“And if he asks you where you are, what will you say?”
I didn’t think about that. Drew would be livid, although I’m not doing anything wrong, and Mia is sitting in the same apartment. It’s not like I’m in bed with him.
“I’m gathering he’s not fond of you and me working together.”
“What makes you think t-that?” I stammer.
“Your mood, it shifts each day. One minute you’re friendly, and the next minute you’re giving me the cold shoulder. You’re not the first colleague to do that,” he admits.
“I’m sorry, Slater. He doesn’t know you, that’s all.”
“And I’m spending more time with his fiancée than he is.”
“Yes,” I sadly admit.
“Well, Zoey, I enjoy spending time with you. I won’t argue that.”
At a loss of what to say, I look at Mia who’s fast asleep. I need her to drive me home since I’ve drunk too much.
“She’s knocked out,” he comments as we move toward the living area taking a seat on the plush leather sofa. Mia’s stretched out forcing me to sit beside him.
“Yeah, I kinda need her to wake up.”
“Stay a while. Let her rest, and then I can drive you home.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why? We’re not doing anything wrong.” His voice says something else, and his expression is shadowed as he leans over to grab the remote off the coffee table.
“Because, Slater… I don’t need another headache in my life. I’ve over-committed myself with this wedding, and no one seems to understand. Mia keeps pushing me to make it a big circus, and Drew couldn’t give a goddamn shit. Now my mom is stuck back at home and everything feels overwhelming.” I begin to cry, the
anxiety and stress building up and finally tumbling out.
“Hey.” Slater puts his arm around me rubbing the side of my arm. I feel myself calming down, slowly, but the touch of his hand against my skin leaves another feeling that I choose to ignore. “You’ve got to learn to slow down. I get this is stressful, but is it really worth this?”
“Are you asking me if marrying Drew is worth it?” I pull back, waiting on his response.
“I’m asking you if this is how you envisioned your life to be. You’re running around planning this wedding and forgetting about the most important thing.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not one to answer, only you can. To be honest, you seem uncertain. Is he the right man for you?”
“Yes.” I gulp, annoyed that my hesitation could be interpreted as uncertainty. “I think so. I just feel so disconnected right now.”
“I think so doesn’t mean walk down the aisle,” he says the words softly but loud enough to stick with me. “Think long and hard about what you want, what’s right for you. Not what’s comfortable.”
“Tom Cruise would make a nice husband,” I tell him, watching the screen paused at the scene where he’s at the bar shaking the canister and eye-fucking the sexy woman.
Slater chuckles pressing play on the movie. We watch it to the end, chatting animatedly about how much we both love Bryan Brown with his quirky Aussie personality. He reminds me a lot of Drew’s dad. A man so influential in Drew’s life that things haven’t been the same since he passed.
As the credit rolls, Mia stirs, waking up. She notices us watching her and is quick to apologize for falling asleep suggesting we leave. A few steps ahead, she presses the button to the elevator as I linger at the door.
“Thank you for tonight. For just letting me be me.”
“Anytime.” His eyes dart toward Mia and then back to me. “Think about what I said, Zoey.”
Slater said many things. And as I’m walking toward the elevator, his words drum into me like a dagger stabbing my heart a million times over. He is right. I am comfortable. Everything about Drew is comfortable.