Page 20 of The Plus Ones
I finally lead Jackpot back toward home, and just as I’m about to call Chase to ask him how he thinks I should handle this, Aimee comes up on my Caller ID. I pull my dog under the Rite Aid awning before answering.
“Mrs. McKay.”
“Hi! Hey—I just called Roxy to ask if she had a guy she wanted to take to the resort, and then Vince texted to say that you’re paying for his reservation. Who are you taking?”
That sinking feeling again.
“Who did Roxy say she wanted to take?”
“Nobody. She said to ask you.”
I cannot control the stupid smile that’s spreading across my face. “She said she wants to go with me?”
She laughs at that. Hard. “Um, no. She said to ask you if you want to go with someone else. She doesn’t want to go at all.”
“Why doesn’t she want to go? Is she crazy…erthan we thought she was?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t really want to talk about it.”
Of course she didn’t.
“But I mean…if you don’t mind staying in a cottage with her for a week…I would really love to hang out with her there. Both of you, I mean. I think she really does want to go, and I mean, if there’s a zombie apocalypse in Brooklyn while we’re gone and there’s no one here to help Roxy out, I would never forgive myself.”
“I’m pretty sure the zombies will leave her alone as soon as she opens her mouth.”
She snort-laughs at that. Long and hard. “That’s not funny. Look, I know how you guys feel about each other, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that we miss both of you and it would be great to spend some time with you for real.”
How do Roxy and I feel about each other, exactly? Please tell me.“Does she still live where you used to live?”
“Yes. You aren’t going to go over there, are you?”
“I do not expect her to respond to my texts or calls.”
“Why not?”
“Because of how we feel about each other.”
“Right. Well. Text her first. She hates it when people just show up uninvited.”
“I would like to remind you that I am a properly socialized human being.”
“I would like to remind you that Roxy isn’t. She will knee you in the balls. She once made a guy cry when he showed up at our dorm with flowers and chocolates when she was trying to study for an exam. But she’s got a good heart.”
“And I’ve got balls of steel. I can handle her.”
She snort-laughs again. “Sure you can. Wait—Finn! Put that back in the garbage! I gotta go.”
And that was the longest phone conversation I’ve had with her in almost five years.
Jackpot barks at me. “Just give me a minute. Look—there’s hardly any snow on the sidewalk here!” I tell him. “Do your thing.” He stares at me blankly and then looks away.
I am three blocks from my place and six blocks from Roxy’s. As much as I want to take the dog home—a guy should only have to deal with one asshole at a time—I still need to establish myself as the alpha in this relationship. Fuck, I still need to establish this as a relationship. Between Jackpot and me, I mean.
And between Roxy and me, let’s be real.
I’ve never texted her directly before, just group texts. But here goes.
ME: This is Keaton Bridges. I’m taking you to Antigua next week. You at home right now?
