It's a Waverly Life (17 page)

“Andie, I’m so sorry.”

She pushed her hair behind her ears. “It’s okay. I
have
been with a lot of guys. But it’s not like I’m the only one. After that aired my coworker Alyssa told me she’s actually
introduced
herself to guys she’s slept with.”

“No way.”

“Way. She’s done it several times too. Totally forgot ever meeting them.”

“That’s hilarious. How could you forget someone you’ve been naked with?”

“Oh believe me, you can. It’s really not that hard.”

I laughed. “You have the best attitude.”

She took a sip of her beer. “Who really cares, right? I figure I’m single, so what’s the problem?”

“That’s the way
I
look at you, I mean, at
it
.”

“I said more or less that exact same thing to my mom when she called me in horror.”

“Your mom called you in horror?”

“Yep. It was actually a pretty fun conversation. It had been a while since I’d told her to back off, and she needed to hear it.”

I laughed. “How are you so amazing?”

“You get thick skin when you have a mother like I do.”

“I really am sorry. I hope you know…how much I love you, Andie.”

She set her beer down and smiled. “I do.”

I leaned over to give her a hug, which she briefly returned before pushing me away and opening her eyes wide. “So oh my God, what was
up
with that skank on the show with you?”

I laughed. “Thank you!”

“She was tragic. And that hair? Yowsa.”

“I hated her. Scotty said she was trying to upstage me so NBC would hire her to host some new show about relationships.”

“I bet my mom adored her.” She shifted on the barstool and gave a dirty look to a tipsy girl who had just bumped into her. “I loved your dating stories, by the way. I’d forgotten all about Fresno Gramps.”

“Ugh, me too. I hadn’t planned to talk about my own dates at all, but that Wendy witch screwed everything up, which is why I was so frazzled. Not that that’s an excuse, but I was totally caught off guard and had to pull something out of nowhere.”

“I was wondering about that. What did Jake think?”

I made a sad face.

“Andie, it’s not good.”

“Oh no.”

“
SO
not good.”

“What happened?”

I told her all about the roses and his e-mail, and about how I called but couldn’t leave him a voicemail because his phone had been shut off.

“Ouch.”

“I know. I totally blew it. I can’t believe it.”

“Did you e-mail him?”

I sighed. “I thought about it, but I didn’t know what to say. And maybe I’m old fashioned, but I feel like it’s wrong to use e-mail for important things like that.”

She shook her head. “That’s because you’re thirty. People in their twenties propose over text message these days.”

Despite my sad state, I smiled. “How do you manage to make me laugh no matter
how
bad I feel?”

“It’s a gift. So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“What would you tell one of your readers?”

I thought about the question for a moment before responding. “I think I’d say…go find him.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Like
get on an airplane
go find him?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Maybe because it’s crazy?”

I put my finger on my chin. “You have a point. But you know how I feel about e-mail and texting and Facebook and all that fake communication. So yes, I think that’s what I would suggest. I’d say something like,
If you can’t speak to him on the phone, then get on a plane and go find him.
”

She smiled. “Are you going to do it?”

I took a sip of my beer and set it on the bar. “Are you joking? Of course not.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s crazy.”

“But you just said you’d tell someone else to do it.”

“Yes, but that was for someone
else
…”

“Well, why not do it yourself?”

“Because…because…”

“Well?”

I slouched on the barstool. “Because…he might shoot me down.”

“So?”

“And that would be mortifying.”

“So?”

“So?”

“Yes,
so
. Who cares if you end up mortified? How is that worse than how you’re feeling right now?”

For a moment I saw myself at the bottom of that hill hours earlier, looking up, wanting to make things right.

I blinked and looked at her.

“You’re right.”

“I know.”

“I need to see him. I need to tell him how I feel about him.”

She smiled. “That’s my girl.”

“But what if…what if he doesn’t want me back?” I put my hand on her arm and squeezed.

“Then we’ll come back here and get really drunk. Okay?”

I laughed. “Okay, deal.”

When I got home, I went straight to my office and checked out flights to Boston. I had no idea how to go about finding Jake’s sister’s house, but I knew someone who did. I pulled out my phone and called him.

He answered on the second ring.

“It’s nearly ten on a Friday night. Is this a booty call?”

I laughed. “You wish it were.”

“Perhaps.”

“I need your techy brain. Are you free?”

“You mean right now?”

“Yes.”

“If I answer in the affirmative, will it damage the image you have of me as a player?”

I laughed. “Of course not, Nick.”

“Okay, then how can I help you?”

I told him I needed to go see Jake, and that he was at his sister’s house in Boston helping out with her kids. All I knew was that her maiden name was Natalie McIntyre, her husband’s name was Tim, and they had two daughters and lived in the suburbs.

“Is that enough information for you to find an address?” I twirled a pen between my fingers.

“Do you doubt my powers?”

“Have I ever?”

“Give me fifteen minutes. I’ll call you back.”

“Should I book a ticket? It’s nonrefundable.”

“Book it.”

“You sure?”

“Again with the doubt. Do you even know who you’re talking to right now?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll book it.”

“Cool, talk to you in fifteen. And hey, did you find out about Casey?”

I made a fist. “Ack. I totally forgot to ask. I was so focused on getting Andie to forgive me, and then on this thing with Jake, that I completely spaced. I’m sorry.”

“No worries, you’ll figure it out.”

“Couldn’t you just look it up? You’re the master at using the Internet to find private information about people, right?”

“Yes, but I don’t use my genius for my own romantic pursuits.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s creepy. I don’t want to be creepy Internet stalker guy.”

“Creepy Internet stalker guy? I like that. Maybe I should get you a shirt with that on it.”

“And maybe you shouldn’t, unless you plan on getting a matching one for yourself.”

I winced. “Touché. Call me as soon as you can.”

“Will do.”

I hung up the phone and studied the flight options on the screen in front of me. I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.

“I leave town for a few days and everyone goes crazy.” McKenna opened the door to Pea in a Pod, a maternity store on Sutter Street that sold super cute clothes I wouldn’t mind wearing after huge meals. If I could afford them, that is. It’s amazing how adding a little extra belly room to a pair of jeans can add two hundred dollars to the price tag.

I nodded and followed her into the store. “I hope you’ve learned a valuable lesson here.”

She stopped walking and turned around. “You hope
I’ve
learned a valuable lesson?”

“Yes.”

“And what would that be?”

“That you can’t leave town anymore.”

She rolled her eyes and began looking through a rack of suits. “Okay then, as I was saying, everyone went crazy when I was gone.”

“Hey now, I’m not crazy. I’m just following the advice I’d give any of my readers.” I put my hands over my heart, then flapped my arms like a bird. “I’m following my heart to Boston. Do you think I’m crazy for that?”

She paused.

“I think you’re crazy for many things, but no, not for that. I’m proud of you, actually.”

I smiled. “You are?”

She held up a black pantsuit in front of the mirror. “I know how afraid you are of getting hurt, Wave. And this is really putting yourself out there, so yes, I’m proud of you.” She turned to face me. “What do you think of this suit?”

“I like it. Try it on.”

“So when do you leave, exactly?”

“Tomorrow morning at eleven. It was the first flight I could get that wouldn’t break the bank.”

“And you’re sure he’s in Boston?”

I nodded. “I called the Hawks office yesterday just to check, and they said he’s still on leave.”

She pulled out a blue suit and held it up. “And you’re just going to show up at his sister’s house? What about this one?”

“Too grandma. And yes, that’s my plan.”

“You’re not going to get a hotel room? Showing up with no place to stay could make you look a little psycho.”

I put my hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, you’re totally right. In the movies, when people jump on a plane and show up on someone’s doorstep, they never seem to book a hotel first, much less a rental car. But then again, in the movies they don’t wait a whole week for a cheaper flight.”

She tapped her temple with her index finger. “See? It pays to think like a Boy Scout.”

“Oh my God. You’re already acting like a mother. You do realize that, don’t you?”

Her eyes got big. “I know! Isn’t it awful? I found myself cutting up Hunter’s steak last night. You think he’d be capable of cutting up his own meat, given that he’s a
surgeon
.”

I laughed. “You would indeed. Okay, I’ll get a hotel room and drop my stuff off first. Now that I think about it, this reminds me of a dating story my friend Nick told me about.”

“What about this?” She held up a plain black dress. “Could I get away with this at work? And what story?”

“I like that one. And the story was that Nick had gone on like two dates with this girl, and their third date was supposed to be dinner at his place on a Friday night. So when Friday evening rolled around, she showed up at his apartment…with a small suitcase.”

“She showed up with a suitcase? Why?”

“Because apparently she assumed she was going to spend the weekend with him.”

“No way. Did she live far away or something?”

“He said she lived in the Marina.”

“Where does Nick live?”

“Prodromou Gulch.”

“Prodromou what?”

I tried not to laugh. “Prodromou Gulch. According to Nick, it’s an up-and-coming neighborhood nestled between North Beach and Telegraph Hill.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Give it time, you will.”

She shrugged and returned to the rack. “Anyhow, that girl was clearly a psycho, and you don’t want to be
that girl
, right? Quirky’s cute. Psycho, not so much.”

I pointed at her. “You’re totally right. See? You can never leave town again.” I leaned down to whisper to her stomach. “Did you hear that, baby Kimball? Auntie Waverly says your mommy can’t ever leave town again.”

Monday morning I did leave town.

I got on a plane and flew 2,712 miles. As we crossed over the country, I tried to read a book, but inevitably my thoughts turned to what I would say to Jake and, of course, whether I was doing the right thing.

When we finally landed, I had to track down my rental car. Doubt enveloped me again.

Was this a mistake? Am I headed for an epic Waverly moment?

I closed my eyes and focused on the flowers Jake had sent me for Valentine’s Day. I nodded and chanted to myself.

I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing the right thing.

In no time I had the keys to a purple PT Cruiser with wood paneling.
Sleek
. Directions in hand, I made my way to my hotel, a Hyatt smack in the middle of a sterile suburban corporate park in Waltham. I had to be the only person there who wasn’t in town on business.

The man behind the counter smiled at me. “Welcome to the Hyatt Summerfield. Are you here for the insurance conference?”

I shook my head. “No, just a regular room. It should be under the name Waverly Bryson.”

“Oh, well, okay then.” The look on his face showed he clearly had no idea what to make of the likes of me, a young woman unaffiliated with any corporate entity. I highly doubted Waltham was a hot tourist destination for singles.

Key card in hand, I made my way to the third floor. I washed my face and changed my clothes, then stood in front of the full-length mirror to evaluate the severity of the situation. I had the inevitable flat airplane hair, but because of the long flight and three-hour time difference I didn’t have time to wash and dry it. I was already risking being branded a stalker by showing up unannounced at Jake’s sister’s house. Doing it late at night would only make it worse. A black headband was my only hope.

On the way out to the car, I called Andie. She answered on the first ring.

“Talk to me.”

“I just left the hotel. My heart’s beating so fast, I think I might have a heart attack right here in the parking lot of the Hyatt Summerfield, which is in a corporate park in Waltham, in case you were wondering. Waltham is a suburb of Boston, in case you were wondering.”

“Chill,” she said. “Deep breaths, deep breaths.”

I smoothed my hair with my hand. “I can’t believe I flew all the way here. I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You’re already doing it. Remember, you have nothing to lose, right?”

“Okay, okay. I keep telling myself to think about those roses he sent me. Those were good, right?”

“Exactly. He wanted you to be his Valentine. No matter what happens now, remember that, okay?”

“Okay, I will.”

“Good girl.”

I fished the car keys out of my purse. “Will you fill McKenna in? I think she’s at her ob-gyn.”

“Consider it done. Now get in that car and go.”

I hopped into my so-not-hip PT Cruiser. “Okay, okay, I’m in the car. Wish me luck.”

“No wishing for luck. You don’t need luck.”

“I hope you’re right. Okay, I’ll check in later.”

“You’d better. Now
go
, before you change your mind.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going. Bye.”

Here we go.

Fifteen minutes later, I found myself driving through the streets of Waltham, approaching what I hoped was the correct house. I parked and tilted the rearview mirror to have a peek at my face.
Yikes
. I was as pale as a celebrity in a mug shot. I dug out a blusher and some sheer plum lipstick from my purse and applied just a touch of each. I removed my headband, ran a brush through my hair, then put the headband back on. I checked myself in the mirror again.

That’s better.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car. My legs felt weak and wobbly. I willed them to start moving.

When I reached the front walkway, I paused to admire the house. It was quite pretty, very typical New England, with two stories, white wood and green trim, and a well-manicured front yard with wide steps leading up to the front door. There was a Radio Flyer wagon next to a swing on the porch. Several lights were on inside, but it was quiet.

I started toward the front door. When I realized I’d made it all the way across the yard and up the steps without tripping even once, I hoped that meant good things were on the horizon. I hesitated for a moment, then rang the bell.

I tried to remember to breathe.

After a few moments I heard footsteps. The door opened to reveal an attractive woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She was about five-six and had bright blue eyes like Jake’s. I recognized her from the photos in his house.

“May I help you?”

I smiled. “Yes, hi, I’m looking for…Jake?” Again with the unnecessary question mark.
Ugh
.

“Jake?”

“Yes, I’m a friend of his. My name is Waverly Bryson.”

Her face softened, and she opened the door wide. “Oh, of course, please come in. I’m Natalie, Jake’s sister.”

I took a step inside the foyer.

“We saw you on
The Today Show
.”

I froze.

“You did?”

She smiled. “It was very entertaining. So what brings you to Waltham? Are you in town for work?”

Suddenly I wished I knew the name of that conference everyone at the Hyatt was attending. Throwing it out now seemed like a smart idea. Throwing out
any
reason for why I was standing there, other than the truth, seemed like a smart idea.

I bit my lip. “Not really. Is Jake here?”

She kept smiling, but her eyes showed pity. “Oh, Waverly, I’m so sorry, but no, he’s not.”

I hoped she meant he’d gone out for ice cream, but I doubted it.

“He went back to Atlanta last week.”

What?
I’d just called the Hawks office, and they’d said he was still on leave.

“Come in, please sit down.” She gestured toward the living room. “Tim’s upstairs putting the girls to bed. He’ll be down soon though. Please, take off your coat. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Oh no, thanks, I’m fine.” I carefully sat down on a pale green couch with thick white stripes, wishing I could disappear into its folds and reappear on my own couch in San Francisco. What had I done?

Natalie sat down on a love seat across from me. “How long have you lived in San Francisco?” The look on her face was kind, and I hoped she couldn’t see how foolish I felt.

I forced a smile. “I grew up in Sacramento, then went to college at Berkeley. I’ve lived in the city since I graduated.”

“I just love San Francisco. You went to visit Jake in Atlanta once, didn’t you?”

I wondered how much she knew about that. “Yes, he’s been a good…friend to me. I’m…I’m really sorry about your baby,” I added softly.

“Thanks.” For a brief moment her expression turned solemn, and I thought she might cry. Then she snapped out of it and smiled. I was impressed by her strength. “Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink? Some water? Or maybe a glass of wine?”

Wine
?
Hmm…maybe you could insert an IV into my arm and drain the whole thing right here.
That would certainly have eased my anxiety.

“Thanks, but I’m fine. I should probably get going anyway. My…my friends will be wondering where I am.” I knew I was stretching the truth, but my friends
were
wondering where I was. She just didn’t know the friends I was talking about were Andie and McKenna, 2,712 flight miles away.

Just then I heard someone coming down the stairs. Even though Natalie had already said Jake wasn’t there, for a second I hoped to see his face. I turned to look, but the face that appeared was bearded, and its owner was probably wondering what a total stranger was doing on his couch at eight thirty on a Monday night. Bounding down the stairs with him was a huge golden retriever.

“Well, hello there.” He held out his hand. “I’m Tim O’Connell.”