***
“So, what? You’re going out with Nathan Landers now?” Pam asks.
Once again, we’re having coffee at our favorite café, which is currently packed and bustling, and once again, she’s acting like my mother instead of my best friend.
Actually, she’s worse than my mother.
My mom rarely scolds me or gets mad, and is patient and loving, doing her best to understand me. Pam, on the other hand…
“Sam, we’ve already talked about this.” She lets out a sigh. “I thought you’ve already learned your lesson.”
“I’ve learned my lesson, all right. And that’s to never jump to conclusions again or to be so quick to believe what other people say.”
Pam frowns. “You mean what I say.”
“I mean other people,” I repeat. “I was wrong about him, Pam. He’s not a bad person.”
“And I was wrong to expect you to start using your head more than your heart,” she says. “You’re not thinking straight, Sam. Again. Actually, you’re not thinking at all.”
“I am thinking straight,” I argue.
“Really? Did you sleep with him last night?”
“Um, yes.”
“Then you’re not thinking straight.”
I lift my shoulders. “What does that have to do with it?”
“It’s the sex talking. Not you.”
I frown. “You know, maybe if you had sex a little more often, you’d be less cranky and skeptical.”
“Ouch.” She picks up her cup of coffee. “That confirms it. He’s a bad person. I mean, look at what he’s done to you. He’s turned you into this mean bitch.”
“Sorry,” I tell her quickly.
Pam may scold me a lot, but she is my best friend.
“I just… I wish you’d trust me on this. I wish you’d give Nathan a chance. He really isn’t a bad person.”
“So, womanizers are saints now?”
“I’m not saying he’s a saint, just that he’s not all bad. And he’s not a womanizer anymore.”
“So he says.”
“I trust him. Won’t you trust me?”
Pam says nothing.
“I’d really love to have my best friend’s support, you know. It would mean the world to me.”
Pam sets down her cup and sighs. “I wish I could but…” She stops suddenly.
“But what?”
She doesn’t answer and this time, I can tell her silence is a meaningful one. This usually means there’s something she wants to tell me but doesn’t want to upset me.
“What?” I ask again, curious.
“Never mind,” she says.
“Pam.” I look at her insistently.
She gives another sigh. “You say you trust Nathan. But do you even know him? Like, really know him?”
Now, I’m really curious. And worried.
“Pam, what are you not telling me?”
Again, with the silence.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to leave me hanging here. Now, spill the beans.”
She looks at me. “Fine. Do you remember Elaine? She’s a news writer just like me.”
“No. Why?”
“Well, she’s working on this story about the trade on rhino horns. You know that’s illegal, right?”
I nod.
“Of course, you do. You’re the animal expert.”
“Pam.” I try to steer her back on track. “Cut to the chase, will you?”
Pam takes a deep breath. Moment of truth.
“Well, the name of Nathan’s company came up.”
My eyebrows crease. “Landers Innovations?”
“That is his company, right?”
“Are you saying his company is involved in the illegal trade of rhino horns?”
“And possibly other poached goods.”
I shake my head. “Absurd. Landers Innovations is in the tech industry. Why would he deal with wildlife goods?”
“I was wondering the same thing. Then I remembered how Landers Innovations developed an app for tracking wildlife.”
“They did?”
“It’s not too well-known, but I found a few articles on it,” Pam answers. “What if it’s a cover-up, Sam?”
I don’t even entertain the thought. “No. There’s no way Nathan would be involved in something like this. Why would he be? He’s already making enough money from his products.”
“Enough money? Do you really think businessmen can have enough money?”
“You’re wrong, Pam. You were wrong about him before, and you’re wrong about him now.”
“This is not an opinion, Sam. This is a fact.”
“Well, it’s wrong. Your friend’s facts are wrong.”
“I looked into them myself, for your sake.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
Pam exhales deeply, looking down. “As I thought, your mind is clouded.”
I, too, sigh as I get up and grab my purse. “I have to go. I still need to rest.”
This conversation has proven exhausting.
She picks up her cup. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“It’s not a warning,” I insist. “It’s an attempt to bring him down, to ruin what he and I have.”
“I—”
I look at her. “I was really hoping you’d support me, you know. But it’s fine. We’ll do just fine, even without anyone’s support.”
“Sam…”
I don’t listen. I don’t look back.
I leave the café, leaving my best friend behind for the first time.
It’s fine.
True, my heart is heavy, but I’m not mad at her, really. Pam’s just being Pam. I’m just sad that we had to argue. But then, even best friends argue sometimes.
At any rate, I’m not going to think about it. Not right now.
I have a date to prepare for with the man who’s everything I ever dreamed of and more.
I wonder what surprise he has in store for me.