Jeremiah flagged down the bartender and we each ordered a beer from the tap.
My big friend shifted in his seat and rested one elbow on the bar. “I’m glad you were able to meet up. Sorry about the late notice. I didn’t know I would be in town until two days before my flight.”
Jeremiah had business here in Silicon Valley. I hadn’t pried into what that business was but I’d taken him up on his offer to catch up over drinks.
“I’m just glad I get to see you,” I said.
The bartender dropped off our beers. Jeremiah and I each took a healthy swig before setting our glasses back down on cardboard Guinness coasters.
“How long has it been?” Jeremiah asked.
“We saw each other once since the wedding. Six months ago, I think.”
“Really?” Jeremiah’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I suppose that adds up. Been a weird year, hasn’t it?”
“You could say that again,” I grumbled. Suddenly itching for another drink, I picked up my beer and drained half the glass in four gulps.
Jeremiah watched with calculating eyes. “You sure you’re all right?”
“Hanging in there.”
“That isn’t the same thing as all right.”
I shot my friend a steady stare. “I’m fine.”
Jeremiah chuckled. “You’re full of shit.”
“Have you heard from Levi?” I asked, hoping the subject of the rock star with a drinking problem would steer Jeremiah out of my business. He had good intentions, I knew that, but after the day I’d had, I didn’t feel like getting into it all over again with details about my current predicament. I’d already talked to Sienna, Janie, and Holly about the mess I’d made.
A conversation about literally anything else was much more preferable.
Jeremiah leaned back on his stool. “He keeps pretty well to himself these days but I heard from a few of the guys who’ve seen him that he’s still sober.”
“That’s good news. A little surprising but good.”
“What about you? Been in touch with anyone?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I ordered one of Joshua’s pieces for my office a couple of months ago, and I was in touch with Wyatt when I was seeing Janie.”
“Right.” Jeremiah grinned. “Janie. How is she?”
“Good.”
“Talk to her recently?”
“Yes.”
Jeremiah arched a curious eyebrow. “You’re holding back.”
Jeremiah knew about the breakup between Janie and me. He knew how badly I’d wanted things to work out and how disappointing it had been when it all blew up in our faces. He’d said all the typical lines a friend is supposed to say, reminded me he was there if I needed an unbiased person to vent to, and suggested I call her when it was obvious I couldn’t get over her.
I’d never picked up the phone and called.
“I hired her to work for me,” I said.
Jeremiah hesitated before he rocked back on his stool and clutched his chest as great booming laughter came out of him.
I scowled at him as I polished off the rest of my beer. “It’s not that funny.”
His eyes were wet with humorous tears. “It’s pretty funny. Why in God’s name would you ever think that was a good idea? The girl turned your heart into a pretzel, Max.”
“There were… unusual circumstances at play.”
“Have you two fucked yet?”
If I’d had a mouthful of beer, I’d have sputtered all over the place. “That’s none of your business.”
“So yes, you have.”
“Fuck off.”
“When?”
I brooded. “Today.”
Jeremiah snickered. “You can’t control yourself around that girl, man. You know that. But isn’t this a good thing? You know, you and her back together again? If sex is on the table with a girl like that, you know she’s interested in something more. Janie’s like Piper. She’s the kind of woman you marry.”
“You don’t think I know that?”
Jeremiah searched my face and must have picked up on some of my anger because he frowned. “I’m just messing around. Why does this have you so bent out of shape? Most guys I know are tapping their heels together like they’ve won the fucking lottery after they get laid.”
I sighed and slumped against the bar. “It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always? Come on. We both survived the Casanova Club. We can do complicated.”
“This is different.”
“How so?”
Jeremiah was persistent. I’d give him that. So persistent that as I moved on to dive into my second beer, I started telling him everything that had been going on. I told him about Janie’s sorrowful phone call and my offer to bring her out to work for me. I told him how optimistic I’d been that this might be a fresh start for us if we took things slowly.
Then I told him about the curveball from Sienna.
Jeremiah’s eyes widened with surprise. “A baby?”
I sighed wearily and nodded. “And you’d think she’d want me coming to doctor’s appointments, right? I mean why tell me she’s pregnant and having the kid if she doesn’t want me there holding her hand through this? It’s her first child. It can’t be easy. But when I tried to show up and offered to take her to her appointment tomorrow, she shot me down. She’d rather go to the spa.” I slammed back the rest of my second beer.
Jeremiah’s brow had been furrowed with a frown the whole time I was speaking. “I don’t want to be the guy to plant seeds of doubt or anything,” he said slowly, “but if I were you, I’d start looking for proof that this baby is real.”
“What?”
Jeremiah shook his head slowly. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just—I’ve had my fair share of experiences with dishonest people, and when you feel like something is a red flag, it usually is. If this Sienna woman is making you question and doubt her already, chances are you have good reason to. So protect yourself. Make sure this is real.”
His words shocked me.
Could Sienna be pulling one over on me? I wouldn’t put it past her. She was, after all, the one who’d snapped and beaten my car halfway to hell when I ended things with her. What wouldn’t she do to get what she wanted?
Was there a chance there was no baby? Was this all a ploy to try to get my money, or get me to go back to her?
My stomach went hard and cold all at once. I threw my hand in the air and ordered another beer.
“Sorry to put that in your head,” Jeremiah said.
“Don’t be. I’m glad you said something. It gives me a lot to think about.”
“Would you put it past her to lie?”
“No,” I said. “Not even a little bit.”
Jeremiah’s eyes followed the fresh beer as I lifted it from the bar to my lips. “Maybe you should take it easy.”
“I’d rather not.”
“This isn’t the kind of shit you contemplate when you’re drunk. You need to think this over when you’re sober.”
I laughed bitterly. “All I’ve been doing is thinking it over sober, and it’s making me lose my damn mind. Just for a night, I need to not think about it.”