The Quick Fix by Jack D. Ferraiolo Page B

robe?”
    â€œAt the dry cleaner’s,” she said. She looked over at Cynthia. “You should go. Your client looks like she’s getting restless. And she’s not the type to wait around for someone … not even the great Matt Stevens.” She was still trying to joke, but there was something odd and forced about her tone.
    â€œYou anxious to get rid of me?” I was kidding, but it didn’t really sound like I was, to either of us.
    She took a deep breath. “No, Matt, it’s just …” She paused.
    The words “it’s just” hung in the air, foreshadowing worse things to come.
    â€œIt’s just what?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
    â€œIt’s just that … I feel like I’m holding you back.”
    I laughed. “From what?”
    She peered over my shoulder at Cynthia. I started to turn, when Liz hissed at me. “Stop! She’ll know we’re talking about her.”
    â€œYeah … right … she’d have no idea otherwise.”
    Liz smiled and shook her head. “She just smiled at me, and even I got warm and tingly.”
    â€œLook, it’s just business,” I said. “She’s the head cheerleader, for crying out loud.”
    â€œI know, Matt. It’s not that … it’s just—” She paused.
    â€œStop saying ‘it’s just’ and then stopping.”
    â€œSorry. It’s just that I don’t think either of us can really commit to anything right now. I have my chess, you have your business …”
    â€œNo. That’s bull,” I said. “We’ve had these for a while and they’ve never gotten in the way.”
    She blushed and looked down at the bar. “We’ve only just been friends before,” she said, barely above a whisper.
    I felt my cheeks get warm, and the back of my scalp start to tingle. “Well, what do you think we’ll be after this?”
    â€œI don’t know.” She paused. “Look, I know your talking to her is just business. And I know you have to talkto girls all the time, and some of those girls are going to fall for you …”
    â€œYou give me too much credit.”
    â€œI know.” She smiled, looked at me for a second, and then dropped her eyes. “It’s because I like you.”
    â€œI like you, too … but that doesn’t seem to be working in my favor right now.”
    â€œI just think that right now both of us need our freedom.”
    â€œLiz, I—”
    â€œI tried calling you. I wanted to talk about this privately. I didn’t expect to see you here with—” She stopped.
    â€œWith Cynthia,” I said, finishing it for her.
    â€œNo. Yes.” She ran her hand over her face. “It’s not Cynthia.”
    â€œBut it is.”
    She sighed. “I just … I don’t know, Matt. It is, and it isn’t. Look, you and I have something really special, and I don’t want to ruin it.”
    â€œSo you’re ending it?” I asked. “How does that make sense?”
    â€œI just don’t want to end up hating you.”
    â€œWell, what if I hate you for doing this?”
    â€œYou’ll recover. You’re built that way.”
    â€œLiz—”
    â€œStop,” she said and slid off her bar stool. “You can’t change my mind on this. And trust me, if she’s going to be your client, you’ll be glad that you’re rid of me.” She tried to smile, to show me that she could tease me about other girls, just like “one of the boys,” but her smile looked more like a grimace.
    â€œLiz—”
    She put her hand over my mouth to stop me, in a gesture that resembled the one she just saw Cynthia do to me.
    â€œGood-bye, Matt.” She gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. My mind was searching for something to say, something to make her change her mind, but she didn’t give me