All Grown Up(14)

“He said it didn’t matter to him. He actually tried to convince me to stay and go through with the date. Can you believe that?”

“Why didn’t you?

I looked at Eve like she had two heads. “Did you miss everything I just said? He’s not only twenty-five, but he used to babysit my son.”

Eve sighed. “Did you have a drink, at least?”

“No. Well, sort of. I had a little meltdown before we even met, and he had a waiter deliver a martini to my car while I was freaking out about going inside.”

She interrupted. “Your minivan, you mean.”

“Yes. My old-lady minivan. That I belong driving. He, on the other hand, belongs behind the wheel of that little sports car he has.”

“What kind of a car is it?”

“I have no idea. Why does that even matter?”

“Because you deserve a boyfriend with a hot little car.”

“He’s not going to be my boyfriend.”

“Why not?”

“Eve, did you drink the first batch of these things on the way over here?”

“Let’s break this down. Stick to the details. What’s the real issue? Is it his age or the fact that he knows Ryan that bothers you?”

“Both.”

“So if he had never met Ryan you’d go out with him?”

“No. He’s too young.”

Eve grinned. I really thought she might be losing it. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“What? You won’t be meeting him.”

“But I’m coming to spend the weekend with you in two weeks out in Montauk.”

“So? He hasn’t been there in years. I’m hoping that won’t be changing anytime soon. I just want to put the entire bizarre incident behind me.”

She smiled. “Well, that makes one of us.”

***

After our study session that evening, Allison started to clean up Mark’s dining room table. “I have to run. I didn’t realize it was so late. My husband’s car is in the shop, and he works the night shift so he needs to take mine.”

“Go. I’ll help Mark clean up,” I said.

“You sure?”

“Of course. My son is away at college. He was supposed to come home two weeks ago, but he got a last-minute summer internship. So he’s staying in North Carolina. Sadly, I sort of miss cleaning up after someone.”

Allison gave me a hug. “You’re the best.”

“Hey, what about me?” Mark said. “I cooked all this Italian food.”

Allison laughed. “The Salpino’s delivery guy held the door open for me when I came in.” She plucked a cookie out of the white bakery box on the dining room table and shut the top. She pointed to the gold sticker on top. “Did you make the cookies from scratch, too?”

Tonight it had been just the three of us, since Desiree couldn’t make it. So when Allison left, it was just me and Mark.

I picked up the plates and brought them to the sink. The kitchen and living room were an open floor plan with just a step down from one room to the other.

“How do you feel about the test?” I asked. “You ready?”

“Sta arrivando se sono pronto o no,” he said. It’s coming whether I’m ready or not.

I smiled. “Stai andando alla grande.” You’re going to do great.

Mark collected the rest of the dinner and dessert mess while I loaded the dishwasher. When he was done, he leaned a hip against the island.

“What?”

He was looking at me funny.

He shrugged. “Nothing. I was just thinking we should celebrate after we pass the exam.”

“That’s an excellent idea. And I like your confidence—after we pass not if we all pass.”

“Maybe we could go out to dinner. Italian, of course.”

“That sounds perfect. I think Desiree is going away the week after the exam, but maybe the week after that.”

Mark’s face told me I’d misunderstood before he said anything. “Oh. I meant just the two of us celebrating.”

I loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and dried off my hands. “Sorry. I thought you meant all four of us.”

A moment of awkward silence passed. Eventually, Mark said, “And here I thought I was being so smooth.”

“Oh, you were smooth. I’m just totally out of practice. Honestly, a date could smack me in the head, and I wouldn’t recognize it. It’s been a long time.”

He looked hopeful. “Well, then it sounds like you’re due for one.”

I didn’t want to lead him on. I liked him. I really did. He’d become a good friend. I just didn’t think I liked him in that way. Which was too bad, because if he were my boyfriend we could spend the entire summer out in Montauk. Yet he didn’t give me that flutter—the type of flutter the guy who was perfectly wrong for me caused. Damn you, Ford.

“Would you mind if I took a rain check on a date until after the test? I want to focus on that for now.” Plus, I wasn’t sure.

He forced a smile. “Sure.”

I left feeling kind of down. I wanted to want to go out with Mark. But it felt like the right decision putting it off. Maybe after a few weeks of not seeing him in class and our study group, I’d start to miss him and realize I’d been wrong.