Your Big Break (26 page)

Brady blushes. “It seemed clever at the time. Now I feel kind of funny telling you.”

“You told me about Koogan,” I say playfully. “You can tell me anything.”

He smiles shyly at me. “One of the Italian phrases I know is
La donna è bella
. It means ‘The girl is beautiful.' I was going to say that about you.”

I don't respond for a minute. I'm speechless, breathless, and he takes it the wrong way.

“I hope that doesn't sound like some cheesy line. I didn't mean it that way!”

It's not every day a man tells me I'm beautiful, and in Italian, no less. I feel my face flush with pleasure. I wish I knew some kick-ass Italian phrase I could use to impress him. “Thanks, that's sweet,” I say, embarrassed.

“We'll do this again soon,” he promises, handing me the DVDs as I unlock the driver's-side door. I get in the car and strap on my seatbelt.

“Take care, Dani,” Brady says as I shut the door and place the key in the ignition. I start my car and drive out onto the street, waving at him as I go, a huge, goofy grin on my face.

28

You Were Just Being Honest

“What's the verdict? Are you and Sean giving up the fight?” Krista asks the next morning over a prework breakfast at De-Salle's Diner. I take a sip of orange juice. She dumps a few packets of Equal into her coffee.

I sigh. “There is no fight. We've already lost the battle and the war.”

“So you aren't going to try to reunite them?”

I shrug. “How are things going with Jason?” I ask to change the subject.

“Jason talks about Lucy. A lot,” Krista says. “We get into these long, drawn-out conversations about her. Everything from where Lucy was born—Topeka, Kansas—to what kind of toothpaste she prefers—Aquafresh. I know Lucy Dooley better than I know some of my closest friends.”

“Everyone talks about their exes. It's normal. It's part of the healing process.”

“Does Brady do it?” She sips her drink.

“Well, no. He thinks I'm friends with Erin. He doesn't want to badmouth her.”

“But wouldn't that make him
more
likely to talk to you about her? Wouldn't he be concerned with what she's told you about him?”

A great point. Why
isn't
Brady trying to pump me for info about Erin?

“Are you guys going for a round two?” Krista asks.

“He said he'd call.” I sigh again, and shove a bite of omelet into my mouth.

“For the love of God, Dani,” Krista says, shaking her fork at me, “join the twenty-first century and call the guy first!”

“I guess I could,” I hedge. “I'm just afraid of coming off as too eager.”

“No, you're afraid of taking a chance, afraid of putting your feelings on the line.”

“You really think?”

“Yes, I do.” She sets down her knife and fork. “Dani, ever since you and Garrett broke up last year, you haven't been the same. You rushed to move on, you laughed off what he did as a joke. But it's changed you.”

I don't say anything.
Of course it's changed me!
It's impossible to get your heart smashed into pieces by someone you love and stay the same person you were before.

“You and Garrett were
engaged,
” Krista continues. “He left you for a waitress. He treated your relationship like a joke.”

Engaged
. I never think about that part. I block it out, push it to the back of my mind. It's the part of the story I never share. “I didn't have a ring,” I argue.

“It was at the jeweler's being resized when he left,” she reminds me.

Remembering this fact makes me feel bitter all over again. I didn't get the ring, but I desperately wanted it. I'm not sure what I would have done with it.
Pawnshop? Garbage disposal? Hawk it on eBay?
I didn't hold on to anything else from our relationship. I threw out all the mementos: the photos, the CDs he'd pinched from WBCN, the presents he'd given me on Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries. I went through such a horrific time when he left me. But I worked through it, dealt with it. I never tell people this, but Garrett's the reason I started working at Your Big Break Inc. I read about the company after he dumped me. And I saw an opportunity, a chance to make sure no one else was ever blindsided the way I was.

I take another sip of orange juice and try to steady my nerves.

I think of all the lies I've told since I've taken this job. When you lie, you distance yourself from other people. You create walls.
Why haven't I just come clean? To my parents about my job? Or to Brady, about Erin? Would it really be that difficult?

“I've got to get to the office soon,” Krista says, glancing at her watch. “Give me a call later if you need to talk.”

I don't respond.

“Hey, I'm sorry,” she says gently. “I didn't mean to upset you.”

“No, it's okay,” I say. “You were just being honest.”

 
 
“Hi Dani, this is your dad. I was wondering if you'd like to come over for a Fourth of July cookout Monday night. I'll make my world-famous burgers with bread crumbs. Your brother's working late that night, so he can't make it. But I'd really love for you to be here. Call me back and let me know either way.”

And then he leaves his phone number on my answering machine, as though I don't have it. As though I haven't dialed his cell a thousand times. I can't believe he's called me. It's been a long day at work, and I don't want to speak to him—not yet.

But he's making the effort to reach out to me.

And I know I have to meet him halfway. I could avoid my parents indefinitely. Or I could face this situation head-on. It's better to get this over with, I reason. Just like ripping off a Band-Aid. Isn't that what I always tell my clients? I pull my cell phone out of my purse and text Dad a short, two-word message:
I'll go
. Then I decide to get in touch with Brady and see if he wants to go out again. Krista's right, I can't just sit around and wait for him to call. I hop online and compose a brief message.

 
A few hours later, he writes back.

29

Tired of your boring relationship?
Longing to wash that man or woman right out of your hair?
Then let us be your shampoo!
Call
Your Big Break Inc
. today—
We'll dump that dead weight so you don't have to!

 
 
 
I scroll the cursor across the screen, highlight, and hit delete. I could kick myself. It's Friday morning, and I promised Craig I'd have this copy to him by the end of the day. I've had a week to write one measly paragraph for a flier, yet I've put it off until the last minute. Craig wants something “clever and cute.” All I have is “cheesy and convoluted.” I start humming that old Neil Sedaka classic,
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
. It doesn't inspire me.
Writing
about breaking up is even harder than
doing
—

I put my hands on the keyboard and quickly type:

 
Breaking up is hard to do? Not anymore . . .
Your Big Break Inc. can help!
It's not you, it's us!

 
Property Retrieval • Dear John Letters • Counseling Phone Calls • Breakup Recovery Kits

We do it all! Let us let them down easy for you.
Call (617) 55-LEAVE

 
Because breaking up doesn't have to give you a breakdown.

 
I tag on a couple of sentences about our prices and our website address and then hit print. I think Craig will be pleased. I know I am. I think it sounds clever, smart. I leave the mock-up on his desk and then run right into Amanda as I head back to my office. “Fax for you,” she says, waving a piece of paper in the air.

“Thanks,” I say, taking it. I can see the letterhead of Hirschbaum, Davis, and Klein: Attorneys at Law printed across the top. My eyes catch sight of the date. “This came in last Saturday!” I yelp. “It's nearly a week old. Why didn't you give it to me sooner?”

She shrugs. “It got mixed in with my faxes. I didn't notice it until today.”

“Great,” I snap. “Just great. Evan Hirschbaum is top priority,” I scold her.

Without saying anything, Amanda turns on her heel and stalks away.

I scan the fax.

 
I sit there with my mouth gaping open
. “Mr. Hirschbaum will not provide you with monetary compensation?” What am I, a prostitute? I'm not after his money! I'm not after anything. I don't even want to go to this stupid lunch!

I'm indignant! Outraged!

Over the past year, I've put up with a lot of crap from Evan Hirschbaum—no more. I've finally reached my limit. With shaking hands, I pick up the phone and dial his office. His assistant answers on the second ring.

“Hirschbaum, Davis, and Klein. Martha speaking, may I help you?”

“Put me through to Evan Hirschbaum, please.”

“He's in a meeting right now. May I take a message?”

“Yes, you certainly may,” I say haughtily. “Tell Evan that Danielle from Your Big Break Inc. called. I got his fax—”

“What does your schedule look like? Mr. Hirschbaum's wide open next Tuesday, if you want to have lunch then.”

“I'm all booked up,” I say, and then I let out a loud, exaggerated laugh. “In fact, you can tell Evan that I will be booked up for the rest of my life. He can take his lunch date and shove it up his ass!” I slam down the phone before she has time to respond.

Thirty minutes later, Evan calls.

“I can shove our lunch date up my ass, can I?”

As soon as I'd hung up, I'd felt a twinge of remorse. Maybe I'd been too harsh? Maybe I'd gotten carried away? And, most troubling of all, maybe I'll get fired when Craig discovers what I've done. “Yes, about that,” I begin. “I was a little put off when I read your fax.”

“You took things the wrong way,” he says matter-of-factly. Then he says, “You know, Dani, it's important I get to know you.” He continues, “You'll allow me to broaden my horizons, see women in a different context.”

“An insider's view of what makes women tick. I'll be able to utilize what you teach me to my advantage in numerous ways.”

No, he's just a shallow pig, looking to manipulate women
.

“I don't know how much I'll be able to help you with that,” I say.

“It all remains to be seen. Now, switching gears, I trust Sophie is doing better?”

“Much. She's pulled her life together over the past couple of weeks. She's found a new man.” This is only half true. Sophie and Sean's first date is tonight, so technically he's not “her man.” But they've been talking on the phone constantly, and they seem to be hitting it off well. “And she's going back to college in the fall.”