“This is a really nice spot,” she said as she looked around at the impeccable dining area with the rustic wooden tables and furnishings. Off-white table linens adorned the tables set with silver cutlery and had the wineglasses turned upside down.
The easy rhythm of blues played in the background, and he could tell she was already enjoying herself.
“Outside of Lot 28, this is where I go,” he commented.
“I bet most people do.” Nikki smiled. “Not everyone can afford lobster bisque and squid-ink pasta,” she joked.
He laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. They have great finger food here,” he said as he showed her the menu. “Care to have a look?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” she said as she scanned the menu card. “Tacos sound good, and chicken lollipops.”
“I agree.” He grinned. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
She laughed as he placed the order. He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed her company, and though he hadn’t thought about her in years, lately, he’d found that she was always on his mind.
But that wasn’t why they’d met. They enjoyed the meal, somewhat anxiously as they both knew why they had met in the first place.
When they were done eating, they retreated to a lounge area to talk. He could see how nervous she was. “Are you ready?” he asked.
She sighed. “Before you do that, I know how close you and Trish are, but how much do you know? I can’t help but think that if she told you about Amy, then you must know a lot about us too.”
“You don’t have to feel bad about anything, Nikki,” he told her. “I already knew you and your family long before Trish and I ran into each other. Maybe that was why she found it so easy to talk to me.”
“I think I’m going to need another glass of wine,” Nikki lamented, much to his amusement.
He signaled the server over, who promptly returned with a bottle of red wine. Nikki held the glass in her hand very timidly as she glanced over at Paul. “Do you know what happened all those years ago?”
He nodded his head. “Yeah, she told me about it,” he admitted. “She told me how she’d gotten pregnant with this guy who ditched her afterward, and that when her parents found out, they pressured her into leaving Seattle for Arlington, where she would put the baby up for adoption.” Paul took her hand. “Nikki, you have to understand that Trish didn’t want to give you her daughter because she had every intention of getting her back. She wasn’t out to hurt you.”
“What?” Nikki asked and raised her brows.
“That’s why she started trying to find Amy. Ever since she’s been here, she’s been looking, but it’s a lot harder than it seems.”
“Wait,” Nikki said and wrinkled her face. “Trish wanted to keep the baby back then?”
“She did, but her father threatened to cut her off if she didn’t give her up for adoption, and your mother couldn’t disagree with him,” Paul told her and sighed.
“I didn’t know that. She told me no right off the bat, so I thought it was her decision too,” Nikki said softly.
“No, there was an entire conversation that happened before you showed up,” he said. “She’s harbored the guilt of that moment for years. She’s never forgiven herself, and that’s why she wants to connect with Amy, especially because she hasn’t had any other children after that.”
He could see the pain written across Nikki’s face. “I’m not telling you any of this so you can feel guilty, Nikki,” he reassured her. “I just want you to understand, and so does Trish, that none of this can be blamed on either of you.”
“I see,” Nikki said as she toyed with her fingers. “What’s Amy like?” she asked.
He slid the folder across the table. “Have a look,” he said.
Nikki picked up the file like she expected it could break between her fingers, and a smile spread across her face when she saw Amy’s picture. “She looks like Trish,” she said lovingly. “Did she have a good life?”
“Yeah, for the most part,” Paul replied.
Nikki sighed and closed the file. “That’s more than can be said of me and Trish,” she replied.
“I have to admit Trish didn’t go that far back,” Paul said. “I mean, you and I dated for a while, but I wasn’t at your house all the time.”
“I know, and you wouldn’t have wanted to be,” she said. “My father was a workaholic and a perfectionist. He rolled in the big leagues, and because of his reputation, he was sort of famous too. And he guarded that with his life.”
Paul tapped the folder. “I can see that. Trish had mentioned that he didn’t want her having a baby as a teenager to tarnish his reputation.”
