Page 72 of I Love My Mistake
My lungs suck in relief. “Kathy!”
Kathy is tall Chinese girl with a clipped accent. She moved here to go to school and never left. She pulls her coat tight around her, her scarf up high under her chin. “Can I use your phone?”
I glance back quickly to Mark, throw him an urgent I-told-you-so-look, which makes Kathy see him for the first time, half naked, leaning against a wall, looking gorgeous. Her eyes turn to saucers. Her mouth makes an ‘O.’
“This is Mark.” I smile, motioning to him as I leave the door open, and go to find my phone.
She takes a step in and shakes his outstretched hand.
“Hi Kathy.” He motions to the heavy coat and scarf. “Is it cold out?”
“Not anymore,” she says.
He laughs. I sneak a sideways glance at him, from where I’m bending to search my coat for my phone. What an idiot I am. This man is amazing – look at how easygoing that smile of his is. Michael is long gone – dead to me – and for good reason. I have to stay in this moment and try to get used to being with someone who actually makes me feel good. Who doesn’t make me feel emptier – more alone – when I’m in his company.
Mark’s eyes dance at Kathy’s blank, open gawking. He tries another tactic to make conversation. “Did you leave your phone in a cab?”
Kathy stares at him for two empty seconds. She blurts out, finally hearing he asked her a question, “What? No. I left it at work. Have to call my boyfriend. I have a boyfriend.” She takes the phone from me while she stares at Mark. She mutters, but not quietly enough, “But he doesn’t look like you.”
He pretends not to hear her, but I’m sure he finds this hilarious. Kathy looks to the phone to dial, but stops. She looks at me. “Oh look. Someone texted you.”
I snatch it from her before she can say, Michael. But looking, it’s not from him. It’s from Jessica.
Jessica: Heard you met a guy. Details!
I shoot a quick look up to both of them. “Sorry. Just give me a sec.”
I text back: Details later. He’s incredible, which means I’m losing my shit. Yikes.
Jessica: Ha! Come out tonight! Let’s meet him. I’ll call Amber.
I read it and look up to Mark. His eyebrows rise. Do I want to bring him out with my girlfriends or enjoy the time alone with him?
Mark cocks his head. “What’s up?”
“My friend – the one I told you about – she wants us to come out with her and Amber tonight. Do you want to?”
Kathy puffs impatiently behind me. Partly from wanting my phone. Partly from being disgusted that I’m even considering going out over staying in bed all night doing wonderful, lascivious things. I hold out a hand telling her to wait.
Mark’s thinking it over. He wants to say yes to make me happy, but he’s reticent. He shrugs, “Why not?”
Kathy says, “No!”
I look back and her and laugh. Mark smiles and melts her even more.
“You sure?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Let’s do it.” He pushes himself off the wall, walks over and kisses me before he turns back to the bathroom to get dressed.
I text Jess: Sounds good. After dinner.
I hand the phone back to Kathy, who’s looking at me like I’m crazy. I ignore her. I want him to meet my friends. For once I have a man I want to bring outside with me. There’s something kind of awesome about that. “Okay – here you go. Come all the way in and close the door. I need to get ready.”
Kathy nods and points to where he was. She mouths, wow. I nod and point to the phone, hurry up. She quickly gets ahold of her boyfriend and is talking to him as I leave.
“Casual or dressy?” I call from the bedroom.
“What?”