“Yeah, honey. Everything’s fine. Listen, I was going to try to come up with something clever or cute to get you down here, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Claudia’s here. She said she was going to drive right up to your place, but she doesn’t know how to get up there. And she said she would have called you herself, but you two aren’t exactly speaking so she didn’t know if you would answer the phone. She also said she knows about the mess with Sarah and asked me to keep that last part to myself, which I will.”
“I—okay.”
“You want to come on down or I can have Jerry guide her up to your place.” She pauses. “Or I can ask her to leave. It’s your call, sweetheart.”
My brain flatlines for a second. I have no fucking clue what to say, but then I remember I still have Connie waiting for a response. “I’ll, uh. I’ll be down in a bit. Thanks, Connie.”
“No problem. We’ll see you soon.”
I try not to spend the entire drive down attempting to figure out what the hell she could possibly be doing here. I tell myself whatever she wants, handle it down there. Don’t let her back up to my place. I can’t do this shit with her. Hear her out, whatever she needs to say. And then it occurs to me. She’s pregnant. I almost drive off the road when I realize I’ve pushed the gas to the floor. I get to Connie’s in record time and almost sideswipe Rich’s car when I pull into the lot. I take the stairs five at once and almost rip the door off the hinges. The bell rings loud as hell as it smacks against the frame. I scare the shit out of Connie.
“Hey. Sorry. She still here?”
“Yeah.” Connie points to the back. I whip around and there is Claudia standing next to my favorite booth. She looks the same, but totally different. She’s wearing this thick fancy beige trench coat that’s made out of some warm looking material and a full face of makeup. She’s wearing fuck me black boots with heels that make her a half foot taller, but to hell with all of that. I look right at her stomach and I take the entire length of the diner in three steps.
“Are you pregnant?”
Her head jerks back and she frowns. “No. Why?”
“Oh.” I exhale. “Okay.”
“Did youthinkyou got me pregnant?”
“No, but it was the only reason I could think for you to come back.”
“Ah, oh. Yeah I guess that makes sense. Would you like to sit down?”
“Yeah, sure.” Sitting is a good idea. I’m about to pass out. We both sit in the booth. I pull off my skull cap and take a sip from one of the waters sitting in the middle of the table.
“You okay?” she asks me.
“No. Not really. What’s up?”
“Right. It’s nice to see you, but from the look on your face I’m not sure you feel the same way. I’ll spare you any more suspense.”
“Please. What are you doing here?”
“I love you and I’m hoping you still love me too.”
I think my eye twitches, but I’m not sure. I’ve spent the last two months trying to work this woman out of my system. Two months trying to meet people. Trying to date. Even doing weird things like bar hopping in San Francisco. Unless she wants to marry me right now, I don’t have time to hop back on this carousel ofI’m not quite surewith her. She’s staring at me. She wants an answer. I don’t have one.
“Why?” I say.
“Why do I hope you still love me? From time to time, it can be…beneficial for both parties when feelings are reciprocated?” she says like I’m the one who’s lost my mind. “Would this conversation work better if I popped out a tit or two?” She reaches for the belt on her jacket.
“No, please. Keep the tits in. I just want to know what you want. What changed?”
“I want you.”
“But?”
“There is no but. I want to be with you.”
“Here? Because this is where I live. This is my home and I’m not sure this is the best place for you.”
“And two months ago I would have agreed with you, but that was before my friend cornered me and made me go back to seeing a therapist.”
“And they told you to move out here with me?”