“When you said we weren’t right together. When you kicked me out.”
“Now, wait a minute, Emma.” Brett held up his hand impatiently. “You’re being ridiculous here.”
“No,” I said. I shook my head sadly. “I was being ridiculous to even consider getting back together with you.”
Brett gaped. “Emma, you’re making a huge mistake. Do you know what you’re saying?”
“Yes, I do,” I said slowly and calmly. “I don’t want to be with you.”
He just kept staring at me, as if he couldn’t understand what he was hearing. “You’re not going to find anyone better than me, you know. Not at your age.”
For some reason, I thought of Gabe, whom I quite possibly would never hear from again.
“You know, I think I already have,” I said softly.
I took a cab home, and the moment I walked in the door, Jeannie cornered me in the front hallway.
“Brett called,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at me.
“Did he? How nice. Did you have a nice chat?”
Jeannie ignored me. “Do you know what you just did?” she asked, her eyes wide. Upstairs, Odysseus began wailing something unintelligible. Jeannie didn’t seem to hear.
“Yes, I know exactly what I did,” I responded calmly. “I told Brett I didn’t want to get back together with him.” I wasn’t sure why a recap was necessary, as Jeannie had clearly been filled in already.
“Emma!” Jeannie exclaimed with dismay. “Why? He’s perfect for you!”
I looked at her blankly. “Why do you say that?” I asked finally. “Why do you think he’s so perfect?”
Jeannie looked a bit caught off guard. “I don’t know. Because he’s hot and he makes good money?” she said after a moment. “And he’s a pretty nice guy. I mean, really, what more can you ask for?”
I nodded slowly, feeling deeply grateful that although we’d come from the same set of parents, somehow I’d grown up with a completely different set of values. “Yes, Jeannie,” I said softly. I looked her right in the eye. “But he’s not capable of loving me even remotely as much as he loves himself,” I said. “And I want to be with someone who loves me and wants what’s best for me. Brett will never be that person, because all Brett cares about is Brett.”
Jeannie pursed her lips. “You are making a huge mistake,” she said. “One of these days, you’re going to have to learn that adulthood is about not always getting what you want, you know.” Then, as if my decision not to give Brett another chance was a personal affront to her, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-One
Poppy had booked me on the 7:20 a.m. to LaGuardia, and thanks to traffic, it was nearly noon when I arrived at the Katie Jones studio for the 2 p.m. taping. By the time I was seated, my nerves were fully on edge, but I couldn’t explain why. It unsettled me to think of seeing Guillaume again. I’d been trying hard to put what had happened behind me, but he was, of course, at the center of it all.
I felt conspicuously alone as I waited for the show to begin.
“You all by yourself?” asked the overweight man to my right, who was so large that he was sitting in both his seat and half of mine, wedging me against my left armrest. Thankfully, I was on an aisle, so at least I wasn’t squashed against a person on the other side, too.
I forced a smile. “Yes.”
“A pretty girl like you?” he asked, the words pouring out in a syrupy drawl. Beside him, his wife giggled and looked at me. “You don’t got no friends?”
I gritted my teeth. “They’re just not sitting with me,” I said.
The man snickered and said something to his wife. I rolled my eyes. It seemed the whole world was in cahoots with Jeannie to remind me of the error of my lonely ways.
The show began at two, and I settled in to watch as Katie Jones opened with a monologue that the Texan next to me found so funny, he shook the whole row of seats with his chortles every few seconds. I was relieved when the jokes were over.
The second half of the show opened with an interview with movie star Cole Brannon, who was starring in the most anticipated release of the summer. When Katie finished talking to the tall, handsome actor, she turned to the camera.
“Hang on, because after the break, we have France’s craziest export, Guillaume Riche, who will be playing his Top Ten hit ‘City of Light,’ ” she said, reaching one hand up to smooth her perfect brunette bob. “And maybe if we’re lucky, he’ll tell us what it’s like to waterski down the Seine River in SpongeBob SquarePants boxers and a top hat!”
The crowd laughed, and the house lights went up as the show went to commercial break. I scanned the room for Poppy, but couldn’t find her. On the darkened stage, a crew hurried to set up a drum kit, mics, and amps that would be used for Guillaume’s performance in a moment. I caught sight of Jean-Marc, Guillaume’s drummer, and my heart leapt into my throat. I missed those guys more than I had realized.