Page 10 of Rules in Love
All was forgotten as Teddy grabbed me and stood with my hands in his. “Now, before I tell you anything about Finn, you left work yesterday without telling me how the pitch went, so I’m asking now. How did you do, Scar? Did you smash it? You did, didn’t you?” Wide-eyed and giddy, he pecked me on the lips and gushed, “You bloody killed it.”
The much-needed vitamin D brought a smile to my face. “I think I did, but I don’t know if it matters. Obviously, you know about the whole nephew-aunt thing.”
“Sure do. Ouch. I should have guessed it the minute she walked in. Blonde, tall, and beautiful runs in the family.”
“As does business, it seems. I have a snowflake’s chance in hell of getting this job, and the unfairness of it all really pisses me off. I’m not normally this confident about anything, but I thought I did good, maybe even great.” The sympathy in Teddy’s big brown eyes threatened my stability, so I turned to the food and packed my bagel with cream cheese and salmon.
“Are you going to say anything to the partners, then? You should speak up and fight for this. Finn would probably back you up. He seemed embarrassed by it all and was super impressed by your work. He hardly shut up about you.”
I tried to disguise the thrill that gave me and took a bite of pumpernickel bliss. “I thought he was impressed too.” I chewed. “He took lots of notes and seemed really into my work.”
“Yeah. I’m sure it was the work he was into,” Teddy muttered.
“But honestly, when do I ever speak up about anything? It won’t get me anywhere other than being labeled a complainer or sore loser.” I licked my fingers and blew out a heavy, resigned sigh. “Nope, I am putting my big-girl pants on and chalking this one up to experience.”
“I think that’s a mistake, but you knew that already. Let’s talk about last night.”
“Yes, good idea. Tell me everything, including where these bagels are from. They’re amazing.”
Teddy looked around, no doubt for Ben, then dished. “Okay, so. The bagels are from Max’s, but here’s the real goss. Austen Powers—that’s my new name for him—suits him, don’t you think? Anyway, he was so wasted and so cute. We stayed at the bar till one am, and he told me all about his farm and stuff. Oh, but the best thing was, he thought you and I were an item!” Teddy almost doubled over in laughter.
I did not.
Terror seized me. I dropped my breakfast and gripped the closest part of Teddy I could, which happened to be his elbow.
“Why? Why did he think that? What did I do to make him think that? Oh my God. Please tell me you didn’t fuck around with him. You told him you were gay and disgusted by me, right? You did, didn’t you?”
Teddy wiped a schmear of cream cheese from my cheek and laughed. “Calm the fucking farm, Scarlett. Of course I did. You need to have more faith in me.”
“Well, what was flat and pale? My hair? My pasty, English skin? My boobs?”
“American beer. Geez, Scar. Paranoid much?”
I collapsed against his shoulder. “Oh, thank fuck. You’re right, darling. I should never have doubted the bestest bestie ever.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, and yes, I am. Finn could very well be the best boyfriend ever too. He really is quite something. Charming, funny, sweet, a beautifully big personality, and from what I could see up close, an even bigger—”
“Hi, Uncle Teddy!”
“Fuck it!” Teddy and I coughed in chorus as Ben appeared before us, still shoeless but dressed appropriately. Thanks toIdeology#4 - DO NOT discuss male ‘friends’ in front of Ben, and ABSOLUTELY NO ‘friends’ are to sleep over, no further Finn talk was to be had.
This strict “no talk, no matter how hot” ethos was easier to disregard when Ben was younger. Then, we could say almost anything without fear. But now that he was old enough to hear, repeat, and ask questions, I felt kind of icky talking about a guy until I was sure where we stood. Not that there was anyone to introduce. I had been a dateless wonder since we arrived…and for a long time before that.
Much to my displeasure, Ben gobbled up his doughnut. I wasn’t worried about the healthiness. I just wanted it myself. It was all washed down with a glass of milk, which Teddy also brought, and after finally getting Ben to put his shoes on, we were off.
Running late was nothing new to me. Luckily, one of the many benefits of Teddy’s friendship was the location of our homes. Our 6th Ave office sat in one of the most expensive areas in NYC. Sarah Jessica Parker lived around the corner, for Christ’s sake. Never in a million years would I be able to afford the shittiest of shit apartments within walking distance—within Manhattan, in reality—without him. At my insistence, and much to Teddy’s annoyance, I did pay rent, but I knew it was a tenth of the market value. This added to the already daunting literal and figurative debt I owed Teddy.
Somehow, we all made it to Ben’s school on time, and with my head cock-a-block—sorry, chock-a-block full of Finn, I soaked up my precious goodbye kiss from Benny and waved him off for the day. As soon as the kid was out of earshot, I turned to Teddy, grabbed his forearms, pulled his ear to my lips, and whispered, “Tell me now. Exactly what did he say about me? And what else was big?”
Scarlett
Thanks to Teddy and our descriptive walk, I’d arrived at work with my mind in the gutter.
“The man rolled his sleeves up, and I almost fell off my stool. He could pick you up and carry you with one arm, Scar. Ooh, and he had a horse on his farm. Can’t you imagine those saddle-gripping thighs powering into you from behind?”
Imagining it was easy. Stopping was harder. I tried, but Finn walked up wearing a sharp royal-blue suit, a crisp white shirt, and Converse shoes. He floated through the room as though transported by a cloud—a cloud that slowed as it approached me, giving him time to smile and wink the hottest wink that ever winked. I just gave up at that point.
As the morning progressed, I noticed a definite shift in the energy between us. His attention was appreciably more brazen, while I was significantly more receptive. For instance, when he said, “Excuse me, Scarlett,” in the kitchen, I didn’t squeal, run, or laugh hysterically. I simply pulled my head from the fridge I had been hiding inside since he’d walked in, moved my ass out of the way, and let him get his lunch out. It was a significant improvement—a real achievement.
