Page 110 of The Wedding Confession

Ronnie pokes me again. “When she thought you two had a chance, she found a way to be near you until she could figure things out. Of course she didn’t quit her old job. You know how she grew up. She wasn’t going to risk being hungry and homeless if you dumped her. And that’s exactly what you did! Thank God she was smart enough not to put her future in your hands!”

Even though I want to argue with Ronnie about the nature of firing Ensley, I’m stopped by one thing she said. That Ensley wouldn’t have risked her job without knowing she was safe.

Damn it.

Of course.

Shit.

“Yeah, I see you putting it together.” Ronnie pokes me again for good measure. “And you had to go and break her damn heart.”

“Nobody’s heart was broken,” I say. “We only had three dates.”

“And how many do you usually do?” Ronnie asks. “Oh wait, you told her straight up. One. One damn date. And she got three! She was so happy. She’s crushed on you since she was twelve years old! You’re her big blind spot! Oh! I wish I’d been here.” She turns and pokes Franklin in the chest. “And you wouldn’t let us have a satellite plan!”

Franklin knows better than to argue. “Sorry, babe.”

Ronnie turns back to me. “She thought you two were the real deal.”

Had she? Hadn’t I? I only know I saw red when I realized I’d been lied to. And I hadn’t even seen her again. She’d left like she told Todd she would, locking the lobby door at the end of the day and slipping out the back without a word to anyone.

Ronnie stands on her tiptoes, not that it gets her much closer to my face. “So what are you going to do about it, Drew Daniels?”

“I don’t think I can do anything,” I say. “She left. She didn’t say goodbye. We haven’t talked.”

Ronnie pokes me again. “Not good enough. It’s grand gesture time. I want to see you climbing a fire escape.”

“Doesn’t she live on the ground floor?” I ask, but Franklin gives me a throat-slicing motion over Ronnie’s head. “Of course,” I add.

“Show up in a limo. With roses. And give a big speech in front of a crowd.”

“Babe, I think you’ve watched too many rom-coms.” Franklin is hushed by Ronnie’s arm slashing through the air perilously close to his face.

“Ensley deserves it. She had my back at my wedding when everyone else just stood there. She has everybody’s back. And I bet she was the best damn employee you ever had.”

I take a step back, but Ronnie is unrelenting, walking forward so that I can’t escape her. “You will put yourself on the line for her. You will.”

“What if she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me?”

“Then you get to feel just a fraction of what she’s going through. It’s what. You. Deserve.” She punctuates each word with a stab in my chest.

“Okay, we’ve said our piece,” Franklin says. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

“Fine.” Ronnie’s face doesn’t change, but she lets Franklin guide her toward the door. “But if you don’t do your part, I’ll be back. I think she should quit you, but I’m not the one who can tell her to ignore her own heart.”

I’m certain hearts have nothing to do with it, but I hear what she’s saying. I sit down on my chair, elbows on my desk.

Sasha has been watching the entire exchange from a high perch on the file cabinet, but she jumps down, winding herself through my arms. The motor of her purr helps me calm.

There’s too much going on in my head to sort this now. I have work to do. My life doesn’t slow down for personal problems. There’s a rap on the door, and I prepare myself for round two of Ronnie’s onslaught, but it’s Tatiana.

“The second surgery canceled. The dog was throwing up through the night, and she didn’t feel it was a good day to do the neutering.”

I nod. “Thank you. Reschedule it.”

Tatiana gives me a look.

“Please reschedule it. Thank you.”

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