Page 147 of No Such Thing as Serendipity

“You brightened an old man’s day,” Terrence said. When he met my gaze, I noticed apprehension in his eyes. It became clear when he said, “Will you come back and visit again?”

Vulnerability.How I would have hated it a month ago. I gave him a broad smile. “Of course, I will.”

“We’d love to meet this Robyn of yours, too,” Sylvia said.

At the mention of Robyn, tightness spread across my chest. “I’d like that, but I can’t make any promises.”

After a round of hugs, I stepped toward the elevator but stopped. “Terrence, in your wisdom, you just may have saved me.”

He gave me a fatherly smile. “My wisdom is questionable, but thank you for being so gracious.”

“I love you both,” I said, surprising myself.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one surprised as Sylvia and Terrence stood staring with tears in their eyes for several beats before Sylvia said, “We love you, too, Blake.”

“You know I’ve always loved you like a daughter,” Terrence said, finding his voice.

After leaving Ironclad’s headquarters, I’d arrived at LaGuardia early, which gave me the extra time I needed. I slid into a corner seat at the Orpheus + Apollo Lounge with my gin and tonic. After the past twenty-four hours I’d had, I thought I deserved a small indulgence.

I started with a text to Emma.

Me:Hey, Em. I need a big favor. Actually… 2.

Emma answered within seconds:What’s up?

Me:I need to change our song for tomorrow night.

Emma:Okay. Why?

Me:I’ll explain later. Which is my other favor. Will you have dinner with me when I get back? Just the two of us?

Emma:Uh…yeah. Care to enlighten me?

Me:I don’t have time to talk now. I’ll send you a link for the new song.

She tried to ask me more questions, but I deflected and assured her we’d talk later.

Next, I scrolled through my phone and found the contact I was looking for.

My call was picked up on the first ring. “Hey, do you miss me already?” Dana said.

I laughed. “How far is it from Chicago to Madison?” I asked with no preamble.

“About two and a half hours.”

“Do you have plans this weekend?”

“That all depends on whether I have a better offer.” She chuckled. “What are you up to?”

I launched into the spiel I’d been rehearsing in my mind since I’d left Ironclad’s offices.

The last call proved to be the most difficult. I stalled and took care of my business at the ticket counter before returning to the lounge. Here, Robyn wouldn’t detect the airport noise in the background. I’d considered texting her, but that wouldn’t be right. It was only fair to cancel our plans through a phone call, not a text. I wouldn’t lie to her and say I was staying in New York tonight, but I hoped she’d erroneously jump to that conclusion when I told her something had come up.

“How did it go?” Robyn said as soon as she answered.

Just hearing her voice caused my heart to race.

“It went well. What are you up to?”Ugh.Were we stuck in awkward small talk?