She could forgive Roman. In fact, she was pretty sure that she already had. It didn’t mean she wasn’t still hurt, but she sometimes said rude things, and knew that sometimes they just came out. She could let him learn and grow and become better, no problem. But did that mean she should continue to date him? She wasn’t sure.
Nikki knocked twice on the kitchen door before coming inside and moaning as she accepted the bowl of peach cobbler and ice cream from Shirley. She immediately sat down and ate a big spoonful of the dessert, mumbling “thanks” and “mmm, so good” around her mouthful. And, even if she didn’t realize she was doing it, reminding Bex exactly why she couldn’t continue to date Roman.
“What was that look?” Frances asked.
Bex looked at her in confusion.
“You looked at Nikki. Like she has something to do with this.”
“What?” Nikki said with a mouthful of ice cream. “I did not.”
“No, I saw it, too,” Meera said.
Nikki swallowed. “Tell them I didn’t.”
Bex let out a huge breath of air. “All my sisters are driven and have strong opinions and even stronger wills.”
“That’s so true,” Nikki said. “You should see what it’s like just trying to decide where to go to lunch. And by the way, Bex is the most driven of us all. Oh, but did you notice? She said all our sisters. See? This isn’t my fault.”
Bex laughed. “It isn’t her fault. It’s just that all my sisters figured out that they couldn’t marry a guy who was also driven with strong opinions and a strong will, except for Nikki. The guy she married was as strong-willed and driven as they come, and it was awful.”
“True. Between dating, engagement, marriage, and divorce, four years of my life: down the crapper. Wait. What does this have to do with you?”
“Well, obviously,” Bex said, “it doesn’t work for any of us to be with a guy like that. You married someone who is kind and sweet and easy going and everything is rainbows and lollipops for you. Roman is totally driven and strong-willed and has strong opinions. So we would never work out. We’d just end up like Nikki and Moss and waste years of our lives.”
“That’s what you think?” Nikki asked. “Wow, so it really is my fault. I would’ve never guessed.”
“No, it’s the opposite of your fault. I’m learning from your mistakes so I don’t have to make the same ones.”
Nikki turned in her seat to face Bex. “Bex. Moss and I didn’t work out because he is a Class A Poop Canoe. Not because he’s driven and opinionated. Sure, Owen and I are pretty much the best couple on the planet, but that’s got nothing to do with how accommodating and flexible he is and everything to do with him not being a poop canoe. Do you know who else is not a poop canoe? Roman. Well, except at that party where he definitely was a poop canoe. But the rest of the time? Not so much.”
Could it be possible that a guy like Roman wasn’t the wrong kind of guy for her? She felt a strange flutter of hope that she hadn’t felt in the week and a half since the Eddie Awards. But that didn’t change the fact that he showed that he didn’t respect her job, and therefore didn’t respect her.
Nikki took another bite of cobbler and ice cream, and then mumbled. “Sorry—I’m really pregnant and this is really good.” She swallowed her bite, and then pointed her spoon at Bex. “Maybe the reason why you never stay interested in a guy longer than three or four dates is because the kind of guy that we all married isn’t the kind of guy you need. You’ve stayed interested—very interested—in Roman for longer than I thought you’d ever stay interested in a guy, and based on the way you’re dealing”—she cleared her throat—“or not dealing with the breakup tells me that you’ll likely be interested for the long haul.”
“Besides, sweetie,” Shirley said, placing a hand on her arm, “you’ve always struck me as someone who’s going to be a formidable half of a power couple. You don’t become a power couple with someone who bends like a willow tree. You do it with someone who’s an oak.”
She really had never thought about it like that before. But looking back, she realized how much Roman had pushed and challenged her over the past couple of months. They had pushed and challenged each other, actually. So many times over the past several weeks, they had brainstormed about each of their businesses, coming up with new ideas. Some, she had been nervous about trying, but he encouraged her, and she’d accomplished things she didn’t think she could. It had exhilarated her. She had been more productive and had been willing to take bigger risks than ever before. She’d dreamed bigger dreams and was going for them. She had won an Eddie, and she knew with all her heart that she couldn’t have done it without him.
Maybe she needed to dial back her commitment to sticking with a decision once she had made it. At least when it came to Roman. But only if she felt like he truly did respect her job and wasn’t embarrassed to be with her.
But was he even interested? He’d said some awful things, and then he didn’t call for seven days. Those weren’t really the actions of a guy who wanted to work things out.
22
Roman
Roman was on his way to his dad’s office when the phone rang. He was hoping to catch his dad at home, even though it was a longer drive than his office, but, of course, the man had to go in to work on a Saturday. He was probably even wearing a suit.
It was his friend, Ian. Anyone else, and he might’ve ignored the call. He pressed to answer the call through his car’s Bluetooth. “Hello?”
“Hey, buddy. How are you?”
“Feeling good for the first time in a week, actually.”
“That’s...not what I was expecting.”
“Me, neither. Especially because I’m on my way to talk to my dad.”
“When is that ever a good thing?”
“When I’ve decided that I’m going to go tell him off. I am a twenty-nine-year-old man. Not only have I lived with zero support from him since college, but I am the CEO of a company I built from the ground up. He doesn’t get a say in what I do or who I date.”
“I so wish I could be there when you tell him that.”
He chuckled. “I wish you could, too.” He paused a moment, trying to decide if he should ask, then decided he wanted to know too badly to care if he should ask or not. “How’s Bex?”
“Miserable.”
“Really?” His voice came out way too hopeful.
“Yeah, really. She’s a million times better with you and you’re a million times better with her. Addison and I both hate seeing her so miserable. Please tell me you are going to do something about it.”
“I am,” Roman said as he pulled into the parking lot of his dad’s office building. “Absolutely everything within my power. I have to convince her to give me another chance.”
“Oh, good. Because I care about you both way too much for you not to work this out.”
Roman took a deep breath. “Well, when you mess up as badly as I did, I think it’s going to take a lot to work this out. And I may need your help.”