Part 10 (1/2)
”Why should it always be up to Brady to pick up your slack?”
”My slack?” Anger fl ashed in Sawyer's eyes.
”They're your family. It's not like you have something else pressing to do. You're bored, so instead of at least sticking it out until she has the baby, you're taking off. You're just being selfi sh.”
Sawyer's expression hardened. ”This is family business. I don't expect you to understand what that's like.”
Stunned, Jori nodded slowly. ”You're right. I don't understand. Because I've never had a real family.”
”Jori, that's not how I meant it.”
”Maybe not, but you're absolutely right. In fact, no one's ever given a d.a.m.n where I was or what I was doing. So if I were * 87 *
in your place, I wouldn't be so quick to take what you have for granted.”
Seething, and not interested in Sawyer's response, Jori walked away. She was hurt that Sawyer would use something so personal against her, something she hadn't shared with anyone else, and went directly to the kitchen, refusing to look back.
If Sawyer wanted to take off, it shouldn't bother her. After all, Sawyer had just proved how little she thought of her.
”Come on, d.a.m.n it,” Sawyer muttered as she inched through traffi c. She slammed her palm against the horn as an oversized SUV cut her off, barely missing her front b.u.mper.
As she drove, Sawyer reviewed her conversations with both Erica and Jori and wondered why she'd made such a mess of things. She was convinced she didn't want to be a waitress, even if it meant seeing Jori every day, but Jori's remark about her being selfi sh stung and she'd lashed out, using Jori's past to hurt her.
Was it selfi sh to want to be in a job that made her happy? Was she always supposed to put everyone else fi rst?
Jori seemed to think if she just stayed on until Erica had the baby, everything would be back to normal. But the truth, as Sawyer saw it, was that things would never be the same for Erica.
Running Drake's was more than a full-time job; it was seventy-plus hours a week. Add a newborn to that and Erica was facing some major changes. Sawyer couldn't be expected to set aside her life indefi nitely to help Erica manage hers. Could she?
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost missed the turn into Aces Toyota. Though it probably p.i.s.sed off the guy in the car behind her, she executed a sharp turn into the parking lot and whipped into a spot in front of the dealers.h.i.+p.
Matt was rus.h.i.+ng through the showroom as she stepped inside and pulled off her sungla.s.ses. When he saw her, he detoured in her direction, skirting a family of four admiring a minivan.
* 88 *
”Lunch. Oh, man, Sawyer, I completely forgot we were having lunch today.” He tapped two fi ngers against his temple.
”It was your idea. You said you wanted to talk to me about something.” That morning before she'd left to see Erica, he had asked her to meet him later.
”I know, I know. But we're so busy right now.”
Sawyer glanced at several small cl.u.s.ters of people, some of whom it appeared were being helped already, but others looked around expectantly. ”Forget it. I'll catch up with you at home.”
”Wait, I've got time for a cup of coffee. Come back to the lounge.” Without waiting to see if she would follow, Matt headed down a long hallway to the left. They entered a room large enough for a kitchenette and two circular tables. ”Sit,” he said, indicating one of the tables.
He fi lled two Styrofoam cups, adding cream and sugar to both, and set one in front of her.
”I did want to talk to you about something.” He seemed hesitant.
”I'll see you at home later, if you're busy.”
”Davis is coming over, and I wanted to speak to you privately.” He paused as one of his coworkers came in and got a soda from the vending machine. He waited until the man left before he spoke again. ”You know that Davis and I are getting serious and-”
He stopped again as a woman entered, went to the coffeemaker, and fi lled a mug. He tapped his fi ngers impatiently on the table as the woman stood with her back to them adding condiments to her drink. Between his tapping and the woman's spoon clinking against the side of the ceramic mug, Sawyer was losing her patience.
”Whatever it is, Matt, just say it.”
”I'm moving out,” he blurted.
”Why?” Sawyer sighed, and when she caught the woman at the counter trying to look discreetly over her shoulder at them, she glared at her. She knew Matt wasn't out at work and imagined * 89 *
that the woman thought she was witnessing a lovers' quarrel.
Caught looking, the woman blushed and rushed out of the room, no doubt to go spread the juicy gossip.
Sawyer returned her attention to a contrite-looking Matt. She'd argued with Erica, then with Jori. She needed her relations.h.i.+p with Matt to stay level, because she was running out of places to turn.
”Davis and I are getting an apartment together.”
”You've barely been together a month.”
He shrugged. ”When it's right, you just know it.”
Sawyer had heard him say he'd met the right one before and it never seemed to last. But that didn't keep him from trying again. He approached relations.h.i.+ps with an optimism that Sawyer envied. So, though she didn't really believe this guy would be any different, she wasn't in the mood to argue. ”No, you should stay there. That place is more yours than mine. I'll move out.”
She wanted to be happy for Matt and Davis. But she'd been living with Matt for years and would miss him terribly. They'd moved in together fresh out of college, and she'd backed him up when he told his father about his career change. He'd been the friend who listened when she lamented her failures and stayed up late talking until she felt better. She knew they'd always be friends, but she couldn't help worrying that their not living together would change things.
”You were there fi rst and I moved in. Davis and I made this decision, so it's not fair to expect you to leave.”
Sawyer sighed. ”Can we talk about this later? It's been kind of a long day.”
”What's wrong?”
”What isn't wrong?” Sawyer replied sarcastically. ”I quit my job. Erica's p.i.s.sed at me, and Jori and I argued.”
”Wow. You have had a big day. I can guess why you quit your job-”
”Why?”
”How long have you been there?” He stood. ”Refi ll?”
* 90 *
She shook her head as he stood and fi lled his own cup. ”It's been almost a month. What's your point?”
”Well, it's about time for you to move on, isn't it?”