Page 46 of Remembering You
Jim sighed. “Come on, Marty. Don’t be like that. We may have only had one date, but it was an extraordinary one.”
“You two went on a date?” Sheila’s voice behind me was ice cold and I watched as Jim’s eyes closed, gathering his composure.
“Jesus,” Jack grumbled from behind the counter. “This is a lot of drama to have before eight a.m. Oomph—” Elsa elbowed him in the ribs as my eyes fluttered closed.
Great. Just great. This was all I needed. My intern director would now know that I dated her ex-boyfriend. As if my life wasn’t already going to be hellish as a student in a work study program. I exhaled and picked my coffee cup off of the table. “I’ll let Jim fill you in,” I said and limped to the door.
What were the chances I could just skip work today entirely? Luckily, most days kept him out of the office and on the job sites. If I could just get through today and Friday, then get cleared to start working on my feet again, I’d never have to see Jim Tripp again.
“Hey! Marty!” I spun around to find Elsa chasing after me, a brown paper bag swinging in her hand. “You forgot your bagel.”
I gave her a weak smile, taking the bag. “Thanks. But I didn’t even pay.”
Elsa shrugged. “It’s on the house today.”
“A pity bagel.” Somehow that made me feel even worse.
“I’m sorry I pressured you to tell me about the date,” Elsa said quietly. “If I had thought for a second it didn’t go well, I wouldn’t have pushed so hard.”
I shook my head, ignoring the tears burning the edges of my eyes. “It’s not your fault. I was just so embarrassed. He—he found out I was only nineteen and basically dumped me. The ten-year age gap is too much for him and he doesn’t want to wait to start a family.”
“First of all,” Elsa said, “You’re nineteen?”
I rolled my eyes and blew out a breath. “Not you too,” I muttered.
“No, no, no,” she qualified with outstretched hands shaking in my face. “I don’t mean it like that. You’re so mature, though. I thought you were my age.”
I blinked at her statement. “Wait… I thought you were nineteen, too. How old are you?”
She shrugged. “Not that much older than you, I guess. I’m twenty-two.”
I groaned. “God, can everyone legally drink except for me?”
“Okay, so you’re nineteen. So what… you’re still an adult.”
“That’s what I said!” I shrieked. “I’m glad you get me. But, like you, Jim thought I was in my early twenties. I swear, my whole life people thought I was younger than I am… and now all of a sudden, everyone thinks I’m older!”
Elsa’s hand fell to my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “He’s an idiot to let you slip through his fingers. He’ll realize that eventually.”
“Eventually,” I repeated. The word spoiled in my mouth. I snorted and rolled my eyes against the tears. I liked Elsa a lot. I wanted to lean on her, tell her everything. All about how I gave him my virginity, only to have it thrown in my face later. But I didn’t. We just weren’t there yet in our friendship and once again, I was reminded to how alone I was up here. Even the person I considered my closest friend wasn’t someone I could lean on—truly lean on—in a time of need. Instead, I wiped my nose on my sleeve. “I hope so. And I hope it’s sooner than later.”
“Me too. And he’s even a bigger idiot if he goes back to that lying, cheating bi—”
“Easy,” I cut Elsa off. “I’m not Sheila’s number one fan either, but we can be the bigger people here.”
Elsa rolled her eyes at me, but smiled. “Fine. I’ll be the bigger person… for now. But if he gets back together with her, I am smacking him upside the head.”
I nodded. “That, I’ll allow.”
Behind us, I could hear the clack of heels against the snow-covered sidewalk and when I looked back, Sheila had exited the diner and was walking right toward us. She paused, freezing midstep before continuing in our direction.
As she approached, Elsa stepped in front of me, crossing her arms protectively.
Sheila rolled her eyes. “Stand down, Elsa. I’m not here to attack her. I thought we could… talk.” She glanced at me, brows raised, waiting for an answer.
“Um… yeah. I was just walking to…” I couldn’t very well say I was walking to Jim’s office, could I? “Uh… work. I’m walking to work.”
Elsa gave me a nod before turning to run back inside the diner and no doubt, raise hell to Jim, too.
