“What do you say? Sushi or Chinese?” Trent moved in my line of vision blocking my view of Paxton.
With a huff, I gave him my attention. “Can you repeat that please?” I looked over his shoulders, and sure enough, Paxton was gone.
“Lunch. I asked you to lunch.”
Nodding my head, I turned towards Brooke. “What time is our last meeting?”
She glanced at her planner. “Four. We’re meeting with Kameron.”
“Lunch sounds good to me. When you make the reservation, please include four others.”
His eyes skirted over to Brooke and then back to me. “I-I thought you and I could have lunch. I mean it’s cool, but…”
“Look, Trent. I appreciate the offer and don’t mind accepting. However, I’m swamped. My team and I need to stay together. If it’s an inconvenience to you, then we can try another time again.”
His eyes blinked rapidly. “No. No. That’s fine. See you at noon.” Yeah, that’s what I thought.
“See you at noon.”
For the rest of the day I kept myself busy. Knowing that the source to put out my burning flame sat in an office at the end of the hall nagged my nerves.
By the time noon rolled around Trent came prancing through my office. As a lawyer his poker face sucked. I invited the entire finance department and a few of the other staff members to tag along, and the grimacing look on his face tickled me pink.
Inviting all these people was part of my plan. I figured I’d sit back, and stuff their bellies with free food in exchange for the scoop on Paxton Reid. What I got was a bill higher than my last pair of shoes and closed lips. No one uttered a word about Paxton or any of the Reid men. He had loyal workers. I respected that, but I would’ve preferred the gossip rather than typing away on Google.
That search left me feeling stupid. Stupid and disappointed with myself. The last time I checked he was married. Had been for close to four or five years now. According to my Google search, he’s now a widower. “Wife of Charlotte Architecture Firm dies in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.”
What a chilling headline.
My heart ached.
Had I been so blinded by infatuation that I missed the sadness in his eyes?
Once upon a time, I kept up with all things Paxton Reid. My eternal air supply came from him. Even after we parted ways, he still operated the organ housed behind my chest cavity. When I realized he wasn’t coming back, I found out how to breathe on my own. It took me three years to find the courage to see him. I’d just accepted a job in Raleigh and had this weird pull to see him. Maybe even see if he and I could pick up where we left off.
My searching led me to find him not only with a new woman but engaged with plans to wed sometime that fall. I packed whatever pride I had left and never turned back. For four years I gave him my body, mind, and soul, and infused our spirits. We created a substance that allowed water and oil to mix.
Then, one day, a choice had to be made. In the draw of sticks, mine was the shortest, and I was left with a broken heart and a soul-tie that I’ve been longing to break.