well Chicago PD trained its officers. On top of that Will knew Blackwater Lake inside and out. There was no doubt he would take good care of the town. “I just wish I knew how to get through the next three months with Will here.”
Thoughtfully, Kim tapped a fingernail against her wineglass. “A statement like that makes me think you’re still in love with my brother.”
“No. You’re wrong. It’s been a lot of years.” April rejected that suggestion with every fiber of her being. “That would just be stupid. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
“Hmm.” The woman stared at her. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“A cliché? From Blackwater Lake High School’s favorite honors English teacher?”
“Clichés work because they convey a lot of truth. In this case, you seem to have strong feelings about seeing Will again. That doesn’t happen if you don’t care.” She finished the wine in her glass. “Hence, smoke and fire.”
“I can assure you that what I feel for Will isn’t love. It’s ancient history. I’ve had relationships since him.”
“But you make sure they never work. You always find an excuse to not take things to the next level. As soon as a guy even hints at getting serious, you shut down and blow him off completely.”
April shrugged. “So sue me. I want something special, to be swept away. Settling for less isn’t an option for me. And you have to kiss a lot of frogs...”
“Maybe.” Kim didn’t sound convinced. “Or maybe you need closure with the first frog. Maybe you never moved on after Will hopped away.”
“Finding him with another woman seemed like closure to me.” But, darn it, today he’d looked genuinely sorry about what had happened.
“Then why did you call me over here to talk? What’s the problem?” Her friend didn’t sound annoyed as much as frustrated that she couldn’t help.
“I guess the problem is that I really want to hate him. That would make this summer so much easier and less awkward. Hate is simple, straightforward and sensible. I can deal with hate. But he was nice.”
“Rest assured I’ll give him a stern talking-to about that.” There was a teasing look in Kim’s eyes.
“You know what I mean,” April protested.
“I do. And I still say your problem is about closure.”
“I wish I could be the opposite of a bear and hibernate in the summer. Go to sleep and wake up after Labor Day. If I haven’t gotten closure by now, I’m never going to.”
“Maybe there’s a way.” Her friend had a familiar expression on her face, the one that hinted inspiration was knocking on the door.
“Enlighten me.” April’s interest was piqued.
“Seduce him.”
“What? Are you crazy?”
“In the best possible way, or so my fiancé says. That Luke is a keeper,” she said with a sigh.
“No argument. But can we go back to where you just told me to seduce your brother in order to find closure?”
“And then dump him. Did I leave that part out?”
“Yes.” April sat up straighter. “How does that give me closure?”
“Your last breakup was situational and one-sided. Your emotions are stuck in neutral. Flirt with him. Have a fling. When he’s putty in your hands tell him Jean Luc, your winter-ski-instructor-lover, is due to arrive any day and you have to end your summer dalliance.”
“On top of the fact that there is no Jean Luc, I don’t think I can do that.”
“Don’t you see?” Kim said, warming to her proposal. “You finally have your chance for revenge. Of course you can do it.”
April shook her head. “I’m not that person.”
“Look, I know you’re really nice. It’s why I love you and why we’ve been best friends forever. But, trust me on this, you need to get some perspective and the best way to do that is to take control.”
“But he’s your brother,” April protested.
“All the better. I give you my permission. If I approve no one can judge you harshly.”
“But I’m not very good at seduction.”
“You’ll be fine. And I have a feeling it won’t take much effort or finesse. You need this and revenge is swift and satisfying. Humility would give Will a little character.”
April was starting to weaken. “But he married Miss Naked-Under-His-Shirt. And now they’re divorced.” Surely she could be forgiven for feeling the tiniest bit of satisfaction about that. “I would think that gives him a lot of character credits.”
“No. He left her, remember?” Kim made a face. “I never liked that woman.”
April loved her for that. “Still, it seems inherently dishonest. Because it is inherently dishonest.”
“If you flirt with him and he responds, how is that dishonest? It would be if you hated him, but you said you can’t do that.”
This whole scene tipped into weird territory because that actually made a twisted sort of sense. “So you really don’t think this is a despicably underhanded thing to do? Intentionally flirting with every intention of dumping him? That’s the very definition of premeditated.”
“You’re so overthinking this.” Kim sighed. “Just get my brother in bed, then say goodbye. He’s moving back to his life in Chicago at the end of the summer anyway. The two of you have a good time and it ends. Things will work out. Trust me.”
Famous last words.
But a lot of what her friend said made sense. It was a proactive way to deal with the problem. If he felt nothing for her, no way would there be sex. That in itself would be confirmation they’d never have worked out. Pretty much all she had to do was be nice to him and see what happened.
She leaned over and hugged her friend. “That’s why I needed to talk to you.”
“Happy to help.”
“You definitely did,” April said.
And now she had a plan.
April pulled the chicken casserole out of the oven and smiled at the cheerful bubbling around the edges of the perfectly browned noodles. The crispy parts were her favorite.
“Okay, then,” she said to herself, “Operation Poke the Bear is officially under way.”
And officially time to get in touch with her inner flirt. Hopefully
