Just fantastic.’ My phone dings in my bag. ‘Speaking of Claire, I’m sure that’s probably her.’

‘So how come you didn’t tell me more about Ambri? She’s so cool. Did you know she once saw Storm Troopers walking through town?’ Karmen asks Henry, who is now paying more attention to his plate than me.

He laughs under his breath, glancing over at me with a small smile. ‘I actually did know that.’ He nods to himself before looking over at Karmen.

He was with me that night. He convinced me to run as if they were really after us. We laughed the entire time, dodging behind cars and trash cans, being completely ridiculous. When they realized we were playing along with their little act they chased us an entire block, yelling that we were indeed the enemy they were searching for. That used to be one of my favorite memories of us. But now I leave him out of my stories because that’s what you do when you cut someone out of your life.

‘I actually didn’t think she’d want to see me.’ He looks from her to me. ‘I guess running into an old friend can remind you that you don’t actually want to forget them like you thought you did.’

I raise a single eyebrow and mouth the wordwhatat him. What the hell is he hinting at?

‘OK, then,’ I say to myself, turning my attention back to my plate.

‘Hey, you know what might be fun? You said Claire texted you – let’s send her a photo, no explanation,’ Henry suggests with a smile. A true, sincere smile that I’ve seen in him a million times. The same smile I sometimes miss when he invades my thoughts. My heart speeds a bit in my chest.

Come on, heart, don’t do this to me.

‘Yes! Selfie! Such fun!’ Karmen claps like a chimpanzee. OK, so notexactlylike a chimpanzee, but in my head it’s identical. I really want to hate her. Actually, I don’t evenwantto hate her, Ineedto. I need to create her as the villain even though she’s obviously not because if I don’t I’m sure my heart won’t be able to take sitting here with them for long. Why couldn’t he be dating some psycho that was easy to not like?

Henry glances at Karmen, his eyebrows raised. I don’t think he was intending on her being a part of this photo surprise for Claire.

‘Sure, all three of us,’ he says with a nod of his head as he slides his chair beside mine, waving Karmen to his lap. Obviously, there is no getting out of this now.

‘I guess we’re taking a selfie…’ I say, mostly to myself, not entirely thrilled. Before I can pull my phone from my bag Henry has his ready.

‘I’ll take it. I can text it to you.’

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