“You got that right. Cheers.” He held up his glass to mine. “Happy New Year, Waverly. Here’s to drinking indoors.”
“Happy New Year, Ben.” I clinked my glass against his. “It’s been great working with you. Are you even old enough to drink? Or should I say to drink legally?”
He laughed. “Just barely, but I’m legal. Did you hear I’m going back to school in a few weeks?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Grad school?”
He shook his head. “Undergrad. I still have about a year left. I took a semester off for this internship, but I think I’ve decided that daytime TV isn’t for me.”
“Let me guess. You want to go work for a tech start-up?”
He looked shyly at the floor. “How did you know?”
I smiled. “I get the feeling that Love, Wendy isn’t really your cup of tea. I’m guessing your parents set up this internship?”
“How did you know?”
I shrugged. “Just a feeling.”
“I’ve always done pretty much what they want me to do, but I think it’s time for me to strike out on my own a bit, see what the future holds for me, you know?”
I smiled. “Believe me, I know.”
Scotty showed up at twelve thirty, weaving through the crowd and switching places with Ben, who wandered off in search of pizza.
“Waverly, love, I heard it went great.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “Indeed I did. Well done, my dear.”
I frowned. “I got a little emotional at the end. It was unexpected, and I think I sort of made a fool of myself.”
“Ah, shush, people love emotional. Now what can I get you to drink?”
I held my hand over my glass. “I’m good, thanks. I have a big day tomorrow.”
“A big day on New Year’s Day? Who makes plans for New Year’s Day other than to recover from New Year’s Eve?”
I forced a smile, but all I could think about was Jake and the conversation I was dreading.
“Kitten, are you OK?” Scotty gave me a serious look.”
“I’m fine.” Please don’t make me talk about this.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem like yourself.”
I was afraid I would start crying if I opened that door, so I changed the subject. “Where’s Tad?”
He held eye contact for a moment, then let it go and looked at his watch. “He should be home by now. We left the last party right after midnight, and he dashed for a cab before the masses set in. Tad hates getting stuck on the streets after midnight on New Year’s Eve. He likens it to being at Walmart during a half-off special on mayonnaise.”
I laughed, and then glanced toward the door. “I hadn’t thought of that. If I can’t find a taxi, I guess I’ll have to take the subway back to Brooklyn.”
“Ah, look at you, still taking the subway. Your star is on the rise, my princess. Soon you may be too popular to take public transportation.”
I laughed. “I’ll believe that when I see it. As far as I can tell, ninety-nine point nine percent of people who have ever seen me on TV live far outside of New York City. And that’s a conservative estimate.”
He touched a finger to my nose. “Touché.”
“Speaking of people outside New York City, I wonder what some of them are up to.” I pulled out my phone to check my text messages. I’d sent Jake a note earlier, but he hadn’t replied yet. If Scotty noticed the disappointment on my face, he didn’t let on. He waited until I put my phone away to speak.
“So, sweetheart, I have some news.”
I raised my eyebrows. “News?”
He smiled.
“About the show?”
He shook his head.
“Good news?”
He nodded.
“Does it involve me?”
He shook his head.
“Well? Are you going to just leave me hanging?”
He leaned in close and whispered into my ear. “I’m going to propose to Tad tomorrow.”
My eyes got big. “No way. For real? That’s wonderful!”
He grinned. “I know. Can you believe it? Me? I never thought I’d see the day.”
“I never thought I’d see the day either.”
“I just hope he says yes.”
I pushed him on the shoulder. “Please. You know he will. He’s completely smitten.”
He laughed. “OK, you’re right. I know he will. But still, I’m really nervous. And you know me, I never get nervous.”
“See? You do have plans tomorrow.”
“Ha. I guess you’re right.”
I pointed at him. “Important plans, I might add. I’m thrilled for you, Scotty.”
“Thank you, kitten. I’m pretty thrilled too. Here’s to new beginnings.” He lifted his glass to mine.
“To new beginnings.” I clinked my glass against his and could only hope his new beginning with Tad didn’t coincide with the ending of Jake and me.
Scotty excused himself to use the restroom, and as soon as he was gone, I checked my phone again to see if Jake had replied yet.
This time he had:
Happy New Year to you too. Party fun but packed. See u tomorrow.
I studied the message for a few moments before tossing my phone back in my purse.
Ugh.
I could read the words, but nothing in between.
• • •
When it finally stopped snowing an hour or so later, we all streamed out of the bar and scattered every which way in a mad dash to find a cab. As I scanned the taxi-free streets, I was immediately jealous of Tad, cozy and warm at home.
Damn him for being so smart.
I wandered for a few blocks and was nearly back to the NBC building before finally spotting some empty cabs idling down the street. I quickened my step, and as I approached them, I saw two women doing the same thing from the other direction, about thirty feet away from me. They were holding hands and giggling, and not in a platonic way.
I froze in my tracks.
I watched them for a few moments, and then they hailed a cab and got in together.
I still didn’t move as the taxi slowly pulled away from the curb.
One of the women was Tanya, the makeup artist.
The other woman was Wendy.
When I woke up the next morning, I had so much on my mind that watching the Love, Wendy show from the night before wasn’t even on the list. I put on a pot of coffee, then sat on the couch in my pajamas and tried to process it all.
Wendy and…Tanya?
I couldn’t shake the image of the two of them getting into that cab together. Wendy is gay? Huh?
It didn’t make any sense. From the moment I’d met her, she’d bragged about having been with the same guy since high school, her wonderful huuusband, Gary.
The same man who was having an affair with Paige.
What?
I thought of that night I’d caught Wendy drinking in the conference room. What exactly had she said? Something about her marriage being a fraud? About another woman getting in the way?
I’d assumed she was talking about Paige, but apparently, I was wrong.
I covered my eyes with my hands.
She was talking about Tanya.
I stood up and poured myself a cup of coffee, doctoring it with half-and-half and sugar.
Wendy and Gary clearly had a troubled marriage, but it had never occurred to me that Wendy was the one rocking the boat.
I sat back on the couch and leaned into the cushion. Does anyone else know?
Suddenly, I sat up straight.
Scotty knows.
I thought of all the times Wendy had snapped at him, or said something critical for no apparent reason. He always let it roll off his back, which I admired. I’d just assumed she was homophobic.
That’s why she is so mean to him. Scotty was living in the open about something she was clearly trying to hide. Did she resent him? Envy him? Was she projecting her own internal struggle onto him? I couldn
’t imagine what it would be like to live like that. To live, as Wendy herself had told me, a lie.
That’s why Scotty cuts her slack. He knows what she’s dealing with.
Scotty Ryan. Boss, friend, confidant, all-around stud, was also a world-class diplomat. They sure threw away the mold when they made that one.
• • •
At quarter to eleven, I left my apartment and walked over to the new office in Dumbo. I still hadn’t connected with Paige and could only hope she would show up. The streets were practically deserted, the crisp air quiet and peaceful. Just as I reached Cadman Plaza Park, it started snowing again, so I pulled an umbrella out of my purse and opened it. I loved walking in the snow with an umbrella. It was one of those things I’d never even known that people did on the East Coast when I lived in San Francisco. Now it made me feel like a smart New Yorker. Like part of the club.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at the lobby of our building. I looked up at the number for a moment, then pulled off a glove and dug around in my purse for the keys. I hiked up to the third floor and unlocked the door to the new office of Waverly’s Honey Shop.
It was small, but it was bright, open and inviting, with a hardwood floor, large windows, and freshly painted white walls. A small conference table sat in the center of the room with four chairs around it.
I took a seat and waited.
• • •
At 11:13, Paige walked through the door.
“Happy New Year,” she said with a nervous smile. Even in the most awkward of situations, Paige was always kind. “Sorry I’m late.”
I stood up and ran over to her, throwing my arms around her. “I’m so glad you came. I’m so sorry, Paige.”
She hugged me back, and then held me away from her, her hands on my shoulders. “Whoa, down girl, are you OK? What are you sorry for?”
“A lot of things. I’ve been a little…confused.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Confused about what?” she finally said.
Now it was my turn not to say anything, because I didn’t know what to say.
“Waverly?”
I looked out the window. “The name of this neighborhood is appropriate for me, don’t you think?”
“Huh?”
I kept looking out the window. “You know, Dumbo? God knows I’ve acted like a dumb ass lately.”
She laughed. “Waverly, what are you talking about?”
I turned to face her.
“I know,” I blurted. Ugh, so graceful.
She raised her eyebrows but didn’t reply.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, she finally spoke.
“You know?”
I nodded.
“You know…what?”
I didn’t want to say anything compromising. What if she didn’t know?
I thought for a moment.
What should I say?
How can I put this without giving anything away?
I walked over to the conference room table and sat down, interlacing my fingers in front of me. Paige took off her coat and hung it over her chair as she took a seat across the table.
“Waverly, will you please tell me what you’re talking about?”
I finally looked up from my hands and made eye contact.
“I saw her last night…with Tanya.” I said softly.
A light went on in Paige’s eyes.
“Wendy?”
I nodded.
“You saw Wendy with Tanya?”
I nodded again.
She scratched her cheek. “So you do know.”
“Apparently so.”
She smiled. “Things aren’t always what they appear to be, are they?”
I put my hands on my forehead. “You can say that again. I’m so sorry for judging you, Paige. I had no idea.”
She shrugged and pushed her hair behind her ears, and for a brief moment, she could have been Andie. “It’s OK. You didn’t know. And it certainly wasn’t my place to tell you.”
“So you just let me think you were a…home wrecker?”
She laughed. “What else was I supposed to do? He didn’t want anyone to know. He does love her, you know.”
And you must really love him, I thought. I was so impressed that she’d kept quiet about everything.
“So um, how long…or has it always been…” My voice trailed off.
She sighed. “I guess I can tell you the whole story now. Do you mind if I get some water first?” She looked over at the water cooler, our one piece of office furniture other than the table and chairs. A few paper cups were stacked on top of the plastic jug.
“Of course not. Go ahead.”
“You want some?”
“Sure, thanks.”
She poured us each a cup, then handed me one and sat down.
“So?” I said, my eyes getting big.
“From what Wendy has told Gary, it started in February, when she appeared on the Today show.”
“You mean the Valentine’s feature? When I first met her?” I’d never forget how awful Wendy had been to me that day.
She took a sip of her water. “Yep. Tanya did her makeup.”
“Tanya did her makeup, and she suddenly became a lesbian?”
Paige laughed. “I don’t think so. But that was the first time she acted on it, although apparently it was just a kiss, and they didn’t start seeing each other until after she moved here for the Love, Wendy job.” She lowered her voice. “Gary and Wendy hadn’t slept together in five years.”
“Five years?”
She nodded. “Wendy always had an excuse. Too tired, need to get up early, have to help the kids, that sort of thing.”
“For five years?”
“For five years.”
“And he never suspected the real reason?”
She shook her head. “He thinks even Wendy didn’t know the real reason, or that she’d buried it so deep inside that she couldn’t bring herself to consider it. I mean, look at where she’s from. They’ve been together since high school. She was head cheerleader, then Miss South Carolina, then a famous relationship expert with a huge heterosexual fan base, and a conservative one at that. What would happen to her world if it turned out she was gay?”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“Exactly. So anyhow, for a long time something was clearly wrong, yet Gary couldn’t figure out what, and she wasn’t talking. But after she came back from the Today show, he could tell something had happened, and he thought she’d been with another man. For a while, Wendy denied it, but then she finally broke down and came clean.”
“And he agreed to stay with her?”
“She begged him. She’d just been offered the Love, Wendy gig, and she was afraid that getting divorced or even separated would ruin it for her. So he agreed to stick around and keep up the charade for a while, but only under one condition.”
“What was that?”
“That if he met someone else, Wendy wouldn’t get in the way.”
“And then he met you?”
She nodded. “And then he met me.”
“Wow.”
“I know. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“When did he tell you the truth about his situation?”
“The night I met him.”
“No way. He really did?”
“He really did.”
“But wasn’t that jeopardizing Wendy? I mean, what if you’d never seen him again?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t tell me her name or what she did for a living or anything, but he was completely honest with me. He’s an amazing guy, Waverly.”
I slouched in my seat. “Wow, and I was such a bitch to him at the holiday party.”
“It’s OK, he understands. We both know you’ve been in an extremely awkward situation. It’s not like this has been a bowl of ice cream for anyone.”
“I could use a bowl of ice cream right now.”
She looked at her watch. “At eleven thi
rty in the morning?”
“Hey now, it’s never too early for ice cream. So, you’re sure you don’t hate me?”
She laughed. “Of course not.”
“And Gary doesn’t hate me either?”
“Definitely not. How were you supposed to act toward him? You thought he was cheating on your boss and screwing over a good friend of yours. Why wouldn’t you be a little rude to him?”
I smiled weakly. “So you still consider me a good friend?”
“Of course I do, Waverly. A very good friend.”
I felt a few tears welling up. “When I got your message, I thought you hated me. I thought I’d totally blown it.”
“I know. I’m sorry. When he told me you’d seen him at your holiday party, I didn’t know what to say to you. So I just sort of retreated, which is how I tend to deal with things when they get uncomfortable.”
I smiled. “Join the club.” I looked around the office, then back at her. “So since you don’t hate me, does that mean you’re not quitting? This whole operation would fall apart without you.”
She didn’t reply.
“Please tell me you’re staying.”
She still didn’t reply.
“Paige?”
She took a deep breath, and I held mine.
“The thing is…”
I stared at her.
“The thing is…” she started again.
“The thing is what?”
She looked at me. “I’m pregnant, Waverly.”
“What? You’re pregnant?”
She nodded. “Six weeks.”
“Oh my God, Paige, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to keep it.”
“Really? So this is…good news?”
She finally broke into a smile. “It’s not ideal, but I’m happy.”
“So what’s going to happen with Gary?”
She smiled wider. “Well…I thought I was going to end up moving to Nashville, but we’ve been talking about it, and he’s moving to New York.”
“No way. For real?”
She nodded. “For real.”
“What about his kids?”
“The youngest graduates from high school in May, so as soon as he’s off to college, Gary’s going to pack things up and move here.”
“And Wendy?”
“She’s keeping her own apartment in the West Village. She’s basically been living there all this time anyway, traveling back and forth to Nashville every other weekend or so.”
Honey on Your Mind Page 23
