“I really don’t believe in magic,” she said. “And I’d think that you, as a man of science, wouldn’t either.”
“I wouldn’t usually, but in the time since Nell put on her little drama and made her wish, everything has turned upside down. I didn’t get to bed last night, and I’m taking Nell and Addy to the airport today.” He ran his hand over his face. “I went to the office early this morning to write some prescriptions for patients before I left. My head was full of Jake’s return, then you showed up with your story about Colin, and . . .” He raised his eyebrows. “I think I need some sleep.”
“I agree,” Gemma said. She saw a customer wander by and knew the store had opened. “If you’re like Colin, you better get out of here before people start asking you to look at their warts.”
They stood up, gathered their trash, and put it in a bin.
Tris put his hand on her shoulder. “Thanks, Gemma. You needed to talk to me, but I ended up doing all the talking.”
“I enjoyed it. I miss my friends from school.” She rubbed her arm. “And I especially miss working out with the boys.”
“Oh, right. That’s what gave you the body the Internet is drooling over.”
“Not quite,” she said, laughing.
“You’ll meet Mike at the barbecue. He’s a major jock, so you two can . . . do whatever it is people do in a gym.”
“I guess you were born with those pecs and you don’t know what a forty-five-pound plate looks like.” They were walking toward the back of the store.
&
nbsp; “I stop in now and then and do a bit,” he said as they reached the back truck ramp. “I’m beginning to see what Colin finds so fascinating about you.”
“Is that why he called me Jean?”
Tris didn’t laugh. “What are you going to do the next time you see him?”
“I’ll act like it was nothing. No big deal—and it wasn’t.”
“I think that will be more difficult than you think,” Tris said. “Listen, if you have any symptoms of, you know, tell me, will you?”
“I’ll be crying on your doorstep.” They had reached his car. “Today I’m going to start some serious research on this Heartwishes thing.”
“Let me know about that too,” he said as he got into the car.
“Every word.” She pulled her BlackBerry out of her handbag. “Let me have your e-mail address and I’ll tell you everything as I learn it.”
Smiling, he told her—and he wrote her a prescription for birth control pills.
During the next week, Gemma had difficulty concentrating on her work. She’d read for an hour, make notes, and try to fit all that she was learning into what she knew. But at the end of the hour, she’d stare into space and think about Colin. She kept going over every second of their time together, every word they’d exchanged, and especially their brief moments in bed. She rationalized his calling her Jean. Gemma had asked Rachel, and she said Colin and Jean had been together since he graduated from college. So of course he’d make a mistake, since they’d been together such a long time, and besides, he’d been very tired that morning.
For the first day, she thought about nobly telling Colin that what had happened between them was “nothing” and that it wouldn’t happen again. She prepared her speech with the precision of a commencement address.
But Colin didn’t show up, so she couldn’t tell him anything. Nor did he call or text her. Was he feeling guilty? she wondered. Was he agonizing over how to tell her that he was sorry for what he did? Was he preparing what he was going to say as carefully as Gemma was gathering her defense?
Day after day, she imagined a new scenario, that he had confessed to Jean about what he’d done, how he hadn’t been faithful to her. Would they stay together? Break up?
Gemma worried constantly about her job, knowing that it could be taken from her. To lose the perfect job, and for what? To have a roll in the hay with a man who had a permanent girlfriend? It wasn’t worth it!
On the other hand, if Colin did break up with Jean . . .
By the time Tris was to pick her up for the barbecue, she had run through so many emotions that she honestly didn’t know how she was going to react when she saw Colin. Her hope was that he wouldn’t be there and she wouldn’t have to deal with him.
11
TRIS PICKED GEMMA up at eleven. The first thing she asked him was if Colin would be there. She hoped not, but in case he did show up, she had her speech ready to explain why she had fallen into bed with him.
“I don’t think so,” he said, “but if he does come, he might have Jean with him.” He glanced at her as he drove. “Can we men look forward to a girl fight?”