Page 14 of Not That Guy
The senator had remarried the same year Weston’s mother passed away, hence Weston’s likely resentment toward his father.
Preston Lively and his wife, a very young woman, had a little girl.
Scanning the videos, I saw no sign of Weston at Senator Lively’s victory parties at either his first, second, or third senatorial wins.
In his last acceptance speech he only mentioned the support from his wife and how much he loved being a father to his daughter. No mention of Weston at all.
Looks like we both have things we’d rather bury than talk about.
People milled about the room set up for our lunch, talking in small groups or waiting in line to get their food.
I made no attempt to find Weston, but after choosing a sandwich and taking some salad, I caught sight of him sitting with Grady and several other people.
Many of the seats were filled, and I was never the type to insert myself in conversations, so I found a table with only two other people and sat.
“Ralph Bennett.” A moon-faced older man nodded to me. “Mergers and Acquisitions.” He took a bite of his food and chewed with gusto. “At least the food is good.”
“Not a fan of team building?” I asked with a grin. “Brenner Fleming, Family Law.”
“Never seen much point to it. People like who they like.” He shrugged and kept eating. “But they’re the experts. What do I know?”
The other man smiled. He was about my age, slim, with a head of dark curls and bright-brown eyes. “Manuel Ortega, Real Estate. Call me Manny. We did a lot of these at my old firm. I don’t mind them. Sometimes people surprise you. And you discover things about yourself.”
“I think you’re right. It’s good to learn about people and not make snap judgments.” I sipped my water. “How long have you each been with the firm?”
Ralph, who’d finished his food, wiped his mouth. “Four months. Came from the SEC. My wife’s been pushing me for years to go to the private sector and make some real money.” He chuckled. “She’s a partner at Sullivan and White and says she’s tired of being the breadwinner.”
They all laughed, and Manny seemed to hesitate before saying, “I’ve been here almost two months.
My husband is a cardiology resident at New York Hospital.
We’re working hard right now, trying to save up as much as we can to buy a house and then to have a baby.
We weren’t sure if it was the right thing for me to buy into the partnership, but Johnny and I decided you never know if an opportunity to join a firm like this will come again.
I was a fourth-year associate at Sheffield Brown, but they weren’t moving ahead to make me a partner. So I took the leap. How about you?”
“I’m pretty boring. I’ve been here about a month, and came from a boutique firm specializing in divorce, custody arrangements, and adoptions. I was a partner there, but when Daniel Roth approached me, the opportunity—both prestige and earnings-wise—was too good to pass up. That’s about it for me.”
“Wife? Kids?” Manny’s eyes lit up. “Girlfriend? Boyfriend? I can hook you up with either. I have three bright and beautiful cousins—Rita’s a lawyer, Marina’s a real-estate broker, and Esther is a stockbroker. And Johnny’s got a cute resident, Evan, who’s looking for a boyfriend.”
“Are you sure my father didn’t send you here to match me up? He’s been nagging me for years to get married.” Stalling, I ate some of my sandwich. “I guess I’m a confirmed bachelor. I’ve never found the right woman.”
“You’re young. You’ve got lots of time. Trust me,” Ralph insisted.
“I’ve got plenty of years on you, and there’s lots of living to be done.
My wife and I are married close to thirty years, and we’re still not sick of each other.
Excuse me a minute. I’m going to grab a few of those cookies.
I’m not allowed to have dessert at home, so I want to get my happiness while I can. ”
Manny and I laughed as Ralph hurried off. “And that’s why you want to hook me up with someone?”
Manny waved a hand in the air. “Nah. He’s kidding. If they’re married for so long, I’m sure they love each other.”
I was happy for Ralph, who sounded like he had a good, solid marriage.
But I also knew the other, ugly side. So many people started off with forever in their eyes, yet only a few years later sat across the table, snarling with hatred.
Betrayal, money problems, lack of trust…
so many pitfalls could cause a marriage to fail and love to die.
Maybe I’d shied away from commitment because I’d seen too much ugliness and didn’t want to fall victim to it all. I’d rather keep it light and easy than open myself up to hurt.
A burst of laughter caught my attention from Weston’s table, and when I looked in that direction, I found his eyes on me. My heart slammed at the mix of fury and pain in his face.
“What’s with that guy?” Manny asked. “He looks like he wants to bite your head off. You know him?”
“No. Just same section in law school.”
“Maybe he wants to step it up a notch.” Manny leaned close. “’Cause he looks like he’s jealous we’re talking to each other.”
I sputtered with laughter even as hot and cold simultaneously washed over me. “Don’t be ridiculous. West is straight, and so am I. We’ve never gotten along. It sounds silly, but any time we’re together, we spend it trying to top one another.”
Manny’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll bet.”
Somehow, I had a feeling we weren’t talking about the same thing.