that’s what I needed most right now.
I opened my eyes, almost stumbling when I stepped back. “No, I can’t.”
He lowered his arm and propped his hand on the lip of the counter, bowing his head. “Dammit, that wasn’t…I didn’t plan that.”
His words made me smile.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“Having to live in the world like the rest of us, where some things don’t go as planned. Sometimes it’s better that way.” Or at least, love was. In my opinion. That’s what made it so amazing and what made it feel so good. It didn’t hit you how you expected it to. Sometimes it even knocked you over, but it didn’t hurt.
Until it was taken away.
“I was thinking dinner and wine and…I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I was going to be smooth. Suave.”
I laughed. “You didn’t do too bad. But it’s not…no, I can’t do this. Besides, I have to get going.”
He hesitated. Lightning flashed outside the window, followed by another peal of thunder. He didn’t look convinced. I almost didn’t want him to be.
“I’m tenacious,” he said quietly.
“I know.”
Then he smiled and backed up. “I look forward to the rest of the week.”
I blinked. He was already turning to the door. “Enjoy your wine!” he called after him. And then he was gone.
Sagging against the counter, I sighed. Maybe I hadn’t thought this all the way through. I figured I’d be able to handle Finn. But that had been on a business level. On a personal level…it wasn’t going so well.
I needed someone to talk to. Paige? God, it had been so long since I’d opened up to anyone about my personal life. Only my friend Christie knew about Mark, and even then I’d left out most of the details. It was safer that way.
The important thing was, we weren’t together anymore. And that was the best possible scenario for me.
Now that I’d also put several hundred miles between us, it was time to start over.
Which meant it was okay to have friends again, and maybe, just maybe, okay to share part of myself.
() () ()
“I want to hire a personal chef to make this for me every day for lunch,” I said. Paige had ordered from the restaurant downstairs and theirs was the best French dip I’d ever tasted. I pointed to her meal. “And then, I’m going to have him–”
“Or her–”
“Or her make me what you’re having for dinner every night.” I leaned back on the couch, folding my hands across my stomach. “And I won’t get fat either because I’ll get up early every day and exercise at the gym downstairs.”
Paige lifted her glass of wine and saluted. “I’ll be there. Every other day, though.”
“Yeah, maybe three times a week.”
She laughed. “Right. Everything in moderation.”
“Speaking of moderation,” I said. “I haven’t had dessert in days. So it’s okay to have some of that chocolate cake you ordered too, right?”
She nodded. “And more wine.”
When I only smiled, she filled my glass again until I shook my head. “Okay, okay. I still have to work tomorrow.”
But it felt good. To bond over something as simple as food and wine, and know I could have more days like this. I could have a life here if things kept going according to plan.
Instead of eating at Paige’s dining table, we’d brought our meals and drinks to the living room and both sat around the coffee table. Paige still wore her tank top with splotches of paint on it, her hair messy in a braid that rested over her shoulder. She had to be close to my age, maybe a few years older. Already it felt like I’d found someone I might be able to confide in.
“Speaking of work,” Paige said, rising and going for the kitchen. She removed the cake from the refrigerator and drew down plates. “What do you do over there in the Business towers? Are the offices nice? Have you met the big boss man yet? I hear he’s dreamy.”
I almost choked on my wine. “Big boss man. You mean…Finnigan
I opened my eyes, almost stumbling when I stepped back. “No, I can’t.”
He lowered his arm and propped his hand on the lip of the counter, bowing his head. “Dammit, that wasn’t…I didn’t plan that.”
His words made me smile.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“Having to live in the world like the rest of us, where some things don’t go as planned. Sometimes it’s better that way.” Or at least, love was. In my opinion. That’s what made it so amazing and what made it feel so good. It didn’t hit you how you expected it to. Sometimes it even knocked you over, but it didn’t hurt.
Until it was taken away.
“I was thinking dinner and wine and…I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I was going to be smooth. Suave.”
I laughed. “You didn’t do too bad. But it’s not…no, I can’t do this. Besides, I have to get going.”
He hesitated. Lightning flashed outside the window, followed by another peal of thunder. He didn’t look convinced. I almost didn’t want him to be.
“I’m tenacious,” he said quietly.
“I know.”
Then he smiled and backed up. “I look forward to the rest of the week.”
I blinked. He was already turning to the door. “Enjoy your wine!” he called after him. And then he was gone.
Sagging against the counter, I sighed. Maybe I hadn’t thought this all the way through. I figured I’d be able to handle Finn. But that had been on a business level. On a personal level…it wasn’t going so well.
I needed someone to talk to. Paige? God, it had been so long since I’d opened up to anyone about my personal life. Only my friend Christie knew about Mark, and even then I’d left out most of the details. It was safer that way.
The important thing was, we weren’t together anymore. And that was the best possible scenario for me.
Now that I’d also put several hundred miles between us, it was time to start over.
Which meant it was okay to have friends again, and maybe, just maybe, okay to share part of myself.
() () ()
“I want to hire a personal chef to make this for me every day for lunch,” I said. Paige had ordered from the restaurant downstairs and theirs was the best French dip I’d ever tasted. I pointed to her meal. “And then, I’m going to have him–”
“Or her–”
“Or her make me what you’re having for dinner every night.” I leaned back on the couch, folding my hands across my stomach. “And I won’t get fat either because I’ll get up early every day and exercise at the gym downstairs.”
Paige lifted her glass of wine and saluted. “I’ll be there. Every other day, though.”
“Yeah, maybe three times a week.”
She laughed. “Right. Everything in moderation.”
“Speaking of moderation,” I said. “I haven’t had dessert in days. So it’s okay to have some of that chocolate cake you ordered too, right?”
She nodded. “And more wine.”
When I only smiled, she filled my glass again until I shook my head. “Okay, okay. I still have to work tomorrow.”
But it felt good. To bond over something as simple as food and wine, and know I could have more days like this. I could have a life here if things kept going according to plan.
Instead of eating at Paige’s dining table, we’d brought our meals and drinks to the living room and both sat around the coffee table. Paige still wore her tank top with splotches of paint on it, her hair messy in a braid that rested over her shoulder. She had to be close to my age, maybe a few years older. Already it felt like I’d found someone I might be able to confide in.
“Speaking of work,” Paige said, rising and going for the kitchen. She removed the cake from the refrigerator and drew down plates. “What do you do over there in the Business towers? Are the offices nice? Have you met the big boss man yet? I hear he’s dreamy.”
I almost choked on my wine. “Big boss man. You mean…Finnigan
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