“I get hanging out with someone who isn’t ready to commit thinking maybe it will turn into something. I mean, if we didn’t do that, I’m not sure any of us would be in relationships. It’s not like guys are posting “message me if you’re ready for marriage and kids because I sure am” in their dating profiles. They have an internal security system, and it goes haywire when a new girl hangs around for more than one night. That’s all normal. What’s not normal is the way you just take it.”
“As if I have a choice?”
“Of course you have a choice. If you’re going to play the game, you gotta be as much of a player as those assholes.” She takes a long pull on her straw and starts to grin, playing absentmindedly with the bright pink paper umbrella. “You know what I think you should do?”
I roll my eyes, knowing full well that whatever idea she’s come up with is not something I’m going to do.
“Find someone else to fuck and post a pic of the two of you on your Instagram,” she says far more matter of factly than the statement deserves.
I can’t help but smile. It’s such a Sally thing to say. I have no doubt that’s exactly what she would do. “It hardly seems like he’s stalking my Instagram feed right now.”
She shrugs. “You never know. I mean, pics don’t just appear on the app automatically. He took the time to upload it, even typed out a caption.” She scrolls down and grimaces. “Ick. You should not read that.”
I grab for her phone, but she pulls it away.
“No, seriously, Vic.”
I flop back into the big, comfy chair and lay my head back, closing my eyes.
It’s fine. I’ll be fine.
It's just…why does this kind of thing keep happening?
I know that on some level Sally’s right. All the girls I know go through this kind of thing with guys. But it seems like they always end up finding someone who thinks they’re worth taking themselves off the market for. Me…not so much.
“You could fuck his dad.”
I don’t even bother to lift my head or open my eyes. “Great advice. Thanks, Sal.”
“No, seriously. He’s sitting right over there looking hot as hell.”
My head snaps up, and I follow her gaze over to the bar where, indeed, Ben Adams, one of the resort’s owners and a super-rich lawyer from the States, is sitting alone in a dark suit.
“Who wears a suit to a beach bar in the tropics?” Sally muses, reading my mind. “You should go take it off him.”
I laugh at her brazenness. “I’m not fucking anyone’s dad.”
It’s not that I’m holding out hope that Ainsley will come back to Faraday and explain that this whole thing was just some giant misunderstanding, but…I mean, he could.
Right?
“Well, you gotta do something. You aren’t doing yourself any favors letting guys walk all over you like this.”
“So, I go fuck his dad and then all the future guys will take one look at me and think ‘don’t mess with that one, she’s a dad fucker’.”
Sally cracks up. “Dad fucker!”
I sigh. “I’m so glad my heartbreak keeps you amused.”
“Don’t start with that shit, girl. As soon as you call this heartbreak, you’ve given the bastard far too much power over you.”
I bite my lip and consider. She’s right, of course. I’m in no way brokenhearted over the loss of my most recent non-relationship.
It’s just…
I pound the rest of my cocktail.
“You know what I’m going to do?”I ask.