Zander’s eyes dashed between me and Marley and finally lingered on my lips. “My pleasure. I’m actually overdue for a little break, do you mind if I join you?”
“Not at all,” Marley answered, leaving me with a mouth full of unspoken words.
“Well, all right then. Why don’t the two of you grab a seat at that table over there? That couple’s finishing up and if you don’t act quickly, you’ll be out of luck.”
“But what about—” I reached into my purse for my wallet.
“My treat, Lina. Now, go grab it before it’s gone.”
I shrugged and shook my head but conceded because Marley was pulling me toward the picnic table as Zander had directed.
“You should take the guy’s advice.”
“Huh?” I sat across from my friend and narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Act quickly, or you’ll be out of luck. Grab it before it’s gone.” She lowered her tone to mock Zander’s deep, throaty voice.
“Oh, would you stop being ridiculous? There was no hidden meaning behind any of that. He was a customer at the bakery. In fact, if you must know, he was purchasing a wedding cake.”
“Oh yeah? When’s the wedding?”
I so didn’t want to tell her there was no wedding. It would only add fuel to her I-told-you-so fire. But I couldn’t exactly lie, either. The topic would come up soon enough and I’d rather she find out without Zander as an audience.
“The bride called it off,” I whispered, almost inaudibly.
“What?” She grinned. “Did you just say—”
“Yeah!” I leaned across the table, getting closer. “I said the wedding is off, okay? But that doesn’t mean he’s interested in me or that I want to be some rebound or . . . whatever. So, can we please leave well enough alone and enjoy our food?”
My ass plopped back on its rightful bench and I closed my eyes in anticipation of the smartass remark Marley was about to make. When it didn’t come, I braced myself by gripping the edge of the table and opened my eyes.
“I didn’t mean to get you all riled up, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable back there. He seemed happy to see you, and you . . . You kind of got rosy in the cheeks when you first spotted him. I thought maybe there was something more to the two of you that you weren’t telling me.” She paused and eyed me suspiciously. When I couldn’t bear to hold her discerning gaze any longer, I looked down at my fidgeting hands and gave myself away. “There is something you’re not telling me! You like the groom, don’t you?”
I looked around for Zander. I’d be mortified if he heard us talking about him. When I was sure he was still rounding up our lunch, I sank into the wooden bench and surrendered to my very wise friend’s scrutiny. “Okay, first of all, can we not call him the groom? It sounds wrong. I’m not about to steal another woman’s man.”
Her eyes brightened at the prospect of me staking a claim, but I continued before she could interrupt. “Second of all, even if I do think the guy is attractive—”
“Gorgeous,” she interjected.
“Okay, gorgeous,” I confirmed with an uncontrollable grin. “His heart was just broken by the person he thinks is his soul mate. He’s a mess. He’s in no shape for a new girlfriend, which means he’d be hooking up with me as a rebound and that’s not what I want to be. I think I deserve better than that.” I took a breath, happy to release what had plagued me since the day Zander left the bakery. Sure, he was attra—gorgeous, but that didn’t mean he was interested in me. If I were in his position, the last thing I’d be focused on would be dating again. I’d be more concerned with mending my broken heart than occupying my empty bed.
“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Marley lifted a hand to indicate it was her turn to speak. Before I could tell her not to, the words were flying from her mouth. “That dude is so far from a mess you’d have to be blind to think otherwise.”
I tilted my head in question. What the hell did she know? She wasn’t there feeding him chocolate cupcakes to wash away his sorrows. “She left him a Dear John, Marls. He had to cancel all the vendors, deal with the humiliation of telling their guests. He came into the bakery in tears! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She pursed her lips and folded her hands atop the table. “A mess of a man doesn’t nearly hurdle over a counter to kiss his baker hello on the cheek. I saw how he looked at you and I totally saw how you were looking at him. The proof is in the pudding, and the rest . . . is cake.” She waggled her perfectly arched eyebrows, causing me to roll my eyes.
“All this falling in love with your country boy must have you lightheaded. This isn’t some Brooklyn-based soap opera—As Williamsburg Turns—it’s reality. And even if I do think Zander is one of the most heartfelt, intelligent, and hot as sin men this side of Tumblr porn, I’m not going to—” I stopped because Marley was suddenly looking past me. Above me. Behind me. Her mouth hung agape and then snapped shut. “He’s behind me, isn’t he? He is standing right behind me and he heard everything I just said, didn’t he?”
Marley nodded at the same time Zander’s silky voice prickled my earlobe. “Yes, he is. He’s also curious as to what you’re not going to do and . . . what’s Tumblr porn?”
“Oh, my God.” I dropped my head into my hands and begged the tears not to come. If ever I wished for the inability to speak, five seconds ago would’ve been key.
I felt him scoot next to me and smelled the food being placed in front of us. If I had more confidence, or a bigger mouth like Marley, I would cover up my snafu and chalk it up to flirtatious banter. But that wasn’t me. I had no game when it came to things like this.
Think fast, Paulina. What to do, what to do? I peered through the tiny slits that the barriers of my fingers created over my eyes. Without another thought, I reached out and scooped up an oyster, filling my mouth with the cold, slimy sea creature. Luckily, it served as a reason not to speak, but to my dismay it was much larger than the only other oyster I’d ever sampled and the instinct to chew before I swallowed took over. Ew, I thought to myself as I tried to squash the oyster with my teeth. This is absolutely disgusting. I have to spit it out. But I can’t spit it out. I’m already one insult and ten humiliations deep. It leaves me one choice. I have to . . . swallow.
I tried. I really did, but it was too large and too gooey and before I knew it I was gagging, bent over the picnic table with Zander rapping on my back and Marley shouting.
“She’s choking! Someone help! She’s choking!”
Panic struck but not for lack of air—it was the obliteration of my dignity that had me freaking out. Through watery eyes I could make out the crowd forming around us. Zander was on his feet, his phone in his hand, probably already dialing 911. Marley was still shrieking in an attempt to find someone in the vicinity who could help. And me? I just wanted to die. I wanted that repulsive oyster to actually lodge itself in my throat, the way everyone else thought it had, so I could end this embarrassing nightmare unscathed.
Unfortunately, after I spit the thing out into a napkin, I would live to tell about it. I caught my breath and said a silent prayer to my father for keeping me safe. Raising my arms above my head, I stood from the bench and announced, “I’m okay! I’m okay!” My declaration was enough to disperse the growing mob of nosy bodies, but Marley and Zander remained vigilant at my side.
“Wait. I’m sorry. Can you please hold on for a second?” Zander spoke into the phone and then pulled it away from his ear to appraise me. “You can breathe? You’re all right?”
I nodded. He continued to assess. “Maybe we should still have you checked out.” He pulled the phone back to his ear but before he could instruct the operator any further, I placed a hand on his to stop him.
“I’m fine. Really, Zander. Embarrassed as all get out, but completely fine.” I gave two thumbs up to solidify my well-being.
We had a moment. One of those scenes in a movie that played out in slow motion, in which two people’s ey
es met and the earth stopped spinning. I beamed at him like a fool and he did the same. In a world of unicorns, rainbows, and Hollywood directors, now would be the second Zander dropped the phone, pulled me into his arms, and kissed the embarrassment right out of me.
But this was Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, not Rodeo Drive, Hollywood, California. I was no pretty woman being whisked off by her king of wishful thinking. I was a clumsy broad who’d choked on a jilted groom’s oyster. Our moment was not movie magic, but merely a day in the life of yours truly.
Back in real time, Zander thanked the operator and ended the call, then placed his phone on the picnic table and clapped his hands in prayer. “If you had choked to death on one of my oysters, I would’ve—” His head drooped and he scrubbed his face with his hands. When his eyes met mine again, he licked his lips and shook his head. “I don’t know what I would’ve done. Thank God you’re all right, Paulina.”
“Yeah. Thank God,” I managed to mutter, reaching for the glass of water Marley was handing me. I took a sip, resigning to the fact that no one around me could gauge my discomfort. I, however, wanted to crawl under the picnic table and emerge when the food festival was over. In October.
“I’ve never met a girl with a bigger aversion to swallowing. Dayum, Lina, you’re a stubborn son of a bitch.”
Water sprayed from my nose at Marley’s innuendo. Zander was patting my back again, this times less franticly as he rolled in laughter. “You didn’t have to eat them if you hated them that much. I know they’re an acquired taste and while I appreciate your effort . . . No oysters for you.”
His impression of Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi was not lost on me, but my dignity still struggled to survive. This whole ordeal was a major shit parade and I was lucky enough to be the grand marshal.
ONCE I COULD breathe through both my nose and mouth without obstruction, all laughter subsided. Marley left Zander and me alone to get more napkins and some much needed alcoholic beverages.
“You sure you’re okay?” Zander asked again, caressing my back and leaving a trail of tenderness with each stroke.
“Promise. All’s good in the hood.” I tied my hair into a ponytail and tried to regain some composure as he looked on with pure concern. “You’re really kind, Zander.” I picked at the soft bread of the lobster roll, careful to avoid the actual meat of the sandwich. It was safe to say that me and shellfish were not a good mix. I’d be staying away for a long time, even if it was Zander’s livelihood.
“I know. It’s one of my greatest downfalls.” He smiled, but I could tell it was just for show. You don’t admit something like that with pride. I had to wonder if he was referring to his ex, and decided to take that as an opportunity to ask how he was doing.
Tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I said, “I was too busy choking to ask how you’ve been feeling since I last saw you.”
“Yeah, I kind of noticed.” He gave a sideways grin but then nodded. “I’m good. Better. You were right, it was for the best. That first week was painful, but once I realized she was never going to return my phone calls, I forced myself to stop caring. It’s still baffling, no doubt, but why would I want to spend the rest of my life with a person like that, you know? Someone who doesn’t have the courage to come to me with her fears, let me know what’s going on inside her head. Someone who could throw away everything we had without an explanation. It took many late nights and some really delicious cupcakes to realize it’s not me, it’s her.”
That brought a smile to my face and I wasn’t afraid to show it. “My cupcakes helped?”
“Uh huh.” He nodded, his chocolate eyes penetrating mine. “You helped too, Paulina.”
“I did?” I imagined when the question fell from my lips it was accompanied by tiny cartoon hearts floating around my head.
“Yes, you did. You’re also very kind, but I’m sure you know that, too.”
I did, but unlike Zander, I didn’t see it as a flaw. I’d never been taken advantage of for being too nice. Sure, I’d been swindled out of a free cupcake here and there and I didn’t take my non-refundable deposit policy seriously, but if I could put a smile on someone’s face just by being me . . . I was winning. I also liked to think it had a lot to do with the kind of people I rolled with. That made me all the more certain that Zander needed to be one of those people.
Enjoying the intimacy of our closeness and the comfort I felt in his presence, I nervously looked down at my hands and then cleared my throat. “Looks like we’re just two kind-hearted schmucks, aren’t we?”
“Two kind-hearted, lonely schmucks,” he added.
It took me a second to realize he’d put emphasis on the word lonely. I didn’t like the idea of him being lonely. And the more I thought about it, I didn’t like the idea of me being lonely any more either. I had the power to put an end to that; it was time I did something about it instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for it to happen for me.
Channeling my inner Marley and pulling up my big girl panties, I attempted something foreign to me. With a deep but subtle breath, I opened a door to endless possibilities. “Maybe we don’t have to be lonely anymore. Maybe the two of us can be kind-hearted schmucks together.”
My lids fluttered shut, an internal instinct to protect myself from his rejection, but when I reopened them to fix my sights on him, he cupped his hands over mine and said, “I thought you’d never ask.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “Really? Then why didn’t you say something first?”
He shifted in his seat, coming closer. “Believe me, I wanted to. I was scared you’d think I was looking for a rebound.”
I laughed through my nose at the irony of it all.
“What’s funny?”
“I was scared of the same thing.”
We shared a moment of understanding and smiled in silence. I looked around for Marley because I was sure she’d be intruding on our moment at any second. When I couldn’t find her anywhere in the crowd, I released a sigh of relief and let my guard down. “So, what do we do now?” I asked innocently.
Zander shrugged before lifting his hand to my face and dragging his thumb along my jaw. “We cure the lonely.”
I bit my lower lip and squeezed my thighs together. “And how do we do that?”
“Well, we can start with dinner tonight. If you’re free.”
“Free as a bird. Where are you taking me?”
“Nowhere that serves shellfish.”
I giggled and let my head fall back, remembering the spectacle I’d made less than ten minutes ago. “That’s probably a very wise decision.”
“How’s eight o’clock?” he asked, taking out his phone, presumably to take down my number. I agreed on the time and watched as he punched in a six-digit code to unlock his home screen. I dragged my eyes away, afraid I might see something I wasn’t prepared for: A remaining wallpaper pic of him and Zoe or worse . . . a text message from her in response to all of his missed calls.
He must’ve registered my sudden mood shift because he placed a hand on mine again and asked, “Everything okay?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“You sure?”
It was now or never. I was looking forward to our date and I wanted to clear the air now rather than discuss his feelings for his ex over dinner. Big girl panties, Lina. Just say what you need to say. “I’m sure, but are you? Your heart is still healing and I don’t want to get in the way of that. I’m perfectly fine with us just being friends if the breakup is still fresh and you’re not ready to date other women yet.”
“I’m not ready to date other women yet,” he admitted, causing me to wince.
I knew it. He wasn’t ready. I was stupid to think I could be anything but the dreaded rebound. But before I could get carried away with my negative thoughts, Zander continued. “I don’t want to date other women, Paulina. I want to date you. I think you’re beautiful and funny, and even though you hate my oysters, the fact you were willing to try them to please me m
akes you all the more adorable. I’m not sure what’ll happen and I’m at a point in my life that I’m cool with that. We can take things one day at a time and simply enjoy each other’s company. Right now, there’s nothing in the world that would make me happier. Not even your chocolate cupcakes.”
I wanted to squeal in delight, but I’d had enough embarrassment for one day. Instead, my cheeks plumped up with a smile and I relished in the happiness that surrounded the two of us.
“I leave for a minute and miss the whole thing.” Marley was back, eyeing us, eyeing each other.
“Oh, shut it,” I insisted, reaching for one of the three foaming beers she was holding. Taking a generous sip, I offered a private wink to Zander and then turned back toward Marley. “I could swear I heard your cowboy calling. Something about . . . chaps.”
“Chaps?” Zander laughed, also taking a pull of his beer.
“Never mind her. Her brain lost some oxygen while she was choking on your oyster. Now, how about a toast?”
“And what exactly are we toasting?” I asked.
Zander raised his glass first and tapped the plastic against mine, then Marley’s. “To new friends.”
Marley mirrored his actions and said, “To the end of summer.”
I was last to come up with something to say. And we all knew I wasn’t the most eloquent when it came to things like this. Nevertheless, I had many things to be happy for in that moment. Life, for one—considering my near-death experience—and hopefulness for what was to come. But for some reason, what stood out in my mind was a memory from the day in the bakery with Zander. I remembered the way the pain of his heartbreak was washed away with one simple gesture. It warmed my heart and made me proud. Nodding at my friend and then turning to face Zander with a smile, I lifted my beer and said, “To cupcakes.”
He laughed, nudging my leg with his under the table. “To cupcakes and oysters.”
“Oh, God.” Marley rolled her eyes. “You two are sickeningly cute. And I think you were right . . . Jasper needs me. I’m gonna head out.” She stood from the bench and then looked over to Zander. “Do I have anything to worry about or can I trust that my friend is in good hands?”
The Hipster Chronicles Page 12
