don’t think that guy’s a stalker,” Ricki said, putting words to my thoughts. “People use that word way too loosely. I mean, how long ago was it that you had that date with him? Two weeks ago or something?”
“Yeah.”
“And how many times in that time has he tried to contact you?”
“He emailed me once.”
Ricki nodded. “Right. I remember that he said something about an email… If he was a stalker, you’d have heard and seen from him a lot more. What did the email say?”
I shrugged again. “Basically, he just wanted to apologize if he did something to freak me out. And make sure I was okay.”
“That’s all?”
“Pretty much. He also said that he enjoyed our night together very much.”
“Definitely not a stalker. And what did you reply?”
“I didn’t.”
Ricki looked shocked. “You didn’t? Why not? The guy was just trying to be nice.”
I stared into my Diet Coke. Ricki was right; Dylan had just tried to be nice. And I had to admit that part of me had been happy to see him again tonight. The part that hadn’t freaked out when I discovered him in the audience.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I guess I just felt it was best if we didn’t have any more contact.”
“Oh. What did you guys talk about after I left?”
“Not much. He just wanted to know why I freaked out like that and if he could make it up to me by taking me to dinner. He wants to get to know me better.”
A smile spread over Ricki’s lips. “Aw, that’s so sweet!” As though she remembered something, the smile deflated. “And that made you so upset you cried?”
I shook my head, even more confused now at my emotional reaction. “I guess.”
Ricki screwed up her face. “You know what I think? I think you freaked out that night because you like him like crazy. I mean, it’s obvious you guys are totally into each other.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that weird reaction probably has to do with your life history. Not to be rude, but having watched your mom being dumped to left and right, it’s not strange you’re dead scared of getting close to a guy. You know, falling in love, like we normal girls want to do. Getting married and having kids and stuff like that.” She paused, as if catching herself. “Well, most of us definitely want that first part at least. What do you think?”
I thought about Ricki’s words for a long moment and I couldn’t help but admit that she did have a point. I exhaled. “Yeah, you might be right.”
Dylan
“Another one?” Jack said, an incredulous grin playing on his lips. “I thought you said you had to get up early.”
“I do,” I replied and waved over the bartender with my hand that contained my Amex. We had stayed at Bliss after the show was over to have drinks at the bar there. “But it doesn’t matter. I feel like partying tonight. It’s been a while.”
Jack chuckled and ran a hand through his floppy mop of blond surfer hair. “Sounds good to me, man.” Being a talent scout, Jack didn’t have to get up early.
When the bartender came over, I ordered two double vodka sodas. I needed to squelch the disappointment that had settled in my stomach like a huge slab of wet cement. Only a fair amount of alcohol had the power to make it go away, and I wanted it to go away as quickly as possible. After I felt better, I’d take Jack to a strip club and watch hot, naked chicks dance for me, take my mind away from both Nina and Emma. Remind myself that women were best enjoyed from a distance.
The bartender came over with the drinks. Grabbing one, I raised it in a cheer.
“To us,” I said, forcing a grin onto my face. “May we be buddies forever!”
Jack brought his glass to mine, clinking it so hard I thought for a second it had broken. Fortunately, it hadn’t.
“Hell, yeah, dude,” Jack said and chugged his drink. I swallowed my own in one gigantic gulp. The alcohol warmed my stomach, diluted the misery that had taken root there to the point it was
“Yeah.”
“And how many times in that time has he tried to contact you?”
“He emailed me once.”
Ricki nodded. “Right. I remember that he said something about an email… If he was a stalker, you’d have heard and seen from him a lot more. What did the email say?”
I shrugged again. “Basically, he just wanted to apologize if he did something to freak me out. And make sure I was okay.”
“That’s all?”
“Pretty much. He also said that he enjoyed our night together very much.”
“Definitely not a stalker. And what did you reply?”
“I didn’t.”
Ricki looked shocked. “You didn’t? Why not? The guy was just trying to be nice.”
I stared into my Diet Coke. Ricki was right; Dylan had just tried to be nice. And I had to admit that part of me had been happy to see him again tonight. The part that hadn’t freaked out when I discovered him in the audience.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I guess I just felt it was best if we didn’t have any more contact.”
“Oh. What did you guys talk about after I left?”
“Not much. He just wanted to know why I freaked out like that and if he could make it up to me by taking me to dinner. He wants to get to know me better.”
A smile spread over Ricki’s lips. “Aw, that’s so sweet!” As though she remembered something, the smile deflated. “And that made you so upset you cried?”
I shook my head, even more confused now at my emotional reaction. “I guess.”
Ricki screwed up her face. “You know what I think? I think you freaked out that night because you like him like crazy. I mean, it’s obvious you guys are totally into each other.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, that weird reaction probably has to do with your life history. Not to be rude, but having watched your mom being dumped to left and right, it’s not strange you’re dead scared of getting close to a guy. You know, falling in love, like we normal girls want to do. Getting married and having kids and stuff like that.” She paused, as if catching herself. “Well, most of us definitely want that first part at least. What do you think?”
I thought about Ricki’s words for a long moment and I couldn’t help but admit that she did have a point. I exhaled. “Yeah, you might be right.”
Dylan
“Another one?” Jack said, an incredulous grin playing on his lips. “I thought you said you had to get up early.”
“I do,” I replied and waved over the bartender with my hand that contained my Amex. We had stayed at Bliss after the show was over to have drinks at the bar there. “But it doesn’t matter. I feel like partying tonight. It’s been a while.”
Jack chuckled and ran a hand through his floppy mop of blond surfer hair. “Sounds good to me, man.” Being a talent scout, Jack didn’t have to get up early.
When the bartender came over, I ordered two double vodka sodas. I needed to squelch the disappointment that had settled in my stomach like a huge slab of wet cement. Only a fair amount of alcohol had the power to make it go away, and I wanted it to go away as quickly as possible. After I felt better, I’d take Jack to a strip club and watch hot, naked chicks dance for me, take my mind away from both Nina and Emma. Remind myself that women were best enjoyed from a distance.
The bartender came over with the drinks. Grabbing one, I raised it in a cheer.
“To us,” I said, forcing a grin onto my face. “May we be buddies forever!”
Jack brought his glass to mine, clinking it so hard I thought for a second it had broken. Fortunately, it hadn’t.
“Hell, yeah, dude,” Jack said and chugged his drink. I swallowed my own in one gigantic gulp. The alcohol warmed my stomach, diluted the misery that had taken root there to the point it was
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