She smiled, squeezing his hand, “Last night was incredible. Don’t tempt me, because you know how weak I am.”
“You should never reveal your weaknesses,” he said, leaning down, kissing her below the ear. She leaned her neck back slightly, welcoming his lips.
Clair reached up, cupping his neck, “You may know my weakness, but I have something else… will power.” She pushed him away playfully. “As much I would like for you to continue, I’d really hate to miss Stu’s proposal. Roz would be so disappointed if we missed it. Plus, we have all night and tomorrow before either one of us have to go back to work.” She grinned and reached up, kissing him slowly and teasing him by slipping the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.
She had become an expert at teasing him, especially at the wrong times, causing him to use quite a bit of restraint to resist having his way with her. He slid his fingers along her neck, looking down at her. “If you keep doing that, we’re going to be very late.”
She smirked and leaned in closer, her lips only a breath away from his, “I’m almost tempted… but no.” Clair pulled away, trying to be serious. “No, this day is about Roz and we need to be there for her. Let’s go.”
They had been at Stu’s house for a couple hours before the guests started arriving. Alex had volunteered to help Roz set up tables and chairs and put the food out, while Clair and Stu caught up. All of the guests were fellow co-workers from both the diner and the construction company, along with acquaintances and people Stu and Roz had befriended through the past few years. Alex spent most his time introducing Clair to all of his buddies from work and hearing all the Oh, this is Clair; This is the girl you talk about all the time comments. He also received pats on the back as if he’d done a good job picking out the right girl, which he knew he had.
Someone came up behind him, grabbing his shoulder. When he turned around, Stu said, “Can you and Marie… I mean Clair… Damn! I can’t get used to that. Can you two head into the living room and just mingle around with Roz? Once everyone gets in there, I’m going to do it. If I don’t pass out first,” Stu said under his breath.
Once they found Roz, it was easy to get her attention. She hadn’t seen Clair all morning and they were talking about the conversation she had earlier with Stu. Roz was oblivious to the growing crowd around them and after a short time, Stu came over and grabbed Roz by the hand.
“Great turnout, Stu, looks like everyone’s here,” Alex said.
“Yeah, it is. No pressure right? I have to make sure the party’s good or no one will come back,” Stu said jokingly.
Alex could tell Stu was nervous. Stu’s right hand held on tightly to Roz’s, while his left fit snugly in his pocket. Alex could only imagine him twirling that ring around in there, trying to reassure himself that he could do it. When Stu cleared his throat, Alex knew it was time.
“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Stu asked loudly as he looked around the room. “I just wanted to thank everyone for coming. Roz and I have wanted to have a party for some time now, and we’re glad we could finally get everyone together. Roz sure knows how to cook, doesn’t she?”
Alex could hear the mumbles of the crowd agreeing with Stu. After all, there was a reason the diner stayed busy all the time.
“But her cooking isn’t all she’s good at,” Stu said as he turned toward her. He stared into her face, taking her other hand with his. “You’re the most caring person I know. You’re always helping those in need and it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you. It’s why others love you too. I remember all those times I went into your diner and ate a slice of apple pie just trying to work up the guts to ask you out. And when I finally worked up the nerve, you said no. Talk about crushing a guy’s pride.”
Alex laughed along with everyone else in the room, except for Roz. She stood still as a statue on the carpet, her eyes wide, realizing what was happening, but still not accepting the moment for what it was.
“It only took one burnt-up kitchen, some remodeling, and persistence to convince you to go out on one date with me. I think you agreed just so I’d leave you alone, but that first date changed my life. You made the last year and a half of my life finally mean something again.” His voice choked and his eyes filled with tears, “And I know there isn’t anywhere I want to go in life without you by my side.”
Stu dropped Roz’s left hand to retrieve the ring from his pocket. Kneeling on one knee, he looked up at her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she covered her mouth with her hand.
“I love you, Roz. Will you marry me?”
Roz choked back a sob as she nodded. Alex watched as Stu slipped the ring on her finger before standing up. He had never seen Stu more emotional than he’d seen in the last two days. The way he looked at her, it was obvious how much he loved her. Oblivious to the people watching, Stu pushed Roz’s hair away from her face and stroked her cheek with his finger, before kissing her. Alex couldn’t blame them for being so unconcerned about the people around them. He knew he’d act the same way if he were proposing to Clair. Wait, what am I saying? But he knew deep down what he was thinking. He’d never felt for anyone like he did Clair, and he couldn’t see himself without her. With everything going on right now and the uncertainty of the business in Pittsburgh, Alex thought it was best to see where the road was going to take them before he considered any concrete plans for their future.
“Hey, I’m going to go get something to nibble on,” Clair said, rubbing her belly. “I feel nauseous, probably because I haven’t eaten yet.”
She looked pale, more than usual, and Alex wondered if it Stu and Roz’s engagement were bothering her. “You okay with your dad marrying Roz? I imagine it might feel a little strange?”
“Well, it’s a little weird. The idea of my dad marrying someone else seems odd, but I think that’s only because the last time I saw him, he was married to my mom. But Roz… she’s wonderful. Roz has been more of a mother to me in the past few months then my mom has in the last nine years. I actually couldn’t be happier. I can’t wait to see them get married.”
“So you’ll go with me to the wedding then?”
“Duh! I wouldn’t dare miss the chance of seeing you in a suit.” Clair smiled, turning to walk away, “I’ll be back in a minute,” she said over her shoulder.
Alex looked around the room at everyone standing in small groups, talking and laughing. He spotted Stu talking with two men and decided to go over. Giving Stu a good pat on the back, he said, “Congratulations, boss,” holding out his hand for him to shake.
“Thanks, Alex,” he said looking around. “Where’s Clair? Everything okay?”
“She’s fine, just went to get something to eat.” Alex looked over at the men standing next to Stu and tried to place them, but he’d never seen them before.
“Alex, meet Benjamin and Jason, associates of mine. They’ve helped me gain some important contracts in the past, and they have contacts we can utilize in Pittsburgh.”
Alex shook the men’s hands. He still wasn’t prepared to go back to Pittsburgh, and he hadn’t had the chance to talk to Stu or Clair about it.
“So, Alex,” Benjamin started, “how is it working for Stu? He’s not a hard-ass, is he? I hear he has quite the reputation of finishing contracts before the proposed deadline?”
Everyone laughed and Alex patted Stu on the back, “Are you kidding, hard-asses don’t give marriage proposals like that.” More laughter ensued before he said seriously, “He’s only strict when it’s needed. Stu knows when to put his foot down and get the job done. It took me a little while to understand that, but look… I’m still here,” he said with a smile.
Stu chuckled, “That’s right, and Alex here is the best employee I have. In fact, he’s going to be heading the whole conversion up in Pittsburgh, I hope, in a couple of weeks.”
“Oh that’s a fantastic opportunity for you, Alex,” Jason said, “If you’re as good as Stu says you are, I’m sure you�
�ll do well handling things. When you get settled in up there and are able to take on a few new projects, give us a call. We’ll schedule a meeting.”
“Yes sir, that sounds great. I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Alex said. He wasn’t really looking forward to it, not now, but he wasn’t going to tell them that.
“Yeah, and I’ll be up there off and on to make sure everything goes smoothly, but I doubt Alex will even need me. He’s so proficient at what he does, some wonder who owns this damn company,” Stu joked.
“I don’t know about that,” Alex laughed, “but thanks for your vote of confidence.”
“Alright, Stu,” Benjamin said, “We need to head off. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing you both in a few weeks.”
Alex shook their hands again, confirming that he’d see them soon. Stu walked the guys out and when Alex turned, he nearly ran into Clair who stood behind him. The smile was gone from her face and a more refined, serious expression took its place.
“So you are going back to Pittsburgh? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Alex closed the gap between them. “Considering the circumstances of what happened yesterday, I didn’t think it wasn’t important right now. I had every intention of telling you… even though I was dreading it.”
“Oh.” Clair paused. Her forehead wrinkled up, as if trying to decide what she wanted to say next. “You shouldn’t feel bad for telling me, Alex. You know you can tell me anything. And this is a great opportunity for you; you should be happy.”
“I know it is, and I probably would have thought so a few months ago. But if I can’t be with you, it’s not worth it. I need to talk to Stu about it. I don’t want to go.”
“No. Don’t say that. You’ve worked too hard to let an opportunity like this pass you by and I’m not letting you base your decision on whether I’m in the picture or not.” Clair’s voice shook a little as she said those words. “It’s not fair to you and everything you’ve worked for.”
“Don’t talk like that, Clair, of course you’ll be in the picture. If you can’t, then I’m not going.”
“You have to go,” she said simply.
Alex started talking faster as he tried to get Clair to understand what he was saying. “If I do, what will happen to our relationship? How will we make this work?”
“I don’t know, Alex. I’ve just gotten my dad back and I’ll be working on repairing our relationship. It’s going to take some time to get back what nine years took away and I can’t just leave without giving him that opportunity. We’ve got a couple of weeks before you go, we’ll work something out. Let’s talk about this later. Right now isn’t the place or time.”
Alex nodded, but he could tell it was bothering her. The creases in her forehead always told him when she was worried, but usually they were accompanied by tears. Not this time. She was holding back, he could feel it. But he never got the chance to respond, because Roz walked up and wrapped her arms around her.
“Hey, you two, isn’t this practically the best day ever?” Roz asked in a cheerful tone.
There was no mistaking the blissful happiness that was laced across her face. The smile on her spread so wide that Alex was sure her cheeks would be sore in the morning.
“It’s a fantastic day,” Clair said, disguising all of the worry she’d been showing seconds ago. “Now let me see that ring. I could see it sparkling from across the room.”
Roz took it off her finger and handed it to her. “Here. Look, it’s like a rock. Feel how heavy it is,” she said. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe he picked it out by himself.”
Clair slipped it on her finger and it was eerie to see it fit her finger perfectly. It didn’t take much for Alex to picture that being Clair’s ring, and him being the one to give it to her. Her face turned somber as she held her hand out to look at it from a distance. Alex wondered if Clair was thinking the same thing he was.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,’ she said, taking the ring off and handing it back to her. “The style fits you perfectly. Welcome to the family… Mom,” Clair said, putting emphasis on the “Mom”.
Roz nearly broke down crying again, but held herself together, giving Clair a tight squeeze. “You are not allowed to make me cry today, Stu already managed to do that. But thank you so much. It really means a lot to hear you say that.” Roz looked at her watch, “Oh crap, I was supposed to leave ten minutes ago.”
“Where are you going?” Clair asked.
“Oh, I’ve got someone dropping something off at the house and I’m supposed to meet them there.”
Clair glanced at Alex and frowned before looking back at Roz. “Can I ride with you? I want to lie down for a while. I don’t feel too good.”
“I can take you,” Alex said.
“No,” Clair said, perhaps a little too firm. “I mean, there’s no need for you to leave if Roz is going that way anyway. Plus, there are a lot of business people here. You should mingle; you never know what connections you can use in Pittsburgh.” Clair looked back at Roz, “Let me just go tell my father I’m leaving. I’ll meet you outside.” Clair turned and walked away.
Alex opened his mouth to call her back but decided against it. He had no doubt she wasn’t feeling well, it was obvious from what she said earlier and how she looked. But he also knew she was upset about him going back to Pittsburgh and that she was trying not to show it. He would see her later tonight and they could talk about it more. Alex knew somehow, he was going to find a way to work things out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Clair
Since the engagement party, her father and Alex had been busy getting everything in order for Pittsburgh. Clair hadn’t seen much of Alex and the time they did spend together seemed to be in the company of others. She missed their alone time but still wasn’t ready to have the conversation they needed to have whenever they were alone. Accepting extra shifts and working late every night possible were good reasons to avoid “the talk”.
When she left the party the previous week, Clair had time to reflect on what her future would be like if Alex decided to go to Pittsburgh. If he stayed, he would be giving up an incredible opportunity to work with her father, and she felt like one day he would regret the decision of staying and grow resentful of her. She wouldn’t be able to stand herself if she let him make that choice.
If he decided to go, which she knew, deep down, was the right thing to do, she’d have to let him. Seeing him only on the weekends or every other week or month wouldn’t be any kind of way to have a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair for either of them to spend half their life waiting to see the other. No. Letting him go would be the hardest decision she’d ever have to make, but deep down, she knew it was the right choice for him.
The day had flown by. It had been their busiest day all week and Clair had been there since early that morning. The longer the day stretched, the worse she felt. The nausea wouldn’t go away and even though she knew she needed to eat, she just didn’t have any appetite.
Roz popped her head through the front diner door and asked, “Hey, can you get two Cokes and take them to table six for me? I’ve got to help Alex with something out here.”
Oh crap! Alex is here? When did he get here? Clair was nervous about seeing him, her anxiety level peaking at the thought of him being right outside the door. He had to know by now she was avoiding him and her stomach dropped, knowing he was just outside.
“Yeah, sure,” Clair said as she walked out from the kitchen to fill the drinks. Dizziness washed over her and she gripped the counter to steady herself. Shaking off the feeling, Clair grabbed two cups and filled them. When she started across the room, Alex caught her eye and smiled. At first, he seemed blurry and far away. Then the room started to spin and suddenly, she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. It felt as if time had slowed and the cups fell slowly from her hands as she slumped to the floor. A cool wetness seeped through her shirt, and she could see the empty cups lyin
g on the floor beside her, before she succumbed to the blackness around her.
She heard her name and felt someone rubbing her cheek. When Clair opened her eyes, she saw Alex and Roz leaning over her; but what impressed her most was the complete silence around her. The diner had come to a standstill.
Alex brushed the hair from her eyes, “Are you all right? Did you hurt anything?”
She shook her head no. She could remember falling, but not hitting the floor.
“Clair, what happened? Did you slip?” Roz asked.
“No, I saw it happen,” Alex said. “Her eyes closed, and then she swayed back and forth, before she fell.”
“Shit,” Clair said, under her breath. “Help me up, I’ll be fine.”
“No, I’m taking you to doctor.” Roz stated.
“I’ll be fine. I probably just need to eat something, that’s why I got lightheaded. I’m fine, really, I am.”
“I’m taking you to the doctor Clair, don’t argue with me,” Roz insisted. “You’ve been sick for a couple weeks now. Something’s not right and it’s about time we go find out what it is.”
“Fine, whatever you say,” Clair said, annoyed. She didn’t like others worrying over her, but if this made Roz feel better, she’d go.
“I’ll go too,” Alex said.
“There’s no need, Alex. If it’s something serious, I’ll call you. It’s probably nothing more than a cold or something and she just needs some rest, something I know she’s not getting enough of lately.” She looked back at Clair, “I’m taking you off the schedule for the rest of the week.”
“But you can’t—” Clair started.
“Yes, I can, and I will.” She grabbed her arm, “Alex, help me get her to my car.”
Passing out in the diner had made her weaker than she thought it would, and she had to lean against Alex to keep from falling down. He helped Clair get into the passenger seat and buckled the seatbelt around her.
He knelt down beside her, looking her over. The worry creases stretched across his forehead and Clair brushed her hand over his cheek to comfort him.
Taking Chances Page 23