It's Complicated

Chapter 10

Larry was parked at the curb when eight rolled around that night. The only light when I opened the door came from his phone. Sighing, I reached up and turned the overhead light back on. He only turned it off so people wouldn't see inside his car at night, but I hated the darkness.

"Guess who came in today," I said as I buckled in.

"Willy Wonka? Dude is in serious need of a barber." He pulled onto the road and began heading home.

"Nope. Maria."

He looked over at me so quickly I worried he'd given himself whiplash for a moment. Headlights lit up his face and I saw he was still staring at me. I looked at the road and he was drifting into the next lane. "What did she say? Did she say anything about me?"

I pointed at the road. "Drive!" He glanced up and narrowly missed the oncoming car. My hand flew to my chest, covering my racing heart. "I can't tell you anything if you kill me, you idiot!" I took a couple of deep breaths before speaking again. "It was an appointment she'd made a while back. I forgot to text you because Kenny and I were talking."

"Who's Kenny? Her boyfriend?"

"No! He works with me. As far as I know he's not seeing anyone."

"How would you know that?"

"I just do."

"That's not something you can just know!"

"Then how do you know Maria's seeing someone?"

"I don't, which is part of why it's frustrating me."

"Well, Kenny's not her boyfriend, if she even has one."

"You didn't ask?"

"No! How could I ask without being weird?"

"Easy!"

"Oh, yeah? The only way I could not sound weird is by making you sound desperate."

"You wouldn't have!"

"Oh, really? You sound pretty desperate to me."

"I'm not desperate!"

"Sure you aren't. I could have told her, 'Hey, my brother is in love with you. Are you single? He may ask you out.' Yeah, you don't sound weird at all."

"You could've put it better than that! Wait. You didn't actually say that did you?"

"What? No! I never asked her anything."

"Good."

"I did mention you, though."

"What did you say?"

"Something about how you thought I knew her because I know Mario."

Larry groaned. "You really said that?"

"More or less."

"If you said more, I have to know what it was."

"What if I said less?"

"I'm going to kill you in your sleep tonight."

"I didn't say anything else! All I said was to that effect."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Did she say anything about me?"

I sighed. "No, she didn't. I did ask if she remembered you, I think."

"You did say more! What did she tell you?"

"I don't remember."

"Wait – did she not remember me, or do you not remember what she said?"

"What do you think?"