Page 108 of Big Stick Energy
“I know, I know.” His voice is tight with frustration. “But it’s only been five days… No, I’m not ignoring you. Of course I miss you, too…”
He catches sight of me and gives me a helpless look, like he’s drowning and I’m the lifeguard. “She thinks I don’t care because I haven’t called enough,” he whispers, covering the phone. “But I called yesterday! And the day before that! What the hell am I supposed to say?”
It’s the same girlfriend troubles he’s been having since I’ve known him. The same cycle of drama and reconciliation that never seems to end.
“If you want my advice,” I tell him, “you can always come to office hours.” Then I turn my back on him.
DeLuca gives me a slow clap from an Adirondack chair, and I sit down next to him. “That office hours thing is straight-up brilliant.”
“Yeah, it is,” I agree. “He’s willing to whine at me now because I’m here. But he won’t take time out of his busy week to do it.”
“Glad you figured that out.”
“Oh, I didn’t. It was Darcy’s idea. Last week I only had two customers at office hours—a guy who wanted me to look at his lease, and a guy who wanted to ask which nutritionists I like. Mostly, I just put my feet up on the desk and ate mini donuts while watching game film.”
“I didn’t get any mini donuts,” DeLuca says, pouting.
“I bought them for somebody else.”
His eyebrows go up. “I have a feeling I know who.”
“Doesn’t make you a genius.”
He tilts his head back and looks at the dark sky. “I noticed she’s not spending any more time around your sorry ass, though.”
“I noticed that, too.”
“Why do you think that is?”
I rub the back of my neck, feeling the familiar tension knot there. “She says it’s too messy, working together. That if we break up, my multimillion-dollar contract and I aren’t going anywhere, and she really needs this job. That’s all true, and I can’t change it. But it feels like we’re missing out on something huge.”
“The sex is that good, huh?”
“I don’t bang and tell.” I give him a warning look. “But good sex isn’t that hard to find. This is different.”
DeLuca studies me. “Well, did you tell her that?”
“I told her I really like her.”
“Did you say it like: ‘Hey, I really like you, there’s nobody else like you, and I haven’t felt this way since maybe not ever, and if you could give me a chance, I’ll do whatever it takes’? Or did you just say, ‘I really like you,’ and leave it hanging there like a wet towel?”
I wince. “Um. I definitely didn’t say that first thing. I’ve never said that in my life.”
He shakes his head. “She’s awfully smart, right? So she probably also noticed you don’t really date. You hook up with models and actresses and then peel them off before they get too clingy. So what does Darcy think you want her to sign up for?”
Oof. “Am I really that bad?”
“I’m not judging, E-Train. But you gotta look at it from her perspective. Tell me this—did you ask her out on a date? Like an actual date with dinner and conversation and maybe flowers?”
“Well, no. We’d had a weekend fling, and I only pressed her to upgrade it to a summer fling. I asked her to come over for dinner, and she said, ‘For Marnie’s cooking, right?’ And I said of course. And then she turned me down.”
DeLuca winces like he’s watching a car accident. “So, do I have this right? You have vague feelings of connection with Darcy that you did not articulate. Then you invited her over for takeout from your personal chef and a hookup. And then you were surprised when she said no.”
Ugh. “They’re not vague, though.” I run my hands through my hair. “I think we could be great together. I’m just not used to this kind of thing.”
“So try again. Say it louder. Say it better.”
“It’ll probably just come out sounding like drivel the second time, and then she’ll remind me that we work together and it’s messy, and I haven’t managed to solve that problem. I probably never will.”
