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seen me two days earlier, picking out the green M&M’s from the bowl in our conference room because the tennis player endorsing our client’s sports bras “doesn’t do the green ones.”
    More silence. Have you ever noticed how loud silence can be? What’s up with that?
    “So, um, do you like being a lawyer?” I said.
    “It has its moments,” he said, not elaborating.
    “Oh, cool.” I looked down at the table. For some reason I assumed all lawyers in San Francisco knew Aaron and thus all knew that he had dumped me. Does the American Bar Association keep records on dating history?
    More silence.
    As if she sensed our pain, the waitress mercifully appeared and served us two more Coronas and a sampler plate of buffalo wings, nachos, and quesadillas. I, of course, immediately went for the beer. Why didn’t Coronas come in the forty-ounce size? They could label them the Bad Date Edition .
    I reached for a quesadilla. “So you’re sure we haven’t met?”
    He nodded. “I’m sure. I would have remembered a name like Waverly, you know, because of the cracker from way back when.”
    I nodded too. “Yeah, I still haven’t forgiven my parents for that one. Thank God they don’t make those anymore. So you’re really sure we haven’t met?”
    “I’m sure,” he said.
    I narrowed my eyes. “One hundred percent sure or only ninety-nine percent sure?”
    He smiled but didn’t look all that amused. “I’m sure.” Then he leaned over and picked up another buffalo wing. “Mmm … buffalo wings are my absolute favorite food. I love them even more than pizza.”
    “No way,” I blurted. “That’s exactly what Aaron always says.”
    He looked up at me. “Who is Aaron?”
    Crap. Why was I such an idiot?
    I looked down at my hands. “Oh, uh, he’s uh, my ex, uh, my exfiancé.”
    He looked surprised. “You were engaged?”
    “Um, uh, yeah.”
    “When?”
    “Um, a few months ago.”
    “Oh? What happened?”
    I felt my cheeks go hot. I swallowed and pushed my long dark hair behind my ears. “Um, well, to be honest … we sort of rushed into it, and I really wasn’t ready to get married, and I realized that he wasn’t the right guy for me.” I could feel myself sweating, and I knew the tears weren’t far behind. I took a sip of water, but what I really needed was a stapler for my big fat mouth. Big fat stupid lying mouth.
    “Oh,” he said.
    “Yeah,” I said.
    Silence.
    I put my glass of water down and looked across the table at him.
    We had hit rock bottom.
    Or so I thought.
    Suddenly I knew why he looked so familiar. How hadn’t I seen it right away?
    Rick was right. I hadn’t met him before, but holy Appalachia, he was a dead ringer … for … my … father. Minus a few decades and a pot belly.
    Cough.
    I stood up. “Hey, I’m going to use the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back, okay?”
    “Uh, sure, are you okay?” he said. He looked a little worried.
    “I’m fine, thanks.” I steadied myself on the chair and smoothed my hand over my hair. On the way to the restroom I pulled my phone out of my purse and called McKenna.
    She answered on the second ring. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on your big date?”
    “Uh, yeah, but I’m hiding in the bathroom,” I said.
    She laughed. “That bad?”
    I looked at my reflection in the mirror, then covered my eyes with my free hand. “Oh my God, Mackie, I’m just not ready for this. I’m a disaster. And get this, he looks exactly like my dad.”
    “No way, really?”
    “SO really. And I also broke our pact and brought up Aaron and nearly started crying, although I swear it was by accident. Seriously, I have to get out of here. What do I do?”
    “Why don’t you just tell him?”
    “What am I am supposed to say? Um, it’s been nice meeting you, but this is my first date since I basically got left at the altar, and I can’t deal with it, so I need to get the hell out of here. Oh, and by the way, you look exactly like my dad, which is