Page 141 of First-Time Caller
Did you listen toHeartstringslast night?”
It’s everyone’s favorite question this week, and my answer has remained the same.
“No,” I say, not looking away from the repair inventory I’m working on. “I didn’t.”
Despite my parting promise to Aiden that I’d be listening, I haven’t been able to. I don’t want to listen to him sound composed and charming while I’m wandering around my house in pajama pants that are on inside out, eating directly from a box of Frosted Flakes like a trash panda.
Colin came in earlier in the week to pick up Rosie, another bouquet of roses tucked under his arm.
“So there’s no confusion this time,” he had said, hopeful.
My face must have done something vaguely mortifying because his fell, a softahin understanding.
“Something to do with the radio guy, yeah?” he had guessed.
“Yeah,” I agreed softly. Everything to do with the radio guy. The one who hasn’t texted me or called. It’s been radio silence for a week, and I’m trying not to let that sting.
He’s still doing the show, though. Every night. Maya, Grayson, Mateo, and Patty—I know they’ve all been listening, but they’ve had the decency to hide it.
Harvey, however, has never claimed to possess an ounce of decency.
He folds his arms over the partition between my station and Angelo’s, a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. It was his turn to pick the music today and the soundtrack toBridgertonis currently blasting through the speakers. The string version of “Dancing on My Own” is actually really soothing, if not also deeply depressing. It’s a good soundtrack for my current mood.
“Why not?” he asks.
“Why not what?”
“Why aren’t you listening toHeartstrings?”
I flick my eyes up to him. “Because I don’t want to.”
As far as I’m aware, no one except for my family and Aiden knows why I’m no longer a guest host onHeartstrings. To everyone else, I simply decided to drive off into the sunset of myroad to love. Some days I can almost convince myself that Aiden and I were an overly vivid daydream. But then I catch myself wondering what he’s doing, and I remember I fell in love with that idiot.
It’s his choice what happens now. The ball is firmly in his court. And I won’t torture myself while I wait.
I’ll just remain painfully optimistic, eating cereal by the fistful and drowning myself in work.
“You should,” Harvey says. At my blank look, he pulls the toothpick out of his mouth and grins at me. “Listen toHeartstrings,” he explains.
“No, thank you.”
“Really, Lu.” He widens his eyes. “You should listen.”
I turn back to my inventory sheet. “I’m good.”
“Lucie,” he says. “You need to—”
“Still working on that Audi?” Dan asks, pushing Harvey out of the way. He yanks the clipboard out of my hands and studies it with furrowed brows. “This is for a Toyota.”
I grab the clipboard back. “Correct. The Audi is in the back, ready to go. I’m finishing up the Toyota now.”
There is a short, whispered conversation somewhere above me. I look up and catch the tail end of a slap to the back of Harvey’s head, courtesy of a grease-stained towel.
“What’s wrong?” I set my clipboard to the side. “Was the Toyota for you, Harvey?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Dan answers. He gives Harvey a significant look that I don’t have the time or energy to investigate. Harvey mutters something under his breath that sounds likejust trying to speed things along, and Dan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No one asked you to do that,” he mumbles.
“The Toyota?” I glance between them. “If you need me to reassign the truck, I can—”
