“Wow, spectacular fail. How’d that go?”
“Well, for starters, she didn’t realize that Josh and I interact on an almost daily basis. It felt like I was in the wrong, somehow.” Layla recounted the conversation for Tonya. “It was a little weird.”
“Maybe she’s not over him.”
Layla shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s still getting used to the fact that they’re free to talk to other people if they feel like it. Personally, I couldn’t care less who Liam is talking to. I don’t want to know anything about what he’s up to. They have a child together, though, so they still have to talk to each other.” Thank God she and Liam had never procreated. That was about the only smart thing Layla had done.
Annie’s arrival cut their conversation short. They’d already watched her wrangle her boys into the building, which had looked like herding a tribe of feral cats. They’d been more unruly than usual, and Annie had had her hands full making sure they stayed in the crosswalk. She’d almost dropped her travel mug of coffee when one of the youngest darted in front of her, nearly tripping her. Now she approached Layla and Tonya with a triumphant smile on her face. “I want you both to know that I’d take a bullet for my kids, but holy fuck that break nearly killed me. Was it longer than usual this year? I think it was. It had to be.”
“Good morning to you, too,” Layla said.
“Good morning. I hope you both had a wonderful holiday.” Annie looked at the drop-off line and shook her head. “I see that the time away from school has caused a regression in whatever car-line skills the parents had managed to amass. Good luck today. If all these kids are anything like mine, you’ll need something to look forward to when you peel out of the parking lot this afternoon.”
“Already booked a massage,” Tonya said.
“Pedicure appointment ten minutes after I’m off work,” Layla said. Josh had just pulled into the parking lot. She felt as giddy as a middle-schooler and she didn’t care. She watched them approach and told herself to act normal, natural.
“Miss Layla,” Sasha said. “My hamster died.”
Already? “Oh, no,” Layla said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah. My mom said we can get another one.”
“Good morning,” Josh said. “I hope you’re both staying warm.”
Layla could no longer feel her toes. “It’s not that bad,” she said.
“Did I leave Norton’s treats at your house?”
“Yep,” Layla said. “I saw them sitting on the counter right after you left.”
“I’ll stop by and get them sometime this week,” he said.
“Okay,” she said.
He looked like he might want to say something else, but then Sasha said, “Dad, I’m cold.”
“Have a good day,” Josh said, but he mostly looked at Layla when he said it.
“You too,” they answered.
chapter 29
Josh
Josh called Layla after he finished eating dinner on Thursday night. Sasha had been with him from Monday night through Thursday morning, but she was back at Kimmy’s and Josh had a free evening. “Hey, it’s Josh. Are you busy tonight? I thought I’d stop by and pick up Norton’s treats.” He was glad he’d forgotten them there, because it gave him a reason to call her. “It’s okay if you have plans. Norton has plenty of treats at home. He’ll survive.”
“No, I don’t have plans,” she said. “Come on over.”
“Be there in five,” he said.
“Come on in,” she said when she opened the door. “The treats are on the counter.” He followed her into the kitchen. There was a puzzle on the table and a half-full glass of wine next to a big pile of pieces. From the box, he could see that the puzzle was a pencil collage and that each pencil was a different size and color. “That’s quite a puzzle.”
“It’s definitely ambitious. I thought it would give me something to do in the evening now that it’s so cold.”
“I didn’t even think about a puzzle. I mostly just wander the house, give up, and turn on the TV.” He pointed at one of the pieces. “That one goes on the edge.”
“Oh, you’re right.” She picked up the piece and set it in place. There was an awkward pause, and he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say next when she said, “Do you want to work on it with me? If you’re not busy, I mean.”
“Sure,” he said.
“Wine?” Layla asked, motioning toward her glass.
“That would be great.”
“Red okay?”
“Whatever you’re drinking is fine.” She poured him a glass. “Boy, you’re not messin’ around, are you?” Josh asked when he sat down at the kitchen table and surveyed the pieces. Another glance at the box told him there were a thousand of them.
“Nope,” she said, handing him a glass of wine and sitting down across from him.
“Thanks,” he said, then took a sip of the wine and set the glass down far away from his elbows and the puzzle.
Layla searched the puzzle pieces, picked one up, and put it in its place. “I’ve been trying to find that one for the last fifteen minutes,” she said, giving Josh a satisfied smile. She had her glasses on and her hair in a ponytail and he had always liked that look on a woman.
They spent the next half hour making good progress on the puzzle while exchanging small talk about the holidays and the weather. They worked together to find tricky pieces that had stumped them both. Though his relaxed state was partly due to the wine, it was also brought on by the soothing yet cerebral act of figuring out the puzzle pieces and working them into place. It was easy sitting across from Layla. Nothing about it felt forced.
“You said you didn’t have a boyfriend.” He’d taken note of that, but it wasn’t something he was going to ask her about in front of Sasha. He’d tucked the information away and he’d been thinking about it. “Did there used to be one?”
“There was a husband, actually. We split up last March. The divorce is final now. Glad to have that part behind me.”
“I bet. Mine’s in the works but it’s not final yet,” he said. He’d asked Kimmy again about the paperwork and been happy to hear that at least she’d filed it and would let Josh know when she needed his signature.
“Kimberly told me you were separated when I met all of you at back-to-school night.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” She was focusing awfully hard on looking for a place to put her puzzle piece.
“No, but I have a dog. I did manage to get one of those.”
“Then you’re definitely on the right track,” she said.
“A dog seemed like something I could figure out. Romantic relationships seem a little trickier. There’s probably a whole set of rules for dating after a divorce that I know nothing about.”
“Oh, there’s all kinds of rules,” Layla said. “If you read as many women’s magazines as I do, you would know that.” He liked that she said it in a teasing way.
“I prefer to fumble my way through it cluelessly, apparently. Help a guy out.”
“First of all, you should be taking time for yourself.” Layla made little air quotes around the last four words.
“I am definitely taking time for myself.”