The Story
I’m about to do a bad, bad thing.
I’ll hate myself for this later and I know it. But, still, I just can’t stop. The temptation is too great.
“Order ready for Jane,” the barista says, handing me a triple caramel latte and double chocolate chunk cookie.
“Thanks,” I say, taking it from his hands.
Day three of my diet and already I’m already cheating. I grab the drink and the cookie, and sigh, inwardly promising myself I’ll go to the gym for twice as long tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do is find a table in the corner where I can peacefully enjoy my treat.
“Hi, Mrs. Selby.”
I jump at the sound of my name. I whirl around and there, standing only a few inches from me is one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen. Boys. Make that one of the hottest boys I’ve ever seen. He’s barely looks legal. He’s smiling intensely and staring at me as though we’re friends.
I blink, doing a double take. Where do I know him from? He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him. I watch as his grin slowly changes to a smirk. He’s obviously enjoying the confusion on my face.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?” he asks. “I guess I didn’t make much of an impression on you, did I?” he says, folding his arms across his chest in mock accusation.
I feel horribly rude – I’m usually so good with names and faces – but I have no earthly idea who this guy is.
“It’s Austin,” he tells me. “Austin Gates. Chad’s friend from next door. Ring a bell now?”
Austin Gates?! I nearly drop my coffee and cookie.
I’m sure my mouth is hanging wide open, but I’m powerless to hide the shock. There is no way this guy standing in front of me – with muscles that go on for days– could actually be Austin Gates.
Scrawny, tiny little Austin Gates from next door – the boy who was joined at the hip with my son, Chad, before they both went away to college two years ago. Austin Gates, the definition of a “computer nerd,” who was so short and scrawny they used to call him Screech, like after the character from Saved by the Bell .
“ Austin?” I ask, still uncertain. “I’m so sorry…I…I didn’t recognize you.”
“I get that a lot,” he says.
Yeah, I’ll bet, I think.
“I always forget that people from Pine Heights remember me the way I used to look. Since I haven’t been home in so long nobody’s seen the new me.” He laughs. “I guess it is kind of big a change.”
“ Yes, it’s quite the change,” I tell him.
“So how’ve you been, Mrs. Selby?”
“I’m good, ” I tell him. “And it’s Ms. Selby now, not Mrs. Rick and I got divorced a while back. But you can call me Jane.”
Austin raises his eyebrows. “Really? So you and Mr. Selby are no longer together?”
I shake my head. “Not anymore. Rick cheated on me with his dental hygienist.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. Our relationship had been over for a while, anyway. We were basically living together as roommates.”
Why am I telling him this? The words are just tumbling out. I bite my lip to keep from talking.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, Ms. Selby, I imagine a woman like you won’t stay single long.”
“ Jane,” I correct him. “And thanks.” I don’t tell him that I’ve already been single for a long time – longer than I care to admit. It’s been eighteen months since Rick left, and in that time I’ve been on a grand total of one date…and that date was nothing to write home about. I’m thirty-six years old, which is hardly ancient, but it can feel that way sometimes. Being single for eighteen months wouldn’t be so bad if I at least had something exciting going on in my life, but my days and nights are totally routine. I won’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had sex.
“So, Jane ,” Austin says, enunciating my name in a way that makes my heart race, “Did I tell you I’m moving back to Pine Heights?”
“You are?” I
I’m about to do a bad, bad thing.
I’ll hate myself for this later and I know it. But, still, I just can’t stop. The temptation is too great.
“Order ready for Jane,” the barista says, handing me a triple caramel latte and double chocolate chunk cookie.
“Thanks,” I say, taking it from his hands.
Day three of my diet and already I’m already cheating. I grab the drink and the cookie, and sigh, inwardly promising myself I’ll go to the gym for twice as long tomorrow. Right now, all I want to do is find a table in the corner where I can peacefully enjoy my treat.
“Hi, Mrs. Selby.”
I jump at the sound of my name. I whirl around and there, standing only a few inches from me is one of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen. Boys. Make that one of the hottest boys I’ve ever seen. He’s barely looks legal. He’s smiling intensely and staring at me as though we’re friends.
I blink, doing a double take. Where do I know him from? He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him. I watch as his grin slowly changes to a smirk. He’s obviously enjoying the confusion on my face.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?” he asks. “I guess I didn’t make much of an impression on you, did I?” he says, folding his arms across his chest in mock accusation.
I feel horribly rude – I’m usually so good with names and faces – but I have no earthly idea who this guy is.
“It’s Austin,” he tells me. “Austin Gates. Chad’s friend from next door. Ring a bell now?”
Austin Gates?! I nearly drop my coffee and cookie.
I’m sure my mouth is hanging wide open, but I’m powerless to hide the shock. There is no way this guy standing in front of me – with muscles that go on for days– could actually be Austin Gates.
Scrawny, tiny little Austin Gates from next door – the boy who was joined at the hip with my son, Chad, before they both went away to college two years ago. Austin Gates, the definition of a “computer nerd,” who was so short and scrawny they used to call him Screech, like after the character from Saved by the Bell .
“ Austin?” I ask, still uncertain. “I’m so sorry…I…I didn’t recognize you.”
“I get that a lot,” he says.
Yeah, I’ll bet, I think.
“I always forget that people from Pine Heights remember me the way I used to look. Since I haven’t been home in so long nobody’s seen the new me.” He laughs. “I guess it is kind of big a change.”
“ Yes, it’s quite the change,” I tell him.
“So how’ve you been, Mrs. Selby?”
“I’m good, ” I tell him. “And it’s Ms. Selby now, not Mrs. Rick and I got divorced a while back. But you can call me Jane.”
Austin raises his eyebrows. “Really? So you and Mr. Selby are no longer together?”
I shake my head. “Not anymore. Rick cheated on me with his dental hygienist.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine. Our relationship had been over for a while, anyway. We were basically living together as roommates.”
Why am I telling him this? The words are just tumbling out. I bite my lip to keep from talking.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, Ms. Selby, I imagine a woman like you won’t stay single long.”
“ Jane,” I correct him. “And thanks.” I don’t tell him that I’ve already been single for a long time – longer than I care to admit. It’s been eighteen months since Rick left, and in that time I’ve been on a grand total of one date…and that date was nothing to write home about. I’m thirty-six years old, which is hardly ancient, but it can feel that way sometimes. Being single for eighteen months wouldn’t be so bad if I at least had something exciting going on in my life, but my days and nights are totally routine. I won’t even tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had sex.
“So, Jane ,” Austin says, enunciating my name in a way that makes my heart race, “Did I tell you I’m moving back to Pine Heights?”
“You are?” I
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