Read Online Dead Boyfriends by David Housewright - Free Book Online

apologize to her? I was supposed to take her to that damn charity ball the other night, but I couldn’t because I was in jail, so she went with some other guy and guess what? They have a date tonight.”
    â€œA date?” said Shelby.
    â€œThey went to dinner, la-de-da.”
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œI was over there.”
    â€œAt Nina’s?”
    â€œNo. At Rickie’s. He picked her up at her place of business, do you believe that? Didn’t even have the courtesy to call for her at home. The jerk.”
    â€œHow do you know he’s a jerk?”
    â€œHe’s an architect. He wears glasses. His name is Daniel.”
    â€œSounds like a jerk to me,” said Bobby.
    â€œIf he wasn’t a nice guy, Nina wouldn’t date him,” said Shelby.
    â€œOh, I don’t know. She dates McKenzie.”
    â€œWay to stick up for me, Bobby,” I said. “You’re a real pal.”
    â€œAnytime.”
    â€œIt’s probably for the best,” I said. “I should be moving on anyway.”
    Shelby stood abruptly, balled her hands into fists, and pressed them against her hips. She looked down at me and spoke without blinking.
    â€œDon’t. You. Dare.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDon’t you dare. Every time you become involved with a woman you do this.”
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œYou start looking for something, anything, as an excuse to break up. ‘Just didn’t work out, time to move on’—you always say that.”
    â€œI do not.”
    â€œAlways.”
    â€œNa-uh.”
    â€œYou want a list? Should we start with Annie?”
    â€œWhatever happened to her?” Bobby asked.
    â€œShe. Married. Someone. Else.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œWell, what am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Nina’s dating this guy. . .”
    â€œAn architect,” said Bobby.
    â€œYou can start by apologizing for standing her up,” she told me.
    â€œI did.”
    â€œDo it again.”
    â€œBut it wasn’t my fault.”
    â€œIt. Doesn’t. Matter.”
    â€œIt really doesn’t,” said Bobby. “I’ve apologized to Shelby for a lot of things that weren’t my fault, and . . .”
    Shelby gave him that look. You know the one I mean. Bobby turned and stared past the porch toward Merriam Park as if there were something out there that was suddenly very interesting.
    â€œMcKenzie,” Shelby said. “She’s the best of them. Mary Beth, Annie, Judy, Theresa, Robin, Kirsten—Nina is the best of them.”
    â€œNo, you’re the best of them.”
    â€œBalderdash.”
    â€œBalderdash?”
    â€œI’m just the excuse you use. You pretend to be in love with your best friend’s wife, and since you can’t have her, you won’t marry anyone. ‘Pity me, the poor lonely bachelor.’ It’s balderdash.”
    â€œThere’s that word again.”
    â€œIf I were suddenly free—if Bobby got hit by a truck tomorrow—it’d be the same ol’ thing. Just didn’t work out, time to move on.”
    I looked at Bobby.
    â€œIt’s true,” he said. “If it wasn’t, I would have blown your brains out back when we were in college.”
    â€œIt’s fear of commitment,” Shelby said. “That’s what we’re talking about.”
    â€œBalderdash.”
    Shelby looked at me as if I were nuts.
    â€œYou said it first,” I reminded her.
    â€œWe’re trying to cut down on the cursing because of the girls.”
    â€œYeah, but do you really want your kids to go around saying balderdash?”
    Shelby refused to be distracted.
    â€œShe’s the best of all the women you’ve known, McKenzie,” she said. “She really is.”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œWe’ll make Moorhead buy drinks at Nina’s place,” Bobby said. “He can apologize to her at the same