A jolt of excitement went through me when I pulled into the driveway and saw her car sitting there. Part of me thought I should give her the chance to settle back in, but the much bigger, much more determined part of me wasn’t having any of it. She was right there, so close, and I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to see her before we both got busy again and another week or two went by. I freshened up and walked up to her door. There was a pause after my knock, but she finally opened it. When she did, I could tell right away something was bothering her.
“Welcome home,” I said, and she tried to give a convincing smile. “What’s wrong?”
Leah shook her head, working harder at masking what she was feeling behind the faked smile. There was definitely something wrong. Worry slithered up through me.
“Nothing,” she said. “Just recovering from the weekend, that’s all.”
I narrowed my eyes at her slightly, examining her face and waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, I took a step closer to her. Taking both her hands in mine, I held them between us.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yep.”
I wasn’t convinced. She was looking at me, but there was something missing in her eyes. It was like she was looking somewhere else. Something was getting to her, digging at her, but I knew enough to know she wasn’t going to tell me any more. Whatever it was, she needed time to think through it on her own before she told me about it. All I could do was be there for her.
“I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since we’ve seen each other,” I said, hoping to start a conversation.
She nodded and looked away again. “Yeah, it’s been pretty crazy. Work’s been busy and I had a company retreat this weekend. How have you been?”
“I’ve been busy too. The band’s been practicing and we’re actually recording too. Things are better.”
She gave me a ghost of a smile. “That’s good to hear. Listen, I’m really tired –” she started.
I cut her off. I wasn’t willing to let her push me away just yet.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?” I asked.
Leah shook her head. “Not yet. I hadn’t even thought about it.”
“Well, now you don’t have to. I’m going to take you out.”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. It was kind of a long weekend, and I’m not really feeling up to getting dressed up and going out.”
“You don’t need to. You’re perfect just the way you are. Come on. You have to eat, and there’s this awesome little place I’ve been wanting to show you. It’s one of my favorites,” I told her.
She looked down at her jeans and T-shirt.
“Honestly, you’re gorgeous. Let’s go.”
She finally nodded and ducked inside to put on shoes before following me out to my car. We drove to the beach, and I led her to a rickety old restaurant perched near the water. It used to be a hot spot among the tourists, but now it was a hidden gem treasured by locals not looking for anything fancy.
“I’ve never been here,” Leah told me as I pulled a chair out for her.
“It’s one of my favorite places. The food here is incredible. And it’s not pretentious like some of the other places around,” I told her.
Amazing seafood and inexpensive prices, not to mention being off the beaten path so I was unlikely to run into anyone, made it the perfect place to have a relaxing dinner just with Leah. We settled in and ordered. As the waitress came by with hot crusty bread and a plate of butter, I started telling her about my music. She nibbled on a chunk of bread and listened intently as I told her how well the studio sessions were going.
“That’s good to hear,” she said, her voice sounding distant.
“Yeah. We’re really meshing. Everything is clicking, and I’m happier with the music we’re making than I have been in a long time. The album is going to be amazing. I can’t wait to hear the final product,” I said. Leah nodded, staring down at the bread in her hand. She was still preoccupied, and I hoped to find out what was going on with her, so I made a pivot in the conversation. “How about you?”
Her eyes snapped up to me. “Me?”
The waitress came with our food, and I paused until she walked away.
“Yeah. How was your retreat?” I asked.
Maybe something happened there that was still bothering her. I knew how much her work meant to her, so if it didn’t go well, that could explain why she seemed distracted. Leah grimaced.
“Actually, it didn’t go as well as I hoped,” she admitted. “I’m really disappointed.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m sure you’ll be able to turn things around. You’re too smart and driven not to. It will end up even better than you thought,” I told her.