by Holly Rayner
own feelings and emotions. He was even doing a great job of talking to me about them.
We’d been together almost two months by then…if you didn’t count the short time we weren’t really dating right after New Year’s. I was spending most of my time with him at his apartment now and he was talking about us moving in together. I wasn’t sure if we were ready for that, but the fact that he was suggesting it told me he was looking at us as long-term. That was what I wanted…I wanted to keep him. I couldn’t imagine how life could get any better.
We had a delicious meal of smoked salmon and fresh vegetables and instead of sitting at the executive table, Aaron and I just found the first empty space and took a seat. It was fun to see the looks on the employee’s faces that he sat with and talked to. After dinner, Aaron and I mingled around, so that he could greet his employees and I could say hello to everyone I knew. Then he led me over to the dance floor and we shared a dance. We danced a long slow waltz and then he kissed me, in front of everyone. Aaron didn’t seem to be the least bit discombobulated about it either like he had over just a dance at the Christmas party. He’d come a long way.
As we were coming off the dance floor Hal, one of Aaron’s executives said,
“Aaron, there’s a reporter in the lobby from Forbes. He’s just asking for a slice…a one-liner from you. Would you mind?”
“No, I guess not.” Looking at me he said, “Will you excuse me for a few minutes?”
“Of course, I’m going to step out front near the valet’s and just get some air,” I told him. When we came out of the ballroom, I watched him walk through the lobby and approach the reporter. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo with his red bow tie and cummerbund. He and I had both come a long way in a short time. I was learning that as adventurous as I liked my life to be, life as the girlfriend of a business mogul wasn’t going to be all fun and games. I was okay with that.
Aaron had also finally met my friends and he’d passed all the tough questions with flying colors. Melissa is still in the process of forgiving him for New Year’s, but she’ll get around to it. As I turned to go towards the front doors I felt chills run up both of my arms and down my spine as if I’d seen a ghost. I’d seen a man walk by the door…he looked familiar….But it couldn’t be him. I hadn’t seen him since…No, it just couldn’t be.
I turned back towards Aaron. My heart beat faster every time I so much as looked at him. My life was going so well. Things had started out a little rocky with Aaron, but they were getting better every day. Surely the fates couldn’t be that cruel. I breathed in the strength that just being in the same room as Aaron gave me and convinced myself that the person I thought I saw in that glance was my paranoia. It had to be. He and I had a deal…how could he have even found me? He couldn’t have, Robyn…knock it off!
I shook it off, telling myself not to make drama where there was none and I continued out the doors. As soon as the door stopped spinning, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned towards it and saw that I hadn’t been being paranoid after all. Standing there in the flesh was the one man that I could have lived forever without seeing again….my ex-husband.
“Hey gorgeous! Long time no see.” he said.
I was stunned into silence. I didn’t know what to say. I stood there, stupidly for several seconds and he said,
“We need to talk, babe.”