by Terri DuLong
The waiter then proceeded to fill my glass before topping off Chadwick’s.
When the waiter retreated, Chadwick lifted his flute to touch mine. “Here’s to us,” he said. “A new friendship and wherever it might lead us.”
I smiled and nodded. “To friendship. Oh, this is wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like it. Piper-Heidsieck, from the Champagne region of France.”
I took another sip. In addition to his good looks, this man projected a cosmopolitan demeanor.
The waiter brought the menus, and Chadwick told him he’d signal when we were ready to order.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said, leaning back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world to listen. Just to me.
“There really isn’t much to tell. I grew up in Pennsylvania. My mom left when I was fifteen, so it was just my dad and me.”
“That had to be rough on you.”
“It was. Especially because she left us to be with her lover. She took off for Oregon and taught art classes at the university there.”
He nodded and waited for me to continue.
“I went to Penn State and married Roger after eight years of dating. We had a decent life—until we didn’t. But Haley was the bonus from our marriage.”
“She seems like a really nice young lady.”
“She is. Sometimes I feel she’s more mature than I am. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I think we’re on a good track now. I just always wanted the two of us to have the relationship that my mother and I never had.”
“That’s understandable. And your mother? You never hear from her?”
“Not much over these thirty years. But she’s retired now, apparently the lover is no longer in the picture . . . and she wants to worm her way back into my life.”
Chadwick took a sip of champagne before saying, “And I take it that you’re not interested?”
“Not really, no. But she’s not going to make it easy. She’s decided to relocate here, to Ormond Beach.”
“Hmm. And how do you feel about that?”
“I certainly can’t stop her. She’s bought a place at The Trails and will be here in two weeks.”
“Yeah, you could have some difficult times ahead.”
I was surprised that Chadwick didn’t try to placate me, by telling me it might all work out and things would be fine.
“Shall we look over the menu?” he asked, passing the large leather booklet to me.
We decided on identical choices: an appetizer of baked herb goat cheese and roasted peppers followed by a spinach salad. For our entrée we both chose chicken cordon bleu roulade.
Chadwick gave our order to the waiter, who then refilled our flutes.
When he left the table, I said, “Your turn. Tell me about you.”
“Well, I grew up in the Atlanta area. My father still owns a real estate company there. I had an older brother, Aaron, who passed away from cancer about twenty-five years ago. Maybe Chloe mentioned this to you?”
When I shook my head no, he paused a second before continuing.
“After Aaron passed away, I decided to move down here. I had just turned thirty and it was time for me to establish my own business and life.”
“And you’ve never been married?”
He laughed. “No, never. Had a few serious relationships that eventually led nowhere, but that was it.” He took a sip of champagne and locked his eyes with mine. “I never found the right woman.”
As silly as it sounds, I had the strangest feeling that he wanted to add, not until now.
We moved on to less personal topics such as sports, movies, music, and food. I was surprised to discover that we had a lot in common.
Our appetizers arrived and we continued talking. A singer had now taken the stage and was crooning old Dean Martin songs into the microphone.
I nodded toward the stage. “He’s very good,” I said.
“He is,” Chadwick agreed. “Do you enjoy dancing?”
“I do, but it’s been a million years. I’d probably step all over your toes.”
He laughed. “I doubt that. We’ll give it a whirl after dinner.”
Our conversation continued through the main course and I was beginning to marvel that talking with Chadwick was so easy. As if I’d known him forever, and no matter what I told him, he wouldn’t be shocked or disappointed or judgmental.
We both passed on dessert. After the waiter cleared away our dishes, he topped off our flutes with the remaining champagne.
The music was just beginning again. Chadwick stood, held out his hand to me, and said, “Dance with me.”
The moment I went into his arms and we began dancing, I had a feeling that we’d danced together before, which of course we hadn’t. But he was so easy to follow and his arm around me felt right. He squeezed my hand, looked down at me, and smiled.
It was then I focused on the song and realized it was another old Dean Martin song, “Memories Are Made of This.” And I wondered. Were we beginning a journey of memories together?
After a few more dances Chadwick suggested we have a nightcap in the Havana Bar on the patio. We walked outside and found a padded loveseat in front of the fire pit. I was surprised that nobody else had claimed this spot. I held out my hands near the flame.
“Nice,” I said.
“Are you cold?”
“Not at all. This throws great heat.” I put the lace shawl over my shoulders and sat down.
We both remained quiet staring into the flames. A few minutes later a waiter placed two snifters of cognac on the table beside us.
When he left, Chadwick passed one to me and held up his glass. “Thank you for an incredibly great evening, Isabelle. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. You look so beautiful.”
He made me feel beautiful. “I did too. It’s been a wonderful evening.”
We touched glasses and each took a sip.
He sat back and I felt his arm go around my shoulders, causing me to shiver.
“Are you sure you’re not cold?” he asked, pulling me a little closer.
I smiled and shook my head. “No. Not at all.”
“So are you divorced now or are you still going through the process?”
“Actually, the documents will arrive this coming week. It’s an amicable divorce . . . well, at least now it is. It was pretty shocking to me when Roger first left. But it’s for the best. I know that now.”
Chadwick was quiet for a moment before saying, “So you don’t love him anymore?”
I let out a sigh. “I’m not sure I ever did. After Roger left, I began to be honest with myself. We met shortly after I graduated college. I had majored in journalism and was working for a small newspaper as a reporter covering various events in the area. Roger worked for a local television station. They were having a fund-raiser and I was assigned to cover it.”
I took a sip of cognac and thought back to those years.
“I found myself flirting with him, he seemed to be flirting back, and before I left the event, he had asked me out on a date.”
“And I take it that date led to marriage?”
I laughed. “I guess you could say that. Eight years later.”
“You dated for eight years? That’s a long time.”
“Exactly. By then I was pushing thirty. I was ready to settle down, start a family, and be a wife.”
“But Roger wasn’t?”
“Looking back now, no, I don’t think he was. And in all honesty, what followed was probably my own fault. I gave him an ultimatum. I told him either we took the next step or we were finished.”
Chadwick took a sip of cognac and nodded. “And so . . . you got married.”
“Yup, and Haley was born within a year. The first few years were okay. He worked a lot at the TV station; I was the stereotypical wife and mother. And actually, I loved it. But the older Haley got, the more I found I wanted more of my husband’s company and attention. He was never a romantic sort of guy, but . .
. I was hoping that might change over time.”
“And it didn’t?”
“No. Not for him anyway.” I paused for a moment. “Roger left me for somebody else.”
I felt his arm pull me a bit closer. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “It makes no sense that he would leave you for another woman.”
“He didn’t,” I blurted out. “Roger left me for a man. He’s gay.” I squeezed my eyes tight to prevent the tears from sliding down my face. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. Nobody except Petra knew this. I’d allowed everybody to think he’d left me for another woman. And I’d taken the pain, the rejection, the betrayal, and the hurt deep inside me and let it fester there for almost two years.
“Come on,” Chadwick said, standing up and taking my hand. “Let’s go for a drive.”
Chapter 16
Chadwick headed south on A1A and pulled into the parking lot of Andy Romano Park overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We had both remained quiet on the drive.
He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Feel like talking?”
“Are you shocked or disgusted by what I told you?” I asked.
“Not at all. Discovering that your husband is gay has nothing to do with you.”
I was surprised to hear him say this. “That’s not what I’ve felt these past two years. I thought maybe if I had been different. Sexier. More beautiful. More . . . something.”
I heard him let out a sigh and squeeze my hand again. “Isabelle, this isn’t about you. It’s about marrying a person you simply didn’t know. Even after eight years. But that’s not uncommon. People have a way of projecting only what they want us to see. We all have secrets. Some are minor and not that important. But others have life-shattering consequences. I’m afraid that’s the kind of secret Roger had.”
I nodded. He was right. Then why did I still feel so inadequate as a wife and a woman?
“I just can’t help but feel that maybe if I had done something different, maybe—”
Chadwick interrupted me and shifted in his seat to face me. “Look at me,” he said.
I turned and saw the concerned expression on his face.
“Isabelle, there isn’t a thing you could have done differently. Nothing. Unfortunately, Roger was never honest with you. For that, he was wrong. However, you also have to know how difficult it’s been for homosexuals. It still is in many places. Some of society has become more accepting and of course laws have helped that to happen. But it’s still not always easy. People discriminate and many are consumed with hate. Maybe he felt the time had finally come to be honest, and federal laws probably helped his decision. Do you know the fellow he’s with?”
I nodded. “I don’t really know Gordon, but yes, I’ve met him. He works at the television station with Roger. I just assumed they were good friends. You know, guy buddies. I sure as hell never thought they were gay buddies.”
“Does your daughter know about this?”
I shook my head. “God! No! And she wants to go visit him in April. Roger and Gordon are now living together. I have no idea how I’m going to tell Haley. And apparently, now that the laws have changed, they’re planning to make it legal and get married.” I let out a groan. “I can’t even imagine explaining this to my daughter.”
“You know, kids today aren’t like we were. Everything is out in the open now. Being gay or a lesbian is something today’s generation is exposed to and I think that’s gone a long way to make kids more broadminded. They might not all accept homosexuality, but it’s not hidden like it was in my parents’ generation.”
I knew Chadwick was right about the sweeping changes in society but I dreaded having to tell my daughter why her father had really left.
“When the time is right, you’ll tell her, and her reaction might surprise you.”
I nodded and recalled that Petra had said the same thing.
He leaned toward me and took my face in his hands. “You’ll do just fine.”
I felt his lips brush mine and all thoughts of Roger were gone. The pressure of Chadwick’s lips increased as I slid my arms around his neck and returned his kiss. A few moments later we broke apart, both of us breathing heavily. Without a doubt this man made up for all of the passion that Roger had lacked.
He pulled back and stared into my eyes. “That . . . was incredibly nice.”
“It was,” I whispered.
He bent his head to kiss me again and there was no denying the desire that he created in my body.
But what really surprised me was when we broke apart and I looked into his eyes, I saw my own desire reflected there—a desire I had never witnessed with my husband.
He buried his face in my neck and whispered, “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”
I released a sigh of contentment and nodded.
Chadwick pulled away, and I saw the dashboard clock read almost midnight. The entire evening had slipped away much too quickly.
“Gosh, I can’t believe the time,” I said.
“I know. I’ll drive you home.”
He backed the car out of the parking spot, reached for my hand, and gave me a smile. “I’m hoping this was the first of many dates to come.”
I returned his smile. “I hope so too.”
When he pulled into the driveway of Koi House, he was still holding my hand. He leaned over to kiss my cheek before getting out, opening my door, and walking me to the porch.
Putting his hands on my shoulders, he leaned toward me for another kiss, which was quickly becoming more heated than the previous ones.
He abruptly pulled away, held me at arm’s length, and said, “Okay. If I don’t leave now, you’re going to end up having a guest overnight.” He kissed my cheek and smiled. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I watched him jog to his car, get in, and wave good night as I wondered why having him as an overnight guest would be a bad thing.
I walked into the house, shut off the porch light, and locked the door before heading to the kitchen for a glass of ice water to bring upstairs.
Walking into the bedroom, I noticed the aroma of Chanel No. 5 was much stronger than earlier and I smiled. The entire night had been magical. Wearing Emmalyn’s gorgeous dress, the supper club, the champagne, the dancing—but most of all, Chadwick Price had been enchanting and made me feel like I’d just lived a page from a fairy tale.
* * *
Sunlight streaming through the windows woke me the next morning. The bedside clock readjust after eight. I stretched and smiled as I recalled the previous evening. Had it all been a dream? No, this time it was real. I really had shared a very special evening with Chadwick. I was pretty sure he liked me. A lot. I certainly had not been looking to get involved with somebody. But maybe it’s accurate that we truly have no control over matters of the heart. Love is involuntary—it happens with no control from us.
And what was with those passionate kisses, I wondered. I recalled Chloe saying she detected chemistry between Chadwick and me the first time we’d met at LuLu’s. Was there also some truth about love at first sight? Many people seemed to think so. I was more of the belief that people didn’t fall in love but rather grew in love. But after spending the previous evening with Chadwick, I was beginning to have my doubts about this.
I got up, headed to the bathroom, and then went downstairs. The house was so quiet with Chloe at Henry’s condo and Haley at Mavis Anne’s house. I started the coffee and opened the front door to get the newspaper. I smiled when I saw the newspaper had a bouquet of flowers attached to it with ribbon. Bending down, I picked it up and noticed there was also a small envelope there.
My smile increased as I took the newspaper and flowers into the kitchen. After pouring myself a mug of coffee, I settled on the stool to read the card written in bold, masculine script.
Just a small thank you for an evening that I wish didn’t have to end. It was signed, Fondly, Chadwick.
I glanced at the bouquet and wondered when he had stopped by to leave
them. And then I looked more closely at the flowers. They weren’t from a florist shop. Had he handpicked these roses and daisies? I had visions of him sneaking into a neighbor’s yard and burst out laughing.
I was filling a vase with water when Haley walked in the back door with Tina.
“Good morning,” I said. “How’d it go staying with Mavis Anne?”
“She’s so cool,” Haley said.
“Yeah,” Tina agreed. “We had the best time. Oh, pretty flowers, Mrs. W.”
I grinned at the new moniker that Tina had recently begun using. “Thank you.”
“From Chadwick?” Haley questioned.
I nodded. “Yeah. I found them on the porch this morning with the newspaper.”
“Oh, wow,” Tina gushed. “Straight out of a Jane Austen novel.”
I laughed. “Have you girls had breakfast?”
“Yes,” Haley said. “Marta came over and made French toast for all of us. She brought her daughter Krystina and the three of us are going to the beach. Is that okay?”
“Sure. So Mavis slept okay and everything went well?”
“Yup,” Haley assured me. “Oh, and David called this morning. He and Clive had just landed at the airport in Milan and were getting their rental car to drive to Lake Como.”
“Oh, good. I’m sure that made Mavis Anne feel good to know they arrived safely.”
The mention of David made me think of something else.
“What time will you be home, Haley?”
“Probably by two. Tina’s mom gets done with work at three today, so she’s going home to be with her.”
“Okay.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
I waved a hand in the air. “Oh, nothing really. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”
Chapter 17
After I showered and dressed, I walked next door to check on Mavis Anne. She was sitting on the patio knitting.
“There you are,” she said. “Details. I want details of that date last night.”
I laughed as I sat down to join her. “Well . . . magical would pretty well cover it. It was simply . . . magical. All of it. The supper club, the food, the champagne, and, of course, Chadwick.”