him. If it wasn’t so sad it would be really funny.
I’m at
Bain’s.
She typed and sent
the message and then leaned back with a second drink that Bain placed
in her hands. She was just opening her mouth to speak when her
notifications pinged again.
Come over
He said, as
predicted. Meaghan’s head thunked on the seat rest as she tried
to think of a way to say no that wouldn’t seem like blowing him
off…again.
Its girls’
night Dean. Bain has some stuff he needs to sort out. He needs me.
I’m off tomorrow though. See you then?
There. That sounded
about right. She heaved a sigh and sent it with Bain looking over her
shoulder.
“ You
can go if you want,” he offered.
“ I
really can’t. it’s been a really long day; I don’t
think I can deal with tantrums tonight anyway.”
Bain smiled. “Does
Dean do tantrums?” he asked in amusement.
“ Bain,
if you’d asked me half an hour ago, I would have said Dean
didn’t do stalking. Shows how much I know.”
Bain laughed, “Yeah.
Wow, your problems are making my problems seem like made up or
something.”
“ Nah
Bain, I know you. I’ve seen you in pain. And you are in pain
over something. Now we’re going to get properly drunk and we’re
going to sort this out,” she said in determination.
“ Yes
ma’am,” Bain agreed with a grateful smile.
*****
Dean stared at the
text from Meaghan, his blood literally boiling. He composed a text;
I don’t
believe that after everything we’ve been through you would-
Then he shook his
head and erased it. He tried again.
How could you do
this to me-
And then shook his
head again vigorously grimacing with how pathetic it sounded and also
how hurt he was feeling. It was pathetic and he never would have
believed it of himself if it wasn’t happening to him right now.
You lying bitch.
Are you with him right now-
Dean almost sent
that one but then he erased it because it sounded too much like the
texts Samantha used to send him in the first months after their break
up. He would not be that guy.
Never mind. It’s
fine. Whatever.
He stared at that
one for a long time, thumb hovering over the send button. Then he hit
it with a sigh and threw his phone on the bed. He stood up and
extracted a full bottle of whiskey from the bar not bothering with a
glass. He downed a good quarter of the bottle in one gulp and then
lay down, feeling dizzy already. He had this heavy weight on his
chest that he couldn’t seem to shift and he just wanted to
escape somewhere where he could forget. At least for a while. He
leaned forward and snagged the whiskey bottle, cradling it like a
baby. He moved back so that his back was against the headboard, and
stared out his window at the stars of New York. They could possibly
be lights, he’d heard it said that the stars over New York City
were invisible. Either way, they were glowing pin pricks of light
gleaming against a black back drop of infinite sky and he could get
lost in it. Better than thinking about Meaghan maybe moving on from
him, finding someone else…but why would she do that? They were
happy. Weren’t they? I mean the sex was off the charts
regardless of Meaghan’s relative inexperience. Dean could
sincerely say he’d taught her everything she knew – and
they’d discovered a few more things along the way too. They
didn’t have much time together, their schedules were crazy what
with him running a company and she being an resident surgeon in
training. It was a wonder they found any time to be together –and
that doctor guy was at work with her all the time. They definitely
could find more time to spend quality time together. Not that his and
Meg’s time wasn’t quality. They’d certainly learned
each other’s bodies to an expert degree by now. But maybe they
could possibly spend more time talking…she’d seemed so
intensely engaged with the conversation she was having with that guy.
They probably had more in common as well. Both doctors and shit…
Dean took