Page 71 of Bridesmaid Undercover
“Well, I’m sure there’s a reason for that. Probably nervous to see you again. And then he went and slipped right into your chest—I’m sure that set him into a tailspin after.”
Maple smiles. “I know that in the moment, I was just as startled as the rest of us, but it was kind of funny thinking about it later. Hardy from college would have dropped dead if he ever did anything that embarrassing.”
“Really?” I ask, feeling slightly jealous that she knows a different side of Hardy.
“Yeah. He was definitely the cool guy back then, but now, it’s as if he completely shed his confident exoskeleton and he’s just…goofy.”
“Maybe at times,” I say. “But he still has that cool guy persona.”
“Oh really?” she asks. “Do you guys know each other well?”
Oh shit.
“Uh, not really,” I say. “Not as well as you know him. I’ve only seen how he’s interacted with us since the joint venture, and he’s always been so chill and professional. His behavior the other day surprised me.”
She chuckles. “Yeah, to be honest, it was nice to see him act more down to earth.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, swallowing hard. “That’s, uh…good. Maybe that means something.”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“Oh, you know, if you ever wanted to get back together, you’ll feel confident that people change.”
She shakes her head. “We won’t be getting back together.”
Ahh, what a shame.
“Why not?” I ask.
Her eyes meet mine. “I just think we’re different people than we were back then, and I just don’t think we’re as compatible as we used to be.”
Probably for the best, good luck with your future dating endeavors.
“People change sometimes for the better,” I say for some stupid reason, as if I’m convincing her to date him.
“True.” She shakes her head. “Honestly, I just want to get Polly married and focus on my work. The last thing I want to do right now is date someone.”
Yes, focus on your work, Maple, probably smart.
“I can understand that,” I say as I tie off one of the pom-poms and toss it into the center where we are starting a collection. “I was like that all last year, just focusing on work and getting settled. But now that I feel like I’m actually doing well, leading the charge on a new branch of business, the rest of my life feels disconnected.”
“How so?” Maple asks, her kind eyes meeting mine as she pauses in her yarn wrapping. And I want to hate those kind eyes, I really do, but man, she makes it hard.
“I feel like I’m missing someone to share it with. I feel sad after I get home from work. There’s no one to talk to, no one to hang out with, no one to share a meal with. It just feels lonely, and I don’t want to feel lonely. And when I do feel lonely, I lean more into work, but I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to wake up one day and think I missed so much because I was working all the time.”
“But do you feel fulfilled with work?” she asks.
“I do,” I answer, wondering how this became a therapy session for me, but those kind eyes are making me talk. “But I don’t want it to define me, and that’s okay if that’s something you might want. I just…I’m surrounded by love daily. I see what a relationship can bring to someone’s life, and I know that I shouldn’t, but at times I feel jealous. I want that. I love watching couples walking down the street, holding hands. That’s such a simple level of intimacy, a level that I haven’t been able to truly experience myself. The men I dated in college were not really the coupling type, more in it for a good time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t long for that kind of intimacy. Kissing someone good night. Sharing a morning cup of coffee or a late-night glass of wine. Simple things.Couplethings. I want that, you know?”
She slowly nods. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I was seeing this guy when I was in Peru. He was one of my co-researchers, and everything felt better when he was around.”
Oh God, she was dating someone?
And why does that information make me feel like a CIA operative, like the enemy just revealed a big mystery that I’ve been waiting for.
“How did it end?” I ask. “I mean…if it did end.”
“It ended. He was transferred to the San Diego Zoo.” She shrugs. “We knew it was temporary. It’s hard to get placed in the same zoo, especially when you study the same animal.”
