He takes me to the same table where I sat with Aiden. I miss him so much. I wish I knew what was happening with him. And with us. Are we done being friends? Are we never going to talk again? I understand it would upset Celine if we talked but I wish we could talk one last time. I feel like we didn't get to say goodbye.
"Can I get you a drink?" Gus asks.
"I'll have a glass of merlot," I say, then realize I can't afford that. "Actually, forget the wine. I'll just have water."
"Are you sure? The wine goes great with the beef stew."
"Water is fine. Thank you."
He leaves, and all I can think about is Aiden. I imagine him sitting across from me, giving me that smile I miss so much. I can hear his deep voice, telling me stories from his life, asking me questions about mine. Our conversations were always so easy. Never a dull or awkward moment. We had a rhythm about us. A natural back and forth that made talking to him seem like we'd been friends our whole lives.
I really thought Aiden and I were brought together because it was meant to be. But I guess not. I guess we were only meant to have those two weekends. Two very special weekends that I'll always remember.
"Is this seat taken?"
I startle from my thoughts and look up, blinking a few times to make sure what I'm seeing isn't some kind of illusion.
"Aiden, what are you doing here?"
"Tom raved about the beef stew and cornbread. Knowing how Lois cooks, I decided it'd be worth the drive." He pulls out the chair across from me. "Care if I join you?"
"Of course. Go ahead." I can't stop smiling. Aiden is here!
What is he doing here?
"Surprised?" Aiden's smiling too, and like me, he can't seem to stop.
"To say the least. I can't believe you're here."
He places his napkin on his lap. "I had some business to take care of."
"Oh," I say, disappointed. For a moment I thought he came to see me, but he came because of the inn. "Does that mean Tom is selling the place?"
"Not yet, but he's getting closer to considering it." He lowers his voice. "That needs to stay between us. No one can find out he's thinking of selling. He wants to keep this private until the deal is done, assuming he decides to sell."
"If the company you work for buys it, then what happens?"
"We'll do the necessary repairs to keep the place running and put some money towards advertising so the place stays occupied year round."
"Would Tom still run it?"
"He'd like to, but he'd cut back to part time, or less than that, depending on what happens."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't say. I shouldn't even be telling you about the sale."
"But what you're saying is someone else will be running it." I glance over at Tom as he talks to some people at another table. "It's not going to feel the same here without Tom. He and Lois are what make the place feel so welcoming."
"We'll find someone else who cares about the inn as much as Tom does. I'll do the interviews myself if I have to." Aiden's eyes lock on mine. "This place is special to me too."
Does he mean because of the time we spent here together? Or because it reminds him of his grandfather's inn?
Gus appears, setting my water glass in front of me, then turns to Aiden. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Bottle of wine?" Aiden says to me.
"I'm good with water," I tell him.
"We'll have a bottle of your best cabernet," Aiden says to Gus.
"Excellent choice." He jots it down on his order pad. "Would you like to order? I don't mean to rush you but the kitchen likes to have all orders in before nine."
"I'll have the special," Aiden says.
"I will as well," I say.
As Gus takes off, I look over at Aiden. "I hope you're not planning to pay for my dinner. You're already paying for the room. That's more than enough."
"I'm paying for dinner. Because of me, you have to spend tomorrow picking up trash."
"I'm actually okay with it. I get to be outside. Be surrounded by fall color. Get some exercise, fresh air. And just think how much better the road will look without trash littering it."
Aiden grins. "Is everyone from Kansas like this?"
"Like what?"
"Able to find the positive in a negative situation. Anyone else would be dreading tomorrow, and cursing me out for causing this, but you're smiling about it."
"Why be angry? It's not going to change anything."
"Are you coming here every weekend until you're done?"
"That's the plan, except next week I have that client dinner for your boss."
"How's that going?" he asks in a cautious tone. I wonder if Celine's been telling him bad things about me, like saying I'm not doing a good enough job. It wouldn't surprise me if she did.
"It's been challenging."
"Because of Celine?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Your bottle of wine," Gus says, holding it in front of Aiden. "Would you like to sample it before I pour a glass?"
"No, go ahead."
Gus pours the wine, then sets the bottle on the table. "Enjoy."
I take a sip of the wine. "This is excellent."
"I'm surprised you didn't already have a glass when I got here."
"I'm a little short on cash." I set my glass down. "Wine isn't in the budget."
"It's in mine, so drink up." He holds his glass up. "Shall we toast?"
I raise my glass. "What are we toasting?"
"To friends coming together again." He clicks his glass to mine.
Friends. I know that's what we are, but hearing him say it makes my heart ache. It wants more, even though I keep reminding it that Aiden is taken.
"So it'll take what...five weeks to get your hours in?" Aiden asks. "That's a lot of trips to Vermont."
"I might be able to work Sundays too. My supervisor said she'd let me know. They don't
