Page 131 of Phishing for Love
“Happy to,” the chef says. “I’m assuming no mushroom dishes?”
“No!” we all exclaim.
He lets loose with a deep rumble of a laugh and disappears into the kitchen.
It’s clear to me the respect Nina commands from her staff and the affection they have for her. What a wonderful, tight-knit work family.
“One piece of advice,” Nina tells me. “Choose your friends wisely.”
I nod. “I have great friends.”
“Good. I had a toxic friendship I held onto for far too long. Kayla really helped me move on from that.”
“Kayla?” I question. “Is she a friend of yours?”
I don’t know what I’ve said, but the atmosphere at the table is suddenly thick with tension.
I look over at Aaron and I see he is frozen, an awful look on his face.
Nina, seeming to realize her mistake, freezes too. We’ve become a bizarre table of frozen people, except for Lucas, who turns to Aaron and asks evenly, “You haven’t told Tess?”
Aaron shakes his head wordlessly.
“I’m sorry,” Nina whispers, looking so stricken even I want to comfort her.
“Well, it’s out there now,” Lucas says, so practical and calm.
Aaron glances over at Nina and releases a harsh breath. It’s obvious he’s upset. Lucas must see it too because he stiffens and I realize that wife always trumps friend, and he’ll do what he needs to in order to protect Nina from Aaron’s anger.
Fear starts to bubble up, but when I look more closely at Aaron I glimpse anguish, not anger, engraved on his face.
“It’s okay,” he says to Nina, who still looks upset.
Into the strained silence, I ask the question. “Who is Kayla?”
A long pause. Aaron’s shoulders sink. “Kayla was my fiancée,” he says, his voice hollow. “She was on her way to abridal store to try on wedding dresses. A truck went through a red light and smashed into her car.” He swallows, visibly collecting himself. “She was killed instantly.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. My next question comes out in a whisper. “When was this?”
“Three years ago.”
I’m reeling. Sofia was right. There was a fiancée.
The food arrives and we eat. Or try to. I can only pick at my risotto, even though it tastes delicious. Aaron’s face and his movements are stiff with strain. I can feel him looking at me, but I avoid eye contact, my thoughts tumbling over one another, my stomach churning with confusion.
We don’t touch one another. We need to be alone, but we’re not.
Lucas and Nina make a valiant attempt to lighten the atmosphere, but it’s too far gone to be recovered. The rest of the lunch is a write-off, and we all know it. The meal is finished quickly, and I head to the restroom before the drive back. Nina accompanies me.
“I’m sorry for bringing Kayla up,” she says, wringing her hands together. “I assumed you knew.”
“I didn’t know.”
Almost tentatively, she asks, “But you know about his parents and sister?”
I nod. “He told me a few weeks ago. He was kind of pushed into revealing it.”
By unspoken agreement, we stop in a quiet alcove outside the restroom.
