Page 34 of Mr. Red

“How did your night go?” Lana asks.

“Hold on, let me get some coffee and I’ll give you the deets!”

I walk in and order, then wait inside so I can sneak in a sip or two before I talk with them. It’s hard to function with no coffee first thing in the morning, but I stayed in bed as long as I could for some sleep.

My phone starts going off as I wait. I get excited, thinking it’s Matt, but I look down at “dad” calling. My smile disappears. I answer without giving away any disappointment.

“Hey, dad! How you doing?”

“Hey, Letti! I was calling because I’m going to need to cancel dinner this week. I know how you like your schedule. I hope I’m calling enough in advance.”

“That’s okay, dad. I understand. Anything I should be concerned with?”

“Nothing major. Something came up with work. I have a deadline to make for the summer classes. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

My dad teaches at Seattle University, but I’m pretty sure he has a date and had to cancel on me, rather than this story he’s making up about his summer classes. He hates telling me about the several girlfriends he keeps. Ever since my mom left, he won’t give commitment another thought. Instead, he dates every girl with legs.

We try to stick to a weekly schedule of dinner at the same expensive restaurant in the city. I think he likes being able to bring me to a nice place, since we didn’t have these types of options when I was growing up. He moved to thecity to teach when I was eighteen, but I didn’t want to leave my little town I lived in my whole life.

The café associate calls my name and places my latte on the counter.

“Thanks for the call, dad. I’ll see you next time then.” I grab my drink.

“Love you! Bye Letti.”

I pull up my calendar and cancel the meeting with my dad for the week. Once I’ve snuck in a few sips of my vanilla latte, I go outside and sit with my friends.

“My dad sends his love,” I tell them.

“He canceled again?” Lana’s eyebrows shoot to her hairline.

I nod. My friends know my dad well. They also know he doesn’t always keep our weekly appointment. It’s nothing Paige cares about, apparently.

“Sure, sure.” Paige waves her hand, then leans in. “Now, you’ve left us hanging long enough! What happened you lil hoe?”

“You of all people calling me the hoe?” I tease. “Who did you hook up with last night?”

“Since you asked,” Paige says, crossing her legs, “Jason set me up with a guy he knows. Said he’s off the charts hot and would be a fun hook-up, at the very least. I think Jason missed the signals he was intohim, not me. We had a drink and he kept asking me questions about Jason. Once we said good night, I called Jake to get laid. Now here I am, having coffee with you ladies.”

“Jake again?” I raise an eyebrow.

Paige and Jake have a mutual understanding about their calls to one another. Paige is open where sex is concerned. I often wonder if she’ll find a guy she’ll want to settle down with, or if she’ll just be wild forever. If she chose to besingle, she would be the freest person I’ve ever met. I envy her non-existent limitations on the subject.

“What do you mean ‘Jake again?’ I only call him once a week.” She shrugs.

“For two years,” I deadpan.

“Enough about my sex life. What happened last night? I see someone got a little kinky!” She points to my neck.

“I got caught up in the moment.” I lean back in my chair with a sigh.

“That’s my kind of night!” Paige claps her hands together and smiles like the Grinch. “So, you slept together?”

“We did,” I say. I’m grinning, but trying to hide it by sipping my drink. “Now I have to figure out a way for him to stay in Washington.”

“Scarlett, stop planning,” Paige sighs. “You’re supposed to just let go. Maybe it leads to more great fucking, maybe a relationship, maybe nowhere. Go along for the ride.”

“I don’t want him to just leave and never think of me again.” I fidget with my hands as my leg starts bouncing. “I don’t know how to be you, Paige.”