I eat another piece of excellent pie, certain that Daniela had no idea what she was missing.

FORTY

Marry Me

May

When I walk into the Busy Bean five days later, Zara is behind the register.

“What wonderful thing am I smelling?” I ask in lieu of a proper greeting.

“Homemade hot pretzels,” she says. “Roderick just took them out of the oven.”

“Can I have one?” I’m practically drooling already.

“Of course. Cafe latte, too? I just made one for Lark.”

I turn around and find my friend sitting on a velvet armchair in front of a little marble table. With her shiny black hair and her golden skin, she has the casual glamour of a movie star. She’s looking out the window with a smile teasing her perfect rosebud lips.

It takes me a second to remember I’m in the middle of a conversation. But then Zara clears her throat.

“Sure!” I say quickly. “A latte would be great. Thank you!”

I pay at the register and take a sip of my latte before I make my way across the room to tell my best friend how badly I’ve fucked up my life once again.

* * *

“And then what happened?”

Lark leans forward in her chair, her expression rapt, her dark eyes wide as I weave the tale of my dramatic breakup with Daniela.

“Well, I slapped Tracy.”

“Oh my god!” Lark squeaks, her eyes shining.

“But I didn’t get to do any damage, because Alec Rossi hauled me out of the room.”

“Really?”

“True story.” If anything, my retelling underplays things. Alec didn’t just tow me away. Shock has already made the details fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure he lifted me clear off the ground. “Then Alec drove me home and helped me clear my things from the house, and I haven’t been back.”

“Sure sorry I missed this whole thing,” Zara says, passing our table with a tray of empty coffee cups. “I love a good bar brawl.” She winks and disappears into the kitchen.

“It wasn’t a brawl!” I call over my shoulder, even though I know she was only kidding.

“What I don’t get,” Lark says, stirring her latte. “Is how I had to wait five days to hear all this?”

“Hey now.” I reach down and pick up my knitting from the bag on the floor. “I wasn’t going to interrupt your romantic weekend in Florida with my sob story. And you have to admit—it’s a better tale in person.”

“True.” Lark smiles at me. “But how are you doing now—with all of five days to get over it?”

“Well, I’m okay. Embarrassed, though.” I scrutinize the scarf I’ve started knitting for my little sister, Daphne. “The crappy thing is that I have to see Daniela again next week at an alumni function. So I’m sort of bracing myself. But mostly I feel like I’m waking up from a bad dream. She and I weren’t working out. And I’m going to be fine.”