Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie Read Free Book Online Page B

Alex went back to reading the manuscript. "This is terrible," he told her when he looked up. "Why is he writing about some dumb American prep school if he's Russian?"
    "He's not Russian," Nina said. "You made that up. How much have you had to drink?"
    "Well." Alex leaned back in the chair, keeping one hand on the table as if for security. "I had breakfast with my sister—Irish coffee. Then I had lunch with my mother and that's always a strain, so I had two scotches. Then my stepmother asked me out for a drink, and I hate saying no to her, so I had brandy.
    Then my dad took me out for dinner." He cocked an eye at Nina. "When my father eats, the liquor flows. I'm pretty sure I had three whiskies. Then he had the cab drop me off at home, and my brother was waiting for me with a six-pack." He shook his head. "He just left and I laid down and the whole room sort of swooped and I thought of you. Pour some caffeine down me and I'll leave."
    Nina took two blue-checked mugs from the cupboard and put them on the table. "Couldn't you have had seltzer with a couple of them?"
    "No." Alex shook his head and then thought better of it. "Ouch, that hurts. I had to have something to drown out the refrain."
    Nina sat down, intrigued. "The refrain?"
    Alex nodded, this time more carefully. "They all had different verses, but when we got to the chorus, they all said the same thing. 'Time to decide on a career, Alex.'" He put his head down and looked mulish for a moment. "I don't want to decide on a career. I think they're pushing me."
    Nina looked at him with disgust. She had the Peter Pan syndrome, sitting right here in her kitchen. She sighed and began to finish the job his family had started. Somebody had to. "Well, Alex, they may have a point. I realize twenty-five or -six seems young, but—"
    "I'm thirty," Alex said. "Today. Happy birthday to me. Is that coffee done yet?"
    Thirty? Dear Lord, and he still didn't know what he wanted to do with his life? What was he doing now? Checking IDs? Singing in a rock band? Making sure the fries were hot?
    "Coffee?" Alex said again and Nina checked back over her shoulder.
    "It's still dripping. You're thirty?"
    He gazed at her owlishly. "You thought I was younger, huh? Everybody does. No wonder nobody takes me seriously. And I've got a receding hairline and everything."
    Nina squinted at him. "No, you don't."
    "Yes, I do." He pulled his hair back off his forehead. "See? It's creeping up on the sides."
    Nina leaned closer. "Well, a little. But if you want people to take you seriously, choosing a career would be a better move than flashing a minimally receding hairline.''
    Alex groaned. "Not you, too. Listen, I'm happy doing what I'm doing. All I need is a cup of coffee and I'll be ecstatic."
    "Coming right up." Nina got up and pulled the pot out from under the drip spout, feeling disappointed and stupid. She'd been attracted to him and that had been ridiculous since he was fifteen years younger than she was. Then it turned out he was only ten years younger, which was not as ridiculous although still ridiculous, but now he was also shiftless and evidently not too bright. Turgid as a Russian novelist?
    Okay, he was drunk, but still, this was not good. She turned to the table and poured coffee into the mugs, watching him reach for his before she said, "Be careful. It's hot."
    "Thanks, Mom," he said, and she winced. "I'm kidding," he said hastily. "Dumb joke."
    "Probably not." Nina put the pot back on the wanner and sank into her seat. "I'm practically old enough to be your mother."
    "Not unless you had a lot more fun in kindergarten than I did," he said, and Nina said, "I'm forty.
    Two days ago, as a matter of fact."
    Alex nodded wisely. "It's those years that end in zero that kill you. Twenty-nine was nothing like this."
    "Thirty-nine sucked, too," Nina said. "I got divorced."
    Alex winced. "Sorry."
    Nina shook her head. "No, it's fine now. I have my own place, and I can do anything I want, and I love it.