Page 23 of Unrealistic Expectations

That shook her out of her stupor. “Okay? Yeah, sure.”

His forehead crinkled up. “You sure? Did something happen with one of your clients? We can reschedule if you don’t want to hang out.”

Luke had never given her that kind of consideration. He’d rarely asked about her work. In his view, he had the more important job because he fixed internal organs. She was only trying to help people fix their thoughts and lives, so his profession overshadowed hers. And when he was available, he’d expected her to make herself available. So while she’d had a lot of alone time when he was at work, she’d felt like she couldn’t take a time-out for herself when they were together. At least until she’d gotten a book deal, and Luke had really started pulling away from the relationship.

“Thank you for asking me that,” Jessica said. Galvin really did have the potential to be a great real partner for someone. If he was this good at attending to someone else’s needs who he wasn’t in love with, he would be a superstar boyfriend to someone he was really into. “But I’m fine, and you probably spent too much money renting this place out—”

Galvin made a motion with his hands that made her stop in her tracks. “I spent no money and only one favor.”

“Really?” Jessica asked. “How did you manage this?”

“I designed the executive chef and his fiancée’s new house, and we became friends.” Galvin looked behind him, and that was when Jessica realized that they were not alone. There was a tall, handsome chef that she recognized from seeing him judging a cooking competition show on the Food Network—Will something or other—and a bombshell standing very close to him who she assumed was his fiancée. “Jessica Gallagher, I want you to meet Will Harkness and Alex Turner.”

Both of them smiled at her, which eased the last of her nerves. She waved. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

Alex looked at Galvin. “I almost didn’t believe you when you told me that you’d found anyone in this town willing to date you.”

“Just like I was surprised that Will didn’t dump you after you threw that fit over the entryway tile,” Galvin said.

Will just shrugged. “I’m used to it by now. Keeps things spicy.”

Alex gave her fiancé a dirty look, and he laughed.

Jessica turned to Galvin and asked, “Am I here to do some impromptu relationship therapy?”

Galvin laughed. “Nah, we’re here for a cooking lesson.”

“I’ve never even cooked for you. How do you know that I need cooking lessons?”

He cocked his head. “I don’t. I’m not trying to insult you or insinuate that there’s anything wrong with your cooking.” He sighed and seemed to deflate a little, which made Jessica feel instantly guilty. “I just thought that this would be a fun way to connect. And that we could put the food in your stories and get more views.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Galvin paused and gave her one of those looks that made it feel as though he could see right through her. “I’m beginning to wonder if Luke was more of an asshole than even I thought.”

“Luke wasn’t always an asshole. At least not to me.” There was no real passion behind her defense of her ex. She didn’t know why she was defending him anyway. She had assumed that Galvin had planned this lovely date because he thought she was a bad cook, even though he had no reason to think that, because Luke had been critical of her cooking. “But he did always have ‘suggestions’ for how I could improve at things.”

Galvin made a weird face, and so did Alex and Will. Jessica felt embarrassed to be having this conversation in front of strangers. But neither of them looked like they pitied her.

“Don’t worry,” Alex said. “That’s just run-of-the-mill emotional abuse—pretty much a random Wednesday—in my line of work.”

Grateful for the opportunity to be the one asking questions, Jessica said, “Oh, what do you do?”

“I’m a divorce attorney,” Alex said. “Sounds like you are well rid of your ex and might need my services.”

“We were never married.” Jessica shook her head, thinking about how stupid she now felt to have been with the same guy for fifteen years and have nothing to show for it.

“Too bad. It sounds like I would have had a good time making sure he walked away without even his dignity.”

“I’m afraid that I’m the one without the dignity. He walked out the day before my book came out.”

“You’re an author?” Alex asked. “I’m always looking for a good book to read.”

“It’s a dating book.” Jessica looked meaningfully at Will. “Unless I’m reading the situation wrong, I don’t think you’ll be needing it.”

Galvin put his arm around her, and she was proud that she didn’t even startle this time. “Besides,” he told Alex, “it’s for straight men, so it would be more helpful to Will if he ever decided that you were too much of a harpy to marry.”

“Are you always this mean to your clients?” Jessica asked Galvin.

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