Girlfriend. Max might as well have taken a whack at my heart with a baseball bat. I didn’t think such an innocuous word could bruise me so severely. How could he have dated her so quickly after our breakup? I hurt watching Max hold another girl’s hand. That was my place and he was my love. All the painful feelings I had worked hard to suppress in the last eighteen months resurfaced.
Jake was quick to understand my distress. He cordially said good-bye for us while I tried to act as normal as possible. After my confession to Jake last night, he knew how hard this was for me. Sensing my withdrawal, he stopped me and held me close to his heart. I was grateful for this understanding man.
“You OK?” He didn’t ask in any accusatory way, but I noticed he was holding back his own discomfort. The gentle look, the soothing tone, he calmed me, and I decided to let go of my hurt—at least for now.
“Yes. I’m OK. Are you sorry you came tonight? Isn’t this what you didn’t want to see—me being rattled by the sight of Max and his new girlfriend?”
“You seemed more rattled by watching the rest of our reactions. Emily, seeing you anxious doesn’t make me happy, and I have to apologize to you for my behavior last night. There was no reason for me to be so angry, and I definitely shouldn’t have walked out on you and our dinner. I’m all right seeing you and Max together. Can we let this go for now and have a long-overdue talk when this function is over?”
I answered yes with a light kiss to his lips. Jake was an amazing man. Bypassing his own pain of seeing me hurt over Max, he did his best to lessen my discomfiture. Without a doubt, this man cared for me deeply. To show him my appreciation, I chose to put aside my feelings and enjoy the rest of the night with him.
Spotting Peter, I said, “Let’s go meet some of my friends. I see them at our table. One more thing…” I had to confess, “Max and Jennifer are at our table. I hope you don’t mind. Sarah and Charlie thought it would be funny to have us all together. I’m sorry.” I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance with the two of them.
“I’ll have a talk with them when I run into them later tonight,” Jake added in an intimidating way, which made me laugh. “You sure everything is OK?”
“It is now,” I answered confidently, knowing Jake would protect me tonight.
“Peter!” The friend I most wanted to see since the breakup jumped out of his seat and hugged me. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“Where have you been? We see each other every day for four years, and then you go AWOL on me the last year and a half. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that you’ve been avoiding me and the whole gang.”
“Peter, I want you to meet my date. This is Jake.”
“Jake, this is Peter, my friend, my quasi brother.”
“It’s nice meeting you, Jake. When did you and Emily start dating? She never told anyone she was seeing someone.” Peter looked at me in an accusing way. I hadn’t called Peter in such a long time; of course he’d have no idea I was dating anyone.
“Emily and I started dating a couple of months ago.”
“Oh, that’s not very long.” He sounded strangely relieved.
“No, I wish we could see more of each other, but due to my work schedule we date when possible. If I could, I’d spend every day with her,” he replied, sending a wink my way.
Having been stood up so many times due to work, I mouthed, “I don’t believe you,” and shook my head.
He grabbed me and embraced me in front of everyone, then whispered, “I’d spend every waking and sleeping moment with you if it were possible.”
Peter looked uncomfortable and surprised. I probably looked alarmed.
“What do you do?” Peter asked.
“I’m a doctor over at General Hospital.”
Peter’s face lit up, as he was a second-year med student himself. Both guys talked shop while I untangled myself from Jake’s arms and strolled over to the other tables to talk to my friends.
No sooner had I said hello when I saw Jake walking over as the emcee called a first dance before dinner. He led me to the dance floor, and Sarah and Charlie waltzed over to us.
“Hey, Jake.”
“I don’t know if I should be saying hello to both of you for putting us at the same table as Max and Jennifer. Are you trying to help us or tear us apart?” Jake kidded with Charlie and Sarah. We had double-dated enough for Jake to understand that Sarah and Charlie would never mean any harm to us. They all liked and respected each other.
“We were only trying to show you off to Max,” Sarah said to Jake. “I want him to know Emily is doing very well without him.”
“Sounds great to me,” Jake responded enthusiastically.
“Great…thanks,” I answered unenthusiastically.