Page 33 of Second Dance
I nodded, feeling very spoiled.
When the waiter came, Alex ordered the wine without hesitation, his voice smooth and sure. “We’ll start with this. But we might want something else later.”
For the first course, he suggested we split the oysters on the half shell, and I agreed, even though the prices were ridiculous. Once, in New York, we’d shared teriyaki or a slice of pizza because it was all we could afford. Now everything was different.
For the main course, Alex chose the lobster risotto, and I ordered the pan-seared halibut with lemon beurre blanc and roasted asparagus. My stomach fluttered when he smiled at me across the table, as if the act of ordering a meal together was a kind of intimacy.
As we waited for the server to return with our wine, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Grace is adorable.”
“I think so too. She can be a little dramatic at times.”
“I have one of those too.” His eyes dimmed. “Bella’s been a handful lately.”
“Anything you care to talk about?” I asked. “Girls can be tricky. Especially at fourteen.”
He exhaled, slow and heavy. “I’m worried to tell you too much. I don’t want to scare you away.”
“It’s all right. I have a teenager of my own. I doubt you can surprise me.”
“Last night, after I told her I’d met you for a drink, she didn’t handle it well. She told me she wished it was me who’d died instead of her mom.”
“Oh, Alex, I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
“Shook me up, that’s for sure. She didn’t mean it. Not really anyway. She’s just struggling with the idea of me moving on.”
“Clearly I don’t have that problem with Grace. But she isn’t comparing you to anyone because there’s never been anyone. And Bella’s missing her mom. Of course it’s difficult for her.”
“She and Mattie were very close. And she lost her just when she needed her most. I don’t really know what I’m doing. There are just certain things a man doesn't know.”
“It occurred to me tonight, watching you with Grace, how much she’s craved a father figure. I didn’t think she minded. She’s never said much about it.”
“Kids want family,” Alex said. “Even if they won’t admit it.”
“What about Peter? Is he okay with you dating?”
“He’s supportive. In fact, he’s the reason I reached out to you—he talked me into it.”
“Really? Why did you hesitate?”
“I didn’t know how you’d feel about seeing me again after all this time.” He wiped the condensation from the wine glass with his thumb. “I never forgot you. But I wasn’t sure you’d even remember me.”
“Alex, what we had was really special. I couldn’t forget you. Even if I’d wanted to.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
I glanced toward the water, watching the sun descend under the horizon, bit by bit. “My memories are like that view. Tinged with gold. I’m sure part of it’s a nostalgia for a simpler time in my life. But it was also the only time I’ve been head over heels in love.”
The oysters arrived, glistening on a bed of ice. He squeezed lemon over them and slid the tray closer to me, his fingers brushing mine, sending a shiver down my arm.
“Is it really true that you’ve not been in love since … us?” Alex asked.
“It sounds sadder than it is. That summer was the last of my youth. After that, I became a mother, and it was diapers and sleep schedules. I had no time for love. But God, I missed you. But I talked myself out of reaching out because I knew, in the end, we were on very different paths.”
His eyes held mine across the candlelight. “Timing’s everything, right?”
“Yes, it really is.”
“Am I crazy to think this could be our time?” Alex asked.
