Hita (18 page)

“Yeah, California Stephan, the one from grad school, was very different from London Stephan.”

Caroline enters the conversation. “Different how?”

Closing my eyes, I visualize Stephan last year as I tell her, “California Stephan was fun, nice, friendly, interesting, smart, and worldly. He was always ready for an adventure. He got along well with my friends. My parents liked him.”

Hita interjects, “He also had a devastatingly sexy accent.”

With a dreamy smile, I add, “That, along with his rakish quality, is what made him so irresistible.”

Hita nods in agreement as she tells Caroline, “Yeah, he kind of looks like Captain Hook from the TV show
Once Upon a Time
.”

Caroline gives me a second look and nods her head in appreciation. Then she prods, “So, what happened to your sexy Brit?”

“Everything was great with us when we were in the US. In London, he wanted to go to the pub and hang out with his boarding school buddies. He was really caught up in what his friends and family thought” I added, thinking about how different his London lifestyle was from the one that we shared in California. As I contemplate what I’m going to say, I remember where we broke down. “I was fine in California—
we
were fine in California. In London, I didn’t fit in, we didn’t make sense. None of the women in his group liked me. I was completely ignored by his guy friends. His family was polite but I could tell they didn’t approve of me.”

“Oh like when the daughter in
Downtown Abbey
married the limo driver,” Kami interjects.

I uncomfortably nod my head, “Yeah, I guess, something like that.”

Taking a deep breath I explained what feels like the crux of my issue, “Once I showed up, he never attempted to support or help me fit in. Our relationship felt like a mistake. We stopped doing fun things, he was always too busy, and whenever I attempted to talk to him it usually turned into an argument.” I shake my head, “Every day there were a number of little things that didn’t work.”

Hita reaches across the table and supportively puts her hand over mine.

While Caroline leans forward and asks, “Did the sex change?”

“Really?” I scoff.

Kami adds, “No, it’s a good question. Was California Stephan…you know all fun and games while London Stephan was all stogy and cold?”

“Are you even talking about sex?” Caroline asks.

I ignore them and continue with my story. “He begged me to move to London. Once I was there, he acted like he didn’t want me around. Even when we were alone, it didn’t work.” Recalling how lonely I felt this past summer in London, I add, “I moved for a guy. When that didn’t work out, and my visa was up for renewal, I didn’t see any point in staying. As I said, not much of a story.”

Caroline comments, “You seem cool with it.”

“If ‘cool with it’ means not being heartbroken. Yeah, I guess I am ‘cool with it.’ All I remember is standing around, with a fake smile on my face, feeling awkward as everyone ignored me. That was my London experience.”

Kami asks, “Do you think he was too polite to break up with you?”

“What?” I’m dumbfounded by this comment.

Kami adds, “You know the British, they’re so polite.”

I chuckle as I answer, “I think their accent sounds polite to the American ear. Frankly, I found them to be much more direct than Californians.”

Hita then adds, “We were roommates the first year you dated him. He did have impeccable manners.” Then with a perfect imitation of Stephan she adds, “Juliette, darling, would you mind terribly if I came? It’s been five minutes; I wouldn’t want to miss the polo match.”

Everybody starts cracking up.

“Come on, he never watched polo,” I say with a big grin.

We laugh some more.

Then Hita looks at me with caring eyes. “Hey, I’m so sorry. We all thought you were having this romantic summer in London. You never said anything.”

I shrug and casually as I respond, “It’s over. I’m back. I’m lucky that three months later the position I applied for was still open and they still wanted me.” While my insides twist remembering how disappointed I was when I told Stephan I might not renew my visa and his reaction was, relieved.

Hita adds with a cocky look, “Analytics is where it’s at; engineers get a lot of job offers.”

We all nod our heads in agreement.

With a smile, I tell them, “The only thing I really lost out on was my summer. The weather sucks over there. Next time I follow a guy to another country, he’ll be an Australian.”

Caroline then adds, “I hear they love going down under.”

“Ew! Worst pun ever!” we all say in perfect unison as we stand up to head back to our desks to spend the rest of our day programming.

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