Page 11 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?

FOUR

Exes and Ohs

F riday had been a whole lot of nothing for an unemployed woman in a new town.

Ella’d spent the afternoon cleaning the house, because it was the least she could do for Rachel, who allowed her to stay rent-free until she found a job or took on enough freelance work to contribute.

She was working on that last part. However, the day had taken a sweet turn with a buzz from her phone.

Ella had grinned at the screen moments after Em's text arrived. She’d dropped the vacuum straight onto the floor, abandoned in favor of her scorching new love life.

At first, she just took a moment to celebrate the text before even reading the words, because had she dreamily relived that unexpected kiss over and over like her own private greatest hits station? Why, yes. Yes, she damn well had.

Fine. Time to read the words.

Just making sure you hadn’t forgotten about me. Also wanted to say hi.

Oh, and those were excellent words, too.

Who is this?

Ella bit her lip, grinning.

Surely not the kissing bandit of the Read It and Weep BC.

She’d hit send and then second-guessed her whole approach like an eighth grader.

Had it been too much? Why was she suddenly so sure of herself in the flirtatious arena?

But she’d noticed something on Tuesday. She was a different version of herself with Em, and she liked it.

She’d felt the change as soon as the two of them began to interact.

This woman had mysteriously reached in and snatched out this whole other confident Ella.

Call it part of her new life, but she enjoyed the more foot-forward Ella.

You’re onto me. Very astute.

Ella relaxed and quit thinking .

I’ve been called worse.

What are you wearing? (Kidding)

Since when do you kid?

After ten minutes of good old-fashioned flirting, they made a plan. Em had taken the lead.

So, I’m getting together with friends at this little bar on Eighth and Highline tonight at 7. Join us? I’ll buy you any drink you want.

She glanced at the clock on the microwave across the room. That was soon, which meant very little time to prepare, to pep talk herself in the mirror like the true underdog champion she longed to be. Suddenly, she was her old self again. Nerves swarmed. She had an idea.

Can I bring a friend?

The more the merrier.

When Rachel arrived home twenty minutes later, Ella was waiting with her most winsome smile. “I need you. Are you free tonight?”

“I could be persuaded. But work kicked my ass. The holiday decorations that were supposed to arrive last week aren’t going to be here until next week, and that completely fucks the scheduled decorating days and leaves me with more overtime.” She sighed dramatically.

“Aww, Sweetie. You sound like you need a night out.” Ella framed her face with her hands, blinked slowly, and smiled like a guardian angel here to make her wish come true.

“You’re way cuter than the stream of disagreeable customers we dealt with today.

” Rachel’s job as assistant manager at Montclair’s Department Store was apparently very stressful.

It often took her a good hour to decompress once she arrived home.

“Don’t get me started on the sweaters I’m supposed to move.

Those things are getting boxier every year, by the way. You’ve been warned.”

“I’ll steer clear.”

She dropped her oversized tote on the kitchen counter with a thud. “So, what’s tonight?”

“Do you remember me talking about Em from the book club?”

“I do. One of the most romantic moments of your life, you said.” She pulled a face and shrugged. “How would I forget that?”

“Well, she’s going to be at this little bar with some of her friends and has invited us over. Very casual, which is how we should approach this.”

“Which bar?”

“McHenry’s.”

“I know it well. They make a blueberry mule that will change your life. Let me slip into something French kiss worthy. You’re buying.”

Ella relaxed into a grin, anticipation bubbling. “Only fair.”

“I want to meet the woman who has you skipping through my kitchen,” Rachel called from the walk to her room.

Tonight was going to be a good one. She could tell by the way everything had simply fallen into place just before she’d fully committed to a mundane night of chocolate-drizzled popcorn and a docuseries on the scary, bald cult leader.

Those plans wouldn’t have been awful. This was objectively better.

She relaxed into the couch with a grin and then remembered that she would need to change, too.

Joggers and a T-shirt with the Sprite logo weren’t going to blend.

“Dammit,” she said, leaping up and rushing into her chambers, as she referred to her en suite at Rachel’s house.

She hurried to her closet on a mission and sifted through one wrong option after another.

What from her wardrobe said kiss me again without screaming I’d trade my morals for one night with you ? The line was a mysterious minx.

“I need help!” Ella yelled down the hall to Rachel’s room. “This is a grade A fashion decision, and I’m a C+ student at best.”

“Calm down,” Rachel said, arriving in the doorway, hands up.

She was already gorgeous and put together in a low-cut purple sweater, black miniskirt, tights, and booties.

Damn that girl. Ella would kill to have that kind of ability, to disappear behind a door for five minutes and come out in an ensemble that was a definite win.

“I’m here and you’re going to be just fine,” Rachel said with ease, strolling into the room.

Another day at the office for her. She performed a flit-flit gesture, and Ella took a step back from the closet to make way.

Rachel assumed her spot and perused the offerings one hanger at a time until she selected a long-sleeved navy top with a scoop neck and paired it with her low-slung jeans.

Ella wasn’t even sure why she still owned those things.

“Oh, no. Those jeans are so uncomfortable.”

“You look amazing in them,” Rachel said with dead serious eye contact.

“Sold.”

When they arrived at McHenry’s, Ella was surprised to see that the little bar was not so little after all, and something with a decent beat played over the sound system, making her bop her head.

Round wooden tables dotted the center of the floor, and a series of banquettes flanked the perimeter of the large square room.

“Shall we grab a drink or find your girl?” Rachel asked. A second later, she whirled around, putting her back to the room. “Fuck my life. My ex is here.”

Ella widened her eyes, feeling guilty for putting Rachel in this situation. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. Do you want to leave?”

“Hell no.” Rachel waved her off. “She doesn’t own this town. And she won’t dictate where I will and will not go with her presence. Where’s your girl?”

She scanned the room and saw Em approaching just over Rachel’s shoulder. “She’s coming over.”

Rachel turned. “So’s Max.”

Confused, Ella attempted to brighten and sent Em a grin. She had her dark hair partially pulled back. “Hey, you.”

“Hi,” Em said. “You made it.”

“Yes. And I want you to meet my best friend. This is Rachel Lenoir.”

The smile dimmed noticeably on Em’s face. She seemed more than confused. At the exact moment, Rachel turned and looked from Em to Ella in confusion. “What is happening here?” she asked in an icy tone, taking a step back.

Ella frowned, feeling a step behind. “I just wanted you two to meet.”

“We know each other,” Em said calmly with a sidecar of regret.

“She’s my ex,” Rachel stated.

Ella blinked, trying to catch up and failing like a second grader who hadn’t studied for the spelling test. “What? How is that possible?” She touched her head. “I’m so lost right now.”

Em took the lead. “Rachel and I dated for a few months.”

Rachel folded her arms. “Not my best decision.”

This was not going well. “But the bad ex was Maxine. Max.” Em must have been someone from an earlier relationship.

“Exactly.” Rachel extended an arm toward Em and then re-extended it for emphasis. “Meet Maxine Wyler.”

“Not Em?”

Em slid her hands resolutely into her back pockets. “I usually go by Max. I thought you knew that. The book club calls me M for my first initial.”

“How would I know that?!” Ella went still, and her blood ran cold.

This was the worst possible kind of misunderstanding.

But then the reality came flooding in. That meant that the woman who’d shared the best kiss of Ella’s life was the very same Max who’d ghosted Rachel at the end of their relationship, who’d been self-involved and unsupportive in the midst, who’d checked out other women when they’d gone to restaurants together. This couldn’t be reality, yet, it was.

“Okay, so I think we’ve cleared up that mystery,” Rachel said with a clap of her hands. “I’m going to go.” Rachel turned to her in question. “You?”

Ella met Max’s gaze. Seeing her in this whole new light was jarring.

Somehow, it didn’t seem possible that the two women in her mind were one and the same.

But her brain’s slow uptake didn’t matter in this moment.

Her friend’s heart did. There was no question at hand.

She had Rachel’s back and always would. She’d deal with her own feelings in good enough time. “Yeah, I’m coming with you.”

If Max’s eyes carried a hint of hurt, Ella refused to register it fully, not after how she’d treated Rachel.

“Ella,” Max said quietly.

“No,” she said unequivocally. “Just no.”

Max straightened, and any trace of emotion fled from her face. Steely. That was the best word to describe her. And that was fine. In fact, it made this all much easier. “Got it. Have a good night. Rachel.” She met Rachel’s gaze evenly, but Rachel only glared.