AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because he’s a pushy showoff who just can’t stand anyone not bowing down to his nonsense. Plus, he’s a spineless coward, without a tough bone in his body.”
“Very good. A-plus. And don’t you forget it, you hear?” She gives me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. I love her. I know she’s right. I brought it on myself and should have kicked his sorry butt to the curb much, much sooner. But hey, shoulda coulda woulda.
The man of my dreams is a silent hero, someone who doesn’t boast about his deeds. His actions speak volumes, and that’s all that holds weight in his eyes. He’s courageous, bold, and his selfless demeanor goes beyond words. He’s someone who never expects anything in return, and generously supports my unconventional endeavors while giving me the freedom to pursue my crazy dreams.
Unfortunately, a man like that only exists in dreams.
Pippa snaps me out of my reverie. “What kind of cookies are you making?”
Rex (and Dillan) all fall by the wayside as I focus on the wonderful act of baking. By the time I pull the first soft steaming batch of chocolate chip cookies from the oven, Pippa has moved the laptop over to the counter to show me what she’s found.
“All right, so I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first? By the way, it smells delish.”
I set to work placing the freshly baked cookies on a cooling rack. “Good news.”
“Wait, really?” She looks up, surprised.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Weird. Most people want the bad news first…”
“Pippa Elenore Sanchez,” I say, rounding on her and waving the spatula threateningly when she doesn’t answer right away, “I swear to God, if you don’t tell me what you found and get it over with, I’m going to smack you.”
“That’s not my middle name.” Unfazed by my threats, Pippa swipes one of the cookies. “Fine, fine. All right. So, the good news is I found several social profiles for Dillan Maxwell on Facebook and a couple on LinkedIn.”
“What’s the bad news?” My heart starts to sink. “Oh, God. Please don’t tell me he’s married. He told me he wasn’t.”
“He’s not married. Well, I don’t know if he’s married,” Pippa explains. “The only profiles I could find with the name Dillan Maxwell don’t have profile pictures and are all set to private.”
I pull her laptop in front of me to check it out for myself. She’s right. As I scroll through the pages, I don’t see any that stand out or look like they could be him. Being the overachiever that she is, Pippa has even pulled up some old acquaintances from high school, but none of the profiles have any friends in common with either of us.
There’s no sense in Googling him because he just moved here, but Pippa does so anyway. There are a couple of Dr. Maxwells, but again, none of them are him.
“So, where did you say he lived before he came back to New York?” she asks.
“In Tennessee.”
“Oookay, a bit more specific? What town?”
Oh, geez. I hadn’t asked him that. “I don’t know.”
“Girl, the sex must have frozen your brain. Literally. Did you jump him the minute you saw him? Did you guys talk? Or hop right into bed?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“To which one?”
“To all of them. You know, Pippa, I think it’s for the best,” I say, pushing the computer away and returning to my cookies. “We’re just not meant to be. Not back then, not now. Besides, it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. I need a foundation that’s steady, unwavering, filled with consistent affection, and mostly, built on reliability. I don’t need anything in my life that isn’t permanent. The last thing I need is more complications or a guy that is too cocky for his own good, especially after Rex. Who needs men, right? Better to let it go and focus on what truly matters.”
Pippa studies me closely. “Are you sure? I can do some more digging…”
“You’ve done enough, really. Thanks for trying, Pippa. But I want it this way. I promise.”
That’s our code word: promise. As soon as one of us uses the word, the other knows they’re serious and to drop the subject.
Pippa promptly closes the laptop and pushes it away.
“All right then.” She nods. “I’m done searching. I was just trying to get you laid again. Sounds like he was the bomb. But if you change your mind, let me know.”
