“Waverly, muh luv, it’s luvely to see ya.” He leaned across the bar and kissed me on the cheek. “Ware huv ya buhn?” I loved his accent.
“Hi, Jack, I’m trying to cut back on the beer.” I patted my stomach. “I’m thirty now, so I’ve got to watch my figure.”
He pretended to stab himself in the heart. “Oh my, yur killan’ meh.” Then he smiled widely. “Now whut ken I get ya?”
“How about a Blue Moon with an orange slice?”
He winked. “Excellent choice, muh luv.”
“Can you make it two? Andie will be here in a minute.”
He disappeared for about fifteen seconds. Then, like magic, two frosty Blue Moons were sitting on the bar in front of me.
“Thanks, Jack.”
He winked and left to attend to another customer, and over his shoulder I saw Andie walking through the front door. I stood up and grabbed my coat from the adjacent stool as she approached. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was.
“Hi. I saved you a seat. Got you a beer too.”
“Thanks.” She took off her coat and glanced around the room, then sat down and picked up the glass.
I leaned over and removed a small bouquet of hyacinths from a paper bag next to my stool. “These are for you.” I handed them to her.
She set her beer down and took the flowers, but she didn’t say anything.
“They mean I’m sorry,” I said softly.
She kept her eyes on the flowers, still not speaking.
I swallowed. “I totally choked and blurted that out because I got nervous. I…I feel awful.”
Suddenly she looked me right in the eye, and for a moment it was like I was back in college the night we met, standing on the steps of the SAE house, afraid of what she would say. I could feel my throat tightening up, and for a moment I thought I might start to cry.
Then history repeated itself.
She waved a hand in front of her and reached for her glass. “Ah, don’t worry about it.”
I smiled. “Really?”
She shrugged. “I was pissed for like a day, but then I got over it. It was sort of funny, actually.”
“You think so?”
“Now I do. At first I was mortified because all my coworkers saw it, as did my mom.”
“Your mom?”
She sipped her beer. “Yep. And my aunt and grandmother.”
“Oh my God.” I put my face in my hands.
“Apparently I was wrong about not knowing anyone who watches The Today Show.”
“Andie, I’m so sorry.”
She pushed her hair behind her ears. “It’s okay. I have been with a lot of guys. But it’s not like I’m the only one. After that aired my coworker Alyssa told me she’s actually introduced herself to guys she’s slept with.”
“No way.”
“Way. She’s done it several times too. Totally forgot ever meeting them.”
“That’s hilarious. How could you forget someone you’ve been naked with?”
“Oh believe me, you can. It’s really not that hard.”
I laughed. “You have the best attitude.”
She took a sip of her beer. “Who really cares, right? I figure I’m single, so what’s the problem?”
“That’s the way I look at you, I mean, at it.”
“I said more or less that exact same thing to my mom when she called me in horror.”
“Your mom called you in horror?”
“Yep. It was actually a pretty fun conversation. It had been a while since I’d told her to back off, and she needed to hear it.”
I laughed. “How are you so amazing?”
“You get thick skin when you have a mother like I do.”
“I really am sorry. I hope you know…how much I love you, Andie.”
She set her beer down and smiled. “I do.”
I leaned over to give her a hug, which she briefly returned before pushing me away and opening her eyes wide. “So oh my God, what was up with that skank on the show with you?”
I laughed. “Thank you!”
“She was tragic. And that hair? Yowsa.”
“I hated her. Scotty said she was trying to upstage me so NBC would hire her to host some new show about relationships.”
“I bet my mom adored her.” She shifted on the barstool and gave a dirty look to a tipsy girl who had just bumped into her. “I loved your dating stories, by the way. I’d forgotten all about Fresno Gramps.”
“Ugh, me too. I hadn’t planned to talk about my own dates at all, but that Wendy witch screwed everything up, which is why I was so frazzled. Not that that’s an excuse, but I was totally caught off guard and had to pull something out of nowhere.”
“I was wondering about that. What did Jake think?”
I made a sad face.
“Andie, it’s not good.”
“Oh no.”
“SO not good.”
“What happened?”
I told her all about the roses and his e-mail, and about how I called but couldn’t leave him a voicemail because his phone had been shut off.
“Ouch.”
“I know. I totally blew it. I can’t believe it.”
“Did you e-mail him?”
I sighed. “I thought about it, but I didn’t know what to say. And maybe I’m old fashioned, but I feel like it’s wrong to use e-mail for important things like that.”
She shook her head. “That’s because you’re thirty. People in their twenties propose over text message these days.”
Despite my sad state, I smiled. “How do you manage to make me laugh no matter how bad I feel?”
“It’s a gift. So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
“What would you tell one of your readers?”
I thought about the question for a moment before responding. “I think I’d say…go find him.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Like get on an airplane go find him?”
“Yeah, why not?”
“Maybe because it’s crazy?”
I put my finger on my chin. “You have a point. But you know how I feel about e-mail and texting and Facebook and all that fake communication. So yes, I think that’s what I would suggest. I’d say something like, If you can’t speak to him on the phone, then get on a plane and go find him.”
She smiled. “Are you going to do it?”
I took a sip of my beer and set it on the bar. “Are you joking? Of course not.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s crazy.”
“But you just said you’d tell someone else to do it.”
“Yes, but that was for someone else…”
“Well, why not do it yourself?”
“Because…because…”
“Well?”
I slouched on the barstool. “Because…he might shoot me down.”
“So?”
“And that would be mortifying.”
“So?”
“So?”
“Yes, so. Who cares if you end up mortified? How is that worse than how you’re feeling right now?”
For a moment I saw myself at the bottom of that hill hours earlier, looking up, wanting to make things right.
I blinked and looked at her.
“You’re right.”
“I know.”
“I need to see him. I need to tell him how I feel about him.”
She smiled. “That’s my girl.”
“But what if…what if he doesn’t want me back?” I put my hand on her arm and squeezed.
“Then we’ll come back here and get really drunk. Okay?”
I laughed. “Okay, deal.”
When I got home, I went straight to my office and checked out flights to Boston. I had no idea how to go about finding Jake’s sister’s house, but I knew someone who did. I pulled out my phone and called him.
He answered on the second ring.
“It’s nearly ten on a Friday night. Is this a booty call?”
&
nbsp; I laughed. “You wish it were.”
“Perhaps.”
“I need your techy brain. Are you free?”
“You mean right now?”
“Yes.”
“If I answer in the affirmative, will it damage the image you have of me as a player?”
I laughed. “Of course not, Nick.”
“Okay, then how can I help you?”
I told him I needed to go see Jake, and that he was at his sister’s house in Boston helping out with her kids. All I knew was that her maiden name was Natalie McIntyre, her husband’s name was Tim, and they had two daughters and lived in the suburbs.
“Is that enough information for you to find an address?” I twirled a pen between my fingers.
“Do you doubt my powers?”
“Have I ever?”
“Give me fifteen minutes. I’ll call you back.”
“Should I book a ticket? It’s nonrefundable.”
“Book it.”
“You sure?”
“Again with the doubt. Do you even know who you’re talking to right now?”
“Okay, okay, I’ll book it.”
“Cool, talk to you in fifteen. And hey, did you find out about Casey?”
I made a fist. “Ack. I totally forgot to ask. I was so focused on getting Andie to forgive me, and then on this thing with Jake, that I completely spaced. I’m sorry.”
“No worries, you’ll figure it out.”
“Couldn’t you just look it up? You’re the master at using the Internet to find private information about people, right?”
“Yes, but I don’t use my genius for my own romantic pursuits.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s creepy. I don’t want to be creepy Internet stalker guy.”
“Creepy Internet stalker guy? I like that. Maybe I should get you a shirt with that on it.”
“And maybe you shouldn’t, unless you plan on getting a matching one for yourself.”
I winced. “Touché. Call me as soon as you can.”
“Will do.”
I hung up the phone and studied the flight options on the screen in front of me. I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.
“I leave town for a few days and everyone goes crazy.” McKenna opened the door to Pea in a Pod, a maternity store on Sutter Street that sold super cute clothes I wouldn’t mind wearing after huge meals. If I could afford them, that is. It’s amazing how adding a little extra belly room to a pair of jeans can add two hundred dollars to the price tag.
I nodded and followed her into the store. “I hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson here.”
She stopped walking and turned around. “You hope I’ve learned a valuable lesson?”
“Yes.”
“And what would that be?”
“That you can’t leave town anymore.”
She rolled her eyes and began looking through a rack of suits. “Okay then, as I was saying, everyone went crazy when I was gone.”
“Hey now, I’m not crazy. I’m just following the advice I’d give any of my readers.” I put my hands over my heart, then flapped my arms like a bird. “I’m following my heart to Boston. Do you think I’m crazy for that?”
She paused.
“I think you’re crazy for many things, but no, not for that. I’m proud of you, actually.”
I smiled. “You are?”
She held up a black pantsuit in front of the mirror. “I know how afraid you are of getting hurt, Wave. And this is really putting yourself out there, so yes, I’m proud of you.” She turned to face me. “What do you think of this suit?”
“I like it. Try it on.”
“So when do you leave, exactly?”
“Tomorrow morning at eleven. It was the first flight I could get that wouldn’t break the bank.”
“And you’re sure he’s in Boston?”
I nodded. “I called the Hawks office yesterday just to check, and they said he’s still on leave.”
She pulled out a blue suit and held it up. “And you’re just going to show up at his sister’s house? What about this one?”
“Too grandma. And yes, that’s my plan.”
“You’re not going to get a hotel room? Showing up with no place to stay could make you look a little psycho.”
I put my hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, you’re totally right. In the movies, when people jump on a plane and show up on someone’s doorstep, they never seem to book a hotel first, much less a rental car. But then again, in the movies they don’t wait a whole week for a cheaper flight.”
She tapped her temple with her index finger. “See? It pays to think like a Boy Scout.”
“Oh my God. You’re already acting like a mother. You do realize that, don’t you?”
Her eyes got big. “I know! Isn’t it awful? I found myself cutting up Hunter’s steak last night. You think he’d be capable of cutting up his own meat, given that he’s a surgeon.”
I laughed. “You would indeed. Okay, I’ll get a hotel room and drop my stuff off first. Now that I think about it, this reminds me of a dating story my friend Nick told me about.”
“What about this?” She held up a plain black dress. “Could I get away with this at work? And what story?”
“I like that one. And the story was that Nick had gone on like two dates with this girl, and their third date was supposed to be dinner at his place on a Friday night. So when Friday evening rolled around, she showed up at his apartment…with a small suitcase.”
“She showed up with a suitcase? Why?”
“Because apparently she assumed she was going to spend the weekend with him.”
“No way. Did she live far away or something?”
“He said she lived in the Marina.”
“Where does Nick live?”
“Prodromou Gulch.”
“Prodromou what?”
I tried not to laugh. “Prodromou Gulch. According to Nick, it’s an up-and-coming neighborhood nestled between North Beach and Telegraph Hill.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Give it time, you will.”
She shrugged and returned to the rack. “Anyhow, that girl was clearly a psycho, and you don’t want to be that girl, right? Quirky’s cute. Psycho, not so much.”
I pointed at her. “You’re totally right. See? You can never leave town again.” I leaned down to whisper to her stomach. “Did you hear that, baby Kimball? Auntie Waverly says your mommy can’t ever leave town again.”
Monday morning I did leave town.
I got on a plane and flew 2,712 miles. As we crossed over the country, I tried to read a book, but inevitably my thoughts turned to what I would say to Jake and, of course, whether I was doing the right thing.
When we finally landed, I had to track down my rental car. Doubt enveloped me again.
Was this a mistake? Am I headed for an epic Waverly moment?
I closed my eyes and focused on the flowers Jake had sent me for Valentine’s Day. I nodded and chanted to myself.
I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing the right thing.
In no time I had the keys to a purple PT Cruiser with wood paneling. Sleek. Directions in hand, I made my way to my hotel, a Hyatt smack in the middle of a sterile suburban corporate park in Waltham. I had to be the only person there who wasn’t in town on business.
The man behind the counter smiled at me. “Welcome to the Hyatt Summerfield. Are you here for the insurance conference?”
I shook my head. “No, just a regular room. It should be under the name Waverly Bryson.”
“Oh, well, okay then.” The look on his face showed he clearly had no idea what to make of the likes of me, a young woman unaffiliated with any corporate entity. I highly doubted Waltham was a hot tourist destination for singles.
Key card in hand, I made my way to the third floor. I washed my face and changed my clothes, then stood in front of the full-length mirror to evaluate the severity of the situation. I had the inevitable flat
airplane hair, but because of the long flight and three-hour time difference I didn’t have time to wash and dry it. I was already risking being branded a stalker by showing up unannounced at Jake’s sister’s house. Doing it late at night would only make it worse. A black headband was my only hope.
On the way out to the car, I called Andie. She answered on the first ring.
“Talk to me.”
“I just left the hotel. My heart’s beating so fast, I think I might have a heart attack right here in the parking lot of the Hyatt Summerfield, which is in a corporate park in Waltham, in case you were wondering. Waltham is a suburb of Boston, in case you were wondering.”
“Chill,” she said. “Deep breaths, deep breaths.”
I smoothed my hair with my hand. “I can’t believe I flew all the way here. I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’re already doing it. Remember, you have nothing to lose, right?”
“Okay, okay. I keep telling myself to think about those roses he sent me. Those were good, right?”
“Exactly. He wanted you to be his Valentine. No matter what happens now, remember that, okay?”
“Okay, I will.”
“Good girl.”
I fished the car keys out of my purse. “Will you fill McKenna in? I think she’s at her ob-gyn.”
“Consider it done. Now get in that car and go.”
I hopped into my so-not-hip PT Cruiser. “Okay, okay, I’m in the car. Wish me luck.”
“No wishing for luck. You don’t need luck.”
“I hope you’re right. Okay, I’ll check in later.”
“You’d better. Now go, before you change your mind.”
“Okay, okay, I’m going. Bye.”
Here we go.
Fifteen minutes later, I found myself driving through the streets of Waltham, approaching what I hoped was the correct house. I parked and tilted the rearview mirror to have a peek at my face. Yikes. I was as pale as a celebrity in a mug shot. I dug out a blusher and some sheer plum lipstick from my purse and applied just a touch of each. I removed my headband, ran a brush through my hair, then put the headband back on. I checked myself in the mirror again.
It's a Waverly Life Page 13
