Home to You

I close my own menu and set it on top of hers. “I’m guessing longer than you’d like?”

“God, I haven’t had steak in years. Can you believe that?”

I reach over and grab her hand. “Well, you’re having it now, right? It’s part of the whole eyes forward on the future thing,” I say, bringing her hand to my mouth to run my lips over her knuckles.

“I’m Dylan, your server. May I start you off with some drinks?”

“I’d like a white wine,” Haven replies, while I order a beer.

“I’ll be right back with those drinks and to get your order.”

He returns a few minutes later with our drinks and takes our dinner orders. We both request the prime rib, prepared medium, with those delicious hash brown croquettes and steamed vegetables. Dylan takes off to place our orders and brings back our side salads and a basket of bread.

“I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back,” she says, setting her phone down on the table and excusing herself to the opposite side of the restaurant.

After she leaves, I pull out my own phone and check for messages. There’s one from a player about practice Monday, so I fire back a quick reply to his question. Just when I shove it back into my pocket, Haven’s phone rings. It’s some whimsical tune that reminds me of something she danced to during a recital in high school. I reach over for her device to silence it when I spy the word Home across the screen. Worried something’s wrong with one of her parents, I slide my finger to accept the call.

“Hello?”

There’s silence for a moment before the caller replies, “Is Haven available?” The tone is clipped with a northeastern accent.

“Uh, she’s unavailable right now. Is there something I can help with?” I ask, trying to figure out who this could be, calling from home.

The caller sighs. “Tell her Leonard called. Her agent has been trying to reach her for the last week, but Haven hasn’t returned her calls. It’s about Anything Goes.”

“Anything Goes?”

Leonard sighs. “The Tony Award-winning production?” he replies, as if I should have known right away what he was referring to.

“Okay,” I start, rubbing my eyes.

“Listen, I know how Haven is. She’s passionate and sort of jumps off the cliff without warning, which is probably why my girlfriend is with you and not at home in New York.” Before I can reply to that, he continues, “I don’t blame you for being attracted to her. Haven’s gorgeous, but she’s reckless and doesn’t think. Much like this opportunity she’d let pass by just because she’s shacking up with some guy in going-nowhere USA.”

“Wow, tell me how you really feel,” I mumble, trying to keep up with this pompous asshole’s self-righteous spewing.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime for her, and you’re a fool if you don’t see it as that.”

“Aren’t you the guy who cheated on her with her understudy when she was recovering from an injury?” I ask, unable to hide my irritation.

“New York is different than Podunk, Idaho. These things happen from time to time, but we don’t let them derail us from the bigger picture.”

“Which is?” I ask, leaning back in my chair.

“Haven belongs here, in New York. She’s a dancer, plain and simple, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“You mean, she belongs there, with you.”

“That too. She’ll be back, I know it. And if you knew what was good for her, you’d encourage her to call her agent back. Anything Goes will open more doors than you can possibly imagine, and let’s face it, her career is limited. She’s thirty-two, and everyone knows her body will start to change as she ages. These opportunities won’t come knocking anymore and her career will be done.”

I glance up and find Haven making her way toward me. “Well, Leonard, I promise to talk to Haven when she’s available.”

The pompous ass sighs. “Listen, I’m sure she’s promising you all sorts of fairy-tale happily ever afters, but it’s not real. She belongs here, performing on Broadway, with me and her friends. Not in Hope, Idaho, teaching little kids how to pirouette. Anything Goes would set her for life. Doors would open, but this chance has a deadline. Her chance. Don’t blow it for her by keeping her there.”

As Haven approaches the table, my heart climbs into my throat. “Thank you for calling. She’ll be in touch.” I hang up the phone and slide it back across the table to where I found it.

Haven looks confused. “Who was that?”

I clear my throat. “It said home on the screen, so I thought it was your parents. Apparently, home isn’t the one in Idaho.” My heart clenches and climbs up into my throat, making it hard to swallow. Hard to breathe. Hard to do anything other than ache. My whole body is tense as I take in the gorgeous woman across from me. The one I want but am not sure she’s mine to have. At least not anything more than the temporary time we’ve already shared.