Perfect Fifths_ A Jessica Darling Novel - Megan McCafferty [53]
“How many people can say they’re making a living doing what they would do for free?”
“I know, right?”
“Good for her.”
“Yeah. It is. It really is. She’s totally in love, too.”
“The same boyfriend from college?”
“Nope. She broke up with—What was his name? Oh my God. I’ve forgotten that guy’s name. I totally overheard him engaging in the most intimate of acts with my best friend in the top bunk, and now I can’t even remember his name. How bad is that?”
[Throat clearing.] “Oh, I can think of worse things to forget.”
“This is really going to bother me. I’m tempted to call Hope right now and ask her. ‘Hey, Hope, what was the name of your college boyfriend, you know, the one you used to quietly have sex with in the top bunk in the middle of the night when you thought I was asleep?’ W-W-W-ade? It starts with a W, I think. W-W-Wyatt? Oh, what does it matter? He’s long gone. They broke up not too long after… uh … They broke up a few years ago. It was, like, the most mutual, untraumatizing breakup in history. As far as I know, they still…”
“Still what?”
“Keep in touch.”
“I see.”
[Cough.] “So. Uh. Yeah. Hope’s ex-boyfriend—Christ, what’s his name?—even introduced Hope to her new boyfriend, which made him feel better about his own new girlfriend, who I think was also a friend of Hope’s at RISD.”
“It sounds very incestuous. You’d think with six billion people in the world …”
[Pause.]
“Uh. Yeah. So. Hope’s been seeing the new guy, Jonas—hey, at least I can remember his name—for a few months now. He’s a sculptor. Together they’re like this perfectly adorable artsy urban couple that advertisers should use to sell an edgy, ethical, eco-friendly product. Like a so-ugly-it’s-cute little car that gets a hundred miles to the gallon. Or something like that. Dammit, it’s right on the tip of my tongue …”
“See? This is why you need to mind your tongue, Jessica.”
“Christ. I don’t know why this is bothering me so much. What was that guy’s name?”
“So the sculptor. The new guy. He’s a good guy? You like him?”
“I don’t know him all that well, to be honest. But he calls when he says he’ll call, shows up when he says he’ll show up. He pays his own rent and hasn’t been caught in any compromising positions on MySpace. So I guess by today’s relaxed dating standards, that makes him a good enough guy. He makes Hope happy, which is what really matters, right?”
“You and Hope are still close, though, even without the bunk beds?”
“Oh yeah. We’re still very close, though my job requires a lot of travel, so I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like to. I was looking forward to catching up with her in St. John. She’s down there already. I’m sort of jealous.”
“About her getting down there before you?”
“Right… Wynn! His name was Wynn! Oh, thank God. I feel so much better now.”
“I’m glad.”
“The whole world can collectively exhale.”
“What a relief.”
“Yes, I can finally move on with my life.”
five
(nothing meaning something)
“Oh, man, forget Byron. I’m the asshole.”
“Why are you giving me a dollar, Marcus?”
“Advance payment for my apology.”
“What apology?”
“This one: I’m sorry that I haven’t even asked what you’re doing. You mentioned traveling a lot, and I realized I had absolutely no idea what you’re doing.”
“Oh.”
“Oh what?”
“Nothing. You don’t have to ask me about my job just to be …”
“Nice?”
“Right. Nice.”
“I’m asking about your job because I’m curious to hear what you’ve been up to for the past three years.”
“You really have no idea what I’ve been up to?”
“No, I don’t. Why, should I? Are you notorious?”
[Cough.] “No!” [Cough.]
“What?”
“Nothing. Let’s talk about my job.”
“Are you going to make me guess first?”
“Do you want to?”
“In the interest of fair play, sure.”
“Okay. Go ahead and