“Isn’t she gorgeous?” Maddie blurted. “And smart and successful and—did you know she’s a set decorator on a sitcom? And an artist? But not one of those froofy artists who eat rocks and live off the land. Like, a real artist. She’s going to win an Emmy one day, just you wait. But you probably know all of this.”
So, Maddie must’ve interpreted her S.O.S. as Humiliate me further, please, I haven’t done a good enough job of that myself. Lauren kicked Maddie under the table. She didn’t even flinch. “I’m Maddie, the best friend.”
Will laughed. “I like you already, Maddie.” He leaned in closer to her, as if talking about Lauren like she wasn’t there, “And I did kind of already know that about Little Richmond, but thanks for letting me know.”
To Lauren, now undoubtedly beet red, “Are these your bags?” He glanced at the suitcase and bag sitting in their booth.
“Yeah,” she said, still flushed. “I’m an over-packer, so it’s kind of a lot. It’s part of why I don’t fly—I don’t want to find out my bag is overweight and then—whoops!—have to open it up and remove my underwear on the floor of the airport or whatever. So, I just kind of threw everything in, and this really wasn’t my idea, you know, to go home for Christmas and especially not to ride with you. . .”
Shut up shut up shut up shut up
“。 . .and I can get them myself.” Lauren stared at the floor, a trail of her word vomit begging to be wiped up. This was her worst nightmare, coming true.
“I don’t mind.” He reached for them, but she put a possessive hand out, stopping him.
“No,” she snapped, “I got it.”
She wasn’t about to let Will Sinclair be the nice guy.
Maddie’s gaze fell to her empty plate. Lauren knew she wasn’t exactly being cordial, but Maddie didn’t understand, she didn’t know the history—or the truth—that he deserved every bit of her malice. And it was safer this way. Her heart couldn’t be trusted where Will was concerned.
“Okay.” He held up both hands in surrender. An awkward pause filled the space around their table. Then he shrugged. “I’ll head out and start the car, I guess. Just meet me in the parking lot when you’re ready to go? It’s the black Jeep Grand Cherokee.”
She nodded and smiled a polite smile, the kind you give a person who’d just budged the line at the grocery store, and he walked away. She glanced over to find her best friend staring at her from across the table.
Lauren looked back, defensive. “What?”
“Is that really how you’re going to act for the next three days? He’s doing something nice for you by letting your scared butt tag along in his car.”
Lauren stood. “Don’t get confused, Maddie. Will Sinclair is not a nice guy. Not when we were kids and not when we were in college and certainly not now.”
“So, your plan is to be rude the entire time.”
“Not. . .overtly.”
“Well, that should be fun.”
Lauren sighed, knowing it was time to go. “Stand up and hug me, or put me out of my misery. Your pick.”
Maddie stood and sighed. “Nothing miserable about that man, that’s all I’m saying.” She threw her arms around Lauren. “Be good. Be safe. Have a little fun, will ya? You could stand to loosen up.”
Lauren groaned and pulled away. “This is going to be the worst Christmas on record, so loosening up really isn’t high on my priority list.”
Maddie gave her a sad smile. “It’ll be okay.”
“I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” She turned her suitcase around and gave her friend a wave.
“You know he totally heard you say that thing about kissing the pillow, right?” Maddie called after her.
Lauren groaned again and wheeled her bags out the door, where she spotted Will, leaning against the car like Jake Ryan at the end of Sixteen Candles. He wore aviators, a vintage wash sky blue T-shirt that stretched tight across his well-defined chest and biceps and he still, after all these years, made her heart turn over in her chest.
You are not that girl anymore! She repeated the words over and over in her mind and even muttered them to herself, not because she was trying to convince herself, but because it was true.
That girl, the girl she was, was only drawn to Will because he was popular, good-looking and out of her league. But she knew better now. She knew not to crush on someone for superficial reasons. And she’d also learned that she really was happy being alone. It was safer, after all, which she would be smart to remember.