by Kira Blakely
“Who’s that?” he asked, pointing a little finger in my direction.
Oh shit, I thought. Come on, Connor—think of something.
“He doesn’t know who your fiancée is?” asked Richter, his tone one of mild disbelief.
“That’s Miss Alice,” said Connor, not missing a beat, as cool as ever. “She’s dad’s new friend. And she’s going to be around a lot, so why don’t you go say ‘hi’?”
Connor set Hunter down, the boy making a cautious beeline over to me.
“This all happened so fast, with Alice coming back into my life,” said Connor. “Thing have been such a whirlwind that I haven’t even had time to introduce her to Hunter. Now’s as good a time as any, I suppose.”
Connor was handling the situation with aplomb, and now it was my turn. But I was never good with kids, and at that moment I was gripped with worry that I’d come off totally awkwardly.
“Hey, dude!” I said, squatting down to Hunter’s eye level and holding out my hand. “I’m Miss Alice! Nice to meet you!”
Hunter said nothing for a moment, as though the gears of his little kid brain were turning as he tried to figure out just what to make of this weird woman in front of him.
“I haven’t been worried about it, though,” said Connor. “I’ve been certain that the two of them would get along.”
Thanks for the pressure, I thought, my hand still in the air.
Tension took a tight grip on my stomach as I waited for Hunter to react.
Finally, to my immense relief, he took my hand and gave it a cute little shake.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Alice,” he said.
Then nothing. Clearly, the conversational ball was in my court
“You like to swim?” I asked.
His face lit up instantly.
“Yeah! Me and my friend Sean are gonna race! You want to come?”
My relief at Hunter warming up to me so quickly was almost overshadowed by how appealing the idea was of getting away from this dinner and taking a long dip in a heated pool.
“Can’t,” I said. “Gotta hang out with your Dad and eat some grub. You want me to save you something?”
“Nah,” said Hunter. “We’re having pizza.”
“Pizza and pool, huh?” I asked. “I’m jealous.”
I had to admit it: The kid was adorable. He was like a tiny, harmless little version of Connor. He radiated charm and was clearly one of those kids you could just tell was going to be a heartbreaker in a decade or two.
“OK, kiddo,” said Connor. “Dad’s gotta have dinner with his friends. You and Miss Alice can go for a swim later.”
“Fine,” said Hunter.
He rushed to his room and returned seconds later with a tiny pair of blue swim trunks in his hand. The guests doted on him a little more, and just like before, out of the corner of my eye I could see Richter watching me carefully, as though he were trying to figure out just what about this situation was amiss.
Once Hunter was off, another wave of relief washed over me. However, as surprised as I was by the whole thing, I couldn’t help but instantly like the little guy.
“OK, all,” said Connor. “Let’s eat!”
Chapter 9
Connor
I was shocked that Alice was so surprised to see Hunter. And more than a little amused. Thankfully, she handled meeting him well, and they even seemed to hit it off. Part of me felt as though I should’ve made certain earlier that she knew that I had a son, but I suppose I figured that this was something she would’ve come across during her preliminary research.
“So!” said Lionel as he settled into his seat and took his wine into his hand. “Tell us how you two met!”
Now was the real test. Alice and I had our shared history, but this little fib we were telling was going to require a bit of improvisation. I decided to take the lead and not risk our stories getting tangled up.
“You mean the first time or the second?”
“How about we start from the start?” asked Wendy, clasping her hands together in anticipation of an epic tale of romance.
Hopefully, I’d be able to give her what she was looking for.
“Well,” I said, taking a quick dash of my wine and settling the glass on the table. “Alice and I met back in high school. We were from totally different social scenes, of course—I was one of those ‘too-cool-for-school’ types with a motorcycle and a bad attitude, and Alice was, well, ah—”
“You can say it,” she said, giving me a warm, showy smile. “A total nerd.”
Light laughter sounded from the table.
“Hey, she said it—not me.”
I took another sip of my wine and bought myself another few seconds of getting my story straight.
“So,” said Earl. “You two were the ideal high school sweethearts, I take it?”
I opened my mouth to speak, ready to weave a tale of young love that would’ve surely warmed the hearts of everyone at that table—even Richter.
But Alice beat me to the punch.
“I wouldn’t exactly put it that way.”
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“Oh, really?” asked Wendy.
“Connor was a bit of a ladies’ man in high school, if you can believe it,” said Alice.
“And in med school, let’s not forget,” said Richter, his tone slightly dour.
At this, I saw a strange tinge of something appear on Alice’s face. Jealousy?
She went on.
“We called him ‘the king’ in high school,” said Alice. “‘Rex,’ ‘king,’—get it? And he was about as big of a player as you could imagine. Went through girls like it was nothing.”
Careful now, Alice, I thought.
“And even though all us girls knew just what was in store if we got to be the lucky one on his arm, that didn’t stop us. By the time he and I met he’d just treated my good friend Jamie to a week-long thing before unceremoniously dumping her.”
I thought back to that period of time. I couldn’t even remember a girl named Jamie. Damn, I was worse than I thought.
“So,” said Alice, “despite spending the better part of the next week drying Jamie’s tears after getting dumped by Connor, agreeing with her that he had to be just the worst guy ever, when he turned those baby blues at me, I couldn’t say no.”
“Such a cad!” said Wendy, reaching over and giving my hand a playful slap.
Alice went on.
“And I’m thinking, why the hell would a gawky, dorky girl like me be of any interest to a guy like Connor? I mean, he could’ve had any girl on that campus that he wanted, and he picked the assistant editor of the school newspaper who couldn’t put together a flattering outfit to save her life.”
I picked up on a slight tinge of bitterness to her voice. But she must’ve noticed the same thing, as a big broad smile appeared a moment later.
“So, when I bumped into Connor at some party, the first party that I’d been invited to in high school, and he turned those baby blues on me, it was all over. He just had a way of making you feel like you were the only girl in the world, like everyone else just vanished, and that you and he had some sort of instant, special connection.”
The rest of the table listened in rapt attention.
“And that’s how things were for the next three weeks. Just me and Connor and no one else.”
At these words, a warmth filled my heart and spread out through my body. I may not have remembered Jamie, but I sure as hell remembered Alice. There was a reason she got three weeks instead of my customary one or two. And listening to her talk about that time, our relationship so many years ago, made the feelings I’d had for her come back suddenly, without warning. I shifted in my seat and took another sip of wine.
“Then what happened?” asked Wendy, clearly caught up in the story.
“And then one day three or so weeks later, I came to school and walked up to Connor as he stood there with his friends, thinking it was going to be a day
like any other. But when I gave him a kiss on the cheek, he looked at me like I was some kind of crazy person. Evidently, he’d decided that the relationship was over. Didn’t bother to tell me, though.”
Now a silence fell on the table. The soft music in the background filled the air, and I watched as the guests shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
As for me, hearing what I’d done in such stark terms didn’t sit well with me, not one bit. I’d felt things for Alice back then that I’d never felt before, but in my memory I’d glossed over just how terrible I’d been toward her. And Richter watched everything carefully.
Still, the mood needed to be lightened. And fast.
“Let’s cut to the good part of the story, babe,” I said, reaching over and placing my hand on Alice’s.
She shook her head as if coming out of some kind of trance.
“Anyway,” she said, the smile returning to her face. “Ancient history. Connor and I bumped into each other a couple of weeks ago, and it was like we picked up right where we left off.”
“Where did you two meet again?” asked Lionel.
“A cocktail party—”
“—Charity event.”
Realizing we’d spoken over each other, our now-wide eyes met.
Shit.
“It was a cocktail mixer thing for a clinic up in Boston,” I said, quickly coming up with something.
“And I was there writing an article for it,” said Alice.
“Really?” asked Lionel. “I figured I would’ve heard of something like that.”
“It’s just a little clinic that a friend of mine in med school set up for underprivileged kids,” I said.
Then my eyes flicked over to Richter as I remembered that he and I went to the same damn med school.
“Really?” asked Richter. “And who was this? I can’t help but feel a little hurt that I didn’t get an invite.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Alice beat me to it, going on with the story as though we hadn’t just fumbled hard.
“And it was like no time had passed at all,” said Alice. “He apologized for being such a jerk to me in high school, and I was more than happy to accept. Then he invited me out for dinner that next day, and it was like we making up for lost time. Things moved so fast, and before I knew it he was proposing to me in Brooklyn.”
“We all saw the video,” said Wendy. “It was so romantic.”
“It was a little sudden,” I said. “But we were both more than happy to let ourselves get carried away with our love.”
“That’s about the most damn heartwarming thing I’ve heard in a while,” said Earl.
“And very convenient,” said Richter, “what with you being in the running for that promotion.”
I resisted the urge to glare at Richter. There was no way that he’d know what Lionel had told me about the “terms” for the promotion, but Lionel’s old-fashioned ways weren’t exactly a secret.
“A wonderful happenstance,” I said. “I think this just might be the universe’s way of telling me it’s time to grow up and get serious.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” said Lionel. “When the time is right, everything finds a way to come into alignment.”
A hard expression formed on Richter’s severe features, and it was clear that he wasn’t happy that the competition had become closer.
I took a sip of my wine and gave him a smile.
The rest of the dinner was far smoother. Thought we chatted about lighter topics, I couldn’t help but feel tension coming from Alice. She’d shared just a hint of how she’d felt after our breakup, and knowing how I’d treated her just didn’t sit right with me.
And on top of everything, Richter’s clear suspicions about everything added another layer of stress to the whole affair. By the time the dinner was over and the doors closed behind the guests, I was ready to collapse in a heap.
Alice, on the other hand, seemed more than a little preoccupied. I had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was all about. Before I could say a word, however, she poured herself another glass of wine and stepped out onto the balcony, leaving me alone.
It was clear that our little recounting of the history between her and me during dinner had stirred up emotions, and I’d be lying if I didn’t feel the same way. As much as I didn’t want to, I knew that the tension between the two of us had to be addressed if this ruse was going to continue.
So, steeling myself with a long sip of wine, I stepped out onto the balcony and into the cool night air.
Chapter 10
Alice
I felt like a mess and I hated it. Between the conversation at dinner and the wine swirling around in my head, I could feel my emotions getting the better of me. Looking out onto the sweeping cityscape beyond the balcony, part of me wished that I’d said “no” to this whole stupid lie, told my editor that I wouldn’t be able to do this particular assignment, and just accepted whatever the consequences might’ve been.
But no—I had to be the cool professional who thought that my history with Connor meant nothing more than an easy “in” for the article. And now, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was paying the price.
The balcony door opened behind me, bringing me out of my thoughts. I didn’t need to turn around to see just who was there. Connor approached me on my right and joined me in looking out into the city. For several long moments, neither of us spoke.
Finally, Connor broke the silence.
“You did good in there,” he said. “You handled that well, considering the circumstances.”
“Glad I could be a good little liar for you,” I said, the words coming out in a cutting tone, as if on their own.
Connor turned toward me, one of his dark, thick eyebrows raised.
“You are aware that this is what we agreed to, right?” he asked. “I know it’s not the most honest situation in the world, but it’s going to work out well for the both of us.”
He was right. That didn’t make me any less frustrated, however.
“And your kid?” I asked. “Could’ve used some warning about that!”
“I figured you knew,” he said, shrugging slightly. “I mean, who did you think those pictures in the apartment are of? Some kid I just thought was really cool?”
“Save the sass,” I said.
He smirked and raised a hand, conceding the point.
“Sorry,” he said. “Like I said, from here on out I’ll make sure that you’re on the exact same page as me with everything. No more surprises.”
I was happy to hear this, but it didn’t temper how I felt about the conversation during dinner.
“But I get the sense that’s not all you’re mad about.”
“I’m not mad,” I quickly spoke.
“You didn’t seem too pleased about the topic of our relationship during dinner. The true parts, at least.”
I measured my words carefully, not wanting to be overly emotional about the whole thing. After a few long moments, I spoke.
“That’s because I wasn’t,” I said. “It’s just…I know it was a long time ago, and I know I should be over it. But you were my first, you know? And girls don’t just sleep with their first guy if they think he’s just going to use them and toss them aside like they’re nothing. And I know that I should’ve known about your reputation, but I was a dumb kid just happy to have the hottest guy in school paying attention to me.”
The words blurted out, like I didn’t have any control over them.
“And then when you did just drop me, when you acted like I was stupid or something for not somehow getting that it was over between us, it hurt. It fucking hurt like nothing else.”
Connor watched me as I spoke, his expression one of careful consideration.
“And I thought I could play it cool, that I could leave all of that shit in the past, but I guess I can’t. And talking about it just opened up the wounds again. Now I don’t know what to think.”
I took another sip of my wine
despite knowing that any more booze would just make me blabber even more.
Connor continued to regard me carefully, and when he figured I wasn’t going to say anything else, he spoke.
“Listen,” he said. “I know there’s nothing I can do about what I did. It’s all in the past, and I can’t change it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel terrible about what I’ve done.”
I let out a dismissive snort.
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re all sorts of bent out of shape about every one of the girls you pumped and dumped back then.”
“I’m not,” he said. “But I am about you.”
I didn’t have a comeback for that. It wasn’t what I was expecting him to say.
“I’m a different man than I was all those years ago,” Connor said. “And I know there’s no way that I can prove it to you with words, so you’ll just have to see for yourself.”
“And you expect me to believe you when you say that you weren’t bothered about any of those other girls, but you were about me?”
“I don’t expect you to believe anything,” he said. “But it’s the truth. And having you bring it up during dinner like that just made it even more apparent, like it wasn’t something I could pretend wasn’t true. You meant something to me, Alice, something that those other girls didn’t. And I’m not sure what it was, but having you here in my life has made it clear that it’s not going away.”
I didn’t know what to say to any of this. On the one hand, it could’ve all just been pretty words, chosen specifically to calm me down. It’s not like Connor wasn’t known for his silver tongue.
On the other hand, he seemed sincere. There was something in his eyes, something deep and serious, something that made me feel as though this wasn’t another one of his honeyed speeches, like the ones he’d told to me and so many other girls over the years.
I went back and forth, trying to figure out what to make of Connor, this new Connor who seemed to be genuinely contrite for what he’d done. And just when I’d settled on how I felt, I’d move over to the other way of thinking, going back and forth and back and forth and back—
And then he kissed me.
Any thoughts that I’d had were obliterated the moment his lips touched mine. A warm rush flowed through my body as he pressed up against me, and I froze in place ramrod straight, my eyes wide open in shock.