“And we have to all be in on Monday, so any Labor Day plans we had …” I couldn’t say it out loud.
“Gone.” She plopped into my office chair as her head fell back. “She’s a sneak. Why can’t anyone see this? You’ve been picking up her slack for months.”
I was partially responsible for Sharon. I’d made it too easy for her to come and go with as little effort as possible because what else did I have to do but work? I had a relationship I didn’t care enough about at the time to worry if I had to stay late. Now, I wanted to spit nails right after I spit at her.
I’d thought about what Joe said this morning all day, how he didn’t remember how life was before I came into The Beach Pub. Things were complicated like I knew they would be, but sitting here at my desk, I wasn’t as satisfied as before I’d left. I loved my job and my clients, and, while this launch was a lot of work, it was exciting. But, unlike before I made the hasty drive to Ocean Cove, I wanted more now and couldn’t go back.
36
Joe
“Caterina,it’s okay. I mean, it sucks—a lot—but I understand. Just makes the next time we see each other that much better.” I tried to mask how disappointed I really was and not make her feel even worse. After a month without her, I was ready to lose it but would keep myself in check until we hung up. Then, I’d take it out on the punching bag in the makeshift gym we’d made in the corner of the restaurant basement or have an extra shot of something at closing time when her absence always gnawed at me the most.
“I’m sorry, Joe. I miss you so damn much. I hate that I—”
“Stop it. I miss you too. We knew with the jobs we have this would happen sometimes. It’s just life, is all. The important thing is that we keep trying, right? Maybe it’s better you didn’t come.”
“Why?” I smiled, thinking of her stiffening in her office chair as her guard went up.Fuck, I missed her.
“Because I wouldn’t have let you out of my bed. You wouldn’t have gotten any work done, and poor Dom would have dealt with one of our busiest weekends all by himself. Once I got between your legs, there would be zero chance of me coming up for air.”
“I actually believe you.” She laughed before groaning in frustration. “But I still can’t see anything good about not being with you. I miss you so much, it’s making me crazy.”
“The way I look at it, being this miserable about not seeing each other may not feel all that lucky right now, but it is.”
“So both of us feeling like shit right now is lucky?” I pictured her full lips drooping in a frown. I hadn’t tasted them in a month, but they were unforgettable.
“Yes, it is.”
“Did you just use yourbossvoice on me?” She always teased me about my stern tone when I spoke to my employees but loved it when I used it on her in private.
“It means what we have is worth fighting for.” A long silence hovered between us. I knew when she left, it would be tough, but we were too good together to give up.
“I better get back. I still have a mountain of work to go back to.”
“Yeah, this place is crazy right now, too. But hey, don’t be upset. We hit our first bump in the road, that’s all this is.”
“Yep, just a bump,” she halfheartedly agreed, making me wish I could jump through the phone and pull her into my arms to make her believe it.
“I’ll call you tonight. It may be late, or early tomorrow.” We already had customers waiting to be seated today, and last night, the bar was packed. I wished I could drop everything and go see her, but it wasn’t possible. Still, the itch to do it in the first place spoke volumes about how I felt about her.
“Don’t work too hard.” I heard the smile in her voice.
“Right back at you.” We said goodbye and hung up. I left my office and headed to the dining area, even more crowded now since I’d stepped away to take Caterina’s call. This was what I wanted and what I’d been working toward for the past two years. I should’ve been happy, and I was, but the sour pang in my gut wouldn’t let me fully enjoy it.
“Hey.” Dom smacked my arm, startling me out of my trance. “When does Caterina get here tomorrow?”
“She doesn’t. I just spoke to her, and she can’t get away from the office this weekend, after all.” I lifted a sad shoulder. Pretending to be upbeat for Caterina was taxing, and it almost felt good to wallow in front of Dominic. I nodded a hello to a regular customer over his shoulder and tried to get my head back to where it was supposed to be, but my heart wasn’t in it today. It was stuck in Brooklyn with Caterina.
“Sorry, man. Maybe you can go see her next week. I could handle the straggler rush.”
“Maybe, but I’ve taken advantage enough already. I can’t keep leaving this place with you on a whim.”
“A whim?” An incredulous laugh fell from his lips. “You look like someone killed your puppy right now. Caterina isn’t a whim to you, that’s pretty obvious. I’m happy to help you when I can.”
“Because you know I’m going to owe you big in the off-season.” I forced out a chuckle, but Dominic only shook his head.
“When you’re that sick over someone, you need to make it work.” He turned to head back into the kitchen.
