Page 59 of The Plus Ones
Well, that was pretty much the opposite of what I was expecting her to say, but she is absolutely right. “Enjoy your breakfast.”
“Did you want me to bring you back something, or do you want me to wait down there for you, or...”
Well well, what a girlfriend-y thing to ask, Miss Carter.“I think I’ll go for a run before I eat, actually. If that’s okay with you.”
She looks surprised that I said that. I fucking love it when I surprise her. “It is okay with me. Of course.” She places both hands on the back of her hips. Not the fists on the hips thing that I’m used to. This particular stance straightens her posture and pushes her tits out and makes me want to die a little. “I’ll probably just hang out on the beach and at the pool for most of the day. If that’s okay with you.”
“Sounds good.”
She nods. “Okay, then. I’m gonna go.”
“Okay. See you around.”
“Okay, then.” She claps her hands together, loudly, and then makes a face like she wishes she hadn’t done that. Then she salutes me, slides into her flip-flops, grabs her bag and heads outside. She shuts the front door quietly, glancing back at me as she does, and I can’t stop smiling because I can tell—I have no doubt—that what she’s really doing is leaving a door cracked open for me.
An hour later, after I’ve FaceTimed the doggy hotel to confirm that Jackpot is still doing well and is still totally indifferent as to my whereabouts, after I’ve gone for a run, I grab a quick breakfast at the breakfast bar and text Aimee to see if she can come join me for a minute to chat.
AIMEE: Just me?
ME: If you can manage to get away from your husband without him coming after me with either a blunt or sharp object.
AIMEE: Everything okay?
ME: Is it that weird for me to want to hang out with my best friend’s wife for a brief amount of time?
AIMEE: Sort of?
ME: Just come get a cup of coffee or whatever.
AIMEE: On my way.
I wonder if she’s talked to Roxy. I wonder if she knows about last night. When she shows up, she’s looking at me like she’s expecting me to be bleeding from the head or something.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“I’m totally weirded out. Hi. Good morning. What’s up?”
“You getting coffee?”
“I think I’ve already had enough. What’s going on?” I search her face for clues, but she seems genuinely oblivious as to why I would want to have a chat with her.
There’s no cool way to lead into this, so I’m just gonna go for it. “I was just wondering about your friend’s relationship history.”
She blinks and then rubs her lips together and smacks them. She’s trying so hard not to smile. “You mean,your girlfriend’srelationship history?”
“Correct. Needless to say, your husband does not need to know that I’m asking about this.”
“Needless to say, Roxy doesn’t need to know either.”
“Agreed. Go on.”
Aimee taps her chin with the tip of her index finger. “Well…I met her in college, you know? At Ann Arbor.”
“I do.”
“She already had a boyfriend when I met her. From high school. Tad.”
