The Magnolia Chronicles: Adventures in Modern Dating(15)

"I love what I do, but there are days when I wish I didn't have to do it," I admitted. "It's crazy but I wonder what my life would be like if I didn't have to do everything by myself all the time." I glanced at her. "Do you ever feel like that? Like you'd take the throwback housewife gig if it was offered to you?"

Andy regarded me for a moment, her eyes narrowed. "It's worth noting that it's two o'clock on a Tuesday and we drank wine with lunch. We have the cake, we're eating it, and we have the ice cream and sprinkles too."

I gnawed on my lip before glancing at Andy. "I know and I know I wouldn't trade my life for anything. There are just days when I want to turn off my phone and let a man take care of me."

"Now that's something I understand," she said, shaking her head as a smile tugged at her lips. "I understand that and I crave it too. Believe me, I turn off my phone and let Patrick take care of me every single weekend. Most weeknights too."

"Your clients don't call you in the evenings? Or contractors?"

"They do. Doesn't mean they can't wait for me to call them back in the morning," she said, chuckling. "Honestly, yeah. There are days when I fantasize about setting aside all my work and worries and spending my time on posting cute food pics on Instagram."

"What stops you?" I wanted to know because there were moments when the only thing holding me back was a fear of running out of money to feed my dog.

"A few things. First, Patrick and I share a brain at work so I can't abandon him. He'd have a mental breakdown and no one needs that. Second, restoring and renovating houses is my favorite thing. I like it more than anything, even posting food pics. If I didn't have this career, I wouldn't know what else to do with myself. And third, I know that I can lean on Patrick. If I wanted to pull back or change my focus or spend some time tinkering with something new, I know he'd rearrange the firm to make that happen."

Everything inside me lurched. I wanted a partner who'd rearrange the world for me. That was what I wanted. That was it. That was my thing. Right there.

I couldn't put it in my dating profiles, but goddamn, that was what I wanted.

Andy peered at me, her arms folded over her chest. "What's the deal? What's going on with you? Spill your dirty stories, Santillian."

I leaned back against the wall and crossed my legs. "Dating is draining my soul. That, and the house across the street from me is being renovated after hours. I hear nail guns in my dreams."

"You're too damn nice," she muttered. "I would've introduced myself to those fools and made sure the city inspector tagged along." She rolled her hand at me, urging me to continue. "What else is going on with you? It's not just nail guns."

"There's a guy, but he only wants a fuck buddy situation. He's getting over a breakup."

"Explain to me why you're even entertaining this," Andy said, her eyebrow arched high. The woman could form right angles with her brows when she worked at it.

I started to respond but then hesitated. Why was I entertaining this? It wasn't the dick. It couldn't be the dick. There was more to life than dick just as there was more to life than coffee and baseball and dogs.

Somewhat.

"I like his vibe," I said eventually. "He's different from other guys I've met online. He's not like the rest of the assholes out there. I mean, he's not an asshole at all. He tried to be one for a hot minute but couldn't keep up the act."

"Well, that is to be applauded," Andy replied. "You said there was a breakup?"

I nodded, murmuring in agreement. "A bad one. He's admittedly fucked up."

"And you want to fix him."

"I don't want to fix him," I whisper-yelled.

"You want to fix all the boys," Andy replied.

"In the past, I've tried to fix a boy or two, yes," I conceded. "But I don't want to fix this boy."

"You want to fix his broken heart," she sang, "with your vagina."

I sniffed, playing hard at the indignation. "I have no desire to do that nor has he given me the impression he wants me to do any fixing."

Andy laughed. "No, honey. He wants you for the fucking."

"That's accurate, yes. Like any good man would, he's suggested he's quite talented at it. The fucking."

"Oh, is he now?" she cooed.

I decided to confess everything. "He says he's working with nine inches and he can work with it for at least half an hour."

She bobbed her head. "You have my attention."

"I don't want to get involved in a dead-end situation," I said. "But…I don't know."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to get laid. Especially when high-quality equipment is involved." She shrugged. "If you want someone to give you permission to get laid, enjoy it, and not worry about fixing him—I'm giving it to you. It's okay to have a dead-end relationship even when you're trying to find The One. Sometimes, dead-ends turn into cul-de-sacs and everyone loves a cul-de-sac. They're reliable real estate."

"That's some reliable wisdom." I jerked my chin toward the dresses hanging from the rail. "Should we even bother trying on clothes?"