Hopefully.
When my boss first told me the details of my new assignment, I’d been thrilled. As relationship manager, the investment group I worked for sent me from project to project to ensure everything stayed on schedule and on budget. Some locations were nicer than others, but I thought I’d lucked out with an assignment on the Jersey Shore. When I sifted through the folder he’d given me and looked over the plans to rent the restaurant space to a local and successful establishment, it seemed like an excellent idea, until I read the name of said restaurant.
I knew that Joe’s restaurant was named The Beach Pub and it was based in Ocean Cove, not even a thirty-minute drive from Pentier Beach. All the numbers made sense, and The Beach Pub was a perfect choice. They had a great reputation and growing customer base. Leasing the restaurant space was supposed to be the detail I worried the least about.
“Was it my imagination, or did I spot you running on the beach early this morning?” Violet lifted an eyebrow when I sat down next to her. In her early forties, she was older than I was, but she seemed nice and easy going. Some hotel managers were neurotic maniacs until opening day, and thankfully she’d shown no signs of that yet.
“No, it was me. I’m used to going to the gym in the mornings, but there isn’t one close enough. I figured I’d take advantage of Halston’s prime location.” I tried to give her an easy smile as I rested my purse onto the seat next to me. My attempt to work off my nerves hadn’t quite panned out. Butterflies still filled my empty stomach and sped up with each passing second. Scanning the room, I sighed softly, wishing they’d come out to greet us so we could get it over with.
“You said you were friends with Joe and Dominic, right?”
I scanned the dining area. The place felt like Joe. Understated, modern, not too beachy but it still incorporated some of the spirit of the small shore town.
“I should be honest with you.” I grimaced and scooted my chair closer to the table. “I used to date Dominic.”
She raised a brow before she propped her elbow onto the table and rested her chin on her wrist.
“What do you mean by date?” She raised her eyebrow again.
Date was a weak word for what I’d had, or what I thought I’d had, with Dominic. Before his mother got sick, I would have said, with certainty, that he was the one. But that explanation wasn’t exactly appropriate considering I was about to take a business meeting with him.
“We were together for a while, but there’s no animosity. I promise you that it won’t be any kind of issue.”
“Okay, I believe you.” Violet looked me over with narrowed eyes. “And I trust that you’ll tell me if that changes.”
“I will, but it won’t. I can assure you.” I said it more to myself than to Violet. In fact, I’d repeated it in my head a thousand times this morning, when I drove out here from Queens, and again, after I parked my car and headed inside. I hoped the repetition would somehow make it stick and catch on.
I’d stalked all their social media sites over the past week and still felt the sucker punch to my gut when I checked their Instagram page. A picture of Dominic standing in front of the entrance, his smile wide and beautiful like the Dominic I remembered and adored before it had all fallen apart, had been seared into my brain ever since.
I was actually happy that he seemed content in his new life but still sad and angry that it didn’t include me. That was something I needed to finally get over. I considered suggesting another restaurant to rent the space, but other than having regular contact with the ex-love of my life, there wasn’t a plausible reason.
“Violet, sorry to keep you waiting.” I recognized Joe’s voice behind me.
“I haven’t been here more than five minutes, and Thea just got here. Nice to meet you in person, Joe.” She rose from her seat to shake his hand, and I followed, gulping down the lump in my throat as I pulled up my proverbial big girl panties.
Joe blinked his widened blue eyes a couple of times before his mouth fell open.
“Thea? No way!” He pulled me into a hug. I relaxed and hugged him back, feeling both relieved and disappointed that Dominic wasn’t with him.
“Hi, Joe.” I squeezed his forearms as I pulled back. “Congratulations on a successful business, but I can’t say I’m surprised.”
He lifted his shoulder in a humble shrug and glanced wistfully around the room. Joe was always a great guy; nice to a fault and very driven. He’d wanted his own restaurant for as long as I’d known him, and I was truly thrilled to see how well he was doing.
“Thanks. As many hopes as I’d had for this place, I’d never thought about adding another one. It’s a little crazy to me.”
He drifted his hand across the short bristles of his beard as a grin stretched his mouth, the silver band on his left ring finger catching a glint from the sunlight filtering in from outside. Joe never struck me as the marrying type, but I guessed things could change quite a bit in four years.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up as I sensed a presence behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to see who was there.
“Thea?” Dominic’s greeting was a whisper of disbelief. Taking in a sharp, and hopefully unnoticed breath, I turned to face him.
“Hi, Dominic.”
3
Thea
We lockedeyes for only a moment, but the deafening silence made it seem like hours.
