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“Our time in Africa. Well, it wasn’t actually like we were on safari.”
“Of course, you weren’t,” Zoe added quickly, making me feel like a shit for being so blunt. “And you don’t have to share if you don’t want to.”
Lucas saved me. “I can tell you not hearing the words ‘Emergency Action Plan’ ever again won’t upset me.”
“What’s that?” Charlee asked, taking a sip of wine. We’d all finished our meals—a hell of a lot better than frozen waffles and what was supposed to pass as hash browns or, of course, endless helpings of chicken—and were just winding down.
“EAP,” I said. “You have them for everything. An active shooter situation, airplane crashing, taking incoming. . .”
“Taking incoming.” Zoe put her hand on top of mine. I intertwined our fingers together partially because it felt good and partially so that I didn’t let my hand wander down her leg. “Like, incoming bombs?”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Do you remember back in February…” Lucas began recalling an incident from earlier in the year back at base. While we talked, Zoe watched me with interest. I knew she wanted more details about my life in Africa this past year, but there was so much I couldn’t talk about.
I also couldn’t help noticing how easy conversation was with her. I’d thought that from the beginning, but it turned out it wasn’t just with me. Lucas and Charlee, the waiter, a woman who had come to our table, apparently an employee of the resort where Zoe worked. She made everyone smile with her easy, welcoming manner.
We were so opposite.
I had no desire to make friends everywhere I went like Zoe did. Comfortable in my own small circle, I could probably exist happily on an island with very little company, something that would no doubt drive Zoe up a wall.
So different, and yet. . .we worked.
Friday night all but forgotten, with the exception of a very small part of me that still wondered if I were, indeed, a rebound, I was determined to move on. And would have been able to do so much more quickly if the very person who caused the whole issue in the first place hadn’t just walked into the restaurant with his fiancée.
Erik looked directly at our table. His surprise at seeing me with Zoe evident, for a second I thought he might actually come over to us. Thankfully, he didn’t.
“Ugh, of all people,” Charlee said, she and Lucas spotting him at the same time.
I looked at Zoe. Her cheeks were pink, something I hadn’t seen happen once this whole weekend. She was embarrassed. Why?
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yes, of course,” she said too quickly.
She wasn’t, and it was clear to everyone at the table.
“Maybe now is a good time for some lip gloss,” Charlee said, standing.
And just like that, Zoe pulled her hand away, standing to join her friend. They all but ran to the bathroom.
“An interesting development,” Lucas said.
“Yeah.” I took a swig of beer. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the waiter brought Erik and his nurse, who didn’t hold a candle to Zoe, two glasses of wine. Of course, he was a wine drinker. Just the type.
“Small-town living.” Lucas sat back in his chair. “You can’t take a piss in Kitchi Falls without someone knowing about it.”
“Charming.” Except, it wasn’t. At least, Erik wasn’t. He’d seemed nice enough on the plane, but at the moment, I wanted to smash the fucker’s face in. He’d obviously struck up a relationship with his nurse while dating Zoe.
“Put the daggers away.”
I took my friend’s advice. Last thing I needed was to get into an altercation with Zoe’s ex my third day in town.
“How the hell did I not recognize him from Zoe’s social media? He was the reason I thought she wasn’t available when she first texted me.”
“He’s got a forgettable face.”
Smiling, I looked toward the ladies’ room. Nothing yet.
