Her hand reached out to grab the door’s handle, and her name rang from my lips. “Leah!” I called out, but the entrance was bursting with too much activity. People and cars alike were coming in and leaving, so getting her attention at such a distance was impossible.
So I ran.
“Leah!” I got to the taxi just before it pulled away, and pounded on the bright yellow sedan.
It screeched to a halt just as I came to her window, and it took me a few seconds to calm my breathing.
“Carter?” She called out, surprise in her gaze.
“I’m sorry. I had to handle an unexpected call and then my battery died… I couldn’t get to you.”
She watched me through the window for a moment, and I could see the hurt in her eyes. She was not in any way taking this lightly. My tone softened. “Leah, please put the window down?”
I saw the resolve hardened her gaze, and knew she had made her decision. Panic struck me… I didn’t want to know what she’d decided. “Leah—?”
“I’m going to leave Carter,” she said through the open window. “I think we’ve both gotten what we wanted from each other. There’s no need dragging any of this any further and wasting both of our time.”
“Leah!” I called out.
She rolled the window up, and the taxi pulled away from the curb.
For the longest time, I just stood there, watching the car as it drove off into the evening, blending in with the many cars on the main street.
I shook my head and returned to my car.
Perhaps she was right, but I hadn’t approached her just to get a good fuck for a night. I’d felt a spark between us, and meeting her had set it ablaze.
Maybe it had been just a fluke and it was inconsequential. Perhaps she’d felt nothing… at least not like I had.
The moment I returned to my hotel, I charged my phone and continued with my call.
Mark picked up immediately, “What happened?” he asked. “He said you cut the call on him?”
“My battery ran out of juice and I didn’t have a charger with me.”
He sighed.
“So what’s the conclusion?” I asked.
“He’s pissed at everything and doesn’t seem to remember that we weren’t the reason why his agency is going under. He’s asking for an increased offer.”
“How much more?”
“Three hundred.”
“Dollars?” I asked.
The older man on the other end of the line burst into laughter.
It had been a very tense and stressful period for the both of us, so the brief amusement was very welcome.
“Screw him,” I said.
“They do have the Nestle account, and David Fogarty. Are we going to let those both go?”
I thought back to the beautiful girl that had refused to give me a chance, as she most probably had disappeared from my life forever. “Yeah,” I replied. “Maybe it’s not meant to be. If it is, he’ll come back begging, preferably on his knees.”
I ended the call and tried to soothe my annoyance away, at all the losses that life seemed to conclude I deserved on this day. I was consoled, however, because I knew I’d given it all my very best. Did Leah feel the same kind of peace? Or perhaps she didn’t even care enough to be troubled?
Out of sight. Out of mind.
Chapter 8
Leah
When I opened my eyes the next morning, I felt a sort of shock.
As though there had been a rift in my world, and my soul couldn’t accept it yet. Not an unfamiliar feeling, as had always been the case when I made decisions that had a major influence on my life’s path.
Last night, I would have been too proud to admit it, but in the light of a new day, the fact I had hoped and even begun to build Carter up as someone who would be a major influence in my life, was inescapable. This was the true source of this rift.
After the way he’d melted me with that kiss at the market, the dream, that perhaps we could come to mean something to each other had taken root. Then I had mercilessly dug it out, too scorned by previous experiences to tolerate any discrepancies.
Had I been too hasty? Had I not given him enough of a chance? I shook my head to dispel these concerns and got out of bed.
The girls were still asleep, so I went ahead and took a shower. When I was dressed I called out to Tracy to head down with me for breakfast.
Anne never ate early, so I left her to her slumber that had her splayed out like a starfish across the bed.
“Tracy it’s almost eleven,” I lied. “They’ll pack up soon.”
She dragged herself out of bed then, slipped on shorts, slid into flip flops, and we were on our way.
I was thankful when she didn't say anything to me, but her discreet gaze seemed to be constantly on. It did become irritating. “Stop it.” I said just as the elevator dinged our arrival on the ground floor.
“You didn't tell me what happened last night,” she said softly. “I didn't expect you to return, and so early for that matter. You just went right to sleep.”
I didn’t respond. We walked into the breakfast room and began to go through the servings of bacon, eggs, fruit and pastry. It reminded me of the one I’d had with him just the previous morning and for a moment I almost choked up. Anne had been right. I could get too emotionally detached, especially with the loving way he’d acted.
If I were ever to be with someone casually again, the rule would be set in place that no interactions or considerations whatsoever beyond the bedroom would be acceptable.
When we were finally settled and eating, I told her what happened. “He stood me up.” I needed someone else to confirm that I had done the right thing, just so I could freaking move on, but after I was done explaining, she instead barraged me with silence,
