He motioned for Molly to help herself, giving him a moment longer to consider her words. Because while he did understand, that didn’t mean he liked it. His internal narrator may have been unreliable about many things, but it had been clear on that one point. “I understand why. So, has time done its thing yet?”
“Isn’t it strange how that’s a universal belief? That time heals all wounds?”
“You don’t hold that view?”
“Not really. We live life in vivid color, not black and white.”
Molly picked up her slice, curled it inward, and took a bite. He’d never been turned on by watching a woman eat before, but as she sucked a finger into her mouth, he couldn’t help but stare.
“Anyway. What’s this about next year?”
Jake hesitated. It might have been the time to discuss the London offer, but it wasn’t the place. “Let’s finish our meal first, then we can talk.”
“Okay.” Once again, she cast her eyes around the busy restaurant. “Can we order dessert later? I haven’t had tiramisu in weeks.”
“We can do anything we want.”
Back in the truck, Jake drove along Seaview Road, past the arts center, and parked alongside the entrance to the sunken garden. Molly was out of the truck before he had the chance to open her door, and as he followed her down the steps, the place was deserted.
With a slight wind drifting off the bay, Jake buttoned his jacket against the cold and slipped his hands into his pockets, and as they strolled along the graveled paths, mood lighting illuminating the way, neither of them spoke for a while.
“When we met at the party the other night, how did you feel?” he asked eventually.
She stopped and turned to look at him, her scarf pulled tightly around her neck and a puzzled frown on her face. “Confused.”
“Ah, there’s that word again.”
They fell into step, the waves a background murmur as he took her hand. When they reached a two-seater bench beside a modernist water feature, Jake motioned for them to sit.
They sat in silence, both with their hands in their pockets, but still close enough for Jake to feel her warmth.
He turned to face her. “What were you confused about?”
“Us. We should never have gone into that office.”
“You’re right, but, shit, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
A slow smile enhanced her features. Had she thought about it as much as he had? Dreamed of the next time he’d touch her? Even now, he couldn’t shake the frustration he’d felt ever since, both physically and mentally.
Fireworks!
“I really missed you while you were away,” Molly said. “But you and me… it all seemed to happen so fast, like you crashed onto the shore of my life, and just as quickly, the tide took you away again.”
“And now that I’m back?”
“It’s complicated.” She shifted in her seat.“And before you tell me about your plans for next year, I’m pretty sure I know what you’re going to say.”
“And what’s that?”
“You’re returning to Paris, aren’t you?”
Jake hesitated. The direction of his life now hung in the balance, and only Molly could tip the scales either way. This might be his last chance to convince her that they had a future together.
“Not Paris. But I’ve been offered a job in the UK… managing a new place in London for a friend. It’s just for a year.”
She stared straight ahead. “And will you take it?”
“I’m not sure yet. Depends on how things pan out here.”
