Sweet Love (NG5)

41 - Tequila

When Will drove away from Kat, his heart hurt for her. She had an emotional day without it being the anniversary of her grandfather's death. After he dropped the key off with John, he drove to town. Hoping she didn't kick him out, he planned to show up at her door with a bottle.

Later, he ate his favorite salad feeling alone. Even for a warmer day, takeout accounted for most of their business on Fridays in the winter. Martha winked at him when he stepped behind the counter and through the backroom. As he climbed the stairs, he heard Kat yelling.

Without knocking, he opened her door. She stomped around in a circle with her phone in her hand. "I'm hanging up. I can't believe you called me today. You know how much I loved him." She turned and saw Will. "I have to go."

"Are you okay?" He closed the gap between them, but stopped short of reaching for her.

"No! What the hell was he thinking calling me today?"

"Who?"

"My ex." She covered her face with her hands.

"I got one of those. She's a piece of work. I brought this to toast your grandfather."

"Or forget the asshole. Shit WR, you buy the good stuff."

"I can afford it." Will cracked open the bottle. "Here take a swig."

"What the hell?" She lifted the bottle and looked up to the ceiling. "I miss you, Pops." She put it to her lips and drank with experience. "Any lime?"

"In the bag. How long were you with the asshole?"

"Ten years." She took out two shot glasses and a knife.

Will whistled. "Whoa! That's long."

"I made turnovers today, because they were the last pastry I made for my grandfather. I've replayed it in my head. On Sunday, he didn't want to get out of bed. Thursday, I got the call that he had another stroke. I left my kitchen to go say goodbye. How do you say goodbye to someone you love?"

"I don't know. So many people know loss, but my biggest hurt has been heartbreak. I lost my grandparents, but they didn't live close by."

"I feel sorry for you." She handed him a shot glass and a wedge of lime. "Ready?"

He nodded. She had rimmed the glasses with salt. Down the shot, suck on lime. They repeated it three times. "Let's sit." He carried the bottle to her sofa. She followed with the limes and dish of salt. "Did you break up before or after your grandfather?"

"After. Things went downhill after. Fast." She downed a shot.

"That sucks."

"Yeah. He deserted me at the wake to get high in the parking lot."

"No!" Will couldn't imagine her dating a loser.

"That wasn't the worst of it." She took another shot.

"How much worse can it get?"

"Worse. Much worse."

"Is he why you came to Maine?"

"Pretty much." She drank, but Will was a few behind.

"Slow down."

"I don't want to. I want to have fun."

"You bake tomorrow and make the scampi that I don't have a date for."

She pinched his cheek. "Poor Will."

"Ow. That hurt."

"Sorry." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

Will put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "You can do better than that."