Page 79 of The Moon Also Rises
Dana squints at me. “Do you really think that?”
“That it will be awkward and uncomfortable? It already is, Dana. After I told him that we should put the brakes on a few days ago, the tension in the office has been unbearable. He’s gone from taking three-hour walks to make his calls to being out for nearly six hours every day. I actually can’t believe he walks so many miles in Louboutin loafers, but I guess that’s what you get when you spend more than a week’s rent on shoes.”
Dana tuts me. “Trust you to know exactly how expensive his shoes are.” She reaches to grab the bottle of wine and top our glasses up, but I intercept and take over because I am a gentleman with hospitality training… and I also think there’s a decent chance of her spilling half of it.
“The point is, I feel like I’ve probably dodged a bullet. I’m turning forty this year. It’s time to be a bit more sensible and not just jump into bed with the first inappropriate man who shows me a little bit of interest.”
“You know that forty rhymes with naughty?” Dana says with an evil wink.
“Can we talk about you now? How are you? How’s Barcelona? How’s married life? Please lie and say all the above are terrible.”
“All the above are terrible,” she says dutifully. “Which of course is not true. They’re all wonderful. But I’m not going to let you change the subject, Jake. I want to see you happy.”
“I am happy!” I say, possibly louder than necessary.
“Well, you could be happier,” Dana suggests and I’m starting to think her glass is now glued to her hand as it hasn’t touched the table since I topped it up. “What does Jenna think about Rami?”
That shuts me up. Because Jenna knows a different version of this story, the one where we’re fake dating, which I didn’t tell Dana because then I’d have to tell her about Lionel.Goodness, lies get messy very quickly.
“Jenna wants to meet him,” I say, which is true. “I guess to check him out or something.”
“I do too,” Dana says after another swig. “Oh, wait. Can we call him? Get him on a video chat? Or better yet, get him to come down and meet us. Where does he live?”
“Hoxton, I believe.”
“That’s literally just around the corner!”
“It’s around several corners.”
“But he could be here in minutes, not hours. That’s lightning fast in London!”
“I’m not calling him,” I say but I don’t miss how a part of me wakes up with this suggestion.
“Oh, but you said he wanted to take you out, so I bet he’s free. I bet he’s sat at home waiting for you to call.”
I glance at my watch which requires an elaborate flick of my wrist that comes far too easily. “It’s gone ten o’clock. He’s probably getting ready for bed. He’s going up to Birmingham tomorrow to spend the day with his family.”
“Ah, what a sweetheart,” Dana slurs.
“He does it every week.” I smile.
“Stop, you’re killing me. A family man and a dirty talker, this is an elite pairing, Jake. I think you should definitely call him.”
“I’m. Not. Going. To. Call. Him,” I say but out of sight my fingers tap my jeans pocket where my phone is.
After briefly narrowing her eyes at me again, Dana flicks out her long black hair and then changes the direction of the conversation.
“Have you seen Dove recently?” she asks referring to our other best friend from college. I used to refer to them as my Double Ds.
“Not for a few weeks. But no doubt she and Keeley are very happy,” I say with a genuine smile. See, I can still be happy for people who are luckier in love than me.
“I miss them.” Dana pouts. “And how is Jenna? Still in Dublin? Still ridiculously in love?”
“Sickeningly so,” I say.
“Don’t you want that?” Dana asks and it stuns me a little.
“What?”
