“Smart girl,” she confirmed. “But really, my identity isn’t important here. You and Chance are.”
“Why did you do all this?”
“Because I happen to like Chance,” she replied. “He’s a good man, and that’s a rare thing to find. So is true love, by the way. Trust me; I’d completely given up on it until I met Chance. His love for you convinced me that genuine men are out there and so are healthy relationships.”
“You mentioned that you had two friends follow Jason?” I said, trying to figure out who she was.
“Yes?”
“Um…when you say, ‘friends,’ are you using that term broadly?”
She laughed. “Are you trying to figure out if I used hired guns?”
“Yes.”
She laughed again. “No, I didn’t pay them. They’re not thugs. They’re just big, intimidating guys who both happen to like me very much. I thought I’d take advantage of that.”
“For me?”
“For you and for Chance,” she replied.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I admitted.
“Say thank you to your fairy godmother.” The woman laughed. “And get going; don’t you have an important dinner to attend?”
This time I smiled, and there was no caution or doubt behind it. I felt lighter than I had in weeks and suddenly I realized that the dark fog of sadness that had hung over me had finally lifted and everything looked bigger and brighter, including my future.
“Thank you, fairy godmother,” I said, repeating her words.
“Good luck.”
The line went dead, and I put my phone down tentatively. When I looked back at my reflection, it felt like the whole world had changed suddenly, and I was looking at a new woman.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chance
I had to admit; I was nervous. Sitting there in the middle of the restaurant where I had broken up with Natalie was giving me major stress. I hated coming here myself, so I could only imagine how she must feel. But I wanted to drive home the point that we were not getting back together. I was fairly sure that was what she wanted to discuss.
I ended up ordering a drink for myself, hoping that the alcohol would soothe my nerves and give me the strength to maintain my cold façade when Natalie got here. I kept thinking about the tears running down her face when I had told her I didn’t want her anymore. I kept thinking about Jason’s black eye, and Lindsey’s cryptic words before she had left the bar the other night.
My head was spinning when I saw Natalie enter the restaurant. She didn’t see me at first, so I had the freedom of staring at her hungrily as I watched her talk to a waiter. She looked absolutely beautiful, like some floating angel out of an ancient painting.
She walked through the tables towards me and on instinct, I rose from my chair, trying to force my expression into one of indifference.
“Natalie.” I nodded.
She gave me a breathtaking smile that I had to resist. Then we sat down together, and after the waiter had taken our drink orders and disappeared, Natalie turned to me.
She looked different from that morning, I realized. Her face was brighter, her eyes were dancing, and her features were arranged into an expression of softness. She didn’t look sad or depressed, and she certainly didn’t look like a woman seeking closure.
“How have you been?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“Fine,” I replied shortly.
Natalie nodded, but she didn’t seem perturbed by my coldness. “You looked very nice today in your robes.”
“Thank you,” I said, refraining from offering her a compliment in return.