Part 21 (1/2)
”You mean they don't provide bibs?” I joked. ”What kind of dive are you talking about?”
”The kind of place friends go when they have great news to celebrate.”
She hung up before I realized she'd manipulated me into agreeing to go. I considered calling her back, but Emilia was a pro. I mean, in the last few months, she'd conned me into more hours of exercise than I expected to do in my entire lifetime. Besides, she'd said something about great news. And man, could I use some of that right now.
27.
Hayden It had only been a few weeks since Clare and I had finally brought everything out in the open, but I was coming home to a different woman. I'd never seen her so relaxed, so happy. So...in the hallway.
”We're going out,” she said, leaning up against the door of our apartment.
”Where?” I couldn't recall any parties I had to force myself to go to, and Clare knew better than to surprise me with social events. I needed at least twenty-four hours to gear up and pretend to be happy. Or at least not bored out of my mind.
”You're taking me out to dinner. Think of it as a celebration of our newfound honesty, and not like I'm trying to keep you out of the apartment until it airs out.”
I groaned. ”What happened?”
”I cooked.” She grimaced and then shook her head. ”No, that's not quite right. I charred.”
”Should I call the fire department?”
”Nope,” she said, unsurprised by the suggestion. ”I already put it out. We may need a new pan, though. And potholders. Maybe counters.”
With my eyes shut, I felt her take my arm and turn me toward the elevator. ”Wait. Let me put my briefcase down.” I tossed it through a narrow opening of the door, smelling 'dinner.' ”We may need a new apartment, too.”
”Yeah, maybe.”
We went to one of the places Clare and her friends frequented and were seated near the window despite not having reservations.
”Throw enough money at something...” she said after I'd dismissed the matre d'.
I nodded at her favorite expression and pulled out her chair.
”Hayden, do you realize that the most normal night out we've ever had just happens to be after we've unofficially split up?”
”Maybe we should unofficially split up more often.”
She adjusted her utensils unconsciously, keeping her head lowered until she spoke. ”Thank you, Hayden. For understanding and sticking by me. I had no right to do what I did, and you had every right to walk out the second you knew I was lying.”
”I made my fair share of bad calls and things I should've done differently.”
”Like not marrying a lesbian?”
I smiled. ”Actually, I don't see that as one of my bad calls. You've given me a lot, Clare. Whether you know it or not.”
”You're a sick, sick man, Hayden Bennett.”
I laughed. And agreed.
Until, over Clare's shoulder, I saw Sira, wide-eyed and staring at me from a table across the room. I moved to stand, but she shook her head and then glanced at the woman who was sitting next to her. I was at a loss, wanting to speak to her, but if the other woman was her boss, I'd only complicate things by going over.
”What are you looking at?” Clare asked.
I grabbed her wrist to stop her from turning around and then yanked my hand back. What was worse than Sira seeing me while being with her boss at a restaurant? Seeing me holding my wife's hand while being with her boss at a restaurant. Especially right after a.s.suring her the divorce was pending.
”Hayden?”
I took the champagne out of the pail and refilled Clare's gla.s.s. ”It's nothing.”
”Well 'nothing' just put an endearing look on your face that quickly turned into panic, so-”
”Someone I work with is here. But she may not want to be seen with the person she's with.”
”Oh,” Clare said, tilting her head as if it was an everyday occurrence. And it was-ignoring the obvious for sake of propriety. I'd seen it in every woman I'd ever known.
I tried to keep my eyes away from Sira to prevent stressing her out more than she already was, but my gaze was drawn back to her every time I stopped concentrating on avoiding her. Now that I'd finally met her, all I wanted to do was study her.
She stood abruptly and turned away, b.u.mping into the server.
”Okay, I guess I'll order for you,” the other woman said to her.
Sira whipped around. ”No, don't. Please, Emilia.” As she met my gaze again, she shook her head, and then rushed toward the front of the restaurant.
I pushed my chair back and stood. ”I'll be right back.” When I got to the hostess desk, I looked around. She wouldn't have walked out of the restaurant without telling her companion, so I turned into the thin hallway leading to the restrooms. I pa.s.sed the men's room and, glancing around quickly, opened the door to the ladies' room and whispered her name.
When no one answered and I didn't hear anything, staying near the door just in case someone screamed and I had to run for it.
”Are you in here?” What an idiot. I hadn't snuck into the girl's bathroom since I was seventeen years old and at boarding school.
”Go away,” she said from inside one of the stalls.
”I just want to talk to you for a second.”
”Go away.”
”Sira, please.” I flicked the deadbolt on the door. There were three stalls, each door going all the way to the bottom. I knocked on the first door and then jiggled the handle. Then the second. Both empty. ”Can you please come out and talk to me?”
”You know what women do in here, right? Well, I'm doing that. So go away.”
”I can wait.” I wiped the edge of the vanity slowly and then leaned against it.
”Hayden, you need to leave.”
”I will...just as soon as we talk.”