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“The last of the staff comes in at nine. I’ll have them gathered no later than nine thirty.”
“Perfect. I’ll order breakfast to soften the blow.”
Nodding his head, Rossi slowly smiled before walking off.
Once I was settled back at her desk, I made lunch reservations and sent the screenshot to my intended guest through a text message. After getting confirmation of her attendance, I gathered my things, left the office, and took the trek down the hall to the conference room.
Leaning in, I pecked her on the cheek. “Sorry for my tardiness.” Rounding the table, I shed the black blazer I wore, draped it over the back of the chair, and took a seat.
“I figured you were tending to a business matter.” She smiled. “What happened?”
“Why would you assume something happened?” I countered, lifting the glass of water to take a sip.
“We don’t do impromptu lunch dates. For the past few years, everything has been planned.” A frown creased her forehead. “She left you,” she deduced after a long pause.
“And you gathered that from a sudden lunch?”
“Don’t play coy with me, Law. You’re never available for hardly anything. When it comes to her, you move carefully so… with this sudden change, one can deduce that she finally decided to stop chasing a fairytale.”
“She did.”
“When?” Adele queried.
“Last night. Walked in on her redecorating my living room with the autographed bat Derek Jeter gifted me the year the Yankees won the world series.”
“Ouch. That had to hurt?” she asked, baffled.
“The bat, her leaving, or the redecoration?” My head titled to meet her eyes. “I suppose all of it.”
“Did she offer a reason?”
“Come on, Adele. You and I both know the reason. She wants the unimaginable.”
“Are they unimaginable, though? At one point, you were willing to give those things to me.”
“You,” I clarified. “Back then, I was willing to giveyouanything.”
“And you know, just like I know, that those things are impossible with me. I’m far too old for such.”
“We can go round for round about said things, but I would much rather not. I’m stuck licking my wounds and could use a friend.”
“God, Harvey.” Craning her neck, she leaned in. “You love her?”
“Immensely,” I admitted. “Just not enough to bend in the way I feel. I could have done forever with Dahlia… would have done it, in fact, had she not switched up on me.”
“She’s a woman. Those things are inevitable.”
“Not for you.”
“I’m pushing sixty-seven, darling. Of course, I don’t want it. I had one marriage and when it ended in divorce, that wasn’t a road I was willing to travel down again. I say that to say, you should open up your heart to Dahlia. She’s the only one that lasted as long as she did. That should count for something.”
“You know what’s funny? You speak so highly of her, and she faults you for me being the way I am. I think she said it was my ‘sick admiration’ for you that kept me from wanting to take the final step.”
“It’s easier to blame me than to accept the fact that she stayed even after she was told those things wouldn’t happen. Women tend to do that, you know.”
“I know. I was once in her shoes. I get how hard it is, and maybe I shouldn’t have let it get this far.”
“It happened, it’s over, and now you are a free man. Date around.” She waved her hand in the air animatedly. “It’s plenty of women in Atlanta that would love the opportunity.”