Read Online Not That Kind of Girl by Susan Donovan - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Donovan
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for who he was—an animal handler known for miraculously turning around even the most aggressive dogs. She’d just forget all the rest—the way her body caught fire the first time she saw him, the pain of his rejection, how she couldn’t stop thinking about him, how that single kiss at the paddock two days ago had contained enough electricity to light up the city of San Francisco for a month …
“Excuse me.”
Roxie nearly rocketed from her chair, the deep voice scared her so much. “Uh. Sure. No problem.” She scooted in a bit for the college kid trying to pass between tables. She realized her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty.
No more caffeine today, she decided.
She checked her phone. Fifteen minutes to go. She let her eyes roam, scanning the morning neighborhood crowd. She noticed an elderly couple holding hands as they took a slow walk. She saw a happy, laughing man and woman pushing a stroller with a happy, laughing toddler occupant. She saw a middle-aged married couple a few tables away, chatting cheerfully.
She knew it was an exaggeration, but right at that moment she felt as if she were the only single person in San Francisco. It had been so long since she’d been part of a couple that she’d forgotten what it felt like.
Had she really held hands with Raymond on the street like that? Had she looked up into his eyes and laughed? Had they had cheerful conversations? Had there really been good times before it all went to shit?
Of course. It had been good with Raymond—right up until the Night of the Cigar.
She’d been such a stupid, stupid girl.
Roxie smiled tightly, recalling a conversation she’d had at that very same Starbucks table eight months before. Bea, Josie, and herself had sat here, eyes wide and faces flushed, as Ginger described her hot-and-heavy hookup with Lucio Montevez, the famous nature photographer. With a perfectly straight face, Ginger assured everyone she was starting menopause and was no longer fertile. What a crock! What a layer cake of delusional thinking! Because not only was Ginger not going through menopause, she was already pregnant as she spoke those words, but just didn’t know it.
Then, Josie had served up her own delusion du jour, insisting that a woman could, indeed, find great sex and a great relationship all with the same man. She’d assured Ginger, “If it could happen for me, it could happen for you or Roxie or any woman!”
Roxie recalled how, in her mind, she’d battled with her options: should she cut Josie some slack, seeing that she’d only just returned from her honeymoon and was drunk on love, or should she do everyone a favor and tell them the truth, for God’s sake?
Since Bea was still reeling from Ginger’s kissing-and-telling, Roxie knew it was up to her to spread the gospel of reality. “In my experience, the hotter the sex, the harder the fall,” she’d told them. “You can’t have great sex and a great relationship with the same man. You’re going to have to settle for one or the other. It’s a universal law.”
Ooh, had Josie been mad! In fact, it was the only real argument she’d ever had with her best friend. They’d gotten over it, in time. Roxie supposed that friends sometimes had to agree to disagree.
Still, to this day, Josie was sure she’d caught the brass ring with Rick. Ginger still felt the same about Lucio. So Roxanne prayed her friends were right but waited in the wings to offer them solace, just in case.
“Is this seat taken?”
Roxie allowed a self-satisfied smile to spread across her face. She felt smug, and so very grateful she hadn’t jumped out of her seat at the sound of that voice. She turned and looked up. “Hello, Eli. Thanks for coming.”
He pulled out the chair across from her. He tipped his hat back a bit and leveled his gaze, studying her. “Rough couple nights, huh?” he asked.
Roxanne laughed, somehow relieved to get that out of the way. She stared down into her cup. “Well,
“Excuse me.”
Roxie nearly rocketed from her chair, the deep voice scared her so much. “Uh. Sure. No problem.” She scooted in a bit for the college kid trying to pass between tables. She realized her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty.
No more caffeine today, she decided.
She checked her phone. Fifteen minutes to go. She let her eyes roam, scanning the morning neighborhood crowd. She noticed an elderly couple holding hands as they took a slow walk. She saw a happy, laughing man and woman pushing a stroller with a happy, laughing toddler occupant. She saw a middle-aged married couple a few tables away, chatting cheerfully.
She knew it was an exaggeration, but right at that moment she felt as if she were the only single person in San Francisco. It had been so long since she’d been part of a couple that she’d forgotten what it felt like.
Had she really held hands with Raymond on the street like that? Had she looked up into his eyes and laughed? Had they had cheerful conversations? Had there really been good times before it all went to shit?
Of course. It had been good with Raymond—right up until the Night of the Cigar.
She’d been such a stupid, stupid girl.
Roxie smiled tightly, recalling a conversation she’d had at that very same Starbucks table eight months before. Bea, Josie, and herself had sat here, eyes wide and faces flushed, as Ginger described her hot-and-heavy hookup with Lucio Montevez, the famous nature photographer. With a perfectly straight face, Ginger assured everyone she was starting menopause and was no longer fertile. What a crock! What a layer cake of delusional thinking! Because not only was Ginger not going through menopause, she was already pregnant as she spoke those words, but just didn’t know it.
Then, Josie had served up her own delusion du jour, insisting that a woman could, indeed, find great sex and a great relationship all with the same man. She’d assured Ginger, “If it could happen for me, it could happen for you or Roxie or any woman!”
Roxie recalled how, in her mind, she’d battled with her options: should she cut Josie some slack, seeing that she’d only just returned from her honeymoon and was drunk on love, or should she do everyone a favor and tell them the truth, for God’s sake?
Since Bea was still reeling from Ginger’s kissing-and-telling, Roxie knew it was up to her to spread the gospel of reality. “In my experience, the hotter the sex, the harder the fall,” she’d told them. “You can’t have great sex and a great relationship with the same man. You’re going to have to settle for one or the other. It’s a universal law.”
Ooh, had Josie been mad! In fact, it was the only real argument she’d ever had with her best friend. They’d gotten over it, in time. Roxie supposed that friends sometimes had to agree to disagree.
Still, to this day, Josie was sure she’d caught the brass ring with Rick. Ginger still felt the same about Lucio. So Roxanne prayed her friends were right but waited in the wings to offer them solace, just in case.
“Is this seat taken?”
Roxie allowed a self-satisfied smile to spread across her face. She felt smug, and so very grateful she hadn’t jumped out of her seat at the sound of that voice. She turned and looked up. “Hello, Eli. Thanks for coming.”
He pulled out the chair across from her. He tipped his hat back a bit and leveled his gaze, studying her. “Rough couple nights, huh?” he asked.
Roxanne laughed, somehow relieved to get that out of the way. She stared down into her cup. “Well,
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