fill our wineglasses and leave the check.
“Are you sure about that dessert?” I asked Cherise. “We could split some chocolate cake?” I was stalling.
“I’m positive.”
I took a deep breath, forcing my heart to slow down. “Go on, then.”
Eyebrows arched, she glanced down at the linen tablecloth, then back up at me. “I’m leaving.”
Talk about out of left field. “Leaving?” I whispered.
The bottom fell out of my stomach, and I wished she’d said something before dinner instead of after. “Why?” I frowned, my face suddenly hot. “I…I thought…why?”
“It’s…time. It’s just time for me to move on.” She shrugged and her eyes slowly drifted around the almost empty dining room. No wonder she hadn’t been able to look at me all night.
Around us the few remaining diners continued eating, silverware clanking on plates, people laughing. I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and threw my AmEx on the tray with the check, desperate to get out of the restaurant before I caused a scene.
“ You think?” I sighed, unable to catch my breath. “You think it’s time?”
“That’s what I do.” She said it so casually we could have been discussing how she polished someone’s nails, not the fact that she was leaving town, leaving me.
I glanced at the waitress, waiting until she was out of earshot before responding. “‘That’s what you do?’” I hissed, getting madder by the second. “Fuck ’em and leave ’em?”
“Yup.” Her pink cheeks told me she was embarrassed despite her matter-of-fact tone of voice.
I scribbled my name on the receipt and stood up. A very subdued Cherise followed suit. She was more subdued than I’d ever seen her as I led outside.
A cool breeze washed away the humidity from earlier in the day. She shivered against me as we crossed the dimly lit parking lot, both of us lost in our heads.
“You’re okay with me leaving, aren’t you?” she softly asked. As if she had doubts.
“What if I said no?” As if I could influence her decision. I kept my eyes focused on the light across the street.
I wasn’t okay at all with her leaving.
Her grip on my arm tightened and she leaned against me. “I’m sorry.”
I believed her, but I still didn’t like it. And I had the strangest feeling that, despite her insistence, she didn’t like it either.
While Cherise was in the powder room, I hustled around lighting the new candles I’d bought just for tonight. I’d gone all out, putting them on the mantle, the coffee table and end tables, even the nightstands. The screen that separated the sleeping and living area glowed, and jasmine and vanilla slowly permeated the room.
I cracked open a Riesling I knew she liked and poured us both a glass as she rejoined me.
“You do all right for an air-conditioning man,” she teased. “I always liked that about you.”
Glass in hand, she crossed the room, and I followed. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed. I set my glass on the nightstand next to hers and knelt at her feet, letting my fingertips trail up the back of her calves. She hadn’t worn pantyhose, but then, she never did.
I slipped her shoes off and filled my hands with lotion from the bottle I’d left on the nightstand.
“You had all this planned…for me?”
“For us, yeah.”
Leaning closer, she ran her hand across my head and down the side of my face. It was a rare show of feeling, of tenderness, from Cherise, who wasn’t the emotional type.
“What are you doin’, D?”
“I owe you a foot massage.” I slathered her foot with her favorite lotion and worked my way over each toe, across her arch to her heel. She sighed in pleasure, her eyes slowly closing. “That feels… heavenly .”
“Lay back,” I whispered. I licked my lips and focused. This would probably be our last night together. I could ask her to stay. I should ask her to stay, but I wasn’t going to. It wouldn’t do any good. And the last thing I
“Are you sure about that dessert?” I asked Cherise. “We could split some chocolate cake?” I was stalling.
“I’m positive.”
I took a deep breath, forcing my heart to slow down. “Go on, then.”
Eyebrows arched, she glanced down at the linen tablecloth, then back up at me. “I’m leaving.”
Talk about out of left field. “Leaving?” I whispered.
The bottom fell out of my stomach, and I wished she’d said something before dinner instead of after. “Why?” I frowned, my face suddenly hot. “I…I thought…why?”
“It’s…time. It’s just time for me to move on.” She shrugged and her eyes slowly drifted around the almost empty dining room. No wonder she hadn’t been able to look at me all night.
Around us the few remaining diners continued eating, silverware clanking on plates, people laughing. I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and threw my AmEx on the tray with the check, desperate to get out of the restaurant before I caused a scene.
“ You think?” I sighed, unable to catch my breath. “You think it’s time?”
“That’s what I do.” She said it so casually we could have been discussing how she polished someone’s nails, not the fact that she was leaving town, leaving me.
I glanced at the waitress, waiting until she was out of earshot before responding. “‘That’s what you do?’” I hissed, getting madder by the second. “Fuck ’em and leave ’em?”
“Yup.” Her pink cheeks told me she was embarrassed despite her matter-of-fact tone of voice.
I scribbled my name on the receipt and stood up. A very subdued Cherise followed suit. She was more subdued than I’d ever seen her as I led outside.
A cool breeze washed away the humidity from earlier in the day. She shivered against me as we crossed the dimly lit parking lot, both of us lost in our heads.
“You’re okay with me leaving, aren’t you?” she softly asked. As if she had doubts.
“What if I said no?” As if I could influence her decision. I kept my eyes focused on the light across the street.
I wasn’t okay at all with her leaving.
Her grip on my arm tightened and she leaned against me. “I’m sorry.”
I believed her, but I still didn’t like it. And I had the strangest feeling that, despite her insistence, she didn’t like it either.
While Cherise was in the powder room, I hustled around lighting the new candles I’d bought just for tonight. I’d gone all out, putting them on the mantle, the coffee table and end tables, even the nightstands. The screen that separated the sleeping and living area glowed, and jasmine and vanilla slowly permeated the room.
I cracked open a Riesling I knew she liked and poured us both a glass as she rejoined me.
“You do all right for an air-conditioning man,” she teased. “I always liked that about you.”
Glass in hand, she crossed the room, and I followed. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed. I set my glass on the nightstand next to hers and knelt at her feet, letting my fingertips trail up the back of her calves. She hadn’t worn pantyhose, but then, she never did.
I slipped her shoes off and filled my hands with lotion from the bottle I’d left on the nightstand.
“You had all this planned…for me?”
“For us, yeah.”
Leaning closer, she ran her hand across my head and down the side of my face. It was a rare show of feeling, of tenderness, from Cherise, who wasn’t the emotional type.
“What are you doin’, D?”
“I owe you a foot massage.” I slathered her foot with her favorite lotion and worked my way over each toe, across her arch to her heel. She sighed in pleasure, her eyes slowly closing. “That feels… heavenly .”
“Lay back,” I whispered. I licked my lips and focused. This would probably be our last night together. I could ask her to stay. I should ask her to stay, but I wasn’t going to. It wouldn’t do any good. And the last thing I
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