Page 19 of The Situation
“With all due respect, why are you the way you are?”
I shrug helplessly. “Two divorces will do this to you.”
“Oh my God.” Tally giggles. “I just searched Kelly Kapowski online. She was a cutie in her little cheerleading outfits while she flirted with Zack—who was hot, by the way. How have I not seen this show before?”
Of course, she googled Kelly Kapowski.
“Speaking of hotties,” she says. “You might luck out and see yours before the weekend is over. The world works in mysterious ways, you know.”
“Maybe.”
“And if you do? Live a little. It’s not like he can even look you up if he doesn’t know your name. So if he wants to take you to dinner, why not? Why not enjoy the attention and get back into the swing of things? Then you can come home with one adventure under your belt.”
It’d be an adventure, all right.
“Thanks for the pep talk,” I say.
“Anytime.”
“Thanks for the call, too. I appreciate you.”
“Of course. Good luck this weekend,” she says.
“You, too. Good luck with pickleball.”
“Not needed! Bye!”
“Goodbye.”
I end the call and set my phone on the counter beside my toothbrush.
My reflection shines back at me. Instead of noticing my crow’s feet or laugh lines, I see the rosiness of my cheeks. My eyes appear lit from the inside.
I look happy.
Since my divorce from Kent, I’ve done a hundred things to reshape my existence. I’ve read books, taken yoga classes, and filled my body with healthy vitamins and minerals. There have been girls’ nights and wine and paint parties. My wardrobe has been updated with things that make me feel good, and I got a new job that I love.
I’ve gone through my life with a scalpel, cutting away everything that doesn’t fit my new vision for the future. I’m left with a beautiful canvas filled with good things. There’s so much room to add to it, too.
I’m thriving.
The only glaring hole is my desperate need to be touched.
I reach for a bottle of lotion.
Despite what I was raised to believe, the desire to be touched by another person is a primal human need. I want that connection. I want the passion, the intimacy that I read about in my novels—if even for a night.
“I really want to see you again, Kelly.”
I set the lotion down as Tally’s words come to mind.
“So if he wants to take you to dinner, why not? Why not enjoy the attention and get back into the swing of things?”
Blood rushes through my veins as my brain kicks into overdrive, barreling into an area that makes my heart pound faster. I don’t know his last name, and he doesn’t know mine at all. I did tell him where I was going for dinner tonight, but who knows if he picked up on it?
If he really wants to see me—if the universe thinks we should meet again, he’ll be there.Right?
I force a swallow, then blow out a long breath, steadying myself.
