AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Exactly ten anda half exhausting hours later, I’m pulling into the parking lot behind Cat’s bookstore, stuffing fries into my mouth and slurping Coke. As soon as I left work, I got take out from a side of the road burger joint that just opened for the summer season, and it was delicious. That’s the thing I love so much about Harborview—the nearest McDonald’s is forty-five minutes away, but our local food more than makes up for it.
I scarf down the rest of my food, and then walk over to the bookstore. I ring the bell on the back door, and hope that Cat is at home. I don’t want to rattle around my house all night alone because I’ll just think about Carter. And I’m worried that if I think too much about him, then I’ll call him to come over, and he’ll be busy or not want to come. In all my previous relationships, I had to measure out affection carefully. If I texted too much or asked them to hang out multiple times in a row, they would stop responding or get weirded out. It’s been so damn long since I just acted like myself in a relationship that I’mnot even sure how to do it. The last time I was able to be myself with a man was with Carter…seven years ago.
Cat opens the door, wine glass in hand, and I can hear a chorus of laughter coming from inside the store.
“Angela!” she screeches and pulls me in for a hug.
“I wanted to see if you were free, but from the sounds of it, you’ve got book club tonight,” I say.
“Why don’t you join us,” she says, tugging me inside.
“No, I mean, I definitely haven’t read the book,” I say.
“We’re past that part of the evening. Now we’re just drinking wine, gossiping, and talking about our problems.”
“Sign me up,” I tell her. “But are either of my moms here?”
“Nope, Kate skipped tonight because apparently she and Donna have a cute date planned.”
“Sounds like them.” My moms are truly adorable together, still as in love with one another now as they were when they started dating.
I follow Cat through the store and into the community room. Harborview’s only romance book club is seated on comfy armchairs in a circle, books discarded on the floor or on tables and glasses of wine and snacks in hand. Cat immediately pours me some wine and gestures to the empty chair.
“Everyone,” she says, “Angela is joining us tonight.”
I wave and nod. I’ve met most of them before. A few of them like Jacqueline, Teresa, and Anne were at Cat’s bachelorette party, and others I recognize from around town. I settle into my chair, and Cat scoots hers closer to me.
“So,” she whispers. “Tell me about last night.”
“Which part do you want to hear about? The part where Carter ate me out against my kitchen wall, or the part where he brought me the last slice of Beth’s plum pie,” I whisper back, feeling my cheeks heat. But it feels nice to have something fun to share about my dating life for once.
“He what?! Oh my god, that’s so romantic,” Cat sighs.
“Which part?” I ask, laughing.
“Are you two talking about men?” Ann Peterson interjects from the other side of Cat. She must have ears like a bat because we were whispering the entire time.
“Nothing escapes you, Ann,” Cat says.
“Don’t hold out on us girls, give us the details!” Ann’s loud New York accent rings out in the small space, and suddenly every head is turning our way.
“Is there man trouble?” Teresa asks. She pops a few chips into her mouth and chews exaggeratedly like she’s eating popcorn at a movie and it just got to the good part.
“Ohhhh,” a young woman named Alex says.
“We haven’t had any good man trouble in a while,” Jacqueline says.
“Well,” I start, “I wouldn’t say it’s trouble. The opposite actually.”
Cackles and ohs and ahs rise from the room.
“Tell them about the wall,” Cat encourages.
“Oh, I love a good wall scene,” Alex says. “Did you knock any pictures off the wall? Please tell me you knocked pictures off of the wall.”
“I’m not saying anything,” I tell them. “I won’t even confirm or deny if there was a wall. But there was a piece of pie from Beth's that he brought me along with dinner. And it was delicious.”
“I bet pie wasn’t the only delicious thing that went on!” Ann says, letting out a whoop.
