I’m implying. But it wasn’t unreasonable for me to be suspicious, was it? First, he claims to have forgotten our date. Then he says he was in New York last week only to later say he was in Chicago. It also seems that he was very quick to anger. Couldn’t he have laughed at his mistake and his own absent-mindedness when I pointed it out? Of course, when he implied that I was lying about my friend’s crisis, I had immediately been offended.
The fact is, I don’t know him well enough to make any judgments about him. I can only go on what I see and hear from him. Although what reason would he have to lie about where he was last week? It doesn’t make any sense.
I suddenly feel the need to call Laura, explain every detail to her, and get her opinion. That in itself reveals how upset I am. Discussing my problems is not a pastime in which I am generally interested in participating. But I can’t do it now, anyway. Not tonight, at least. Compared to Katie’s situation, my problems are minor. Although, they certainly don’t seem that way at the moment. What on earth does Ryan think of me now? Humiliation twists inside me. I’m sure I’ve seen the last of him, and I don’t know if I’m better off or not. The horrible pit in my stomach is telling me that the answer is not.
I need to stop dating. It’s only making me miserable. I take a deep breath and try to shake off the tension.
Katie’s place, in nearby Newton, has a spacious loft-like feel to it. It’s after eleven when Katie opens the door to me, still dressed in her work clothes, a navy print blouse and a matching navy skirt, but her hose and shoes are gone. Her eyes are red-rimmed and her skin is blotchy. “Hi.” She gives me a watery greeting. Then she studies me more closely. “Have you been crying?” Taking in my outfit, she asks. “Did you have plans tonight?”
“Nothing major,” I lie. “Are you going to let me in?”
She nods, moving away from the door and allowing me to pass. I automatically move toward the couch in the living room. The apartment appears similar to the last time I saw it. It provides no hint of the earth shift that occurred here earlier.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted your plans.” Kate apologizes as she follows me. “You should have told me you were busy.”
I sit on the couch and Katie plops herself down beside me, gripping a crumpled tissue in her hand.
“I had a date,” I explain, searching for a way to put a humorous spin on the ending because I’m not about to cry on her shoulder. “But I pretty much accused him of being a liar, and for some reason he took offense and left.”
Her eyes widen at me. “Is this Ryan you’re talking about?”
I nod.
“What did he lie about?”
“Nothing worth mentioning. I’m not even sure he did lie. I think now that he probably didn’t. But it doesn’t matter. It’s a terrible mess.”
“Oh Andy, I’m so sorry.” Despite her own significant issues this evening, I can see that her distress on my behalf is sincere.
I rest a hand on her nearby forearm. “Now tell me what happened here tonight.”
She takes a breath as pain flashes in her eyes. “It was awful, but somehow it wasn’t a surprise. I’ve been fooling myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told myself that I’d imagined all Mike’s doubts. I even let myself believe that Mike was happy about the baby.”
“He wasn’t?”
“He went through the motions. He said all the right things. He listened patiently while I went on and on about baby names and buying things for a nursery. But he was never as excited as I was. I knew it, too. Deep down, I knew that he wasn’t as happy about the baby as he should be.”
“So, what happened tonight?”
Katie glances around her apartment as though she’s reliving it again. Her eyes stop when they land on a smiling picture of Katie and Mike together, both happy and attractive enough to be the model couple sold along with the frame. She sinks further into the couch, her gaze bouncing quickly off the picture.
“Did Mike come home from work wanting to talk to you about the baby?” I prompt gently.
She shakes her head. “He was here waiting for me when I got home. His suitcase was ready to go, on the