Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz Read Free Book Online

message is confidential and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, we would request you delete this communication without reading it or any attachment, not forward or otherwise distribute it, and kindly advise Gilson, Hecht and Trattner by return e-mail to the sender or a telephone call to 1 (800) GILSON. Thank you in advance.
    Delete.
    It was the fourteenth e-mail message that I’d drafted and then deleted so far. But it wasn’t as if I could concentrate on work two days after Douglas threw me out of our apartment. My assignment for the day — talk to Douglas and clear this whole mess up.
    From: “Brooke Miller”
    To: “Douglas MacGregor”
    Subject: hey
    We need to talk.
    Brooke Miller
Gilson, Hecht and Trattner
425 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, New York 10022
    *****CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE*****
    The information contained in this e-mail message is confidential and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, we would request you delete this communication without reading it or any attachment, not forward or otherwise distribute it, and kindly advise Gilson, Hecht and Trattner by return e-mail to the sender or a telephone call to 1 (800) GILSON. Thank you in advance.
    Too angry and defensive. Men hate angry and defensive.
    From: “Brooke Miller”
    To: “Douglas MacGregor”
    Subject: hi
    Can we talk?
    Brooke Miller
Gilson, Hecht and Trattner
425 Park Avenue
11th Floor
New York, New York 10022
    *****CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE*****
    The information contained in this e-mail message is confidential and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, we would request you delete this communication without reading it or any attachment, not forward or otherwise distribute it, and kindly advise Gilson, Hecht and Trattner by return e-mail to the sender or a telephone call to 1 (800) GILSON. Thank you in advance.
    Send. A screen popped up asking, “Are you sure you want to send this message?” Normally, I just click
Yes
as a matter of fact, but this time it gave me pause. Did I really want to send this message? It was as good of a question as any, I supposed. My life had changed in an instant and my computer wanted to know if I wanted to take a step in making it back the way it was.
    I clicked
Yes
and walked down the hall to Vanessa’s office to discuss the breakup.
    “Do you think that we’ll get back together in time for Trip’s wedding?” I asked.
    “You asked the man why he hates America,” Vanessa said, barely looking up from the document she was typing.
    “Mistakes were made,” I said.
    “You think?” Vanessa asked me, still typing away furiously on her computer.
    “I can’t believe that I have no boyfriend,” I said. I eyed the photograph of Vanessa and Marcus at their college graduation that was on her bulletin board. They were holding on to each other for dear life, cheeks pressed together, smiling like two little kids. It was the day Marcus proposed to her.
    “And apparently,” Vanessa kindly pointed out, “you may be a racist, or a nationalist. Or some sort of Scotsman-hater in general.”
    “I just wanted the man to wear pants. Who knew that once you found a man in Manhattan who was straight and single, you then had to worry about whether or not he wanted to wear pants?”
    “The things we take for granted.” Vanessa sighed.
    “Are we still talking about Douglas?” Jack asked, walking into Vanessa’s office, balancing three coffee cups in his hands. I picked a paper clip up off of her desk and began to unravel it. Vanessa’s desk was always neat and ordered with everything in its proper spot. The paper clips had their own tiny tray right next to her stapler and tape