Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61591 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Hal crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t need fixing. I’m doing just fine, thank you very much.”
“In some ways, you are,” Vee said. “You’re kicking ass in design school, and you’re going to be super successful one day. But you haven’t gone on a single date since you caught your last boyfriend cheating on you, and it’s been, like, two years.”
Hal frowned at his housemate. “I’m too busy to date. I’m working three jobs to pay my tuition, and all I care about right now is graduating and starting my career.”
Vee nodded. “I know you’re busy, but it seems like you’ve been using it as an excuse. The longer you stay closed off, the harder it’s going to be for you to get back out there. Even now, the perfect guy could come along, and I doubt you’d even give him a chance.”
Hal’s frown deepened. “What if I’m happy being single?”
Vee’s expression turned sympathetic. “You’re not, though. You admit that every time you’ve had a couple of drinks, so we need to figure out how to ease you back into the dating world. That’s what I need to figure out for myself, too.”
Embry asked, “Why do I need an intervention? I’m out there all the time, trying to meet people.”
“We need to help you focus and find a direction,” Vee told him. “You’ve changed jobs six times in as many months, and your approach to dating is basically to go to a club and hit on every guy until someone shows interest in you. That’s just not working.”
While Embry mulled that over, I asked Vee, “What do you think I need help with? I’m not looking to meet anyone, so—”
My friend sighed. Just then, his little blue parakeet flew into the room. Clementine landed on a potted Ficus tree, but then he spotted me and flew directly at my face. The bird changed course at the last moment and landed on my shoulder as Vee said, “You need the biggest intervention of all, Tracy. You’ve been in a long-term, committed relationship for over two months, but you’re pretending it’s just a casual fling.”
While I tried to process that, Embry finally came back with, “It’s not like I want to change jobs every few weeks. I tend to be clumsy, so I get fired a lot. It’s cost me some relationships, too. Most guys don’t want to be with a walking disaster.”
I asked Vee, “Do you have actual solutions for any of this?”
There was a tray with a pitcher, glasses, and some veggies on the coffee table. Vee pulled it closer to him and began to fill the glasses as he said, “This is my solution—to start talking and brainstorming ideas. I made us some kick-ass Bloody Marys, and I’ve introduced the issues. Now I want to hear from each of you. What do you think we should be doing to get our lives on track?”
“My life is on track,” Hal insisted.
“If you can honestly tell me you’re not lonely, and that the occasional random hookup is enough, then we can skip you.” Vee dropped a celery stick into the cocktail and held it out to his housemate. Hal started to say something, but then he sighed and took the glass.
Vee poured and garnished another cocktail. “I think we should fix Tracy first, because he’s the easiest. He already has a man. He just doesn’t know it.”
“Ever and I had an agreement,” I muttered. “We said we were going to be friends with benefits until he moved into his new apartment.”
“You two are so much more than that.” Vee leaned across the coffee table and handed me the drink. “It’s blatantly obvious to all of us.”
Hal and Embry nodded, and I explained, “When this started, both of us made it clear we weren’t looking for a relationship.”
“Well, one found you anyway,” Vee told me, as he fixed another drink and handed it to Embry. “You and Ever are a couple. You share a life. Even if you’re afraid of calling it a relationship, that’s what it is.”
Hal asked me, “Have you told Ever how you feel about him? Because you’re clearly smitten.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
I floundered for the right words. “What if he doesn’t feel the same way? Or… what if he does?”
Vee looked confused. “You said that like both options are bad.”
“They’re both complicated,” I said. “If he doesn’t want me the way I want him, then this thing between us is going to end as soon as I admit I have feelings for him.” I shifted my gaze to my fidgeting hands and continued, more quietly, “But if he told me he wanted a relationship, I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t deserve Ever.”
Vee asked, “Why would you say that?”
I glanced at my friend and looked away again. “You know what happened with Sawyer, the way I treated him.”