Page 89 of Delayed Intention
Maybe this is my fault.
I should have stepped away from all of this, once it was clear Lily didn’t want to try to work things out with me. I’ve been so fucking selfish, wanting to pursue her, and follow my own desires, when she’d made her wishes perfectly clear. Now, my presence here is causing her distress. I don’t need to ask Reddit or anyone else to know I am the asshole.
Despite what all these realizations are doing to me personally, I have to rescue my friend. She’s about to make an entire scene, and the sober version of her will not feel good about that in the morning.
Resolved, I march up to her and take the bottle out of her hand, giving it to her Aunt Susan who’s standing nearby with her mouth slightly open. I take Lily by the elbow and march her right back out of the room and into the restaurant.
“Ouch. My elbow,” Lily starts to whine before erupting into a fit of giggles. I make a pleading look at my sister who spots the DJ and asks him to start some type of distraction. Whatever she chose, I missed it as I dragged Lily out of the main exit with me.
“You’re mad.” Lily makes an exaggerated pouty face that I find irritating while simultaneously wanting to kiss the pout right off her.
“Why would I be mad?”
“I didn’t meet you for coffee this morning.” She pokes me right in the center of my chest.
“That’s fine because we’re going to have coffee right now.”
Lily sighs and rolls her eyes.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
My heart sinks. While I half expected this, it doesn’t make it easier to hear.
“Yeah, well that’s no reason to show up to your brother’s party lit up like a menorah.”
“I did that for you.” She jabs her pointer finger into my chest again. “For you Josh.”
“Look, we don’t have to talk. Let’s just try to get you more sober.” And then, because I can’t help myself, “Lily, you look really beautiful.”
She looks down at herself.
“Do I?”
I sigh. “Yes, you really do.” I pull her one wayward strap back up on her shoulder, fighting an urge to just leave my hand there, draw her into me, and replace my hand on her shoulder with my lips.
She glances at my hand, and I let it drop to my side. “Your girlfriend won’t like that.”
Looking over her shoulder, I realize the entire party can see us from the large windows facing the river. Most people inside have the class to at least pretend they aren’t watching our every move. I can see Abbie still has Lily’s parents trapped at their table.
I grab Lily by the hand and drag her away from our audience and toward The Inkwell and Brew. We walk in, and I put an arm around her waist as I feel her swaying. The barista looks at us both before eyeing me suspiciously.
“Black coffee please. Large.”
The barista apparently feels this request casts me in a better light and rings us up without further glares. I sit Lily at a table and add some cream and sweetener. I filled a glass with water and brought both items to the table where I had left her.
“Here drink this.” I hand her both drinks. “And what do you mean by ‘my girlfriend’?”
Lily rolls her eyes again and looks at me like I just asked her if we were in Colorado. “The one I set you up with? Jenny? Your girlfriend?”
It’s all coming together now, and I start to answer her when Lily interrupts.
“You two are perfect together. Tall and beautiful and professional and without all the baggage.”
She puts a hand on my forearm while she’s talking, letting it linger there as she leans in, her face sobering. “I mean it Josh, you two are perfect together. I’m happy for you.” She gives me a tentative smile as she sways in her seat.
“Lily.” I move her hand off my forearm. “I’m not with Jenny. That’s not what I was going to talk to you about.” She looks confused, and I try again. “Jenny and I are not together.”
She takes a gulp of coffee and makes a face.
