Page 103 of Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
‘The gay guy?’
‘What … how? How did you know he was gay?’
He shrugs. ‘I’ve seen him a few times, round the place. I kinda worked it out.’
‘By seeing him?’
‘Sure.’
This makes her feel like even more of an idiot – how can Stevo, who barely knows Sam, have worked out that he was gay before she did? Oh, that’s right: because Evie didn’t want to see it. The truth didn’t suit her fantasy.
‘You didn’t notice?’ Stevo asks her, which makes her feel even worse.
‘Obviously not!’
‘Don’t get huffy.’
‘Don’t tell me to not get huffy.’
He raises his hands in surrender. ‘Is that what you wanted to talk about – being in love with Sam?’
‘Not really. I’m getting to it.’
Sheishuffy, though, and not sure she wants to tell Stevo now. Maybe he’ll dismantle her again with a perception she should have worked out on her own. Except she really does want his perspective on this.
‘Sam’s brother Oliver –’
‘Oh yeah, I remember you talking about him. A while ago? You went out a couple of times.’
‘He’s the one who suggested Sam for the job in the first place.’
‘Right.’ Stevo takes another sip of his drink.
‘He used to like me.’ She pauses. ‘He still does. He’s being … really nice. Saying really nice things.’
Stevo stares at her. ‘Yeah,’ he draws out. ‘Where’s this going, Evie?’
‘I thought I didn’t like him like that. But maybe I do. But I don’t know.’
‘Jesus, woman.’ Stevo rolls his eyes. ‘You never could make up your mind, could ya?’
‘That’s not fair!’
‘Sure, sure. So – what? You want me to tell you whether or not to go out with the guy?’
Is that what she wants? It would make things easier. That way, if it doesn’t work out she can blame Stevo. Which is gutless and pathetic of her.
‘Um … no,’ she says, because she needs to be a grown-up. ‘I want to know if you think people can develop feelings for someone when that someone is doing all the right things. You know, if they seem worth having feelings for.’
Stevo appears to consider this.
‘Chicks are different to guys,’ he says after a minute. ‘Guys, we need to feel attraction, right?’
Evie almost feels time slip a little then, as if she is glimpsing what they could have been if only they hadn’t got together whiledrunk, when they confused solving loneliness for the start of a grand passion.
‘Right,’ she says.
‘Chicks … they don’t need it right away. It’s better if they like the bloke. Trust him. That’s what I’ve worked out, anyway.’
