“Yes, I had some last night,” I said, moaning.
“Is that why Will tried to kiss you?”
“What?” I shot out of bed, then collapsed right back onto it from the sudden head rush.
“How’d you know that? How’d you get in here?”
“Will buzzed me in and then he left. He left you a note on the counter.”
“Where’d he go?” I scrunched my eyebrows.
“I don’t know, but he looks dashing in a suit.”
“Will has a suit?” I directed the question back at myself. “I need to see this note.” I moseyed toward the kitchen. I was feeling my stupidity from the night before. Not only did I hurt physically, but I was also suffering from a major moral hangover. I shouldn’t have been so mean to Will. I could have told him how I desperately wanted to lick his arms while he played the guitar, or how tempting his mouth was during our moment in the hallway. I could have told him how I felt and then explained that I wanted to keep it simple and that’s why we couldn’t sleep together. Instead, I was a jerk.
Will’s note was on a coffee filter, printed in perfect block letters.
HEY, ROOMY, SORRY I TRIED TO KISS YOU LAST NIGHT, YOU WERE JUST SO DAMN CUTE. IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAD FUN, THOUGH. LOVED YOUR SHOW… WINK. I was relieved but strangely disappointed that he was relatively unfazed by my rejection. Visions of Will traipsing random, faceless women back to his room ran through my mind. I dry heaved, but I knew if we were going to be strictly friends, then I would have to accept him bringing women home. My mind wandered to where debonair Will in his suit might have gone that morning. Jenny came in and snapped me out of it.
“Geeze, what kind of show did you put on?” she asked, looking over my shoulder at the note.
“It was nothing. I just played a few songs for him.”
“Why don’t you like Will?”
“Jenny, I like Will fine, but I don’t want to date an almost thirty-year-old, struggling musician who rents a room from me for four hundred dollars a month.”
“Oh, so that’s what this is about? He doesn’t make enough money for you. Hmm, Mia, you don’t really seem like the type to care about that, but I guess you do.” She smiled sarcastically at me.
“Jenny, I’m just like everyone else. I want to meet a man who is a team player. Not someone who is swept up in his feelings and art. Besides, I don’t even think Will likes me, he’s just a guy in a band who will sleep with anyone.”
She studied me with a tolerant expression, then said, “Whatever you say, Mia. I’m going down to Kell’s.” Heading for the door, she glanced up at a picture of my father, stalked over to it, and kissed it. “See ya, Pops.”
I knew Pops loved Jenny; he had talked so highly of her. I felt like she was sort of my father’s parting gift to me. She was a good friend, a straight shooter. She didn’t kiss my ass because I was her boss. I would need that honesty in the weeks to come.
Later, I popped into Kell’s. It was another slow day for the café, so I took a seat and nursed my hangover with some herbal tea. I spent the whole afternoon staring out the window, people-watching and eavesdropping on Paddy and Joe.
“Have you been takin’ your pills, Paddy?”
“I have, Joe.”
“And have you had your levels checked again?”
“I have.”
“Jesus Christ, Paddy, are you goin’ to make me ask you a hundred questions?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m eighty-seven years young, can still move like the Lord of the Dance, and I haven’t smoked in twenty-five years. I’m fine.”
“I think you need to diversify your activities is all I’m sayin’. You know I’ve been doing that yoga stuff with Beverly over at the senior center?”
There was a long pause. I turned to read Paddy’s expression. He looked thoroughly disappointed. “But we’re Catholic, Joe.”
Suppressing laughter, I stood up, turned toward the two brothers and smiled. Joe grinned from ear to ear and then, loud enough for me to hear, said to Paddy, “Isn’t Alan’s girl a beauty?”
“That she is, brother.”
I mouthed thank you to my father’s old friends and then waved to Martha and Jenny before heading home. Robert and Jacob would be arriving shortly for the lesson, so I threw on a sweater, jeans, and some Converse. I cleaned the apartment a bit before sitting on the couch to wait. I noticed Will must have been home because he’d set the mail on the counter. I was surprised I hadn’t seen him walk by Kell’s. I wondered if maybe he was avoiding me.
When the buzzer rang, I hit the button to open the door immediately. I ran over to the phone and dialed Sheil.
“Hello?”
“Sheil, I have people coming up for a lesson; I just wanted to let someone know.”
“Okay, darling. Do you want me to come down there?”
“No, but if I don’t call you in an hour, send the troops. Love ya.” I hung up and ran to the door. I opened the door before Robert had a chance to knock.