Love Under Quarantine

“He was set up, Mom,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Well of course he would say that, wouldn’t he?”

“I’m serious. Both of you, listen. Evan is a wonderful, kind, non-drug-taking person and I like him a lot. Like, a lot a lot.”

“I’m not even sure I know what that means. A lot a lot.”

“Guess, Mom. Just guess. Perhaps you can even tell from my tone of voice that this man is meaningful to me, hmm?”

“It sounds to me like you’re feeling scared and alone, so you fell for the nearest man available. Paying absolutely no attention to what kind of person he is behind the smile he gives you. I knew you should have come home to Texas. You’ve always lived with your head in the clouds, Sadie. But you’ve never been quite this foolish before.”

“Mom…” My jaw hangs open. Seriously. I’m gobsmacked by my parents’ opinion of me.

“A drug addict. Good Lord.” Mom’s voice is terse and filled with reprimand.

“Firstly, stop. Secondly, you really need to stop.”

“Sadie—”

“Jesus, Mom. Do you really think I’m that much of a naive idiot? So you’re just going to automatically believe bullshit tabloids selling sensationalist stories over your own daughter’s judgement, huh? Really?” I sit up, wine sloshing about in my glass. “I’m twenty-eight, Mom. I run my own business and have done so for years now. I’m a fully functioning adult with no small amount of dating experience and I’m telling you the papers are wrong about him. He’s a good person. You’re wrong about him.”

“Surely the journalists would have done their research and know what they’re talking about,” Mom says in a huff.

“I honestly don’t know how I’d have gotten through the last week and a half without him and you won’t even give him a chance. Your mind is made up. No room for the truth.”

The Empress of Pained Sighs lays another long and loud one on me. That should be Mom’s new official title. “Sadie…”

“I need you to trust me about him. Can you do that?”

There’s more mumbling in the background, but I can’t make out what Dad is saying.

“I need you to open up your mind and consider just for a moment that maybe I’m not thirteen any more, giggling and making eyes at cute boys. In fact, that was a hell of a long time ago. I know what’s best for me. I know who is best for me.”

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow when you’re sober,” she says. “We love you. Good night. Get some sleep, sweetheart.” And then she hangs up on me. Holy cow.

Mostly I want to bang my head against the desk. It feels like the appropriate response right now. However in lieu of giving myself a concussion, I’m going to have another drink.

Because I’m an adult and I can. So there.CHAPTER 12

QUARANTINE: DAY 12

SADIE“BABY, WHAT’S WRONG, IT’S AFTER midnight? Also, holy shit, look at you.” Evan’s eyes are wide as the moon highlighting the Bay.

I raise my wine glass to him. A cool night breeze ruffles my silk kimono. A friend gave it to me a few birthdays back, but I’m not a robe kind of person. I have, however, thought of the best use for it tonight because I am a genius. “Nothing’s wrong, silly. We’re drinking alfresco and enjoying the city lights, that’s all.”

“Really?” he asks, setting his cell down on the small table on Jake’s balcony. “Your text sounded upset.”

“How can a text sound upset? It’s just words with no context.”

“Okay. It sounded blunt. A little off, somehow. Not the normal you.” His tone is laced with concern.

“Strongly disagree with you there, Sparky. I think ‘I need your ass out on the balcony’ is in fact a coy, charming, and warm invitation from a woman who admires you greatly. But she’s also a woman who doesn’t wish to overstate her growing emotions for fear of…stuff. It’s complicated. Let’s not get into it right now.”

He just blinks. “How drunk are you?”

“Eh. A little. Let’s label it tipsy. That sounds about right.” Lie. I’m on my second bottle but it’s the first glass and I’ve been drinking since my call with the parents.

After a nod, he pulls a chair up to the balcony closest to me and sits. Only he does it with his chest against the back of the chair and his legs spread wide in that way dudes do. “Okay. What’s on your mind?”

“You’re not going to have a drink with me?” I work hard to cover the slight slur.

“Sorry, baby. Cutting back. I need to watch my intake. But I’m more than happy to sit over here and keep you company.”

I slump down on my own chair. “Fine. Spoil my plans.”

“What plans would those be?”

“I was going to greatly improve this lousy ass night by trading you a flash of my boobs for a glance at your dick,” I tell him very seriously. Because it’s a very serious topic of conversation. I mean, I even put on makeup for this occasion. Smoky eyes and shiny red lips to go with my navy kimono. Black patent heels finish the whole look off just so.