Opposites Attract: An Enemies to Lovers, Neighbors to Lovers Romantic Comedy (First Comes Love Book Camilla Isley (ebook reader screen TXT) š
- Author: Camilla Isley
Book online Ā«Opposites Attract: An Enemies to Lovers, Neighbors to Lovers Romantic Comedy (First Comes Love Book Camilla Isley (ebook reader screen TXT) šĀ». Author Camilla Isley
Please forgive me, I donāt know how to apologize
Donāt bother, I reply in my head.
This is what I deserve for opening up to a man again. Our first real date, and he stands me up with some half-assed excuse that makes no sense.
Lucas never struck me as the lying type, but then again, neither had Teganās father. Maybe thereās something wrong with me. I must be genetically programmed to only be attracted to bastards.
And, okay, Lucas blowing me off for a date is not the same as my daughterās father telling her to her face that he wants nothing to do with her. But Lucas knows how hard it is for me to trust, to be vulnerable, to put my happiness into somebody elseās hands. And on the first occasion he has to prove he cares about me, heās a no show.
Disappointed in a way that aches inside, I unplug the phone and go back to my table. The wine has arrived; I take a long sip, and then ask for the bill, doing my best to ignore the pitying look the server spares me.
I pay in cash to be quicker, grab my coat, and march straight out of the restaurant, hoping I wonāt have to wait too long for a free cab.
Iām pacing up and down the curb, searching the street for a free taxi, when a car screeches to a halt on the other side of the roadāLucasā SUV.
He gets out in a rush, all flusteredāthe opposite of how I feel. A cold calm has settled over me. I trusted him, and I was wrong. End of story.
The walls Iād struggled to let down are back up, strengthened with new fortifications I wonāt let any man through ever again.
āVivian.ā He stops in front of me, panting. āIām so sorry.ā
Heās wearing a fleece sweatshirt and sweatpants. Riiight, he had a work emergency. Like he would be caught dead in front of his clients wearing anything less than a three-piece suit.
āNo problem,ā I say, falsely cheerful. āYou had a work emergency, right?ā
Lucas seems relieved. āYes, totally out of the blue, and Iām so sorry I couldnāt let you know before. You must hate me right nowāā
āWhat kind of emergency?ā
His eyes get wary. āI canāt discuss clients.ā
āHow convenient. See, I could understand if you worked in a psychiatric ward with people in serious trouble who could have emergencies. But youāre a couplesā therapist, so Iām curious as to what happened for you to have to drop everything and stand me up on a Saturday night.ā
āI canāt tell you.ā
āAh, going āno commentā all the way. Like a real pro.ā
āA pro what?ā
āLiar.ā
āIām not lying.ā
āSo you were out saving a marriage tonight?ā
Lucas stares at me. āNo.ā
āWhat were you doing, then?ā
āI canāt tell you,ā he repeats.
Behind him, I spot a cab with the light on coming our way. I stomp off the curb and raise my arm to stop it.
Before getting in, I turn to Lucas, who looks lost and desperate. āThen we have nothing more to say to each other. I donāt want a man who canāt be honest with me.ā
āVivian, wait!ā he calls after me, as I slam the door. āPlease!ā
I turn my head away from him as the taxi pulls into the street.
***
While making my exit, I mightāve acted like a strong, resolute woman. But inside the cab, I break down. Tears flood my eyes and I canāt stop the sobs.
Iām so pathetic. Iād sworn Iād never stoop this low for a man ever again, and yet, here I am.
At home, I kick my shoes off in the hall and then check on Tegan, opening her door a crack. The faint sound of her snoring greets me.
I open the door a tad more and slip inside to steal the cat from the foot of Teganās bed. Tonight, I need some company.
In my room, I drop Priscilla on the bed and move into the bathroom to remove my makeup with jerky, angry moves. So much for the effort. I shouldnāt have bothered.
Whatās even sadder is when I shimmy out of the sexy underwear I picked out especially for him. What a waste of lace. I switch to sensible, cotton panties, pull on an oversized T-shirt, and scoot under the covers.
Priscilla raises her head threateningly, a warning not to disturb her slumber a second time. I disregard her silent protest and hug her closer to my chest, scratching her behind the ears.
The purring starts, and slowly lulls me to sleep.
***
For a week, I do my best to ignore Lucas. I ignore his calls, his texts, and the three bouquets of roses he sends me. I get to the office before him, and donāt leave until his SUV has disappeared from the street.
And the one time he comes knocking on my door, I stubbornly pretend not to be there. Lucas knows Iām insideāhe yells it through the doorābut I purse my lips and refuse to let him in. Heās no longer welcome in my office, my life, and, most importantly, my heart.
The avoidance strategy works pretty well, until I meet with Leslie for drinks on Friday night and she forces me to stare at the facts. Weāre on a rooftop in Manhattan with a wonderful view of the city, drinking overpriced strawberry martinis.
āAre you sure you didnāt overreact?ā my friend asks. āLuke tried to cancel the date, didnāt he? He didnāt stand you up on purpose.ā
āWith a text, thirty minutes before we were supposed to meet. Who does that?ā
āBut he said it was a work emergency.ā
āWhat kind of work emergency? He was wearing sweat pants, and when I asked him if he was out saving a marriage, he admitted he wasnāt. Thatās literally his job. All he does is save marriages.ā
āIt couldāve been something else he canāt tell you about.ā
āYeah, like what?ā
Leslie takes a sip of her martini, pondering the question. āI have no idea.ā
āNeither do I. Iāve tried for a week to come up with a
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