month later? Surely he doesn't blame his daughter for her death. That would be horrible.
"That is absolutely horrible, Claud!" She nodded her head and reached up to get a tissue to blot her eyes. I'm sure this has brought up all of the memories from that time in her life.
"It was horrible. Vanessa and I would try to go eat lunch together once a month to catch up with what all was going on in our busy lives. When I got the call, I was devastated and I kind of shut down for a while. I just couldn't believe that that could happen to them. If anyone was going to make it, it was them, ya know?"
I remembered years ago her calling me crying and telling me that her friend from college had died, but she never went into details and I didn't push her, because I could tell that she was having problems dealing with it. A couple of months later, she was back to being herself, so I never brought it up again.
"Ok, we need to get back out there. Throw some water on your face. You look like your best friend just died, and I haven't. So chop chop!" I was amazed at how good Claudia was at hiding her feelings. One minute she was teary eyed and the next she was smiling. She clapped her hands at me to hurry up. The last place I wanted to go now was to that table to have a meal with Cash, now that I knew so much about his life. I just want to crawl in bed and cry for him and Vanessa, and his babies, and for Derek and my own babies.
*****************
We return back to the table and Cash had already ordered us new drinks. He rose up, and sat down when we did. Claudia sat down to the right of him and then I sat down to the right of her, which I was doing to avoid having to sit closest to him, but now I'm directly in front of him. I am still blown away at how beautifully intense his eyes are.
"So Claud, I have a question for you that I hope you can answer freely, because I'm a little confused about something. Oh, and absolutely no judgments here." He was smirking and winked at her. The sound of his familiarity at calling her by her nickname makes me realize how close they once were.
"Cash, I already know what you're going to ask and the answer is no, I'm not into women. You don't miss anything, do you?" She smirked and winked back.
"Hahahaha. You still know me well, I see." He was laughing his head off and he has such a great laugh. Wait, what is my deal with this guy?
"When Paul mentioned that you weren't into guys, it took me back, I must say, but then I wondered why he would think that and all I could come up with was that the piece of shit must have hit on you. Don't get me wrong," he reached for his glass and took a drink, "we do business together from time to time, but spending time with him longer than a dinner, definitely isn't in my favorite list of things to do." I was inwardly laughing, because it was nice to know that one of POS's peers felt the same way that Claudia and I did.
"And what might be IN that list of favorite things to do, Cash?" She was flirting with him. Maybe she’s not the man hater that she pretends to be. Very interesting.
"Having dinner with two beautiful women happens to be on the list." He grinned and winked at ME this time!
"Oh please! You know you're not interested in either of us. So come on Cash," she leaned over and wrapped her hands around one of his hands, “tell me how you've been. How are the kids?"
"They're doing alright, I guess. Gideon is growing like a weed. He's seven now and asks so many questions and Eden, well, she will be five in a few weeks." He pulled his hand back and looked pained and I knew at once why. I can only imagine how his little girl’s birthday would make him aware that it was also the anniversary of his late wife's death. I knew exactly what was going through his mind at that moment, and he's been dealing with her loss for five years. It's something you truly never get over.
"Five? Oh, that's such a cool age too. I should have kept in touch better. For
"That is absolutely horrible, Claud!" She nodded her head and reached up to get a tissue to blot her eyes. I'm sure this has brought up all of the memories from that time in her life.
"It was horrible. Vanessa and I would try to go eat lunch together once a month to catch up with what all was going on in our busy lives. When I got the call, I was devastated and I kind of shut down for a while. I just couldn't believe that that could happen to them. If anyone was going to make it, it was them, ya know?"
I remembered years ago her calling me crying and telling me that her friend from college had died, but she never went into details and I didn't push her, because I could tell that she was having problems dealing with it. A couple of months later, she was back to being herself, so I never brought it up again.
"Ok, we need to get back out there. Throw some water on your face. You look like your best friend just died, and I haven't. So chop chop!" I was amazed at how good Claudia was at hiding her feelings. One minute she was teary eyed and the next she was smiling. She clapped her hands at me to hurry up. The last place I wanted to go now was to that table to have a meal with Cash, now that I knew so much about his life. I just want to crawl in bed and cry for him and Vanessa, and his babies, and for Derek and my own babies.
*****************
We return back to the table and Cash had already ordered us new drinks. He rose up, and sat down when we did. Claudia sat down to the right of him and then I sat down to the right of her, which I was doing to avoid having to sit closest to him, but now I'm directly in front of him. I am still blown away at how beautifully intense his eyes are.
"So Claud, I have a question for you that I hope you can answer freely, because I'm a little confused about something. Oh, and absolutely no judgments here." He was smirking and winked at her. The sound of his familiarity at calling her by her nickname makes me realize how close they once were.
"Cash, I already know what you're going to ask and the answer is no, I'm not into women. You don't miss anything, do you?" She smirked and winked back.
"Hahahaha. You still know me well, I see." He was laughing his head off and he has such a great laugh. Wait, what is my deal with this guy?
"When Paul mentioned that you weren't into guys, it took me back, I must say, but then I wondered why he would think that and all I could come up with was that the piece of shit must have hit on you. Don't get me wrong," he reached for his glass and took a drink, "we do business together from time to time, but spending time with him longer than a dinner, definitely isn't in my favorite list of things to do." I was inwardly laughing, because it was nice to know that one of POS's peers felt the same way that Claudia and I did.
"And what might be IN that list of favorite things to do, Cash?" She was flirting with him. Maybe she’s not the man hater that she pretends to be. Very interesting.
"Having dinner with two beautiful women happens to be on the list." He grinned and winked at ME this time!
"Oh please! You know you're not interested in either of us. So come on Cash," she leaned over and wrapped her hands around one of his hands, “tell me how you've been. How are the kids?"
"They're doing alright, I guess. Gideon is growing like a weed. He's seven now and asks so many questions and Eden, well, she will be five in a few weeks." He pulled his hand back and looked pained and I knew at once why. I can only imagine how his little girl’s birthday would make him aware that it was also the anniversary of his late wife's death. I knew exactly what was going through his mind at that moment, and he's been dealing with her loss for five years. It's something you truly never get over.
"Five? Oh, that's such a cool age too. I should have kept in touch better. For
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