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“I have to go, Dad,” I said flatly. “Talk later.”
“Megyn…”
I hung up and dropped the phone into my purse. Doubling over, I wrapped my arms around my aching stomach and shuddered. Why did everything have to go falling apart all at once? If only Carter could have kept his comments to himself, and then I would never have to be going through this. I would have been ignorant, but maybe ignorance was bliss in some cases; I certainly hadn’t encountered a lot of bliss in my time, so I deserved at least a little. Didn’t I?
“Why can’t anything stay good?” I whispered.
A horn honked from outside, from my driveway. Carter had arrived for our date. It would be a double date. We were going alongside Brian and Maggie, to the Lonely Whale, since Maggie had never been and apparently really wanted to go. I didn’t doubt that she did, but I wasn’t silly enough to think that this whole arrangement was for fun.
I walked out to meet Carter. He got out into the cold and smiled at me. I returned the smile as best as I could manage, which evidently wasn’t very well, because a single look had him frowning.
I climbed inside and we drove off, crossing the bridge, skirting over the darkening waters.
I hadn’t spoken to Maggie at all since Carter revealed he’d spoken to her behind my back. I wanted to talk to her, but I knew I was too upset and would end up saying things I’d regret. This double date thing tonight was probably meant to mend all the broken lines of communication.
To me, it kind of seemed like everyone had just gone behind my back again and planned without me.
Maggie and Brian waited for us inside the restaurant, standing underneath the humpback whale painting. They spoke in quick, excited tones to an older gentleman who bore a startling resemblance to Jim Bergman; rather, Jim bore a startling resemblance to this gentleman, since it had to be his father.
Carter led me over to the trio, clearing his throat to get their attention. “I hope these two aren’t keeping you from anything, Ryan.”
Ryan Bergman broke off in his conversation and grinned at Carter. “The opposite, really. You know me, I can’t stop talking about this artwork you got for us.”
Maggie jumped in, speaking quickly still. “It really is stunning. I was asking Mr. Bergman here if he’d mind me doing a piece on it.”
“I’ll do you one better,” Carter said. “I’ll give you the email of the man who made it.”
Maggie’s eyes gleamed in a way I recognized all too well. She always got overzealous like this when in the throes of inspiration. “I’d die! Please do.”
“Well, if it’s going to kill you, maybe I shouldn’t,” Carter chuckled.
I stood back, trying not to be noticed. I must have brought attention to myself somehow, though. Ryan Bergman held out his hand to me and said, “And who is this, Carter?”
Carter wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He was warm and smelled so good. I almost gave in and forgave him for everything. Almost. “This is Megyn. She’s my date. My girlfriend.”
I looked at him sharply. After what had happened, he still felt comfortable saying something like that? Or was it more that he was trying to convince himself?
Ryan caught the look and laughed. “It looks like she’s not so certain about that. I think she’s got the right idea. She’s much too good for you.”
If only you knew.
Maybe he did know and was making fun of me. I wouldn’t put it past myself to be the dumb girl who didn’t recognize when she was being insulted.
“I’ll personally take the four of you to your tables myself. Unless our Megyn here wants to ditch the rest of you and dine by herself?” Ryan winked at me and turned away with a sweeping gesture, motioning for everyone to follow me.
Maggie and Brian moved off, once again engaging Ryan in intense conversation. Conversation ground to a halt as Maggie saw the aquarium in all its glory. Her jaw fell open and she stared, standing immobile in one spot. It was still a beautiful thing and an amazing accomplishment, but I couldn’t really find it in myself to share in her fascination. I still felt too numb.
Ryan gave Maggie the same talk Jim had given me, while leading us up three flights of spiraling stairs to the very top floor of the restaurant, detailing how the aquarium worked. I noticed that Maggie didn’t ask whether the fish in the aquarium were eaten and felt foolish for having said anything myself last time. Of course, they wouldn’t eat these fish. Who had ever eaten an angelfish? Fried clownfish weren’t a thing, either.
I was just dumb and didn’t know anything. I had no right to be sitting down at a table with these professionals, infiltrating their space with my poverty.
“Why don’t we get a bottle of wine?” Carter suggested, perusing a list. “To celebrate the four of us being in one place. Two sets of best friends, two couples. It’s perfect.”
“I’ll agree to anything as long as I’m not the one paying,” Brian joked.
Maggie frowned at him. “It’s a little bit uncouth to invite a lady out to a date and then have your friend pay for it. I might as well be on this date with Carter.”
“Oh, kinky,” Brian laughed. “We’re swapping dates now? How do you feel about that, Megyn?”