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“Two fingers of Macallan on the rocks,” Andrew said before anyone else could speak “And a glass of your best red”
He’d ordered for me
I wasn’t surprised
Bailey, however, looked like she wanted to slap him
Tohter as he ordered “Beer, Lil”
“Bailey?” Lily said
My friend shook herself “Long Island And cancel the red wine” She turned to me pointedly “What would you like to drink, Jessica?”
Noas hter I turned to Lily, avoiding Andrew’s gaze “I’ll have a Long Island, too”
I had a feeling I was going to need it
“Sure thing Oh”—she dipped her head down to me—“I wanted to thank you Cooper said it was you who told hi onI should have spoken to him earlier Anyway, thanks I really need this job”
War is okay”
“It will be Helps I have an awesorinned and trotted away
My gazewith Old Archie about so and my belly flipped I loved his crooked smile
I loved that he had takenon in Lily’s life better for her
“Are you alright?” Andrew said, drawing my attention back to him
“Dr Jess!”
I ju in the bar to look at Old Archie “Yes?” I called back, a little worried about what he was going to say, considering he’d just been talking to Cooper
“My old lady, Anita, she’s got a problem with her neck I said I’d ask you to have a look at it And while you’re at it, will you give her so to work through it”
Everyone turned to stare atfor a response “Umdoesn’t Anita have a doctor here?”
“Ah, she hates going to the doc Hates waiting in that creepy waiting room place, you know I said how nice you were and she finally said she’d get it checked”
I sensed concern in Old Archie and so I found ”
“She works Eight am okay for you?”
“Sure”
“Great I’d buy you a drink, but I’ve only got enough on me for four more beers”
Aht”
I turned back to find Andrening at me
“What?” I shrugged
“House calls? Really?”
Lily arrived and put our drinks on the table I picked upIsland and said, “He’s a friend”
“You’ve certainly made a lot of those here,” he said stiffly
“Yes I have”
There were other tourists in the bar, at Bailey’s inn, at Eh they were treated with cordiality, they were not treated by the business owners like friends
The real truth, I suddenly realized, was that the people here recognized sonized the connection that I had made to their town
And thatmore than a tourist to them
That made me connected to them
I slid out of the booth, no longer able to pretend the situation was any different from what it was “Come outside,” I said to Andrew “We need to talk”
“We just got our drinks,” he argued
I didn’t argue back Instead I turned onhe would follow because he hated to make a scene
The waves crashed onto the beach, the surf lit up under thein thatMaybe the first right thing I’d done in a long time
“What the hell is going on?” Andrew said behind me
I slowly turned to face him, not nervous, not uneasy Calm And resolute “I need to be honest I don’t want to be in a relationship with you, Andrew I’m sorry”
He raised an eyebrow in surprise “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“I never had a chance to”
“Well” He laughed shortly “This is preposterous It’s this place The people That woressive You’ll feel differently when you’re away from her and at home”
I bristled “No, I won’tbecause I’ here”
Relief h me as soon as I said the words out loud
“Are you insane?” he snapped, striding toward me “Seriously?”
“I’m not happy, Andrew I haven’t been happywell, I can’t remember the last time I was happy,” I admitted sadly
He scoffed at that “And you think you’ll be happy here? You’ve been here all of five minutes”
“I know And maybe I won’t be happy here, either, but I know for da in that prison—”
“I’ve been telling you that for two years!”
I ignored his interruption “I’m not happy in my empty apartment and I’m not happy with a fuck buddy anymore”
“Which is exactly why I’ our situation to a relationship,” he insisted, taking hold of ers of Macallan on the rocks,” Andrew said before anyone else could speak “And a glass of your best red”