“So, you’re Adrian?” Christian’s client, a brunette, turned around. She was stunning, with piercing blue eyes and full, pouty lips. She wore a red sundress with a plunging neckline more appropriate for a different kind of meeting as it barely concealed her full bosom. Who was this tramp?
“Sorry, do I know you?”
Christian cleared his throat. “Adrian, this is Sarah.”
Realization hit Adrian between the eyes, almost knocking her over. It was his ex, the woman who’d cheated on him. The one who’d broken his heart.
The one he’d planned to propose to.
So, this was why he hadn’t called. Sarah was back and clearly seeking Christian’s counsel on more than just legal business. A concoction of anger, disappointment, and a touch of heartbreak coursed through her veins. They didn’t stand a chance with Sarah back in the picture. It was clear to her now they were over before they’d even started.
“Oh, I get it,” she said, finally finding her voice. She looked at Christian, waiting for him to prove her wrong. Waiting for him to say he was helping his ex with any matter not involving the heart. But instead, he looked sheepish, embarrassed for being caught in the act of rekindling things with his ex.
“Adrian, it’s—”
“No, no. I get it,” She cut him off. She wasn’t sure she could handle hearing the truth. She’d seen enough of the truth that day, and her heart couldn’t handle any more. She looked at Sarah. “My apologies for interrupting. If you’ll excuse me.” She closed the door behind her, waiting a moment to see if Christian would come after her. But he didn’t. At least now she knew why he hadn’t called. She felt proud of herself for restraining her anger, disappointment, and heartache, and for at least making it to her car, where she finally allowed herself to let go, allowing tears to escape.
Christian felt shell-shocked. Not only was he surprised to see Sarah sitting at his desk waiting for him when he’d returned from a quick errand, but she hadn’t had a chance to answer him when he asked why she was there before Adrian walked in.
Of course, he knew it wasn’t what it looked like. There wasn’t anything going on between him and Sarah, but he didn’t have a chance to explain that to Adrian before she’d bolted. Not that he could blame her. If he had walked in and saw her sitting with her ex after not calling, he’d assume the worst too.
“Anyway, where were we?” Sarah said, turning back to face him. “Now that she’s gone, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
“Better make it quick.” He had an appointment in the next ten minutes, and even shorter patience for the woman who’d broken his heart.
Sarah flinched, not one to be rushed. “Well, okay then. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here, and why I emailed you.” She waited for him to say something, but he just stared at her. Slightly nervous, she continued. “I’m here because I made a mistake, Christian, and I want you back.”
It was what he feared. Part of him was hopeful she reached out in a professional capacity, but he was wrong. He’d turned the possibility over in his mind when he read her initial email, deciding he would only respond when he knew how he would react if she came back saying she’d made a mistake.
On one hand, it was an easy answer. She’d broken his heart. On the day his uncle, who was like a father to him, died. And he’d finally come to peace with it all after months and months of group therapy. He was moving on, or at least trying to, with Adrian.
On the other hand, this was the only woman he’d ever been in love with. They had built a vision of their future together, naming unborn children, even picking out hypothetical nurseries when they were house shopping right before the end. He’d bought a ring. He carried it with him for weeks, waiting for the perfect moment to make it official. He expressed all his hopes and dreams to this woman, and she’d been supportive, encouraging, and everything a true partner should be.
Until she cheated.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
She reached across the desk. “Would it be too much to ask if we could try again?”
Christian sighed as he pulled his hand from hers. “I…I don’t know, Sarah.” He fixed his eyes on a random spot on his desk.
“Look, I know this isn’t what you were expecting, and I’ve had time to think about it, and you haven’t.” She leaned down to make eye contact with him. “I’ll understand if you need time.”
He nodded, looking away from her. Yes, he needed time to process the conflicting emotions swirling within. He knew if he gave into a second chance they’d fall back into familiarity, re-establishing old routines and habits that fit perfectly like a worn-in shoe. He remembered how her head fit perfectly on his chest, the smell of her hair, how her skin prickled with goose bumps and she tried to resist laughing when he lightly grazed his fingers over her arm while they watched late night shows together in bed. How she took her coffee: Black with stevia. He still had a box of stevia packets in his pantry. How her smile always made him melt, and he’d gotten used to going to sleep listening to her light, rhythmic snoring. It took him months and a white noise machine to break that habit.
Deidre beeped in to notify him his three o’clock was in the lobby waiting for him.
“Would it be too much to ask if you’d like to meet for dinner at the end of this week?”
He paused. Not one to disappoint others, he replied, “Sure.”
She smiled, feeling slightly victorious.
“I mean no,” he said, finally coming to his senses. “I can’t discuss this now, and I don’t want to discuss it ever. Sarah, you cheated, end of story. I could never trust you again.”
Sarah frowned. “I know this is out of left field, but—”
“But nothing.”
Deidre beeped in again.
Sarah didn’t move. “So, what? You think that woman…Adrian is right for you?”
He glared at her, feeling his temper flare at her mention of Adrian. “You need to leave.”
She stood and smoothed her dress to retain composure. She turned to face him from the doorway, opening her mouth to say something.
“Goodbye, Sarah.”
She left without another word.
His heart ached, feeling an old wound threaten to reopen as he forced it to stay closed. To top it all off, he knew Adrian had assumed the worst when she walked into his office. How would he explain to her, someone who knew firsthand what it felt like to be cheated on, that it wasn’t what it looked like? Would she even believe him if he tried?
Deidre beeped in again. His heart would have to wait.
22
Adrian put the finishing touches on the painting of her mother. It had been a total labor of love, and she’d spent so much time scrutinizing every detail, making sure it was up to snuff. She kept hearing fake criticisms from her mother in her mind every time she thought she’d reached the finish line, making tiny tweaks until she’d reached perfection. Besides, agonizing over the painting had been a welcome distraction from thinking about Christian.
It had been almost a week since she last saw him in his office with Sarah, and she’d allowed herself a day to mope around and consider the possibility of what could have been between them. However, she needed to face reality—it wasn’t meant to be. He was obviously rekindling things with his ex. He deserved to be happy. She deserved happiness too, but obviously her happily ever after didn’t include him. With everything else going on in her life at the moment, she had too much on her plate to be concerned with a budding relationship anyway. It was definitely all for the best.
She looked the painting over once more, a smile spreading across her lips as she realized she’d done her mother proud. If Margaret didn’t agree, she was crazy. It was hands down her best work yet, and her heart burst with excitement from her accomplishment. This was it. This was her destiny, her calling, her reason for being here and nothing, not even a love child, would take it away from her.
She cleaned up her makeshift workst
ation, carefully carrying her supplies and the painting toward her car. She turned the car over and headed toward her mother’s house, dialing Laura on her way back. “Hey, did you know our mothers used to be really close?”
“Good afternoon to you too,” Laura said. “And I vaguely remember that. I take it you saw her?”
“Yeah, she found some old photos, one of which was of me and my mom when I was a baby.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet. Did you show your mom?”
“Yeah, and believe it or not, I think the trip down memory lane did us both some good.” Adrian felt a lump form in her throat from thinking about their conversation over the Polaroid. She cleared it. “Anyway, how are you?”
“Good. Dylan is napping, so I’m enjoying the peace and quiet. You know, come to think of it, I remember an argument between our moms about you, I think.”
“Why would they argue about me?”
“I don’t know. It was a long time ago, but I’m pretty sure my mom mentioned something to your mother about being too hard on you and to stop trying to live her life through you, or something to that effect…I don’t really remember.”
Adrian considered Laura’s words as they tumbled around in her mind. It matched what Elizabeth told her, but she didn’t have the faintest memory of any of that happening. She still couldn’t help feeling like something was missing from the whole equation. She’d seen her mother be soft with other people in her life, so why had she always been so hard on Adrian in particular?
“Adrian?”
“Sorry, what?”
“Has Brian given you an update on the lien?”
She sighed. “He received the paper trail of Celeste’s relationship with Brad, and it was graphic. I couldn’t read it all.”
“You okay?”
“Peace begins with me, right?” She turned into Shady Acres. The lawn crew was busy manicuring the golf course and trimming bushes. The smell of cut grass permeated her car. “Celeste has gone missing too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently, she vacated her apartment and skipped town. No one can find her. But Brian said he knows someone who can.”
“Does that mean she’s dropping her case?”
“No, it’s not that easy, but we’ll see what happens once Brian’s guy finds her.”
“Oh, wait a minute. You haven’t mentioned anything about Christian.” Her voice was laced with honey. “Did you see him?”
“Oh, yeah. I walked in on him having a meeting with his ex, so that explains why he didn’t call. He’s getting back together with her.”
She paused. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know. I don’t get it either, but whatever.” Adrian feigned nonchalance, but on the inside, her heart sank.
“He’s dumber than I thought, and it’s obviously his loss,” Laura assured her.
“Aw, you always know what to say.” Adrian smiled, pulling up to the house. “I better go check on my mom. I told her I’d help get things ready for her friends to come over this evening.”
“Is she making pot brownies again?”
Adrian’s ears turned red. “After the week I’ve had, I really hope so.”
Laura laughed. “Go have fun. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Love you.”
“Love you more.”
“Ante up,” Gilda said, as they gathered around the dining table to play cards after a delicious, green meal. Gilda brought over a chicken curry and Bev brought naan with special herb butter. Margaret and Adrian worked together to make blondies instead of brownies, which looked a little unappetizing with a slightly green tint.
They raised the stakes by playing nickel ante poker instead of gin rummy. Adrian personally had zero poker face, so it was a good thing she brought plenty of nickels. The ladies were likely to clean her out of a whopping three dollars.
Her mother held her cards so close to her chest Adrian wondered if she even knew what she was holding. She admired her mother’s courage of staying true to her word, wearing her oxygen even in front of the girls. Bev held her hand a little too loose, revealing she wasn’t holding jack squat. Adrian would have expected a loose hold from Gilda, who looked around the table at her competition with a raised eyebrow, sizing them up, preparing to do her worst.
“Hit me,” Bev said.
“No, Bev, we’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em in tribute to Adrian,” Margaret said.
“Your bet,” Gilda said to Margaret, who raised the stakes a nickel. Everyone checked her bet, and Gilda revealed three cards. Margaret bet three nickels.
“Too hot for me,” Bev said, folding her hand. Adrian agreed with that move based on the woman’s hand. At least she knew when to fold ‘em.
“Speaking of hot, what’s the latest with Christian?” Gilda asked with a sly smile.
“Don’t distract me from the high stakes here,” Adrian said, dodging the question.
“Has he called?” Bev asked, looking at her with eager eyes.
Adrian matched her mother’s bet, attempting to bluff. “No, he hasn’t, and I doubt he will.” She rested her chin on her hand, covering her mouth as she feigned total concentration on their intense game.
“What makes you say that?” Gilda asked, placing another card in the middle. Adrian sat up a bit straighter now that she had a pair of twos.
“I saw him in his office rekindling things with Sarah, his ex.” Adrian shrugged. Margaret raised her bet three more nickels, ruthlessly trying to clean them all out.
“That’s absurd,” Gilda said, her mouth hanging open. “The hussy that cheated on him?”
“I know, I really don’t get it,” Adrian said.
“Bev, talk some sense into your nephew,” Gilda said, giving her a playful nudge.
Adrian evaluated the current bet and her pair of twos, weighing the options after her mother’s heavy-handed bet. “I fold,” she said, placing her cards face down. She wished Gilda luck.
“It’s too soon for that, isn’t it?” Margaret’s voice cracked.
“No, I think I’ll hang onto my money for the next round.”
“Not on the cards, on Christian,” Margaret said, taking her eyes off the cards to look at Adrian. The game paused as everyone waited for her response.
“He folded, not me,” Adrian said, throwing her hands up. She watched Gilda place another card in the middle for the final bet.
“That doesn’t sound right. I don’t see him getting involved with her again. Give him time.” Bev touched her hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”
“Maybe you should show up at his office in fuck me pumps and a trench coat,” Gilda said, waiting for Margaret’s bet on the last round. “I bet he’ll remember to call after that.”
Adrian blushed, avoiding eye contact with anyone at the table. Their tryst hadn’t exactly involved a trench coat, but…
“Wait, you’ve already done that haven’t you?” Gilda asked, looking at her beet-red face.
“Not exactly,” Adrian mumbled.
“You really need to knock some sense into him,” Gilda said to Bev.
Bev shrugged. “Maybe he’s just scared. He’s been through a lot, you know.”
“And she hasn’t?” Margaret said, surprising Adrian by sticking up for her.
“Alright, enough already. Show me whatcha got,” Gilda said. Margaret revealed she only had a pair of twos, and Gilda had three-of-a-kind. She wiggled in her chair in celebration, collecting her winnings by sweeping her arms over the pot.
“You bet it all on a pair of twos?” Adrian asked, dumbfounded. She had the same hand and didn’t feel it was worth it.
Margaret nodded. “A pair is always worth betting on.”
She was right. All bets were off whenever Adrian was with Christian. She could see herself falling hard for him. But then she remembered he chose someone else. “It takes two to play, though,”
Adrian said. Gilda shuffled the cards, the sound of fanning and folding as the two halves merged back into one deck echoed in the room. “Hey, isn’t it time for a brownie or whatever the hell we made?”
“You sure you can hang?” Margaret raised an eyebrow.
“Without a doubt.” Adrian slapped the table and went to get the blondies. “I’m your daughter, right?” She grinned, slicing into the pan.
“Absolutely.” Margaret beamed. Gilda passed out the cards, and they placed starting bets again. Adrian bit into a blondie, the rich buttery taste tickling her tongue.
“He’ll ante up again, you know,” Bev assured her. Adrian felt skeptical but hopeful that she was right.
Adrian put the last glass in the dishwasher before starting it, then wiped down the table to help clean up after the poker game. Margaret put the cards away in her room and went to get ready for bed.
As Adrian looked around to see if anything still needed picking up, she couldn’t help thinking about the poker game and her mother’s words of wisdom: A pair is always worth betting on. Was she really ready to place her bets again? Unfortunately, the one man she wanted had folded before the game really started. But if anything, her experience with Christian assured her she could, and would, move on from Brad.
It warmed her heart thinking about her mother sticking up for her with Bev. She couldn’t recall another time when that had happened. And yes, Bev was right. Adrian knew Christian had been through a lot, but honestly, at their age, who hadn’t? Everyone has a story to tell, but she knew with absolute certainty the story she’d yet to tell would be more interesting than her old one. She wanted to keep the old in her rear-view, focusing on what she could see in the headlights traveling down the new road to her future. Time would tell who would join her on the new journey.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Maybe one of the girls forgot something. A big bouquet of stargazer lilies and roses greeted her with their heady fragrance as she opened the door, Harold hidden behind them. He’d combed his hair, using pomade to make it stay in place, and had on a gray sportcoat and a buttercream buttoned shirt. A hint of Old Spice mixed with the flowers.
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