Groomless - Part 3 (3 page)

Smiling, we both picked up pieces of cake and fed them to one another. When he was least expecting it, I grabbed a handful and gently smashed it in his handsome face. Instantly, I wanted to lick it off of him, but I managed to resist.

He squinted through the frosting. “Okay. I guess I deserved that.”

“Of course you did, sweetheart, for leaving me for Hong Kong. You crushed and shattered my heart into a million pieces, remember?”

He then grabbed a piece of pineapple cake and softly smashed it in my face.

“Hey! What was that for?” I asked. “
I
didn’t leave the country.”

“No, but you told me to, and look at what we missed out on.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting
you
to be happy. Besides, I knew there was no stopping you.”

His gaze narrowed. “But you didn’t even try.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “How could I have stopped you?”

“You could have told me how you really felt, but you just told me to have a nice trip, and that was it. It was like you didn’t even care. I was heartbroken,” he said.

“It didn’t seem like it. I tried to keep in touch, but you could hardly find time for me in your schedule.”

“It was you who gave up on us, Julia,” he said, growing angry and wiping the frosting off his face with a napkin. “Not me.”

“What was I supposed to think, when you only talked to me for a couple minutes every week?” I asked.

“I tried my best. I had a lot on my plate.”

“Yeah, 97 percent work and 3 percent me. That’s not exactly a balanced meal, Luke.”

“Fine. I chose work over you. Is that what you want me to say?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I just did.”

I stood up and threw my cake-covered ring at him. “You can have this damn thing back. I don’t want anything from you, Luke—not now and not ever!”

“JJ, wait! I’m sorry!”

“Uh,” the baker said, looking at us with wide eyes, “it seems you two have some things to work out.”

“Obviously,” we both said at the exact same time.

I threw my arms up in the air and ran out, caught a taxi, and hurried home.

Chapter 4

When I walked in, the place was a mess, with clothes strewn everywhere. “Hmm. I don’t see Dorothy or any ruby slippers, but I’m sure this place was hit by a tornado,” I said, scornfully looking around.

Kate laughed. “Sorry. I’ve been trying on outfits for tomorrow. You know what I wish?”

“What?”

“I wish I had two men at the same time.”

“Contemplating sexual fantasies again, Kate?”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, girl. I need one to do the dishes and the other one to vacuum and put my clothes away.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

“Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if they were hot. There’s nothing sexier than a naked guy with a Black & Decker. Gosh, I need help. Maybe I do have sex on the brain.”

I shook my head. “You can say that again.”

“You look beyond stressed. Don’t worry about this mess. Just chillax, have a glass of this cheap merlot, and listen to the music I put on.”

“Cheap merlot sounds great, but forget the glass and give me the whole bottle. I can use it after the day I’ve had.”

“Tell me about it, sister. It’s like the day from hell, like a Monday’s evil cousin. After running on the treadmill at the gym, I accidentally took a big gulp out of some sweaty stranger’s water bottle. Ew! I brushed my teeth nineteen times, and I’m still convinced I’m going to catch something. It was like licking a sewer cover.”

“Better than me. When I went to yoga last week, I threw out my towel, and my undies flew out. They weren’t my sexy, lacy ones either.”

“Oh my gosh! Tell me you didn’t launch your granny panties across the place.”

“Sure did.”

She bit her lip. “Oh, that’s bad. Was Mr. Hottie teaching the class?”

“Yep, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Downward Dog just chuckled as my face turned beet red. Gosh, I’ve never been so embarrassed.”

“Downward Dog is an awesome yoga pose. It strengthens and stretches the whole body. Wait. Is it the one where your body assumes an inverted V shape, with your hands and feet on the floor, and your butt pointing upward?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Our yoga instructor is so hot! How can you work out with him in that position? I know I get nothing done. I just drool. I should take the same class you’re taking.”

“We’re talking about undies. You’re getting off track.”

“Um, right. But that dude is so hot.”

“And now you know why I’m so embarrassed.”

“Shit happens sometimes,” she said, shrugging. “But what happened today?
Tell me about Luke.”

I explained everything to Kate, and she listened intently. When I finished my tragic tale, I held up my empty wine glass. “I’m up for a refill, but how can we afford to drink in such luxury?” I asked. “Did your old man rob the corner liquor store or something?”

Kate smiled. “Very funny. He’s jobless, but he hasn’t resorted to robbery yet. I only called it cheap because it was free, my gift for a job well done today. I worked my ass off, and they loved me!”

“That’s fantastic!”

She grinned. “I might even get plastered on the side of a bus!”

“Well, just make sure the driver doesn’t run over Zack again,” I said. “You don’t need that kind of fame.”

She laughed. “Have you seen Zack today?”

“No. I called the hospital and talked to him. He seems to be in good spirits, but he’s ticked off that they won’t remove his cast yet. He says he’s always up for going backless, but he looks like a mummy in his hospital gown.”

Kate laughed. “Zack will be Zack.”

“Yeah, he’s one of a kind, for sure.”

“Well, if I do get my face on that bus, maybe the good folks of New York City will start to recognize me.”

“Yup. You’ll be a household name before you know it,” I said, taking another sip of wine. “Mmm. This is good stuff.”

“The best!” she said.

I took another drink as I contemplated. “This morning, I woke up calm, happy, and sane. It’s not even midnight yet, and I’m a hot mess. I swear, Luke makes me feel like I’m going crazy. Whenever I’m around him, my pulse speeds up, I start sweating, and my stomach flutters. He’s like…a bad kind of flu.”

“Yeah, well, it’s pretty clear what you’re infected with,” she said.

“What?”

“Lovesickness. Your hormones are lighting up your body like a Christmas tree.” She threw her hair into a quick bun, then slipped on her glasses.

“Is that your doctor costume?” I said. “Just don’t go trying to take my temperature.”

She pushed her glasses up on her nose. “You’re in the hands of a professional,” she said, peering at me. “Yep. You’re definitely under the influence.”

“This is my second glass of wine, Doc, and I’m not driving tonight.”

“Not alcohol, Luke. It’s making you crazy, but it’s more than just that.”

“And what seems to be the problem?”

She shot me a confident smile. “You’re in love with him, but you’re still steaming mad.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? The selfish idiot chose work over me. Who picks a career over the woman of his dreams? I’m livid, yes, but I’m not in love with him. I couldn’t possibly love someone like that. When we dated, I gave him everything. I poured out my soul to that man, but in the end, my love meant nothing. I assure you, Kate, that I am not lovesick.”

She put her hand on her hip. “You are obviously not qualified to make that diagnosis.”

“It’s not funny, Kate,” I insisted, trying not to cry.

“A-ha! Classic symptoms of denial. Dang. I shoulda skipped modeling and become a psychologist.” She tapped her chin. “Now, let’s get down to the root cause of your anger.”

I sighed. “What do you mean? You already know. He left me to go chase his fortune and glory. He achieved that and then some, and now he wants to come crawling back to me. He wants his cake and to eat it, too, and I’m not okay with being second place.”

“But I want to dig a little deeper, girlfriend. Why are you
really
mad?”

“I don’t think so, Dr. Freud, and don’t go showing me any inkblots either. I’m not ready to face these feelings. It all hurts too damn much.”

“So you’re just going to keep running from them?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, because you’re scared to admit you still love him.”

“No, it’s because I’m mad at him, but I guess that’s really because…”

“Go on,” she coaxed. “It’s best to talk these things out.”

“Well, Luke was my best friend growing up. I broke this window once when we were playing baseball, and he took the blame. He got in a ton of trouble, and crazy old Mr. Dunn came out on his porch in his long underwear and almost chased Luke out of the yard with his shotgun.”

“Um…old men in their underwear and guns? Hmm. Maybe you
do
need a real shrink,” Kate joked.

“Anyway, Luke didn’t even care that he got in a ton of trouble. He was my rock and was always there for me. When we got older and realized there’s no such things as cooties, we started dating, and it turned into this amazing love affair, the kind you always read about in those silly tween novels read by dreamy-eyed girls. We stared up at the stars talking for hours, planning our wedding and the life we would share together, but then he just abandoned all that and left me. The most wonderful man I’d ever met, the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my years with, have children with, make a life with, just walked right out of my life. He gave up on us and the life we were supposed to share together. He gave up on the children we were supposed to have. He shattered all our dreams, just so he could go out and make a name for himself in the corporate world. One minute I had him, and in the next, Luke was just…gone. I had my heart set on sharing my life with him, but now I’m just lonely and miserable, like some old, shriveled-up shrew. My life was forever changed the day he left.”

“But that’s the thing, Julia. He’s back now, and he’s single and available. He’s a bazillionaire, for goodness sake. Why can’t you just forget about the past? You clearly still have feelings for him, and this guy gives you a puddle in your panties. Can you really imagine life without him, now that he’s come back around? And did I mention that he’s a billionaire?”

“I-I can’t answer that, about life without him. I was without him for a long time, and I managed, but now…”

“Now I think you’re afraid to answer it. You don’t want to admit to yourself that you want him back. It’s like you’ve built these thick walls around your heart. Just let the dude in, Julia. Every single woman in this city would give her left arm to be in your position.”

“That wouldn’t work out. He likes to hold hands,” I joked, but neither of us really laughed in such an intense moment.

“You have to break down those walls if you’re ever gonna be happy again. You owe it to yourself to at least try. If it doesn’t work, then so be it, but at least you won’t spend your life wondering, pondering all those what-ifs. You don’t have to be lonely anymore. That wonderful, available, very rich man worships the ground you walk on. Hell, he gave you a two-carat ring today, and you threw it back at him! Who does that? I know I wouldn’t.”

“No offense, Kate, but if your guy shows up with a two-carat ring, you might need to call the FBI.”

This time, she cracked a small smile. “Hush, you,” she said. “He isn’t that bad. My point is that I would kill for a hot, billionaire ex-boyfriend to come back in my life, begging to be with me because he loves me for who I am. You’re so miserable all the time. Why would you want to keep plowing through life with a frown on your face, when I’m pretty sure Luke would make you smile all over?”

“And what happens if I open myself up and he shatters my heart once again?”

“Why do you always have to be so…Eeyore?”

“Huh?”

“You know, that gray, stubborn donkey who always thinks the worst is going to happen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tear down that wall! You’ve been guarding your heart for far too long. Taking the safe road makes life so boring and unfulfilling. Personally, I think you’re just scared.”

“Damn straight I am. Wouldn’t you be, Dr. Phil?”

“Love is worth the risk.”

“I know that, Doc, but I admit that I am scared. I’m not sure I can trust him again. What if he leads me on and then finds something else he wants instead? What if he hightails it out of my life and leaves me hanging again?”

“You’re braver than you think you are, Julia. Everyone told you not to come here, but you took the risk because your boss told you you’d land more jobs if you lived near the studio rather than out in the suburbs. Because you were courageous and took her advice, you met me last year at the studio. You took another risk by letting me move in when I needed a place to stay. You didn’t even know me all that well, but we’ve become the best of friends. I think life is all about taking chances. Besides, Luke seems like a sweetheart. I think he just wanted to follow his own dreams back then. He was young and ambitious, and I admire guys like that. Heck, most of them these days just sit around playing Xbox and scratching their junk and demanding that you make them a sandwich, or else they’re like Zack and not even into girls,” she said. “You let Luke go, and he eventually came back to you. Fate must want the two of you to be together. It was no mere coincidence that he walked into that bridal shop that day. I think you know that.”