“It’s good to have people like you around,” Andy said, smiling. “I mean, without you, we’d never know when we were doing something wrong. Though it must take a big man to be able to realize that he’s wrong. You know what I mean?”
“Sometimes. It’s not always about being wrong. It’s about finding the bugs that they can’t see because they’re looking at things differently, or working on so many other things. You should always have a second set of eyes—or even a fifth set—on certain things. Everybody uses software products differently.”
“Maybe. And maybe that’s too many cooks in the kitchen, you know?”
“Perhaps. But sometimes you need all the help you can get.”
“But maybe the guy doesn’t want to constantly hear that he’s wrong. Can’t make for the greatest work environment, can it?”
That was the second time he placed a man in the developer position.
Yes, the last few people I had worked with had been men, but that wasn’t always the case. I wasn’t going to touch on that subject though, because this was a date, and I didn’t need to get into office politics. I had enough of that at work as it was.
And every time that I hung out with my friends, I was probably going to see Prior, and that would just bring more of that nonsense into every part of my life—not something I truly wanted to fixate on.
“Anyway, enough about work,” he said casually, taking another sip of his drink. We had ordered a bit ago, but this place was notorious for being slow. It annoyed me from a sustainability and efficiency standpoint, but this was a good place for dates because there was less time shoveling food into your mouth, and more time to get to know one another. At least, usually.
“Anyway, I’m thrilled that Myra set us up.”
“How do you know Myra anyway?” he asked.
“We’ve been friends for a while now. She grew up with one of my college friends, and we all sort of clicked.”
“I see. Well, Myra does come from good stock, so any friend of hers is a friend of mine.”
Stock. As in breeding. This was going to be a fun night.
“Oh?” I asked, trying not to sound like I wanted to hit him.
“You know how it is. Families beget families and all that. Her family’s been after her to marry for a while. It’s too bad that she and I never clicked. It would have been good for everybody if we had found our way to be with one another. But we just didn’t suit.”
And now I was second best? The consolation prize? Who exactly did he think I was? What family did he think I came from?
He was sorely mistaken if he thought I ran in the same circles that Myra and Hazel did. My circles weren’t even in the same stratosphere as theirs. Mine were more in line with Dakota’s background—not that my friends had ever once made me think or feel like I was less because I didn’t come from money.
I hadn’t come from anything. No, I came from pain, and heartache, and bruises, and screams.
I had come from a trailer park that’d tried its best to fit into every stereotype you could think of. I hadn’t come from the same family ties that Myra and Hazel did. And it never once bothered me that I hadn’t. However, I had a feeling if the man in front of me ever found out where I really came from, he wouldn’t be sitting here in front of me.
I had the nice shoes, the good clothes with the perfect cuts to showcase the curves that I wanted or the business that I needed to do. I knew how to dress to impress, and I used my brain to get where I was.
And maybe my attitude, as well. I didn’t care that people called me a bitch. I got where I was because I worked hard and I didn’t take any shit. Nor did I let closed doors stop me.
I went to school, got scholarships, got a fantastic fucking degree. And then I got one of the highest paying jobs in my field. I wanted more, and I would get it. That was all part of my life plan.
However, another part of that should be sitting in front of me right now.
Because despite all evidence to the contrary, I didn’t like being alone.
I wanted a husband. I wanted a family. I wanted the next stage for the woman who had it all.
However, I had a feeling that Andy was not going to be a part of that.
So that meant I was over five when it came to blind date tries.
Just like I was oh-for-countless-other-times when it came to dating in general.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
We were all trying to find men that suited us, but maybe the problem with our whole pact was that we didn’t know any men that suited us personally. So, how could we find men that suited our friends?
Maybe I was thinking too hard and being too cynical about everything.
“Do your parents summer with Myra’s?” he asked, and I pulled myself out of my thoughts.
“No, my parents are dead.”
A complete lie, but I was used to saying it in harsh tones like I had right then.
So harsh, in fact, that he blanched a bit, blinked, and then smiled, even though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“My condolences.”
“It’s been a long time,” I said, compounding on the lie.
No one needed to know where my parents were now. I didn’t want to think about them at all.
No one needed to think about them.
“I take it your family summers with Myra’s?”
“Sometimes. They used to summer more with the parents of your other friend, Hazel.”
“Ah,” I said, not sure where to go with that.
“It was so sad when they passed. Even sadder when Hazel cut ties with her former husband. His family was quite influential.”
“Well, the whole kidnapping and drugging and murder part of the whole situation probably put a downer on summer vacations,” I said casually, taking a sip of my gimlet.
His cheeks reddened. This time, there was more of a snarl on his lips.
“Things like that do tend to tarnish things, don’t they?
“And I would assume the screaming and the bleeding and the gunshots probably tarnished things a bit more.”
“Paris,” he admonished.
“What? Hazel’s ex was an asshole. And if you’re sad that you can’t go to the country club with his family anymore, that’s on you, not her.”
“I’m just saying, using your words nicely would be more beneficial in these things. If you would only tell me what she did to push him, then perhaps we could come to an understanding. What drove him over the edge? Why didn’t she listen to him to begin with?”
Andy was very lucky that I did not want to waste good vodka by throwing my drink in his face. Instead, I took another sip and pushed back from the table.
“You know what? Thank you for this evening, because you showed me what I’ve been missing on the other side of the table.”
“Excuse me?” he asked, his voice icy and clipped.
“It shows me that I should just give up dating altogether. Especially if you are what’s out there.”
“You cannot say that to me. You don’t know who I am. My family.”
“I think I know exactly who you are. Have a wonderful night, Andy.” I put two twenties on the table.
“Since I didn’t eat, I bet you can take the rest home to your mother. Or whoever else is part of your inner circle.”