If I don’t hear from you soon, I’m going to tell your parents or come home myself. I’m worried.
I knew she wouldn’t actually come back, but getting my parents involved was the last thing I needed. I still hadn’t told them Reed and I had broken up.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Fine
Amy,
I’m fine. I just have nothing to say to you.
Juliet
I felt a little icky about doing it, considering how far away she was, but I wasn’t going to pretend nothing had happened. She’d violated my trust.
I needed to find a new job. Working with Reed wasn’t an option. Because of that, I had to face him on Monday. I’d spent the weekend holed up at the Delta Mu house. If Reed had come looking for me, I didn’t know it. He did, however, leave more than a dozen messages on my phone. I was holding up surprisingly well, but I missed him already. I took a deep breath before walking in to Al’s right at four-thirty.
“Juliet.” Reed looked up. A hopeful look crossed his face, and I hated knowing I was about to dash it, even though he completely deserved it. “Did you get my messages? I called all weekend.”
“I got them. I wasn’t ready to talk.”
“But you are now?” He pulled out my usual stool for me.
“I just came by to thank you for the job, but I’m not going to be working here anymore.”
“Don’t quit. Please don’t quit.” It looked like he hadn’t slept in days. I hadn’t either.
“I have to.”
“No, you don’t. We’re going through a rough patch, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together,” he said in a desperate voice. It hurt to hear him that way, but I had to hold my ground.
“A rough patch? Is that what you call it?”
“Yes. This isn’t the end. I’m positive.”
“How can you be so sure?”
His eyes were so full of emotion. “You came here in person to quit.”
“Maybe I just wanted to be professional.”
“No. You wanted to see me. You can take all the time you need. When you’re ready, I promise I’ll still be here. I’m not giving up on us.”
I felt the tears welling and knew it was time to leave. “Bye, Reed.”
“See you soon, Juliet.” He sounded calm, but his face was everything but. By the way his hands grabbed the counter, I knew he was trying hard to avoid reaching out to me.
I walked out wanting more than anything to look back.
***
I got a job at a little bar and grill really easily. It was another local hang out, and one of the girls in my sorority worked there a few nights a week. The assistant manager said that anyone who could handle the late night crowds at Al’s was experienced enough for him. I filled out my paperwork, glad I’d only had to apply to one place. I knew this job would be more work than my last one, and that I wouldn’t get paid to do homework, but it would serve its purpose.
Because life had a sense of humor, I had Friday night off. It also happened to be Valentine’s Day. I was getting ready to head out for a girls’ night with Mallory when I noticed how depressed Tally looked. She was curled up on her bed in pajamas.
“Do you have plans?” I knew she’d probably bite my head off, but I couldn’t just leave her there.
“What do you think?” she snapped.
“Mallory and I are going to this singles’ night thing at a fondue place. Do you want to come?”
“Fondue?”
“Yeah, you in?” I expected her to say no.
“Why not? Can you give me five minutes to get ready?”
“Sure, I’ll tell Mallory.”
Fifteen minutes later, I slipped into a cab with Tally and Mallory. I tried not to think about the Valentine’s Day I was supposed to be having. Reed had gotten us reservations at the Charleston Place Hotel for dinner. He’d also reserved us a room. I hoped he wasn’t using them on someone else.
“Juliet, you okay?” Mal looked at me.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“It’s okay to miss him.” She put a hand on my arm.
“Let’s not talk about him.”
“Good idea.” Tally had a different idea of how to comfort. I didn’t know which one I liked better.
The cab dropped us off right in front of the restaurant. A decent crowd mingled around the entrance, but we went inside, hoping some of them were just waiting around. I was about to give our name to the hostess when I saw a site I knew would throw Tally into a funk. Dylan and Ryan sat at a table with a couple of girls.
I headed back to my friends. “Do you guys really want to eat here?”
“What’s wrong?” Tally asked immediately.
“Your ex may or may not be here.” Before I even finished the sentence, Tally was peering around the corner.
“Darn it.” The look on Tally’s face was one I understood.
I was about to once again suggest we leave when I noticed a group of good looking guys watching us. I smiled, hatching a plan. One of the guys smiled back, and I took it as an invitation.
“Be right back.”
“Hey there,” the guy who smiled said as soon as I walked over. I didn’t need to turn around to know that Tally and Mallory were probably staring at me.
“Hi. I know this is going to sound really strange, but I have a favor to ask.” I couldn’t believe I was about to do it. I turned back around and saw the look of hurt on Tally’s face. It was the only motivation I needed. “Is there any way you guys would share a table with my friends and me?” I gestured over to Tally and Mallory.
I had all of the guys’ attention.
The first guy grinned. “That doesn’t sound very strange. Forward, but not strange.”
“You see, my friend’s ex-boyfriend is here. And, okay, my ex too, but this is about her. They’re here with girls, and I don’t want her to feel embarrassed.”
The guys all laughed. “I get it.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Not a problem.”
“Are you guys all at the Citadel?” I gestured to the hat one wore.
“Yeah. Why?” the one with the hat asked.
“My dad was Army.” Maybe common ground would make me seem less weird.
“Oh, cool.”
“I’m Juliet, by the way. Want to meet my friends?”
“Sure.” The first guy nodded.
“Well, hello there.” Mallory recovered quickly from her surprise when I walked over with the four guys. Tally grinned. It was worth the embarrassment for that smile.
We waited a few minutes before we got a table. Tally made sure to take a seat with her back partially to Ryan, but I wasn’t so lucky. I tried not to look at Dylan while I chatted with the two guys seated on either side of me. We hadn’t even gotten our first course when Ryan noticed us. The look of shock on his face when he realized Tally was with me was priceless. He nudged Dylan who looked right at me. He looked confused for a moment but then quickly got up and walked over.
“Where’s Reed?” Dylan cut right to the chase.
“We broke up.” I refused to look down. Dylan couldn’t intimidate me anymore. It hurt to talk about Reed though.
“Oh.” His shoulders relaxed but then he looked at Chad, the guy on my right who had just put his arm around my shoulder. His friend Mike was doing the same thing with Tally.
Ryan looked like he was going to be sick. He walked over right as Mike said something to make Tally laugh. The timing was perfect. She turned and met Ryan’s eye.
“Hi, Ryan,” she said in an overly sweet voice.
“Hey, Tally. You, uh, look great.”
“Your date looks great, too.” She nodded toward the girls at their table. They watched us with confusion.
“She’s not my date. We’re here as friends.”
“Whatever.” Tally looked back over at Mike.
Dylan was still looking at Chad and me, trying to figure it out.
&
nbsp; “Well, it was nice seeing you guys, but I think your friends want you back.”
Dylan recovered first. “Oh, yeah. I guess you’re right. But if you ever want to talk or meet for coffee or something, just give me a call.”
“Good night.” I didn’t think I needed to bother turning him down. I never thought I’d live to see the day when Dylan asked me out for coffee.
The rest of dinner was pleasant. It actually seemed like Tally and Mike were hitting it off. That’s the reason I was more than willing to go with the guys to a house party.
We hung out with them a few hours, and I took Chad’s number strictly as friends. He said he wouldn’t mind an invite to any of my sorority parties. I promised him I’d keep him in mind. Maybe it wasn’t the best Valentine’s Day ever, but it did fix things with Tally. I had just turned off the light when I knew it for sure.
“Thanks, Juliet.”
“What am I being thanked for, exactly?”
“For being you.”
I laughed. “It takes a lot of work to do that.”
“And you manage to make it seem effortless.”
“It’s called talent.” I went to sleep with a smile on my face.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Nineteen wasn’t a big birthday the last time I checked.” I set aside my history book.
“Any birthday is a big birthday. Well, until thirty, then it goes downhill. Or that’s what my mom says.” Mallory continued browsing the dresses in my closet.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about going out, I just don’t want you guys to feel like you have to make a big deal of it.”
“You made a big deal out of mine.” Cara smiled. I had a feeling she was daydreaming about Aaron.
“What time are we going?” I joined Mallory at my closet. I had no clue what to wear.
“Nine. And I think you should wear this one.” Mallory held up a simple, black halter dress. It was short, but not too short.
“I was going to pick that one.”
“Great minds think alike.”
I laughed. “That they do.”
I had just put away my makeup bag when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but based on the extra digits, I had a suspicion about who it might be.
“Hello?”
“Juliet, hey. Please, let me talk.”
Cara and Mallory waved as they slipped out of the room.
I realized that I was over being angry with her. Besides, I’d missed hearing her voice. “Hi, Amy.”
“I’m sorry. I messed up, but I was only trying to help you.”
“I get that, and I forgive you. But next time, let me handle it myself.” I’d always gone to Amy for advice about everything. It was time I grew up and figured things out on my own.
“Sometimes I forget you’re not a little kid anymore.”
“I’m not. I’m sure I’ll keep making mistakes, but they’re mine to make.”
“He’s a good guy,” she said nervously.
“Are you trying to push your luck?”
“It’s true. I think he really cares about you, and if you love him, you should give it another chance.” She sounded sincere, as if she really believed it.
I sighed. “I’m glad you called, Amy. I really am, but I don’t want to talk about Reed.”
“Happy birthday.”
“Thanks, I wasn’t sure if you remembered what day it was.”
“Of course I did. I miss you. Maybe you can come out here when I have my time off.”
I laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“You too. Love you.”
“Love you too, Juliet.”
I set aside my phone with a mix of emotions. It was great talking to Amy, but I hated how she made me think about Reed even more than I already did.
***
The club was packed. After waiting in line for what felt like forever, we got in.
“What do you guys want to drink?” Cara asked.
“Just a beer for me.” I still didn’t love getting drunk. I liked being in control, and I couldn’t do that if I had more than a few drinks. I’d learned that the hard way at one of Reed’s date parties. He’d been there to take care of me, but I’m pretty sure I ended up dancing on a table. After that incident, I’d discovered that I could nurse a beer a lot longer than anything else.
“Same. Want to just get some Coronas?”
“Sure. Be right back.” Cara walked over to the bar, flashing a smile at the bartender to cut ahead of about ten people.
I laughed. “She’s got the touch.”
“You could probably pull it off, too. Especially in a dress like that.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Mallory looked down at her tight red dress. “Good point.”
We were still laughing when Cara got back. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?”
“What?” My stomach dropped. By the smile on her face, I was pretty sure I knew both.
“The good news is that Aaron is here.”
“Does the bad news have to do with Reed?” I didn’t even need to ask. I’d run into him on campus a few times but refused to talk to him. I missed him too much.
“Yeah, he’s here too. I think he has a birthday present for you, by the way.”
“I don’t want anything from him.”
“You know he’s still crazy about you, right?”
“Yeah? Then why is he flirting with Amber Neils?” I nodded toward where he stood with the girl he’d gone to a crush party with months before.
“He’s not flirting.”
“Whatever. Go hang out with Aaron. I’ll do my own thing.”
“Hey, I’m not ditching you.” I didn’t need to turn around to realize they were both following me.
“I know you want to hang out with him. I don’t care.” I could feel tears welling. I couldn’t believe it bothered me so much. I knew he’d date someone else eventually.
“Why don’t you just admit you want to get back together with him? That would solve everything.” Mallory touched my arm gently.
“Except I don’t want to. I’m not ready.”
“All right, then. Let’s go dance.” Mallory took my hand, leading me into the crowd. I downed my beer, enjoying the music. I decided to have one more beer, and that was probably a good thing.
“You ready to have some real fun?” Mallory knew how to make everything interesting. She was an awesome friend, and it was hard to imagine surviving college without her.
“Real fun?”
She grinned and then leaned over to whisper in Cara’s ear.
“I know you’re talking about me.”
“We are. Consider it a birthday present.”
Mallory took my hand and stopped in front of one of those dance platforms. She got the attention of one of the girls up there. “No way. No way, Mallory.”
“Oh, yes.” She headed up, pulling me with her.
I took a deep breath. I could do this. I could dance.
Mallory made it easy. We danced closely, and I knew from the shouting that we had an audience. What did surprise me was when Mallory whispered in my ear. “It looks like you got someone’s attention.”
I followed her gaze. Reed stood on the floor right next to us, watching me with wide eyes. Mallory and I jumped down together.
“I’m going to get a drink.” She winked and walked off.
“Any chance I can get a dance with the birthday girl?” Reed gave me the sweet smile that always melted my heart.
“I don’t think so.”
“Just one dance?” His eyes pleaded.
I nodded. “Just one.”
He started to move, putting his arms around my waist. The contact felt so good that I didn’t shrug him off until the end of the song.
“You’re really sticking to the one song thing?” Disappointment was clear in his voice.
“I can’t do this. I don’t think—”
“Don’t. Just take this.” He slid a small USB drive into my palm.
“What is it?”
“The emails, all of them. Do us both a favor, and keep reading. You stopped too early.”
“Reed, I don’t know what you’re expecting it to do.”
“Nothing. I’m not expecting it to do anything, but I want you to read them anyway. I also want you to know that I’m here. I’m not giving up on us. When you’re ready, come find me.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Happy birthday.” He watched me for a second before walking away. I stood there, stunned, clutching the small, black piece of plastic.
I was still clutching the USB drive when Mallory found me a few minutes later. “Do I want to know what that is?” She touched my fist.
“Something I don’t want to look at but probably should.”
“In that case, do you want to get a cab home? I have a feeling Cara’s going to stay.”
I followed Mallory’s gaze to where Cara leaned into Aaron. “Yeah, let’s head home.”
***
I read through the emails. I’d prepared with a cup of hot chocolate and a box of tissues. Starting to read them at one a.m. probably wasn’t the best idea, but I just wanted to get it over with. Tally had gone home for the weekend, so I could cry as loud as I wanted to.
I started where I’d left off. They were more of the same. Mostly, just updates on me, but then, suddenly, they changed.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Hey
Amy,
She’s a lot cooler than you give her credit for. I keep thinking of ways to kill Dylan Bradley any time I see them together. He doesn’t deserve her.
Reed
***
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Hey
Reed,
Are you into my cousin? Be honest.
Amy
***
To: [email protected]
The Hazards of Skinny Dipping Page 19
