Page 66 of Partner Pursuit
Winnie and Eve ventured over, and she danced with them. Max joinedthem.
Eve said, “Pete’s going toclean up.”
“Definitely a keeper,” Audreysaid.
“No doubt.”
Colette came up to say that she was leaving, but she’d enjoyed the party and the food. A tall preppy guy was standing behind her. She introduced him to Audrey, saying that he was an old friend from college; neither had known the other was now living in the city. He put his arm around Colette as she talked and she glowed. Audrey watched them leave together. So, Colette was not datingTim.
As Jake rejoined them, Pete appeared and scooped up Eve for someswing-dancing.
At midnight, Audrey shut down the music and most guests left. Max and Jake pulled the couches out along with the coffee table, and Eve and Winnie piled the remaining food on the coffee table. Jake briefly opened the door to let in the fresh cold night air and let out any smell of alcohol. Audrey sank gratefully into the soft cushions of the couch, Jake sitting next to her. The heat of his thigh against hers warmed her. As the crowd thinned, Tim appeared and perched on the edge of the couch. But seeming to note that Audrey was flanked by Max and Jake on the couch, he said hisgoodbyes.
The remaining close group of friends—with Jake and Winnie joining in easily—hung out, doing a partypost-mortemanalysis until the food was finished. Most of Eve’s business cards had been taken, so that seemed positive. Eve had landed three engagements, one with Colette. As the conversation wound down, Max and Winnie both said they had to leave, and Eve and Pete also stood up, saying they’d help with any remainingclean-upin the morning.
ThatleftJake.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Having said goodbye to her friends, Audrey bounced back to the living room where Jake remained on the couch. Finally!Max’s parting comment had been auspicious: “I want a full update in themorning.”
The lighting remained dim; candles still flickered, giving it a romantic atmosphere. Jake, his dark, tousled hair hiding his face, was bent over, looking at his phone. She shivered. She couldn’t quite believe that it might happen, that it might work out with this funny, warm,up-for-anythingguy.
The floor creaked as she approached the couch, and Jake looked up. It was as if a shadow had passed over him. His eyes looked dark, and his face had paled so much that she could see his midnight shadow beard.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, shocked at the change.
He ran his hand through his hair and looked down athis phone.
“Sometimes I don’t know how she knows,” he said. “Myex-girlfriendtexted me—she’s got some crisis…”
“At one in themorning?”
“That’s when her emergencies happen,” he said sadly. “I probably should head over there and just make sure it’s nothing serious. It’s not that we’re together anymore, but I still feel responsible. I’m her closest friend here. We started dating shortly after she moved to the States, so she hasn’t made many other friends.” His eyes were looking intently into hers, as if to will her to understand. “And she’s a model, so it seems that the other women…aresuper-competitive. She can’t let them see her weak or distraught.”
It was a lot to take in.
“When did youbreak up?”
“A few months before I moved here.” His phone beeped again. He readthetext.
“What’s the emergency? Is she okay?”she asked.
He looked up and shook his head, “She’s just young and she gets anxious, and she doesn’t take criticism or pressure well. And she needs a lot of attention. I’m being too harsh here... because of the circumstances.” He hesitated. “She seems happy when you first meet her. But there is a darker side underneath the gaiety.”
He typed a message. “I have to go.” He stood. She walked him to the door. He looked torn. He moved to kiss her cheek and she tilted her head so he ended up kissing near her ear. She didn’t want to be kissed if he was leaving to see hisex-girlfriend.
“Did you have a jacket?”she asked.
He said no and pulled her into a tight hug. It felt like he was drawing support from her. They parted, and he disappeared down the stairs.
She leaned, drained, against the door, flattened by the toll of hosting the party and the disappointment that nothing had happened with Jake. Whereas before she’d been floating, she now crashed to the ground. She shook her head.Jake is a nice guy doing the right thing.She’d thought it was over with hisex-girlfriend.Clearly not.But he’d moved uptown.That is pretty drastic. Is he still emotionally involved? He is involved enough that he cares when she texts him and leaves in the middle of night to go to her. And leaves me.Maybe he hadn’t made a move because he still had feelings for Veronika.She wasn’t sure if that made her feel betteror worse.
Chapter Thirty
An emergency meeting convened at their Tribeca brunch place once Audrey texted Max that nothing had happened. She slumped against the turquoise diner seat as she finished recounting how Jake had left. After a brief pause, both Max and Evejumped in.
“He has a dark side. That makes him much more interesting than just a party boy,” Max said thoughtfully.
