“It’s nice of you to be so considerate of Eric’s feelings, but what about your own?”
“The only choice I have is to get over him, so I will, once and for all.” Kate smiled weakly. “Maybe by the time I see him again, I’ll have already moved on.”
Jess nodded, but didn’t reply.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She knows something. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“That’s just it. I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I did tell you.”
“You’re an excellent friend. Now tell me.”
Jess stared at Kate for a long moment, then sighed. “Eric’s coming to Hillsborough in two weeks.”
“He is?” Kate asked in surprise. “Why?”
“You remember he and Mark were good friends in high school.”
“Yeah.”
“They reconnected at the Wynnfield Tavern last weekend, so Eric decided to spend part of his Spring Break hanging out with Mark.”
“What are they going to do?”
“Mark’s taking time off work, and they’re going to play—basketball, golf, pool. You know, guy stuff.”
“I’m surprised Eric isn’t spending Spring Break with Cecilia at some Caribbean resort.”
“Cecilia is spending Spring Break with some of her girlfriends in Paris.”
Of course she is. “Why were you hesitant to tell me Eric is coming to Hillsborough to see Mark?”
“Because he’s also coming to Hillsborough to see you.”
Kate’s inner turmoil gave way to excitement—and, however misplaced, hope. “Really?”
“Yeah. He told Mark he’d like for all of us to get together and do something fun. You know, for old times’ sake.”
“I’m up for it. I’d love to see Eric again.”
Jess seemed hesitant. “Won’t that be hard on you?”
“I’ll just do like you said: I’ll treat him less like my friend and more like my customer. You’ll be there for support.” Kate shrugged. “How hard could it be?”
Chapter Eight
Friday, March 16
Kate pulled open the front door of Maples and discovered Eric standing inside the entrance. He flashed her that smile. “Hey, you.”
This might’ve been a mistake. Kate summoned her courage. Stick to your plan. “Hey, Eric. How ya doing?” Bet you thought I was going to say, Hey, yourself.
Sure enough, he looked thrown. “Uh, fine.”
“How does it feel to be back in Hillsborough?”
“Strange, yet familiar. I feel like an outsider.”
“Well, you’ve been away for a while, but you can always come home.” What did I mean by that statement? Did it even make sense? Kate diverted her gaze from Eric and rolled her eyes. New Kate needs to step it up…and change the subject. “Where are Jess and Mark?”
“They went to get in line since it’s crowded tonight. I told them I’d wait by the door for your late self.”
Oh, to make a smart-ass remark. “I’m sorry I’m late. Do you want to go find them now?”
Again, Kate saw confusion on Eric’s face. “Yeah, sure.”
They walked further inside, and Kate scanned the crowd for Jess and Mark. “I see them,” she told Eric. She led the way to the front of one of the lines and came up behind Jess. “Boo!”
Jess spun around. “Hey, Kate!”
“Hey! Thanks for getting in line for us.”
“No problem.”
“What size shoes?” the guy behind the counter asked Kate and Eric.
“Twelve,” Eric said.
“Ten,” Kate said.
“Your feet are big,” Eric said to Kate.
So are yours. “I know my feet are big.”
Eric nudged her arm. “I’m just messing with you!”
Kate smiled politely.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“Here ya go.” The guy plopped two pairs of bowling shoes on the counter. Kate and Eric picked them up and walked over to the lanes to join Jess and Mark.
“This place looks the same,” Eric commented. “It brings back memories.”
Kate started to change her shoes. “I’ve always wondered what Maples means.”
“‘Maples’ is another word for pins,” Mark explained. “Bowling pins.”
“How clever. Thanks,
“The only choice I have is to get over him, so I will, once and for all.” Kate smiled weakly. “Maybe by the time I see him again, I’ll have already moved on.”
Jess nodded, but didn’t reply.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She knows something. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“That’s just it. I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I did tell you.”
“You’re an excellent friend. Now tell me.”
Jess stared at Kate for a long moment, then sighed. “Eric’s coming to Hillsborough in two weeks.”
“He is?” Kate asked in surprise. “Why?”
“You remember he and Mark were good friends in high school.”
“Yeah.”
“They reconnected at the Wynnfield Tavern last weekend, so Eric decided to spend part of his Spring Break hanging out with Mark.”
“What are they going to do?”
“Mark’s taking time off work, and they’re going to play—basketball, golf, pool. You know, guy stuff.”
“I’m surprised Eric isn’t spending Spring Break with Cecilia at some Caribbean resort.”
“Cecilia is spending Spring Break with some of her girlfriends in Paris.”
Of course she is. “Why were you hesitant to tell me Eric is coming to Hillsborough to see Mark?”
“Because he’s also coming to Hillsborough to see you.”
Kate’s inner turmoil gave way to excitement—and, however misplaced, hope. “Really?”
“Yeah. He told Mark he’d like for all of us to get together and do something fun. You know, for old times’ sake.”
“I’m up for it. I’d love to see Eric again.”
Jess seemed hesitant. “Won’t that be hard on you?”
“I’ll just do like you said: I’ll treat him less like my friend and more like my customer. You’ll be there for support.” Kate shrugged. “How hard could it be?”
Chapter Eight
Friday, March 16
Kate pulled open the front door of Maples and discovered Eric standing inside the entrance. He flashed her that smile. “Hey, you.”
This might’ve been a mistake. Kate summoned her courage. Stick to your plan. “Hey, Eric. How ya doing?” Bet you thought I was going to say, Hey, yourself.
Sure enough, he looked thrown. “Uh, fine.”
“How does it feel to be back in Hillsborough?”
“Strange, yet familiar. I feel like an outsider.”
“Well, you’ve been away for a while, but you can always come home.” What did I mean by that statement? Did it even make sense? Kate diverted her gaze from Eric and rolled her eyes. New Kate needs to step it up…and change the subject. “Where are Jess and Mark?”
“They went to get in line since it’s crowded tonight. I told them I’d wait by the door for your late self.”
Oh, to make a smart-ass remark. “I’m sorry I’m late. Do you want to go find them now?”
Again, Kate saw confusion on Eric’s face. “Yeah, sure.”
They walked further inside, and Kate scanned the crowd for Jess and Mark. “I see them,” she told Eric. She led the way to the front of one of the lines and came up behind Jess. “Boo!”
Jess spun around. “Hey, Kate!”
“Hey! Thanks for getting in line for us.”
“No problem.”
“What size shoes?” the guy behind the counter asked Kate and Eric.
“Twelve,” Eric said.
“Ten,” Kate said.
“Your feet are big,” Eric said to Kate.
So are yours. “I know my feet are big.”
Eric nudged her arm. “I’m just messing with you!”
Kate smiled politely.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“Here ya go.” The guy plopped two pairs of bowling shoes on the counter. Kate and Eric picked them up and walked over to the lanes to join Jess and Mark.
“This place looks the same,” Eric commented. “It brings back memories.”
Kate started to change her shoes. “I’ve always wondered what Maples means.”
“‘Maples’ is another word for pins,” Mark explained. “Bowling pins.”
“How clever. Thanks,
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