Page 65 of Blakely and Liam

“Are you moving to his tiny shit-town in the woods?”

“No, that’s not...”

She said, “Back me up, Dylan, what do you think?”

Dylan said, “I think you’re wasting your time, Blakely, he’s a player. All the ladies like the Scottish rugby players, he’s probably already found someone else. They wear skirts when they play, that’s a thing, they dance around with these pipe bags playing during the matches. They had to make different rules, because they can’t play in the skirts with the regular—”

I shook my head. “None of that is true.”

Jess said, “Dylan has a point though, are you moving to Scotland with this guy? No, because he hasn’t asked. He’s just calling you every night because he’s bored and homesick and you’re a fine piece of ass. Probably the best piece of ass he’s ever—”

“It’s not like that. And what do you know, Dylan? You’re just living in a back house, buying and selling bullshit.”

He grinned. “Crypto, it’s the way of the future, it’s how we’re going to—”

I rolled my eyes.

He chuckled. “Now is not the time.”

Jess continued, “You’re not going to move to his tiny town where his broke ass is trying to run a broken-down motel — so what are you doing? You just stringing him along? Long distance doesn’t work and you know it.”

I looked down at my hands. “Yeah, I know it. This is different though,”

“Is it? I’ve known you for a long time. I know what this is. You’re rebounding with the guy who pays attention. Didn’t you meet two nice guys from southern California?”

“Yeah... George and Frank.” I had a petulant frown on my face.

“Why don’t you call them? Ask one of them to meet you in a bar, at least it’s uncomplicated.”

“At least one of them was gay, I think, they weren’t together-together but...”

She said, “Well, that makes one of them not gay. Look, I’m not going to keep harping on it... here’s an exercise: you have a life, right? He has a life. You went and slept in his motel, drank in his pub, you fit in his life well enough, but you don’t want to live there. Now imagine him in your life. Imagine him pulling up in his truck in front of your house.”

I scowled.

She said, “I’m just trying to help.”

“Yeah, there’s just a lot going on, too much to...”

“Exactly my point, you need to think about him for once. You’re taking. You’re leading him on, and for what... while Blakely figures out what she wants to do with her life?”

I stood up, went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and pushed it under the water dispenser on the fridge door. Standing there with my back to her while the water poured, I asked, “You really think I’m being mean?”

“Yeah, if you aren’t realistically going to have him move to LA and move into your house, if you can’t imagine it, then you are confused and you’re leading him on. I believe you are not thinking clearly because this long-distance phone-relationship is clouding your judgment.”

“And I usually have impeccable judgment.”

Water overflowed the rim of the glass and poured down my hand. I mopped it up with a kitchen towel that said, ‘Bitch be ready to Bake.’

I sighed. “I can’t really imagine him here, but maybe...”

“What, you’re going to change everything in your life for this guy you just met and mostly know by phone?” She put her hands up, “I’m going to be quiet. You think about it. Your divorce is about to be finalized. You’re about to be free. You can start your own company, buy a new house, be fabulous. Just think about it... He’s probably great, but he’s not the only guy and you don’t need to look three thousand miles away. He deserves a nice Scottish girl, right? You got between him and his girlfriend, you’re leading him on. I just don’t like the—”

I drank some water then put down the glass. “I think I need to go home and lie down.”

“You’re pissed. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go so far.”

“I know, I get it, I never thought about it that way. I like him, an awful lot, but...”

“Yeah, but be sensible.”

“I think I’m going to go call my Uber now, it... I have a lot to think about. The kind of stuff I want to be in pajamas for. Cool?”

“Yeah, me and Dylan are going to paint more door pulls, right Dylan?”

“That’s why I come over, to eat late night snacks and do high-hobbying.”

“Good, have fun!” I said, overly cheery, and got an Uber to take me home.

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