Read It's a Waverly Life for Free Online Page A

with her?”
    “Perhaps, but I’m going to file that under Not My Problem .”
    I turned back to Ivy. “What were we just talking about?”
    She reached for her phone. “I’m scheduling that appointment right now.”

     
    Later that night, there was a message on my phone from Jake, but it was too late in Atlanta to call him back. The time difference made it hard to connect, but I secretly liked that we couldn’t talk all the time. I was surprised at how much I thought about him, how often I wondered what his opinion on something would be, how many times I felt like calling just to say I miss you . But despite my feelings, I just wasn’t ready to be in touch on a daily basis. I needed to keep some emotional distance, so while I always returned his calls, I tried to avoid jumping to the phone every time I wanted to hear his voice.
    Besides, the messages meant that I could listen to his voice…over and over.
    “Hey there, it’s Jake. Just calling to say hi and see how your week’s going. We lost tonight, but it wasn’t all bad, no injuries. After the game I was approached by an executive of one of the pro leagues down in South America about a project…might be some opportunity for me there…just something to think about. Anyhow…give me a shout when you can…I…miss the smell of your hair.”
     
     
    I closed my eyes and smiled. For this Waverly moment, his voice was enough.

 
    A week or so later, I was working on my column when the phone rang. It was Scott Ryan, a reporter from The Today Show who had long ago transitioned from media contact to dear friend.
    “Scotty! How are you? It’s been ages!”
    “I’m good, my love, hanging in there. The winters here are even worse than I’d feared.”
    “Super cold?”
    “You have no idea. I thought Dallas was cold. New York takes cold to a whole new dimension.”
    “How’s Tad?”
    “He’s great, even bought me a down sleeping bag in the shape of a coat as an early Christmas present. He doesn’t want me to freeze to death after I up and moved here just to be with him. He said he’d feel guilty.”
    I laughed and picked up my coffee mug. “I’m sure he’d feel more than guilty .”
    “He’d better, he’d better. So listen, my love, I don’t have much time to chat, but I wanted to ask if you’d be up for putting your pretty face on the show. We could really use you.”
    I put the mug down. “The show?”
    “Yes, my dear, the show.”
    “ The Today Show ?”
    “The one and only.”
    “But why?”
    “We’re doing a Valentine’s Day feature on relationships, and they want to have an expert or two on hand. Given that you’re an advice columnist now and have a successful line of greeting cards for women, I suggested you, and they agreed.”
    “For real?”
    “Of course. I think you’d be great, plus it would be great exposure for your new gig at the Sun , not to mention your Honey Notes.”
    “But Scotty, I don’t really know anything about relationships.”
    He laughed. “Come on now, Waverly, give yourself some credit. You were in People magazine just a few months ago. To a lot of people, that makes you a minor celebrity, regardless of your credentials.”
    “What would I have to do? What would they ask me?”
    “It would be easy. Seriously, a piece of cake. You’d have to give a few words of wisdom, maybe tell a disastrous dating story or two, and snap, you’re done.”
    “That would be it?”
    “That would be it. Plus you’d get a free trip to New York. How can you pass up a chance to come visit me ?”
    I laughed. “You make it sound so easy.”
    “It will be, I promise. Now say yes so I can get back to work.”
    Why not?
    “Okay. Let’s do it!”
    “Beautiful. I’ll be in touch with the details after the holidays. I look forward to seeing your lovely face in February.”
    “Bye, Scotty.” I hung up the phone.
    I was already nervous, but kind of excited too.
    For a moment I thought about calling Jake to tell him, but