We leave the secret behind in the bedroom, enter the kitchen, and encounter two pairs of curious eyes. Chloe remains at the sink, filling a glass full of water, while Rob parks himself at the kitchen bar. Chloe breaks the silence: “What the hell was that all about?”
“Oh.” Courtney waves her hand dismissively like swatting at a pesky fly. “It was one of those simple misunderstandings,” she begins. “Callie thought I liked some guy that she likes, but I totally don’t.”
Rob offers a perplexed glance in Courtney’s direction while Chloe eyes me. “But why were you angry at Rob?”
“Um,” I stall.
Courtney, who excels at the art of deception, steps forward with a quick reply: “Because he got in the middle of our argument.”
Chloe nods, slowly, considering all the pieces and putting it together. “Hmm,” she says like something doesn’t fit.
I take the seat next to Rob at the kitchen bar and offer some truth to the web of lies. “I’m not necessarily mad at him.” I thumb at Rob. “But at all guys. Mike has sorta’ turned me into a…?
“Misandrist,” Chloe offers.
“Sure, Chloe, I don’t even know what that word means, but maybe if I did, then I would have scored higher on the verbal part of the SAT.”
“But you don’t need the SAT, superstar,” Courtney reminds me, and then she turns to Chloe. “Are you retaking yours?”
Our conversation splits as Rob leans toward me, whispering, “Did she tell you everything?”
I nod. “Enough to know that it was not your fault.”
He pushes out a breath. “What if I,” he hesitates, “encouraged her?”
“She doesn’t need encouragement. She just needs some integrity.”
Rob tries to quell the laughter. “You got that right.”
“How do you stand being around her—after what she tried with you?”
“I want things to be as normal as possible for Chloe. I love her,” he says, his voice shaking with sincerity, “so I can’t hold a grudge against one of her best friends.”
I offer him a warm smile, “You’re a great guy, Rob.”
“If you think that I’m a great guy, then you can’t possibly be a misandrist.”
I spread my hands to the sides and raise my shoulders. “I don’t even know what that word means.”
“Sure, you do,” he encourages.
“A man-hater?” I query.
Rob nods.
“Maybe I’m more of a skeptic then.”
“C’mon, Cal, don’t let Mike change you.”
I exhale. “It’s more than just Mike.” I press down the rising truth, almost forgetting myself. I now understand why Chloe has always been so close to him. With his capacity to listen, he encourages the truth.
“Hey,” Courtney pipes over our quiet conversation. “I’m starving.”
“We could order a pizza,” Rob suggests and turns his attention to his phone.
“Nah, I’m sure we can find something to eat here,” Chloe counters as she examines the contents of the refrigerator, holding up a bag of wilted lettuce. “Um, just not salad.” Chloe shuts the door to the fridge and starts opening the cabinet doors. “Where do you keep food in this place?”
“Food?” Courtney echoes. “Why eat in when you can eat out?”
“Because it saves money,” Chloe responds. “Do you realize that eating out costs two to three times as much as eating at home?”
“Oh, my goodness,” Courtney begins, “you sound like your dad.”
“Yeah, well,” Chloe returns, “my dad knows what he’s talking about.” Chloe’s father published a series of books on fiscal responsibility.
“But your dad forgot to include a chapter on connections.” She smirks. “When you know people, you get things for free.”