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“What was that for?”
“I need you. The past few weeks have not been good.”
She stops short and looks at me, but I don’t want to start my conversation about everything on the street. I pull her arm into the restaurant, and the hostess leads us to a table in the back. The place isn’t full yet, so we have some privacy. We’re sitting in the corner near the window and I stare out at the sidewalk.
A couple walks by holding hands. They look happy, and I remember when I was happy without doubts eating at me. I’m interrupted from my thoughts when our pink-haired waitress with too many facial piercings takes our drink order and we’re finally left alone.
Olivia leans forward, her arms folded in front of her. “Tell me, what’s been going on?”
“Everything has been fucked up. I told you I got a new job. Guess who my boss is?”
“You know I hate playing this game. Who?”
“JC.”
I let that sink in, watching as Olivia’s mouth becomes a thin line, and she wrings her hands. Olivia always does that when she’s upset or annoyed.
“Are you serious? How’s that going?”
“It’s stressful at times, but we’re getting along. He kissed me.”
“He kissed you!”
“It was yesterday at his apartment.”
“Whoa, did I miss something? What were you doing at his apartment?”
I gloss over the argument I had with Noah and make no mention of Rory. I’m debating whether I should tell her about his cheating. I decide that she needs to know even if it creates tension between us. I trust her more than any other person in my life.
“You should’ve stayed and worked it out rather than run to JC.”
“There’s more to the story with Noah. Maybe we better have a cocktail.”
Olivia starts to wring her hands again. The waitress is on her way back with our soft drinks, and we order cocktails.
“Why don’t you start?”
“I’m waiting for the alcohol. You’re going to need it.”
“Geez, just tell me already.”
I blurt out the entire story of Noah, reconnecting with Rory and sleeping with Vivian. Olivia’s eyes grow wider by the minute. By the time our cocktails arrive, she’s agitated and gulps half her raspberry cosmo.
“That bastard. Why didn’t you call me?” she growls.
“It’s not something that you reveal on the phone when your friend is thousands of miles away. There was nothing you could do.”
“I would’ve cut my vacation short.”
“That’s why I didn’t do it. You need a break without having to deal with my fucked-up life.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
“Tell me about Australia. Did you meet anyone?”
Olivia eyes me for a moment, realizing I don’t want to discuss my shitstorm of a life. I need a distraction. She goes on to tell me about the hot Aussie she met on her first day in Sydney. He owns a computer software company, and his name is Jake. She showed me pictures and boy, was he handsome, with blond hair, a square jaw and gorgeous sea-blue eyes.
At the conclusion to lunch, I feel better though I’m afraid if she sees Noah, she’ll cut his balls off. I didn’t tell her I finally gave in and slept with him the night before. She would probably chastise me for that, saying I let him off the hook too soon. Olivia is right. I’ve been beating myself over the decision.
