FIVE
Mia
He looked for me.
Oh my gosh.
Why did I leave? I shouldn’t have left. He just seemed too good to be true.
It’s been two days since the party and right now I’m in my office but my concentration is zero/shit. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Jake. I spent the rest of Saturday night and all of yesterday thinking about him and remember that magical night. And today is no different.
“So, anything you care to tell me about Saturday?” she asks.
I hesitate. “The party was great.” Why am I hesitant to tell her about Jake. She already knows about him and how much he has unknowingly affected my life. The only thing she doesn’t know is his identity. He’s going to be her brother-in-law. It’s not a big deal, right? It’s not like he’ll be living with them and I’d have to avoid visiting one of my best friends. But he’ll be in all future family events like the wedding, births and birthdays.
“Anything interesting happen?” I study my friend’s face wondering if she knows. I get my answer in two seconds. “Okay. I’ve been waiting for you to call me and spill but since that’s clearly not going to happen and I’ve run out of patience (I’m not known for my patience) . . . I know Jake, the man you haven’t gotten over in two years, is Luke’s brother.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. How did she find out? Did Jake say anything to her?
“How did you –?”
“Luke told me. Apparently, you’ve had quite an impact on his brother.” I finally open my eyes to see Ana grinning at me. “Luke said he’s always wanted to meet the mysterious Mia that has had his brother tied up in knots but he had no idea it was you. And I spoke to Jake. I get the feeling that he isn’t pleased that Luke has known you for months and never once mentioned it.”
“Did you tell him –?”
“That you’re crazy about him and that you haven’t stopped thinking about him all this time? No. I’m your friend, Mia. And I’m not a snitch.”
“I know. I know. Sorry.”
“I thought you’d be more excited. This is a good thing.”
“Really? A good thing? Have you forgotten that I have a boyfriend? Gavin?”
“Oh . . . yeah. I had actually forgotten. I guess I was excited to find out that Jake was the man you had the connection with, and that you had found each other.” “What are you going to do about Gavin?”
“Nothing. We’re together.”
“Nothing? You can’t be serious.”
“I’m one hundred percent serious.”
“So let me get this straight. You’ve been pining for years for Jake and when you finally see him, you’re just going to let him go?”
“I don’t know who he is, Ana. We spent one night together. Yes, he left an unforgettable impression on me, but I’m not going to break up with a perfectly nice guy because he’s in town visiting for a few days.”
“You have the opportunity to finally get to know him, and he’s going to be moving to London next month to head his company’s office here.”
What?
“What do you mean he’s moving to London?”
“He’s the new CEO of CXG Global, the financial services company.”
Of course I know CXG. Who doesn’t? They have offices and branches all over the world.
“It’s not like he plans to ask me out,” I point out.
“He will. He asked me for your number, and asked me so many questions about you. He wanted to know if you’re here happy.”
“Please tell me you didn’t give him my number.”
“Of course I did. I know how crazy you are about him. Why would I tell him no?”
“Ana . . .”
“What are you scared of? You told me you left his suite that morning because you were scared he was too good to be true and you wanted to hold on to the perfect memory of him. Are you still scared?”
“No. Why would I be?” I’m lying. I’m not scared, I’m terrified. Terrified to take a chance. Terrified that if we try to be together and it doesn’t work out, I may not be able to handle it well. Look at how much spending one night with him affected my life. “I’m just thinking of my boyfriend, Gavin.”
“No, you’re not. You’re using him to put up a wall between you and Jake. I doubt Gavin will appreciate knowing he has a girlfriend who has the hots for another man.”
“Gavin knows about Jake,” I tell her.
“You told him?” she asks, looking at me skeptically.
“We talked about it at your party.”
“So he asked you about him. Which means he noticed the connection between the two of you.” I don’t confirm or deny what she’s just said. I don’t think she needs me to anyway. “Did you tell him you spent a night with him?”
“I did.”
“Good. Did you also tell him that after only one night, you haven’t stopped thinking about him and it’s taken you almost two years to be with anyone? Did you tell him that as far as you’re concerned, every man pales in comparison to him? And did you tell him that you wish you could go back to the morning you left Jake in bed so that you would never have made the mistake of walking away from him?”
“Ana, that’s enough,” I say, upset that she’s saying all these things.
“You made the wrong decision back then. Make the right one now. This may be your second and last chance of finally getting what you’ve always told me you want.”