“We can both be sorry, Skye.”
“I suppose we can, but this is all my fault. I didn’t mean to forget about you, but I can see that I did. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“I don’t need any promises,” she says. “I just want my best friend back.”
“Deal,” I say. “You want to grab some breakfast? Then yoga?”
She chuckles. “I have this little thing called work.”
“Fuck. Of course. I’m not getting off to a great start.”
She pauses. Is she rethinking her position? I can’t blame her. Asking her to go to breakfast and yoga when she has to be at work in an hour was a foolish move. A self-absorbed move.
“It’s okay,” she says. “How about drinks tonight after work?”
“Absolutely. I have so much to tell you.”
“About Braden? Work?”
“All of the above, but mostly about some things I’m figuring out about myself. I’ve been talking to…a therapist.”
“You have? That’s terrific!”
I chuckle. “I didn’t know you’d be so excited about that news.”
“I’m not. I mean… I just think therapy is good. For everyone.”
For me. She means for me. I could argue with her, but what’s the point? She’s right. “How are things with you?”
“I’m okay. Garrett Ramirez is a jackass, but whatever.”
“What happened with you two?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”
“Sure I would.”
A few seconds pass before she speaks. “I caught him with someone else.”
“Tess, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not like we were exclusive or anything, but I went over to his place one night to surprise him, and a woman in a towel answered the door.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. What could I do? I’m sure I looked like a complete ass. So I told him it was her or me, and he chose her.”
Ouch. “You gave him an ultimatum.”
“I sure did. I’m not overly proud of it, but…”
“You have every right to want to be the only person in a guy’s bed, Tessa. You’re worth so much.”
“Thank you for saying that. You want to know the best part?”
“What?”
“Three days later, he calls me and says he made a terrible mistake. That he hooked up with Lolita—can you believe that’s actually her name?—on Tinder, and he was just angry at me for making him choose, so he chose her.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. So he starts to tell me he’s falling in love with me, and… God, Skye, you have no idea how much I missed you while this was going on. I talked to Betsy and to Eva and even to a couple other girlfriends from work and yoga, but it wasn’t the same.”
“I know. Trust me. I know.”
“Anyway, I told him to fuck off.”
“Good for you.”
“Good for me. Right. Except Betsy and Peter are kind of an item now, and Pete and Garrett are best friends, so it’s been a little awkward.”
“No reason to be.”
“It is. I still have feelings for him.”
I’m not sure what to say. This isn’t like Tessa. She never worries about losing a guy because there’s always another waiting in line. “Can you forgive him?”
“In a way, I have nothing to forgive him for. We never talked about exclusivity. But he hooked up with someone he didn’t know, Skye. That bugs me.”
“You’ve done it before.”
“Not while I was seeing someone else.”
“True.”
“He’s called me a couple times since then. I’ve let them all go to voicemail.”
“Sounds like he’s serious about wanting you back. That’s a good thing, right?”
She sighs. “I guess.”
“Maybe he’s willing to be exclusive now.”
“Maybe. It’s tempting, but I can’t forget how I felt when I found him with another woman. It was humiliating.”
“I understand.” Well, not exactly, but sort of. I caught my mother with another man once.
“So. How are things with you?”
“Good.” Except Braden and I sort of broke up. As much as I want to spill everything—about Braden, about Susanne Cosmetics, about Addie and Apple—I don’t. I want Tessa to know I’m here for her. That I’ll no longer forget about her. Especially after my breakfast and yoga blunder in the middle of the week.
“I’m glad,” she says. “I’ve got to get dressed and get to work. See you tonight. I’ll text you with a place.”
“Sounds good.”
“Thanks, Skye. For calling again.”
“Absolutely. Best friends forever, right?”
“Right.”
I smile and end the call, and then I plug my phone into the charger, grab a cup of coffee, and head to the shower. Time to get my creative juices flowing for today’s Susie post.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Love my Susie Girl tinted moisture! Get your glow on! #sponsored #susiegirl #susieglow
The photo is a selfie—right out of the shower and dressed in a pink tank top, my hair still wet. My lips are puckered as if I’m blowing a kiss to my audience. And yeah, my skin is actually glowing. I’m not wearing any other makeup. I’ve never used a tinted moisturizer before, but I will from now on. It leaves my face feeling hydrated and healthy, and the slight tint evens out my skin tone. These cosmetics may be inexpensive, but they are truly top notch.