I'm Not in Love

CHAPTER26

Tristan

“I’m gonna talk to him about it,” Dacia says. I can hear the smile in her voice.

“He won’t be pleased.” Tara’s smiling too. I don’t have to see her to know.

“When have I ever cared about pleasing people, Tara? That’s not my job here.”

Based on the number of cans in the trash bin, the girls are each about four beers into their private drinking party and have no clue that I’m already home from my Friday night job at the Wining Painter. And I’m listening to them scheme from the kitchen.

“What do you plan to say?” Tara presses her.

“I’m just gonna speak the truth. When have I ever done anything else?” Dacia thinks she has mastered the art of projecting clueless innocence. Fortunately, I’ve been clued in.

“It wasn’t exactly God’s truth when you informed my daughter that Bah-Bah Lamb Baby told you she was exhausted and wanted Wendy to take her to bed. Or when you told Jared that you turned down a full athletic scholarship to Duke University for women’s mud wrestling.”

“How do you know that isn’t true?”

“I wasn’t born yesterday.” They break into laughter, and I hear the clink of beer bottles.

It makes me happy to see Tara and Dacia bonding. Overwhelmed by raising three kids, Tara hasn’t had an opportunity for friendship since she was a freshman in high school.

“Hey, I just got home from the Wining Painter,” I call out before entering the living room. “How did Jared and Tommy’s soccer game go?”

“Better than the last game, especially for Tommy. He got a little more playing time,” Tara replies. “And Jared managed to manipulate ‘Coach Remi’ into standing on the sideline with the other two coaches.”

“How did the regular coaches feel about that?” I wish like hell I had been there to see it. But it’s better that I wasn’t.

“They were a bit perturbed until they realized that Remi is the soccer-whisperer.”

“So, Tara, it sounds like the Ball Kickers won the game.”

“By two goals.”

“Nice.” I drop into the chair opposite the couch. “The owner’s cousin was at the Wining Painter again tonight.”

“Lizzie’s cousin, the very nerdy Nate?” Dacia asks.

“Yup—that’d be him.” Nerdy, pervy Nate.

“Did he tape you when it was time for your break?”

“He did, creepy leg rub included.” The bad kind of shivers spread across my chest as I recall the way Nate’s clammy fingers stroked my calf as he marked my position with tape. “I need to find a new Friday night paint-and-sip gig.”

“Or better yet, Lizzie needs to put a stop to her cousin’s roving hands.”

“Like that will ever happen,” I sigh. “Most artists are completely respectful of me when I’m working, but there are always a few exceptions. I need to work harder to avoid those situations.”

“You shouldn’t ever have to deal with that shit,” Tara says.

We’re all quiet for a few minutes, each of us thoroughly wrapped up in our own thoughts. Dacia finally breaks the silence with a question. “Why do you think Remi told you he didn’t love you on the day Wendy nearly got hit by a car?”

I glance up at her. “Where did that question come from?”

“I’m just making conversation.”

Yeah, right…“Well, I haven’t given it much thought,” I lie.

“I have,” she says.

“Color me shocked.” I let the sarcasm flow.

“Oh, don’t be,” she quips, but then her demeanor changes. Soberly, she adds, “I talked to him, you know.”

Now she has my full attention. “You talked to Remi about me?”

“The discussion actually focused more on him—on his fear of losing you.”

“I don’t have a clue what you mean.”

“Don’t you think it’s odd that Remi’s attitude changed on the same day Wendy very nearly… got hurt?” She could’ve been killed.

“He was a different person that evening.” So cold and distant.

“Remi told me that he lost his parents to a car accident when he was nine.”

“A while back, he showed me some online news articles and videos about it. Do you think losing his parents and what happened with Wendy are somehow connected in Remi’s mind?”

“I think you should talk to him about it rather than assume that you two are incompatible.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know, Dacia.”