she shut up.
“Zo—I—” Charlie began, and then he stopped talking too. He leaned his head back and let out a whoosh of a breath. “I can’t believe this.”
He couldn’t believe this?
Was I on Candid Camera? Was this some new kind of reality television show? Get the relationship guru?
Charlie was a straight shooter. Pranks weren’t his style.
“Hel-lo,” Tammy said. “Does one of you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on, Tammy,” I said, staring at Charlie. “My boyfriend here is cheating on me.”
Tammy’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Omigod! You’re two-timing the Dating Diva? With me?”
Now, that was one for the tabloids.
“Zoe, can we please talk—in private?” Charlie asked.
“Don’t you think you owe me a talk, too, Charlie?” Tammy asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You asked me out. You’re supposed to be on a date with me. I think you owe me an explanation.”
Suddenly Tammy was quite concise.
“Look, Tammy, I’m really sorry. But I need to talk to Zoe right now.”
“Asshole!” she snapped. “I hope she dumps your sorry two-timing ass.” She grabbed her purse and stormed off.
Again, she was quite to the point.
“Zoe, hear me out, okay?” Charlie said. “Please?”
It made no sense. I knew Charlie. Or at least I thought I did. There were guys you knew were capable of lying to you, of cheating on you. Charlie wasn’t one of them.
Yes, and that’s why he’s here, Zoe, meeting another woman for a date.
“Zoe, I’ve been asking you to marry me for eight months. But you’ve been putting me off, and putting me off and two weeks ago—” He shook his head and sat down at the bar.
I sat down next to him. “Charlie, if you want to marry me so badly, what are you doing on a date with another woman?”
He took my hand and I grabbed it back. “I asked her out because she’s not the least bit my type. When I met her, she rambled on about astrology for ten minutes. I asked her out because she was safe.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Zoe, if you’re not going to commit, I’m going to date other women. Period. I used to think you were really commitment phobic, that I could work on you, but I’ve started to think that it’s not you—it’s me. Maybe I’m just not the one for you.”
Was he? I love you, I love you not. I love you. I love you not.
“Do you love me or not, Zoe?” he asked.
I don’t know. I don’t know!
What the hell was wrong with me?
“Charlie, I don’t know what it is. I just know I’m not ready. I’m only twenty-six years old. Maybe that’s it.”
“No, Zoe. Maybe it’s that I’m just not it for you. And you didn’t answer my question, either.”
“It’s not you,” I told him. “It’s ambivalence.”
“Well, I don’t want the woman I love to be ambivalent about me. I want her to want me as much as I want her. Look, Zoe, I’ve really had it. It’s either yes or no.”
“Well, I can’t give you an answer right now. I have to be on a plane to New York in two hours. I have to get to the airport.”
He shook his head. “Wait a minute. You’re going to New York? Tonight? And you didn’t even bother to tell me?”
Shit.
“Charlie, it all happened really fast, and I didn’t have time today to call you, and—” “You know what, Zoe? I’ve had it. You couldn’t see me last night because you were working. You couldn’t see me tonight because you were working. And now you’re flying off to New York for who knows how long, and you didn’t even think to mention it. Whatever. I’m sick of it. You know how many women come on to me a day? Between work and the gym and hanging out with my friends?”
“Goodie for you, Charlie,” I said.
“Yeah, goodie for me, because now that I’m a free agent, I can make up for lost time. A waste of time.”
“You can start right now,” I countered. “There’s a bar full of
“Zo—I—” Charlie began, and then he stopped talking too. He leaned his head back and let out a whoosh of a breath. “I can’t believe this.”
He couldn’t believe this?
Was I on Candid Camera? Was this some new kind of reality television show? Get the relationship guru?
Charlie was a straight shooter. Pranks weren’t his style.
“Hel-lo,” Tammy said. “Does one of you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on, Tammy,” I said, staring at Charlie. “My boyfriend here is cheating on me.”
Tammy’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Omigod! You’re two-timing the Dating Diva? With me?”
Now, that was one for the tabloids.
“Zoe, can we please talk—in private?” Charlie asked.
“Don’t you think you owe me a talk, too, Charlie?” Tammy asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You asked me out. You’re supposed to be on a date with me. I think you owe me an explanation.”
Suddenly Tammy was quite concise.
“Look, Tammy, I’m really sorry. But I need to talk to Zoe right now.”
“Asshole!” she snapped. “I hope she dumps your sorry two-timing ass.” She grabbed her purse and stormed off.
Again, she was quite to the point.
“Zoe, hear me out, okay?” Charlie said. “Please?”
It made no sense. I knew Charlie. Or at least I thought I did. There were guys you knew were capable of lying to you, of cheating on you. Charlie wasn’t one of them.
Yes, and that’s why he’s here, Zoe, meeting another woman for a date.
“Zoe, I’ve been asking you to marry me for eight months. But you’ve been putting me off, and putting me off and two weeks ago—” He shook his head and sat down at the bar.
I sat down next to him. “Charlie, if you want to marry me so badly, what are you doing on a date with another woman?”
He took my hand and I grabbed it back. “I asked her out because she’s not the least bit my type. When I met her, she rambled on about astrology for ten minutes. I asked her out because she was safe.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Zoe, if you’re not going to commit, I’m going to date other women. Period. I used to think you were really commitment phobic, that I could work on you, but I’ve started to think that it’s not you—it’s me. Maybe I’m just not the one for you.”
Was he? I love you, I love you not. I love you. I love you not.
“Do you love me or not, Zoe?” he asked.
I don’t know. I don’t know!
What the hell was wrong with me?
“Charlie, I don’t know what it is. I just know I’m not ready. I’m only twenty-six years old. Maybe that’s it.”
“No, Zoe. Maybe it’s that I’m just not it for you. And you didn’t answer my question, either.”
“It’s not you,” I told him. “It’s ambivalence.”
“Well, I don’t want the woman I love to be ambivalent about me. I want her to want me as much as I want her. Look, Zoe, I’ve really had it. It’s either yes or no.”
“Well, I can’t give you an answer right now. I have to be on a plane to New York in two hours. I have to get to the airport.”
He shook his head. “Wait a minute. You’re going to New York? Tonight? And you didn’t even bother to tell me?”
Shit.
“Charlie, it all happened really fast, and I didn’t have time today to call you, and—” “You know what, Zoe? I’ve had it. You couldn’t see me last night because you were working. You couldn’t see me tonight because you were working. And now you’re flying off to New York for who knows how long, and you didn’t even think to mention it. Whatever. I’m sick of it. You know how many women come on to me a day? Between work and the gym and hanging out with my friends?”
“Goodie for you, Charlie,” I said.
“Yeah, goodie for me, because now that I’m a free agent, I can make up for lost time. A waste of time.”
“You can start right now,” I countered. “There’s a bar full of
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