Dumping Billy by Olivia Goldsmith Read Free Book Online

bigger than pinpoints, that used to dance across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose—a sort of Irish trail. Now her face was simply creamy, and most of the time she only bothered with lipstick so that her hair didn’t overpower the rest of her face.
    She had only ten minutes before Michael was supposed to arrive, though he was often a little late. That, she’d come to understand, wasn’t because he was disrespectful—Kate hated lateness as a pattern and thought it a narcissistic trait—but because he was often so wrapped up in his work and thoughts of his research that he occasionally forgot to get off the subway or he overshot the bus stop.
    She smiled at the thought of him. He had a good mind, good hands, and a strong jaw. She liked his silver-rimmed glasses, his earnest eyes peering through them, and his dedication to his work.
    She had only recently begun sleeping with him: She wasn’t usually so prim, but her affair with Steven had left her more cautious than she had been before. They had met at her friend Tina’s; Tina and Michael worked at the same university. Tina hadn’t “fixed them up” because she hadn’t thought that Michael was Kate’s type, but since Steven, Kate wasn’t sure what her “type” ought to be. Michael’s courtship had been slow but steady. When they had finally taken the plunge, Kate had been delighted to find he was caring and generous in bed. And it seemed as if he were just as taken with her. But this was the point of the relationship where things could go on for a long time without actually moving forward. Kate had spent nearly two years with Steven, a writer, and had been hurt when she realized that he would never want to marry her or possibly anyone else. She didn’t want to spend another year only to have that happen again.
    She sat on her bed and looked down at her painted toes. For a moment she could even imagine being envious of Bina, who had her life settled. But she reminded herself that Bina had put in her six years with Jack. She knew she wanted children but wouldn’t marry just for that. The work she did with Brian and the others at Andrew Country Day would hold her until she was ready to have a normal family of her own.
    And Michael seemed like a possibility. They had not yet discussed exclusivity, but, as he called her almost every night and since they saw each other regularly, Kate thought the talk would be only a formality. She wasn’t in a rush and wouldn’t make ultimatums. Still, deep down, she wanted to know her goals were shared.
    Kate slipped into the silk dress and scrambled under the bed for her high-heeled sandals. Black and strappy, they would show off her newly painted toenails. They were killers to walk in, but she didn’t have to walk far to Elliot’s.
    When there was a knock at the door a few moments later, Kate was ready. She clicked across the floor and opened the door. But it wasn’t Michael. Max was there, holding a bouquet of snapdragons and statice. “Hey,” he said. “You look great.”
    “Thanks.” Kate smiled briefly, trying to show she didn’t have the time to chat. Max held the flowers without moving. He had an adorable smile; one of his incisors showed because it had moved up onto the tooth next to it, and Kate found that appealing. But Max was a bit like his incisor: He often tried to push in where he didn’t belong. There was no harm in him, though, and no denying he was a likable guy.
    “Are those for me?” she asked.
    “You betcha,” Max said. “The green market was open when I walked by. The snapdragons reminded me of your hair. You can’t say no.”
    Kate didn’t. But as she took the bouquet, she worried that Max might still have a crush on her. She didn’t want to encourage him, nor did she want to be rude. She tapped across the living room floor to the tiny excuse for a kitchen and fumbled for a vase. Max followed her and stood in the doorway. Kate filled the vase and couldn’t help but smile when she saw