The Heart Wants What It Wants

“George lent me that car. Because mine broke down. He called me when I had the hood up, and–”

“What were you going to do with the hood up?” interrupted Alex. “You don’t know anything about cars. Goodness knows I tried to teach you the basics, but you don’t even get the oil changed. I bet your spark plugs are busted. I’ve been meaning to get it fixed up but really, that car is such an old piece of junk…”

“Don’t you say that about her, Alex! You know I love her!”

“Then you really should take better care of her. No wonder it broke down. And he lent you his car? You called him when you were in trouble?”

Alex looked a little hurt.

“No! Of course I didn’t! I was trying to figure out roadside assistance or a tow truck or whatever, when he called. He asked me where I was, and I told him the truth, and, well, he kept me talking for a few minutes and suddenly this guy turned up with that Porsche and told me that I was supposed to go home in that, and he’d have my car fixed up. George Hemsworth’s orders.”

Alex whistled.

“Wow, the man sure has style. Came swooping in to the rescue, didn’t he?”

“I guess. I don’t know. I told him I couldn’t possibly, that I couldn’t possibly keep that car even as a loan, and he said–”

Diana ran out of steam again. How had George made it sound even a little reasonable? It sounded completely crazy now that she was saying it.

“And he said what?” prompted Alex.

Diana took a hefty glug of wine before she went on.

“He said that if I really feel that bad, I shouldn’t use it for the weekend, and the best way to do that would be to go and spend the weekend with him.”

Alex nearly spat her wine out.

Diana did feel a little vindicated. It was so difficult to surprise Alex. She was the spontaneous one. It was usually Alex who did things that made Diana have reactions that nearly made her spill wine all over everything.

“What?” Alex managed, finally, after she stopped sputtering.

“In Japan,” Diana added, and Alex nearly choked again. Yes, definitely a little satisfaction. She thought she was entitled to that.

“He wants you to go to Japan for the weekend? Just like that? Just take off to Japan?”

“Yes. He wants me to do that. He’s in Japan on business and he wants me to just go like that. He didn’t even text me or call me or anything after we landed, and then he called me and gave me a car – loaned me a car – and then said I should go to Japan and spend the weekend with him.”

“Wow.”

“I know. It’s crazy, right? I should call him and tell him I won’t.”

“Wait. Wait, you didn’t just tell him that you wouldn’t?”

“What? I… No.”

“You said you’d think about it?” asked Alex, and Diana frowned.

Wouldn’t that have been the sensible thing to do? No, saying no would’ve been the sensible thing to do. Failing that, the reasonable thing to do would have been to tell him that she had to think about it. That was what most people would’ve done.

That was what she would have told anybody to do.

“Actually…”

“You said yes?”

Alex didn’t shout it. Somehow, the quiet seriousness with which Alex asked that made her sound even more ridiculous.

“I must have lost my mind. It’s just that he made it sound so reasonable. I don’t know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You said yes. Wow, Di. I’ve never known you to do anything impulsive like that. In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve always gone for the wrong guy.”

“What!”

“But you’ve been very sensible about it. You’ve always gone for the guys who said all the right things, but anybody could see that they weren’t looking for more than fun. The nicest guy you’ve dated is Trevor.”

“Trevor is gay.”

“I know that, I’ve met him. He’s coming to town next month, by the way. He tried to call you but couldn’t get hold of you. He called me. He’s going to stay with me because my apartment is bigger and his show is close to my office, but he’s going to be here. Just saying. Every other guy you’ve dated has been a douchebag.”

“I…”

Well, to be perfectly honest, Diana wasn’t sure she could argue against that.

“But they all seem nice in the beginning.”

“I know. They all say the right things. That’s because you’re pretty easy to read, and with all of them, you’ve been very up front about what you want.”

“Well, yes. You date because you want to have a relationship with somebody, hopefully find something real, have a family, grow old together. Fall in love.”

“That’s the thing. Most people our age don’t look for all that. They look to have fun. And girl, you’re a lot of fun when you let loose. As long as they pretend to play by those rules, they have a great girl – somebody who will support them unconditionally.”

“I’m not a doormat. You’re making me sound like one.”

“You’re not a doormat, Di. Well, a little bit – you can be a little bit of a doormat. But you’re the perfect combination of independent and insecure to make it very easy for douchebags to string you along. You’re independent enough to demand that you pay your way and do your part of everything, but insecure enough to never demand that they do the same.”

“I…”

Diana frowned.

Was she really like that?

Damn.

Maybe she was.

“I don’t like asking for things.”

“I know you don’t. And you’re intuitive, you give them what they want without their having to ask for it. It’s a very bad habit, Di. They can see you coming a mile off and they know they can play you. So they do play you.”

“So you’re saying I should call George and say I can’t come.”

“No. I’m saying you should go.”

“What?”

“He’s the one who’s being there for you, and demanding your attention. You should go because you want to. He’s not treating you like an idiot, and he’s not trying to take advantage of you. Is he?”

“He’s one of the most eligible single men in the world. I don’t see what he could possibly want from me.”

“You, Di. He wants you. And maybe that’s a good thing. There isn’t anything you can give him that he doesn’t have – except you. You can fix his life for him. He’s obviously competent, organized, and not a man-child. So all he wants is you. I think that’s a great improvement on all the men you’ve dated.”

“But… You know what he said about never having fallen in love.”

“So what? You’re not in love with him. You haven’t been in love, either.”

“Yes, but…”

“But what? It’s a weekend in Japan. You want to spend time with him, don’t you? You’ve been sulking about him not calling you ever since you got back from San Diego.”

“I have not been sulking.”

“You have been sulking. A lot. So go, have fun. Maybe what you need is to be with somebody who is completely unlike all the idiots you’ve dated. Except Trevor.”

“Do you really think so?”

She was wavering. That, too, was unlike her.”

“I think so. I think you should go, and you should have a good time.”

“But… Isn’t it too fast?”

“You’ve tried following all the rules. Where has that gotten you?”

Diana screwed up her face, wrinkling her nose.

“Here.”

“Well then, make the most of it. If it doesn’t lead to something more, then you’ll know. But a weekend together is a good way to find out if there really is something there. Call it expedited dating.”

Diana chuckled.

“Seriously?”

“Why not? Nobody shows what they’re really like if you just spend a couple of hours together every few days. It’s easy to fake it for a couple of hours. Spending all your time with somebody for a couple of days, that’s a lot more difficult. Nobody can fake it that well.”

Diana considered it.

“It’s completely crazy.”