Page 7 of Baby, It's You
“Well, first off, you know everyone thinks differently. She is not you. People also give their partner too many chances sometimes when they think they have found love, even an unhealthy type of love. You also know that I stayed in a marriage way longer than I should have,” Rob says. “The relationship was toxic and extremely painful for years. I spent many nights on the couch, looking up at the ceiling and wondering, ‘Is this really what my life is supposed to be like?’ but I felt trapped, and I thought she would change. So, I just stayed. When we finally decided to separate, I was so negative through the divorce and thought I couldn’t go on. I was sure I would never open myself up to dating again. I closed myself off from any possible romantic connections.”
“But then you met Missy.” I nod, knowing where this story is going. Missy is Rob’s wife. They met six years ago, when she applied to work at the bar as an extra bartender. She still fills in a few times a week so I can have a day off here and there, but she works as a librarian most days now.
“Right, then I met Missy. And I realized that I was just going through a bad season of life before. It’s an amazing feeling to be in love. To have a best friend that’s also your partner,” Rob continues. “I’m sure Ivy yearns for that. Just because she is in the wrong relationship right now, it doesn’t mean she will always be in it. Give her time and she will figure it out. Don’t worry, you will get your friend back.”
“Yeah, I know,” I agree with him. “I know she’s still in there.”
Rob smirks. “And what I’m also trying to tell you is just because you have seen bad relationships around you like Ivy’s and your own parents, that doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to have a bad relationship, too, if you give dating a chance.” He slides a basket of fries towards me.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before from you,” I say, swiping a fry from the basket and cramming it in my mouth as I walk through the kitchen door.
Everyone in my life wants me to find someone. I don’t tell them that I never plan to.
Chapter 6
Hunter
Iglance up from editing on my laptop at the sound of my phone buzzing. Wes’s name, with the photo of him jumping off my roof on his skateboard, flashes across my screen. I pick up and answer the call. Instantly I hear bass thudding through the speakers on the other side, along with some garbled speech.
“Turn your music down,” I say into the phone.
“What?” Wes asks. Drums and bass still blast in the background.
“TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN!” I shout.
Suddenly there's silence on the other end. “Sorry, man,” Wes chuckles. “My bad. I just picked up Eddie and we are headed to get you.”
Shit, I think as I look over at my clock. I completely forgot I told him I would possibly come out with them tonight. To Wes, that means yes.
I shut my laptop and put my phone on speaker as I open my closet. “Where are we going tonight?” I ask.
“Just to a bar on the other side of town, a dive bar I found when I was searching for karaoke spots.”
“And why were you searching for karaoke spots?” I question. The introvert in me wants to cancel already.
“Because I want to belt out some Creed for my birthday. Is that too much to ask? I’m twenty-nine now, and I've got to start acting like a responsible adult,” Eddie says, jumping into the conversation. Knowing this is what he wants to do for his birthday, I can’t back out now.
“Happy birthday, man,” I tell him. “How much time do I have till you guys get here?”
Wes responds, “In three…two…”
I hear the click of the call hangup and the sound of “Pound Town” by Skream growing louder outside. Okay then, I guess they are here.
I grab a dark green snapback out of the top bin of my closet and toss a black T-shirt on. Pushing my unruly curls out of my eyes, I slide my hat on and grab my keys and phone. Running down the steps, I shout to Dennis that I’m leaving and hear a grunt from the guest room in response. I don’t want to know what he’s doing in there.
Dog waits for me at the door and I bend down to her level. “I’ll be back, girl,” I say, rubbing between her ears. She tries to tangle herself between my legs in protest and I give her one last scratch before standing up and walking out.
When I get outside, I see Eddie hanging out the top of Wes’s jeep as the music still blasts. “I’m twenty-nine, bitches!” he screams, and shotguns a beer. Of course, he does this as my sweet old neighbor Mrs. Bodart walks by with her Shih Tzu, Pebbles.
I hold up my hand in an apology wave and give her a smile. “Lovely night we’re having, Mrs. Bodart,” I shout over the song. She just gives a look and walks on, much quicker this time.
I quickly hop into the back of the jeep before they can embarrass me any further. “Turn that shit down,” I say.
“Sorry, dude.” Wes turns down the music and looks at me through the rearview mirror. “Eddie did a little pre-gaming before.”
“I can tell,” I shout as we pull out of the driveway.
Eddie turns around to face me from the passenger seat. “I’m drunk because it's my birthday. Also, I’m having a midlife crisis,” Eddie tells me, and then faces forward again. He puts his feet up on Wes’s dashboard and Wes pushes them back to the floor.
