Maybe it was fate all along.
“I need time.” It’s the only thing I can think to ask.
“Time.” He registers my request and appears to be satisfied. “I can give you time, but not too much. I know you, Kathryn. You’ll run. I knew I should have never taken you out of that hotel room.” He smiles that gorgeous smile and brushes a lose strand of hair off my face, cupping my face in the process. “Tomorrow. Meet me at the W Hotel. I’ll be waiting for you. Take the night, but that’s it. I love you, Kathryn, and I’ll take you any way I can get you.”
Time. I’ve bought myself time.
I lean up on my toes and kiss this impossible man on the cheek and hold on to it for what feels like an eternity. This gorgeous, successful man who is also a philanthropist and classically trained musician who has the world at his fingertips wants me. Me. A soon-to-be divorcee, mother of one, with no job and no friends. There is something incredibly wrong with the universe.
Asher leads me back to the SUV where Devon is waiting. He sends me on my way, hoping I’ll return to him with the answer he desires. As magical as it seems, this isn’t how I envisioned the night playing out.
Devon has special permission to drive through the park, as it’s closed for the evening’s special event. I’m glad to be able to see it in all its hectic glory. The lights, the people, the security. It looks incredible. The music soars through the air, and I revel in the amazing production that was put together in a few short weeks.
And tomorrow, it will all be gone. This concert is just like Jackson’s building blocks. Build them up to knock them down. And tomorrow, there’ll be another production for Erik, another sparring partner for Heather, another Twinkie for Asher.
Oh, Asher. Why did you have to turn my world upside down? You are amazing in so many ways, but you had to play the love card.
Is it possible for him to love? Yes. He can love and will love deeply, but is it for me? And do I love him? Did I fall in love with him in Miami?
I did fall in love once. At a beer pong table? No. That was lust. I fell in love with Gabriel the next day, at breakfast. I fell in love when he made those god-awful pancakes. I laugh to myself at the thought. Gabriel is a terrible cook.
Memories assault me of Gabriel and me on our first date at the batting cage where I taught him how to swing a bat. When I met him, I thought he might be a baseball player. He wasn’t. He was on crew, but I didn’t know that, so I thought he might enjoy the cages. It was something I did often and hoped we could share it together. Well, one look at his swing and I knew I was dead wrong. Sure, he hit the ball with power, but it went in every other direction.
He was sweet about it, though. He let me show him the correct stance and proper follow through. Luckily for both of us, he was a fast learner. Now he hits the ball fast, far, and on target every time.
My thoughts are disrupted when Devon pulls up in front of my house. I kindly thank him for the ride and wave politely from my front lawn as I watch him pull away. I take one look at my front door and know I’m not ready to go inside yet. However I do, for a second, only to grab Gwen’s keys. I hop in her car and drive away.
I could go to the batting cages, but I’m in a dress. I could keep driving, but for some reason, I find myself in front of The Inn. I don’t know why, but I’m parked right in front of the hotel Gabriel is staying at.
I’ve never been at The Inn before. It has a gorgeous rustic feel. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by a large foyer with a stone fireplace. Tonight the fire is roaring even though it’s warm outside. To the right is a reception area with a beautiful birch mahogany desk and a large winding ornate staircase leading up to the second level just beyond it. To the left is a bar area. It’s still early, and although I may be slightly overdressed, I think I’ll have a drink.
The bar is empty except for a few guests in the corner that are seated at a table, enjoying a nightcap. I decide to take my party of one to the bar. I hop on the stool at the corner and order a whisky. I need the strong stuff to survive.
I take one swig and my throat burns. I don’t drink enough to know if it’s because he gave me the good expensive stuff or the cheap lower shelf brand. I might as well keep on drinking. I deserve the burn.
“Since when did you start drinking hard liquor?” I’m surprised to see him standing there. Not for the fact that he’s standing there, since I am drinking in the hotel he’s staying in. I’m surprised because the sight of him still does things to me.
“I guess I just wanted to feel like a grownup for the night.” I watch his navy blues for any sign he doesn’t want me here.
Shifting from one foot to the other, Gabriel scans the bar area before taking a tentative step forward and takes the seat next to me on the corner of the bar. He motions toward the bartender. “Make that two.”
The bartender hands Gabriel his glass, and I watch as he takes a slow and steady sip. He looks good. He’s in jeans and a plaid button-down shirt. No tie, no top button, sleeves rolled. His hair is long, much longer than he’s worn it in a long time. He needs a haircut, but I like the mess of waves. He grabs his glass and I hear the unmistakable clink of his wedding ring hitting the glass. My breath hitches.
“Guess I forgot to take this off.” He motions toward his hand, flexing it out to feel the weight of the metal on his skin.
I look down on mine. “Me too.” I raise my glass. “Here’s to our rings’ last night out on the town until they get pawned and sold to some lowly sap.”
He raises his glass to mine and adds, “And may their marriage last longer than ours.” We clink our glasses even though his words sting.
Gabriel stretches his strong arm across the counter, plucking an olive from a bowl off the counter behind the bar. He pops the green olive in his mouth and swirls it around with his tongue.
I twirl my glass in my hand, watching the amber liquid dance in the glass. It’s like a mini tornado. Glancing up, I look over and catch Gabriel staring at me through his beautiful lashes.
“What?” I ask.
His jaw shifts from side to side before his hand rises to rub his jaw and swipes over his mouth, coming to rest on his glass. “You know, when I came down the stairs just now, I saw this beautiful woman enter the hotel lobby. She was the most gorgeous thing I ever saw in my life. It made me stop and catch my breath. I actually followed her in here to buy her a drink, and I get here and she is… you.” Gabriel laughs at his idiocy and takes a swig of his whisky.
I don’t know if I should be flattered or disappointed by his words. At least he’s still here having a drink with me. “That reminds me of this guy I once met. You see, we were at this bar in Maryland. He had this beautiful wavy dark hair and navy-blue eyes. I waited for him every day after class to ask me for my name, and each day I refused, secretly hoping he’d be back there the next day.”
Gabriel let out a shy smile at the memory. “I came back everyday, hoping to learn your name. I fell in-love with you on those walks.” His eyes lit up. “When I saw you, that night, in the bar, my life changed forever.”
“I threw that game of beer pong just so you would take me on that date,” I finally admit. It’s been an ongoing joke between us that Gabriel knew I wanted him as soon as I walked through the door. He’s right. He was always right.
“I knew it!” His face shoots up in surprise.
I can feel the crinkle around my eyes from smiling. “Doesn’t matter, though, because we didn’t have to wait until that date.” I looked him right in the eyes. “We were so hot for each other we walked right out of that bar and almost didn’t make it out of the cab.”
Gabriel takes a final swig of his whiskey and lets out a deep grunt, stands up, and takes his wallet out to pay for the drinks. “It was the best day of my life. Please don’t ruin it.”
Still sitting at the bar, I continue, still caught in the memory. “The next day, he made me these terrible pancakes because he wanted to impress me. As much as he wanted to do something nice for me, I knew I would spend the rest of my life doing everything I could to make him happy. But you see, I failed him.”