I kick off my shoes and decide to listen to my mother’s advice and make my way into the bathroom to run a bath. I already know I should expect to hear from JP soon but I don’t want to call him in case he hasn’t escaped my mother’s wrath over the date. I’ll admit it pleased me to hear that he didn’t give her the time of day. I don’t know how he’ll explain why he isn’t interested but at this point I can’t bring myself to care. I pour in a considerable amount of bubble bath before making my way back into the room to open the bottle of wine I bought downstairs and take off my clothes. I take a healthy sip of the wine, trying to quiet the thoughts over what I’m going to do about Parker.

I slip into the tub, watching as the water rises around me and I let my eyes close as I think back to the first time I met Parker.

Three Years Ago

I was meeting Chloe for dinner but of course she was late. Probably arguing with Trey for the tenth time this week. They need to just call it quits already. Tale as old as time, he doesn’t want a commitment, she does, whatever. I pick up my cosmopolitan that I’d ordered with my fake ID that our waiter barely glanced at as I look around the room. The restaurant is still new and thereby very crowded especially with all the crowd restrictions being lifted. It’s high-end Asian fusion and the chef recently competed on one of those televised cooking shows and we’re in LA so naturally this is the place to be on a Friday night.

I had been talking to this guy I’d “met” online and he was actually supposed to be meeting us here. Maybe that’s why Chloe and Trey are fighting because Chloe is kind of my wingman since the guy, Parker, is bringing a friend. Chloe assured me it was no big deal, that things with her and Trey were super casual but maybe jealousy has reared its ugly head. But this could end up working in Chloe’s favor though. So maybe she’s milking it now.

I glance down at my turquoise Rolex Datejust watch, a high school graduation gift from JP that I still wear. But where the hell is she?

We were supposed to meet here a half hour earlier than we told the guys to give us a chance to have a drink and prepare our exit strategies just in case.