As one weepy ballad after another filled Chloe’s Lower East Side studio apartment, her willpower wilted like the water-deprived basil plant on her kitchen window-sill. Again muttering foreign curses, this time aimed at herself, she fished the crumpled invitation out of the trash. When the telephone rang, she was still sitting on the kitchen floor smoothing out the wrinkles.
It was Simon.
“Hey, Chloe. What are you doing?”
Anyone else—her older and über-chic sister, Frannie, for instance—and Chloe would have felt compelled to come up with some elaborate reason why she could be found home alone on the official start of the weekend.
Since it was Simon, she confessed, “Drinking wine, wearing Lycra and listening to the soundtrack from Titanic.”
“No ice cream?”
How well he knew her. Despite her best intentions, the mint chocolate chip was next on her list. “Not yet.”
“Want some company?” he asked.
Did she ever. She and Simon always had a good time together, whether it involved going out or just hanging out. Still, his question surprised her. Wasn’t he supposed to be with his girlfriend tonight? She liked thinking he’d throw over Perfect Sara to be with Comfortable Chloe. Liked it so much that she immediately felt guilty. She was a terrible friend. To make up for it, she would share her ice cream and what was left of the wine.
“When can I expect you?”
“Right now. I’m standing on the other side of your apartment door.”
If he were a boyfriend—not that Chloe had had one of those in several months—this news would have sent her into a panic. Her apartment was a mess. For that matter, so was she. Her red hair was a riot of curls thanks to the day’s high humidity. And what little makeup she’d applied that morning was long gone. But this was Simon. Simon, she reminded herself, after a glance down at her unflattering attire had her wanting to flee to her bedroom and change.
It was sad to admit, but he’d seen her looking worse. Much worse. Such as when she came down with the chicken pox in the sixth grade or the time in high school when she’d succumbed to salmonella after her cousin Ellen’s bridal shower. Aunt Myrtle made the chicken salad, which was why, henceforth, the woman was only allowed to bring paper products or plastic cutlery to family gatherings. The coup de grâce, of course, was last December. Three days shy of Christmas, the guy Chloe had been dating for the previous six months dumped her.
Via text message.
And she’d already bought him a gift, a Rolex watch, which she couldn’t return since the street vendor who’d sold her the incredibly authentic-looking knockoff had moved to a new location.
So, now, she flung open the door, feeling only mildly embarrassed by what her hair was doing, by the mac-and-cheese stains on her shirt or the fact that her lips had probably turned a slightly clownish shade of purple from the wine she’d enjoyed.
“Hey, Simon.”
As usual, his smile made her feel as if seeing her was the highlight of his day.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He kissed her cheek as he always did before waving a slim, square box beneath her nose. “I’ve got pizza. Thin crust with extra cheese from that new Italian place just shy of Fourteenth.”
Any other time, the aroma of pepperoni and melted mozzarella would have had her salivating. Right now, it reminded her of how full she felt. “Thanks, but I just finishing eating.”
His gaze took in the stained shirt. The sides of his mouth lifted. “So I see. What was on today’s menu and why?”
Yes, he knew her way too well.
“Mac and cheese.”
“Ah.” He nodded sagely. “Comfort food.”
She touched an index finger to the tip of her nose. “You got it in one.”
He smiled in return. Simon had a great smile. She’d always thought so. With perfectly proportioned lips in a face that wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous but handsome and pleasingly male. Over the years, his cheeks had gotten leaner and more sculpted-looking, but his ready smile kept him from ever looking hard.
“How much did you eat?” he asked.
“Too much.”
“Save me any?” He glanced in the direction of the stove.
“Enough.” She tapped the box he held. “What about your pizza?”
He shrugged. “You know pizza. It’s even better cold.” Then, with the pad of his thumb, he pressed down on her lower lip. She ignored the sensation his touch sent coursing up her spine. “And what about the wine? Did you save me any of that?”
Chloe laughed. How did other women manage to drink a few glasses of cab and not wind up with stained lips? For that matter, how did other women manage to eat a meal’s worth of carbs and not have to do deep knee bends so they could breathe in their jeans?
“There’s almost half a bottle,” she told him.
“Pour me a glass and tell me about your day.”
He set the pizza box on the kitchen counter and shrugged out of his trench coat. He was wearing his usual business attire—crisp white shirt and tailored suit with a perfectly folded handkerchief peeking from its breast pocket. The matching silk tie, however, was pulled askew. It struck Chloe then. “Did you just come from work?”
It was nearly eight o’clock.
“The merger with that other software company I mentioned is eating up a lot of my spare time.” He dropped heavily into one of the kitchen chairs.
How had she missed how tired he looked? She wanted to go to him, wrap him in her arms. Friends hugged. But she held back. More and more lately, she found herself doing that. She blamed Perfect Sara and the bevy of beauties that had come before her.
“Sorry to hear that.” She switched on the stove to reheat the mac and cheese, and poured him a glass of wine. After handing it to him, she stood behind his chair and began kneading the knotted muscles in his neck and shoulders.
His moan of pleasure nearly made her stop. Instead, she kept at it and asked, “So, how does Sara feel about the long hours you’re keeping?”
“Not happy,” he admitted. His tone was rueful when he said, “We were supposed to go to a Broadway show tonight.”
“You stood her up?” That wasn’t like him. Simon was the kindest, most considerate man Chloe knew. even if he had really lousy taste in women.
“Ouch!”
Apparently, she’d massaged a little too vigorously.
“Sorry.”
“Actually, when I called to tell her I was running late and we’d have to skip dinner beforehand, she told me to go. Never mind.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. The relationship wasn’t heading anywhere anyway.”
Jubilation.
Before Chloe could help it, the feeling bubbled up inside her with all of the effervescence of champagne. Maybe this day didn’t totally stink after all.
However, because she knew a friend wasn’t supposed to feel happy upon hearing such news, she kept her expression sympathetic when she slid into the chair opposite his.
“Ooh. Dumped. Sorry.”
“It was mutual,” he muttered, reaching for his wine. “Sara just said it first.”
“Okaaaay.”
“My heart’s not broken, Chloe. Hell, it’s not even dented