Taking a deep breath, I turn and slowly walk toward the entryway. “Thank you, the girls all had a great night,” I say in general, hoping that will be sufficient enough.
“Hi, I’m Sara. This little one is mine. Please give Mrs. Simone our well wishes.”
“I most definitely will.” I hold my hand out for her. “It’s nice to meet you, and my name is Haven. I actually grew up taking classes here.” I give her a kind smile.
“You’re a legend around here.” Sara smiles. “I better get this one home. See you next week.” She waves over her shoulder. Her daughter, whose name I did not catch, does the same as she skips to try and keep up with her mother’s stride.
A few more of the moms introduce themselves. There is only one who appears to be sizing me up. I plaster a fake smile on my face and say all the right things. That’s what I’m supposed to do—remain professional at all costs. On the inside, I’m irritated that she thinks she’s good enough for Sebastian. He’s one in a million and deserves better than a married woman. He deserves everything.
“Daddy, let’s go.” Chloe has her tiny hand in his as she stares up at him with absolute adoration.
“In a minute, sweetie. Daddy just needs to talk to Miss Haven for a minute.”
“I was really good,” she assures him.
“Of course you were, Chloe,” I jump in. It’s just the three of us left in the dance studio. “Your daddy and I used to go to school together.” That’s the best way I can describe it to a five-year-old. I’m sure Sebastian nor his ex-wife would be none too happy with me telling her that her daddy was my first everything and that I broke both of our hearts all those years ago.
“It was more than that.” Sebastian’s deep voice echoes throughout the quiet room.
I nod because there’s not much more I can say. It was more, so much more, and I ruined it. Ruined us.
“Have you had dinner?” I stare at him in shock. Is he asking me to dinner?
“Oh, Daddy, can we get pizza, please, please?” Chloe asks, dancing on the balls of her feet.
“I don’t know, sweet pea. Do you think that you can convince Miss Haven to have dinner with us?”
I suck in a breath at his words. Sure, I should have seen it coming a mile away with his question, but the actual invite and my heart wishing it to be true are two different things. “I don’t want to impose.”
“Well, Chloe, looks like it’s leftover meatloaf for us.”
“Yuck, Miss Haven, please, oh please, will you eat with us so we can have pizza? I don’t want meatloaf.” She sticks out her little tongue and shakes her head.
“You love my meatloaf.” Sebastian stares down at his little girl who looks just like him.
“Not like I love pizza, Daddy.” She puts her little hands on her hips, and I can’t help but smile.
“What do you say, Haven? Have dinner with us?”
I never could refuse those hazel eyes. “Let me get my coat.” I don’t bother to try and tell him that I have a boyfriend. I was never good at pretending anyway. In this town, I know he already knows about my broken relationship. That’s the issue with following your dreams to be a big star on Broadway. Your life is no longer your own. The tabloids snatch up any tiny shard of gossip they can get their hands on to sell papers. Unfortunately, that was me about six months ago.
I’d finally made it. I was cast in the leading role, but during rehearsals, I turned wrong, and my ankle gave out on me. It was a bad sprain. Bad enough that the doctors put me off work for eight weeks. You’ve heard the saying the show must go on? Well, that’s exactly what happened. My understudy stepped up to fill my role, not just professionally but personally as well. Tiffany did so guilt-free, as did Leonard. He didn’t even bother to break it off with me. Instead, he let me catch them in my old dressing room.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I slip my arms into my coat, grab my purse and keys, and shut off the lights in the office area. “I’ll, um, just follow you there.” I hold up my keys. I’m acting like this is my first time in front of a man before. Then again, it kind of is. At least this man. Adulthood has been very good to him.
“I can bring you back to your car,” Sebastian says, helping Chloe into her coat.
“No, really. It’s fine. I can follow you. That will save you a trip.”
“Haven.”
“Really, Bash it’s fine.” The old, familiar nickname slips past my lips. It’s been over ten years since I’ve seen him, but standing here with him and his daughter, it feels like I’m living in two different worlds: the past and the present.