Perfect Fifths_ A Jessica Darling Novel - Megan McCafferty [66]
“Right now.”
“I didn’t mean to invoke the postcards. It was an accident!”
“Aha! I thought there was no such thing as accidents!”
“That was definitely one of the more regrettable things I said during the course of our conversation. I didn’t even mean it at the time. I just wanted to have an excuse to bring up Jung. You know, go nose-to-highbrownnose with you.”
“So if that was just one of the regrettable things you said, what were some of the others?”
“Don’t you have places to go?”
“Now who’s changing the subject?”
“I suppose it’s easy for you to talk about my regrets when you don’t have any at all.”
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t apologize for them now. And I don’t want you to start apologizing, either. Not when we’re finally all evened up. I wouldn’t want you to be …”
“In your debt?”
“Technically speaking, yes.”
“Oh, Jessica …”
“What?”
“For having passed the hours in such an entertaining manner, I am, I assure you, already in your debt.”
[Pause.]
“I really should get going now.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Where? To the gate?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I just figured we would get our awkward good-byes out of the way now, you know, so we don’t drag it all out and make it even more awkward later on.”
“I see.”
“Because if it gets really, really awkward, all that awkwardness could undo all the goodwill engendered in our conversation.”
“You think too much.”
“I do. I really, really do.”
[Pause.]
“So, Marcus, are you coming with me or not?”
“Are you allowing me to tempt the fates of awkwardness by accompanying you to the gate?”
“Yes. You sure you don’t mind?”
“Mind? Why would I mind?”
“Well, because we’re even.”
“So?”
“If we stop talking and go our separate ways, we can be sure to keep it that way.”
“Oh, no. I’ll take my chances.”
“Okay. Me, too.”
[Pause.]
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“What? Now you don’t want me to walk you to the gate?”
“No, that offer still stands. But I may have to jump on the plane as soon as we get there. So I think I’d like to get the good-byes out of the way now before I run out of time.”
“Okay.”
“You know, just as a preemptive measure.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds so … combative.”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing for the past two hours? Battling wits?”
“I thought we were just talking.”
“Marcus, we have never just talked.”
“True enough.”
[Pause.]
“So. Uh. Good-bye, Marcus.”
“Good-bye, Jessica.”
“I’m glad I ran you over.”
“I’m glad you did, too.”
“I enjoyed catching up with you.”
“Me, too.”
“I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. No offense!”
“None taken. I know what you mean. It was a nerve-racking proposition.”
“And now that it’s almost over, it seems stupid that I was so nervous about it.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty and all that.”
“Twenty-twenty. ‘Like perfect vision’… Bridget and Percy …”
“What?”
“Uh, nothing. Just a reminder of why I really need to get on the next flight.”
“Of course.”
“Still, it really is too bad that we don’t have more time to, you know, hang out or what—Uh… oh …”
“Or whatever?”
“Right. Whatever.”
[Pause.]
“I know what you mean, though. I feel like we were just getting started and—Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Shit. Shit. Oh, man. Shiiiiiiiit.”
“What is it, Marcus? The police? Are you about to get hauled off?”
“Worse. Far worse. Pick up the pace, Jessica. Try to keep up with me. Stay with me.”
“Why? What is going on?”
“Just walk quickly, past the thAIRapy sign.”
“Why?”
“Hahahahahahahahahahaha! You are hilarious! Such a brilliant conversationalist! Go on, go on!”
“Are you mental? What is with you?”
“You must go on. We’re walking and talking. Walking and talking. Emphasis on walking. Go on, go on, go on. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.”
“Does this have anything to do with the chickie in the lab coat who’s waving at you? Desperately trying to get your attention?”
“I don’t see her. Nope. Just keep moving—hahahahahahaha—you are telling me the funniest story I have ever heard in my life! You are the most fascinating woman I hahahahahahahahahahahahahahave ever met!”
“I think you could seriously benefit from some thAIRapy, Marcus.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!