McGrath.” He paused for a second to reflect. “She broke my heart.”
A girl breaking his heart? I couldn’t even imagine, but he looked really somber at this moment. “Tell me about Ms. McGrath,” I said.
“Actually, I was talking about Mrs. Lefler,” he joked, “She wasn’t that much older than me, you know. I was nine, she was twenty-five or so. It could have worked.”
As I sat here laughing, I felt like I was out to dinner with a good friend. “So seriously, tell me about Monica,” I said.
When Drew responded to the question by chugging his martini, I knew it was going to be a bad story. He began, “Monica and I met at a bar several years ago, and we dated for awhile. We were getting pretty serious. I mean, I went nuts over this girl.”
“That sounds pretty good so far,” I said.
“It was.” He then took a deep breath before continuing, “Then I introduced her to my family. My dad and my brother.”
Silence. It seemed as if Drew couldn’t even go on.
“Oh, I get it,” I said, “They didn’t get along with her.”
Drew let out a fake laugh. “Actually, it was just the opposite.” He took a big chug of his drink. “Monica and my dad hit it off a little too well, and…they ended up getting married.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
Drew just nodded and smiled sadly.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? I mean, I knew you then, right?”
“Yeah. I think it happened right before I started at the station. I kept it to myself. It was just really personal. And embarrassing.”
“I’m really sorry,” I said softly.
“Thanks. I’m cool with it. They’re still together so I guess they’re really in love.”
“Can I order another drink?” I asked. Then, as if we were on cue, we both just burst out laughing. The two of us laughed and laughed for a long time. And it felt really good. And I think it felt good for Drew, too.
After we were able to control our laughing attacks, I said, “I still can’t believe you’ve never said anything about her, in all the time we’ve known each other. Is that the reason you never have girlfriends?”
“I have girlfriends.”
“Yeah, for like a week at the most. You’re like my brother. He’s a commitment-phobe too.”
“I’m not a commitment-phobe.”
“Drew…”
“Yeah?”
“I wish you would have told me,” I said.
“It’s okay,” he said, looking right at me with a grin.
I put my hand on his. This was the best first date I’d had in years. I’d gone into this for sex, a baby and eight million dollars, never expecting to really enjoy the person I was using to get it all.
Then, just as I was about to suggest that we go back to my place, Drew pulled his hand away and began to hold his stomach. My first thought was that the story he’d just told me upset him so much, that he was going to be sick. Seconds later, he looked like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” He was unconvincing. “Can I ask you something, Jamie?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you here with me? I mean, why now, after all this time are you interested in me?” he asked.
“How do you know I’m interested in you? Maybe I just wanted a free dinner,” I joked in an attempt not to blow my cover.
Drew smiled at my humor, but wouldn’t give up. “Seriously. Tell me. Why now?”
I started to panic. What was I going to say? Lucky for me, I didn’t have to say anything because Drew started to hold his stomach again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He stood up. “Actually, no!” Then he ran from the table and made a b-line straight for the men’s room. I didn’t want him to be sick, but I was hoping he wouldn’t be back for a few minutes, so I could have time to make up a lie.
Chapter 13
In my opinion, food poisoning is the number one excuse to get out of a date. It’s the perfect illness to get when you need a quick exit from a bad situation. It comes on quickly and doesn’t last for more than twenty-four
A girl breaking his heart? I couldn’t even imagine, but he looked really somber at this moment. “Tell me about Ms. McGrath,” I said.
“Actually, I was talking about Mrs. Lefler,” he joked, “She wasn’t that much older than me, you know. I was nine, she was twenty-five or so. It could have worked.”
As I sat here laughing, I felt like I was out to dinner with a good friend. “So seriously, tell me about Monica,” I said.
When Drew responded to the question by chugging his martini, I knew it was going to be a bad story. He began, “Monica and I met at a bar several years ago, and we dated for awhile. We were getting pretty serious. I mean, I went nuts over this girl.”
“That sounds pretty good so far,” I said.
“It was.” He then took a deep breath before continuing, “Then I introduced her to my family. My dad and my brother.”
Silence. It seemed as if Drew couldn’t even go on.
“Oh, I get it,” I said, “They didn’t get along with her.”
Drew let out a fake laugh. “Actually, it was just the opposite.” He took a big chug of his drink. “Monica and my dad hit it off a little too well, and…they ended up getting married.”
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
Drew just nodded and smiled sadly.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? I mean, I knew you then, right?”
“Yeah. I think it happened right before I started at the station. I kept it to myself. It was just really personal. And embarrassing.”
“I’m really sorry,” I said softly.
“Thanks. I’m cool with it. They’re still together so I guess they’re really in love.”
“Can I order another drink?” I asked. Then, as if we were on cue, we both just burst out laughing. The two of us laughed and laughed for a long time. And it felt really good. And I think it felt good for Drew, too.
After we were able to control our laughing attacks, I said, “I still can’t believe you’ve never said anything about her, in all the time we’ve known each other. Is that the reason you never have girlfriends?”
“I have girlfriends.”
“Yeah, for like a week at the most. You’re like my brother. He’s a commitment-phobe too.”
“I’m not a commitment-phobe.”
“Drew…”
“Yeah?”
“I wish you would have told me,” I said.
“It’s okay,” he said, looking right at me with a grin.
I put my hand on his. This was the best first date I’d had in years. I’d gone into this for sex, a baby and eight million dollars, never expecting to really enjoy the person I was using to get it all.
Then, just as I was about to suggest that we go back to my place, Drew pulled his hand away and began to hold his stomach. My first thought was that the story he’d just told me upset him so much, that he was going to be sick. Seconds later, he looked like he was in pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine.” He was unconvincing. “Can I ask you something, Jamie?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you here with me? I mean, why now, after all this time are you interested in me?” he asked.
“How do you know I’m interested in you? Maybe I just wanted a free dinner,” I joked in an attempt not to blow my cover.
Drew smiled at my humor, but wouldn’t give up. “Seriously. Tell me. Why now?”
I started to panic. What was I going to say? Lucky for me, I didn’t have to say anything because Drew started to hold his stomach again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
He stood up. “Actually, no!” Then he ran from the table and made a b-line straight for the men’s room. I didn’t want him to be sick, but I was hoping he wouldn’t be back for a few minutes, so I could have time to make up a lie.
Chapter 13
In my opinion, food poisoning is the number one excuse to get out of a date. It’s the perfect illness to get when you need a quick exit from a bad situation. It comes on quickly and doesn’t last for more than twenty-four
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