Liar's Guide to True Love by Wendy Chen Read Free Book Online Page B

I’ll tell him to call you.”
    “Are you sure?! I mean, it’s no big deal, he can call me. Or not call me. Whatever.”
    “Cass?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Hang up.”
    “Okay, okay, sorry again to wake you.” The phone goes dead.

Chapter 3
     
    Wednesday
     
    Wedding Planning Tip: It is not unusual for ex-boyfriends to get in touch with a Bride when they hear she is with someone else. And brides, it is not unusual to have sexy dreams about said ex-boyfriends. Just don’t act on them.
     
     
    Even though I am self-employed, I still start my day like everyone else—after my shower I blow out my hair, add a touch of makeup, and then put on a great summer skirt from Anthropologie and T-shirt by Michael Kors. I got a fabulous pair of jade earrings from a little boutique in Soho last month, which adds just the right touch of dressiness to the outfit. I may work at home, but I figured out a long time ago that I needed to dress the part in order to act the part, and get some serious amounts of work done. I pop a sesame seed bagel into the toaster and start the coffee maker. While I wait I flip on the Today show, turn on my computer, an Apple of course, and check my email. I check my business account first, [email protected]. There is an inquiry from a young woman who I gave my business card to while I was waiting to get my nails done. She’s been engaged for three months and hasn’t started any wedding planning because her fiancé refuses to get involved and she can’t make all the decisions without a sounding board. You’d be surprised at what a common story this is. And there is another inquiry from an Engaged who attended a wedding I did a couple of months ago. I jot down their names and numbers to call back at a reasonable hour. It is starting off as a good day—a potential date with cute Nick, and two potential clients.
    I check my personal email account and there is only one new message. From Kevin. I need coffee for this. By now my bagel is done toasting, so I carefully spread it with cream cheese, and pour my coffee into my favorite old mug that says “I’d rather be shopping.” I bring the bagel and mug over to my desk, and take a big gulp of caffeine as I open his message.
    Hey, gorgeous. How about a drink—one day when I can skip out of work early. Hit me back.
k.
p.s. I changed my hair. Like it?
     
    So do you see what is wrong with this? Let’s break it down line by line, shall we?
    “Hey, gorgeous.” Two words in and he is already overstepping his bounds of familiarity. This is what he used to call me when we were together. Every email started off “Hey, gorgeous,” every phone call. I used to love how he would say it half under his breath, it made me feel gorgeous. I need sugar in my coffee today.
“How about a drink—” Okay, that is innocent enough. No problems there. But then he ruins it with “one day when I can skip out of work early.” Now to the uninitiated, you wouldn’t necessarily recognize what is underneath that statement. But with this phrase, Kevin reminds me that with him, it is always about Kevin—when he can skip out of work, on his schedule. As if I don’t work, as if I don’t have a social calendar to check, and am just waiting for him to ask me out for a drink. As if I don’t know what he really means by having a drink. Notice he didn’t ask me out for lunch (he’d need to be back at the firm in the afternoon). Notice he didn’t ask me out for dinner (would take too long to get me in bed).
“Hit me back.” Deceivingly casual, as if I’m just another buddy. He is careful not to put in any terms of endearment here. This email is, after all, a potentially public record with just one click of the “forward” button.
“k.” As if he is so busy he can’t sign his full name.
“p.s. I changed my hair. Like it?” What you can’t see is the little photo he’s attached. In blue jeans and a white T-shirt, wearing a leather cuff and a half smile that reminds