bite of heaven and ball up my trash, then wipe my hands down with a wet nap, before checking to make sure my clothes are still spotless.
“Why divorce law, Tori?”
I make a frustrated noise. “It’s Victoria, and I think we’ve had enough analyzing for the day. Don’t you?”
Chase laughs, and the sound is contagious, causing a small smile to turn my lips up before I can suppress it. He grabs my hand and when I tug lightly to pull away, he squeezes it gently. “This wasn’t analyzing, Tori. It was simply getting to know you. I’m not your teacher or your therapist, but I’d very much like to be your friend, and I think you need one desperately.”
He clearly hasn’t gotten to know me.
“I don’t have friends. I don’t need anybody. I’ve done just fine on my own for nearly ten years now. It works for me.”
Chase squeezes my hand again. “Does it?”
He lets go, then stands and offers me his hand to help me up. I take it because it’s the lady-like thing to do, but am shocked when he pulls me in for another embrace and speaks quietly in my ear, “Are you really living, Tori? I think you’ve been hiding and it’s time for you to live. They would want that for you, you know.”
I don’t respond. I want to lash out in anger, but I’m consumed with sorrow, leaving little room for the resentment I’m trying to cling to.
Would they? Would they want me to go on without them, as though they never were?
Stepping out of his embrace, I nod, giving him the impression that I agree. Like before, his probing eyes study me and I get the impression that I haven’t fooled him in the least.
“Well,” I say awkwardly, “I’ll, um, see you next week.”
I start to pull away, but he tightens his arms just a fraction, and shivers—those damn shivers—race down my spine.
“Have lunch with me this week.”
I shake my head vehemently, afraid that if I open my mouth, I’ll agree. It seems like Chase could make me feel things, and I don’t like to feel anything.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid to spend time with me? The ice queen?” He raises an eyebrow at me in challenge.
I’m a grown woman, not a child who can’t refuse a dare. I open my mouth to tell him this, “Fine.”
What? My inner self screeches. Shit. I knew if I opened my mouth…
“Great!” Chase beams at me. “How about Wednesday?”
I run through my calendar in my head.
“The only time I have is on Tuesday.”
Chase’s face falls suddenly, a frown marring the perfection, looking over my shoulder and into the distance. His arms drop and he is no longer holding me. I feel a sense of loss and loneliness steal over me. He shakes his head, swallowing hard, and returns his gaze to mine, stopping the movement when they connect.
“Okay, Tuesday it is. I’ll meet you at your office at noon.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, over thinking what it would look like if I left my office with a guy. Would it revoke my membership in the bitch club? Or make my co-workers think I’m approachable? I stop and roll my eyes at my train of thought. Since when do I care what people think? It’s not like they have the power to hurt me. “All right. I’ll meet you in the lobby. Noon. See you then.”
Chase is back to beaming at me and I am transfixed by the expression for several moments. I’m struck even more when I feel a return smile sliding across my face. It’s an odd stretch on the muscles. Has it been that long since I used them?
He walks me back to the center, and as if my world wasn’t already tilting on its axis, it begins to spin when Chase quickly hauls me back into his arms and places a soft kiss on my cheek before abruptly letting go.
“Tuesday,” he winks and strolls off down the sidewalk.
I spend most of Sunday cleaning my house from top to bottom, the mindless work keeping me from second-guessing my decision to have lunch with Chase. In the late afternoon, I shower and get ready to make my weekly sojourn into the
“Why divorce law, Tori?”
I make a frustrated noise. “It’s Victoria, and I think we’ve had enough analyzing for the day. Don’t you?”
Chase laughs, and the sound is contagious, causing a small smile to turn my lips up before I can suppress it. He grabs my hand and when I tug lightly to pull away, he squeezes it gently. “This wasn’t analyzing, Tori. It was simply getting to know you. I’m not your teacher or your therapist, but I’d very much like to be your friend, and I think you need one desperately.”
He clearly hasn’t gotten to know me.
“I don’t have friends. I don’t need anybody. I’ve done just fine on my own for nearly ten years now. It works for me.”
Chase squeezes my hand again. “Does it?”
He lets go, then stands and offers me his hand to help me up. I take it because it’s the lady-like thing to do, but am shocked when he pulls me in for another embrace and speaks quietly in my ear, “Are you really living, Tori? I think you’ve been hiding and it’s time for you to live. They would want that for you, you know.”
I don’t respond. I want to lash out in anger, but I’m consumed with sorrow, leaving little room for the resentment I’m trying to cling to.
Would they? Would they want me to go on without them, as though they never were?
Stepping out of his embrace, I nod, giving him the impression that I agree. Like before, his probing eyes study me and I get the impression that I haven’t fooled him in the least.
“Well,” I say awkwardly, “I’ll, um, see you next week.”
I start to pull away, but he tightens his arms just a fraction, and shivers—those damn shivers—race down my spine.
“Have lunch with me this week.”
I shake my head vehemently, afraid that if I open my mouth, I’ll agree. It seems like Chase could make me feel things, and I don’t like to feel anything.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid to spend time with me? The ice queen?” He raises an eyebrow at me in challenge.
I’m a grown woman, not a child who can’t refuse a dare. I open my mouth to tell him this, “Fine.”
What? My inner self screeches. Shit. I knew if I opened my mouth…
“Great!” Chase beams at me. “How about Wednesday?”
I run through my calendar in my head.
“The only time I have is on Tuesday.”
Chase’s face falls suddenly, a frown marring the perfection, looking over my shoulder and into the distance. His arms drop and he is no longer holding me. I feel a sense of loss and loneliness steal over me. He shakes his head, swallowing hard, and returns his gaze to mine, stopping the movement when they connect.
“Okay, Tuesday it is. I’ll meet you at your office at noon.”
I shift my weight from foot to foot, over thinking what it would look like if I left my office with a guy. Would it revoke my membership in the bitch club? Or make my co-workers think I’m approachable? I stop and roll my eyes at my train of thought. Since when do I care what people think? It’s not like they have the power to hurt me. “All right. I’ll meet you in the lobby. Noon. See you then.”
Chase is back to beaming at me and I am transfixed by the expression for several moments. I’m struck even more when I feel a return smile sliding across my face. It’s an odd stretch on the muscles. Has it been that long since I used them?
He walks me back to the center, and as if my world wasn’t already tilting on its axis, it begins to spin when Chase quickly hauls me back into his arms and places a soft kiss on my cheek before abruptly letting go.
“Tuesday,” he winks and strolls off down the sidewalk.
I spend most of Sunday cleaning my house from top to bottom, the mindless work keeping me from second-guessing my decision to have lunch with Chase. In the late afternoon, I shower and get ready to make my weekly sojourn into the
Similar Books
