“Jax?”
No one at the company called him that.
He turned.
And his past walked right up to him.
“Sara?”
She looked different. Older, maybe. Stronger. But her smile? That hadn’t changed.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, completely thrown.
“I own the catering company your firm hired.”
His jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Launched it last year. Been busy ever since.”
Jaxon laughed, a real one, the kind that hit somewhere deeper than polite amusement. “I told you. You had something special. I’m glad you went for it.”
Sara opened her mouth to reply, but a microphone clicked on and the emcee’s voice boomed through the speakers, signaling the start of the ceremony.
She turned to go, but Jaxon reached out and gently caught her hand.
“Find me when this is over. I’d love to catch up.”
Her smile faltered, just for a second. Like she knew something he didn’t.
“I will,” she said. “It was good seeing you, Jax.”
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
The event kicked off in full swing—financial summaries, projections, cheers, champagne toasts. But none of it really landed. Jaxon kept scanning the crowd, eyes searching the edges of the room for Sara, wondering if she’d pop back into view.
She didn’t.
Eventually, they called him to the stage. He walked up to applause, shook hands, stood beside the other partners for the announcement. Everyone smiled for the cameras. Everyone celebrated.
But Jaxon couldn’t help the quiet tug of something unsettled.
After the closing toast, he weaved through the tables, finally stopping one of the catering employees as they loaded dishes into a tray cart.
“Hi, I’m Jaxon—an old friend of Sara’s. Any chance you know where she went?”
The woman nodded. “She said to tell you she was sorry. Something came up.”
He nodded, disappointed. But then the woman added, “She also said if you’re still in town, she’ll be at that restaurant tomorrow night.” She furrowed her brow like she didn’t fully understand the message.
But Jaxon did.
He didn’t even need to ask which restaurant she meant.
As he stepped outside and made the four-block walk back to his hotel, the pieces began to fit together.
The catering company. The event. Sara’s message.
Claire.
