“Uh…I guess.” Flustered, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, I’m just so surprised to see you here. I thought I would never see you again…unless it was in the papers or online or something.”
“Can we go somewhere private? Maybe dinner?”
“Can’t you just say whatever you need to say now?” She didn’t retain the same calmness as she did before. Since I caught her off guard, she could only react emotionally. “I…I know that came out rude. It’s just… I’ve been pretty upset since our last conversation, so if you have something to say about that, I’d rather hear it now. I can’t wait until we’re sitting in a restaurant. I need to know now. Because if you’re here to tell me—”
“That I’m sorry and made a mistake?”
She immediately inhaled.
“That I’ve thought it over and have changed my mind?”
She exhaled.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say to you.”
An emotional smile stretched across her face. “Then let’s have that dinner.”
The wine was poured and dinner was ordered. Now it was just us in a crowded restaurant, a flickering candle on the table between us. The lights were low, and it cast an exquisite glow across her face. After working all day, she still looked like she’d just finished fixing herself up. I loved the freckle on her cheek, the shade of her lipstick, and the thickness of her eyelashes.
I’d already stared a lot, but now I couldn’t stop.
I should tell her how I felt. I should tell her what I did for the past week. I should tell her how conflicted I felt loving two women at the same time.
But I didn’t say anything.
She didn’t either. She swirled her wine before she took a drink. The lipstick smeared against the glass, and I remembered the way her kiss felt against my mouth. She must have thought of it too because she looked away, a little color in her cheeks. “How was your week?”
“My son is getting married next Saturday.”
“Oh, that’s exciting. Where?”
“Thailand.”
“Oh wow, that’s far…”
“But it’ll be beautiful. And I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“That will be a lot of fun.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it will.” I wished my wife were there to witness it with me.
“I missed you.” She held my gaze as the whisper left her lips. “I missed talking to you…I missed not talking to you.”
I knew exactly what she meant. “Me too.”
“I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on the article. But anytime someone mentioned it, I was only reminded of what I lost. Made it difficult to be proud of it.”
“It’s something to be proud of. I’ve never told anyone the things I told you.”
“I know…people asked how I did it.”
“And what did you say?” My fingers rested on the stem of my glass.
“I told them I understood you…and you understood me. It’s the basis of all human connection.”
It was a simple answer, but something so fundamental didn’t need a complicated explanation.
“What made you change your mind?” She’d given me enough opportunities to start the conversation on my own. When I didn’t cooperate, she gave me the push I needed.
“My future daughter-in-law.”
Scarlet smiled. “What did she say?”
“She made me realize it was okay to move on, that Isabella would want me to. I told Tatum you were the first woman that I’ve ever felt something for…that I’ve cared about. When I’m with you, I want to make love to you. I want to kiss you slowly even if it never goes anywhere. I want to see a movie on a Monday night because we can’t find anything else to do. I want to show you the world as well as my sheets…but I also want more than that. It’s more than companionship or friendship. It’s…a lot more. With the other women I’ve been with, there was never anything substantial between us. But with us, I feel something. It reminds me of the way I felt for Isabella when I first started seeing her.”
Her eyes softened. “That’s really sweet, Vincent. I feel the same way.”
“I’ve been living with my wife’s ghost instead of living with a real person. I know she would want me to move on and be happy. I’ve never tried to move on before…until I met you. I just hope you can be patient with me…and understand that no matter what happens between us—”
“You’ll always love your wife. I understand, Vincent.” She gave me a smile. “I told you I didn’t have a problem with that.”
“Most women wouldn’t be so understanding.”
“And I probably wouldn’t be either if I didn’t like you so much. But they say there’s no such thing as a perfect man. There’s no such thing as a perfect woman. Love is about accepting each other for who they are. I understand your issues, and I have my own issues too. But if we both look past those obstacles…I think we could find happiness.”
That was exactly the reason I wanted Scarlet. She’d been understanding since the first time we met. Her affection for me grew as she got to know me. Her interest had nothing to do with my money or power. She had her own career that gave her joy. She didn’t need me for anything. “That was well put.”
She reached her hand across the table and opened her palm.
I eyed it for several seconds before I placed my hand on top. My callused fingers touched her soft ones, and I felt the same jolt of energy I felt when she kissed me. Her warmth mixed with mine, and I felt the friction between the tips of our fingertips. I watched our joined hands and felt a form of intimacy I never shared with Alessia or any of the others. It was the first time I really opened my heart, really accepted something new in
