Page 29 of The Plus Ones
I wave at him. “Roxanne. Hello.”
“Oh sorry, yeah, that’s my friend Roxy. We’re just heading to the—”
“Yeah yeah yeah, I won’t keep you. So maybe I’ll see you around, now that Tam’s gonna be back in town…”
Keaton looks like he just got slapped in the face. “She is?”
“Oh, you haven’t heard? Tamara’s moving back to New York. Next month…by herself. She’s crazy busy. You know how she gets. I’m sure she’s planning to get in touch.”
“Sure, yeah. Well, she didn’t mention it. At all. But that’s great. Good for her. Great to see you, Tom. We gotta…”
Tom nods and waves and walks off.
Keaton stares at the floor as we continue on our way.
So, his ex-girlfriend is moving back to New York and she didn’t tell him. That’s gotta hurt. I guess. “You okay?”
“Yup.”
And that’s all he says for the next twenty minutes.
We get coffee and snacks in the fucking amazing lounge that I have never been in before, and he just angrily types emails on his laptop.
A message from Aimee comes in on our group text, and we both open it at the same time. It’s a shot of the view from their cottage veranda at the resort. It’s fucking amazing. The tops of palm trees and every shade of blue and green, from the sea to the islands across the bay to the sky, and huge fluffy white clouds that you want to reach out and touch.
AIMEE MCKAY: You guys. You. Will. Not. Believe. You will not even believe!
BERNADETTE FARMER: I am never leaving this place. I feel like Harriet and Daisy will be very happy on the farm with my parents. Or with Matt if he doesn’t want to stay with me.
MATT MCGOVERN: I’ll miss them a lot, but I’m not leaving.
Chase sends another picture, this one’s of their private infinity plunge pool.
ME: OMG I cannot get there fast enough. So excited to see all of you! Except Keaton.
I look over at Keaton. Nothing. He’s staring at the picture, and he is as expressionless as Matt McGovern.
VINCE DEVLIN: Gorgeous! Happy for you guys. Also, maybe start another group text for when you’re at the resort that doesn’t include me and Nina? If I see one more picture of that place I will jump out a window.
VINCE DEVLIN: FYI, that is not a dark joke because the tallest building in Indiana is like four floors.
NINA DEVLIN: Not funny, hon. But yeah, maybe start another group chat for the week. Have fun!
Keaton shuts his laptop without responding to the texts.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yup.” He stands up. “I’m getting a gin and tonic. You want anything?”
I try to suppress any kind of facial or vocal expression that would betray that I’m inwardly making fun of his unbelievable WASP-ishness. “I’ll have a beer, thanks. Any kind.”
He nods and walks off, and I can’t help noting how good he looks in jeans. This guy should wear jeans more often. He needs to loosen up. A lot. He seemed happy when he was with Tamara. Maybe when she’s back she can loosen him up. Who knows.
He returns with a bottle of Blue Moon, which is a coincidence because it’s my favorite beer. “I told him you don’t need a glass. Was I correct in doing so?”
“You were indeed.” I take the bottle from him, and he clinks his glass against it before taking three big gulps of his G&T. “I love Blue Moon.”
“I know.” He doesn’t even sit down. He finishes his highball of gin and tonic and returns to the bar for a refill.
