At home after work, bag slung over a chair, mail tossed on the table, her everyday tasks laughably easy, the dam broke. Misery tightened in the space beneath her eyes, watering her view. The sympathy he wouldn’t want clenched high in her throat. It erupted in baby pockets of sobs. “It’s not fair.” And then despair squeezed sobs at a faster tempo. “No, no. It can’t be. Don’t take that away. Undo it. Make him whole, the way he was. For his sake.” The sobs turned ugly, blurring her view of the room.
The denial stage of grieving.
The tears unleashed vulnerability. The frozen of the last two days washed away with the warm water. In its place, a quiet and growing acceptance. He’d survived and now thrived.
Yet, what concern was it of hers? He was no longer in her life.
Then, that evening, a pale hue still touching the sky, the phone sounded. She stared at the lit screen, her surprise dotted with both anticipation and concern.
“Phoenix?”
“Hey, Orchid, how are you?” His voice, light and unencumbered.
Ugly pained air expelled. Fresh clean air inhaled. “I’m okay. How are you doing? How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling fine. Why do you ask?”
“I was a little worried about your phantom pain.”
“Don’t worry about that. Those have become pretty rare nowadays.”
“That’s good to hear. Everything else okay?”
“Things are great. I’m calling to see if you’re free Saturday.”
“Free Saturday?”
“To attend Tish’s wedding with me.”
She regained her footing with sarcasm. “What? Are Liv and Rina busy?”
He laughed. “I prefer you, in case I need to find the men’s room.”
“I am good at finding the men’s room. So tell me the truth, are you just taking pity on me?”
“What? Friends can’t invite friends to events?”
She paused, her heart at risk.
“Hey, I was kind of an ass last time we saw each other. Can I make it up to you?”
No.But at least I can say goodbye before China.
“Okay, thanks for the invitation. What’s the dress code?”
His chuckle brought a smile to her face. “Since when did you care about someone else’s dress code? I’m going black-tie and I’m sure you’ll come up with something uniquely Orchid.”
She hung up, vowing to keep their final evening together light. More important than her outfit or a nail appointment, she began to erect a scaffold around her bandaged heart.
What’s appropriate towearto the wedding of your crush’s ex-girlfriend when you’re still in love, despite a tumultuous relationship?
A full-length Free People dress in a modern interpretation of Scottish tartan, the pattern turned forty-five degrees, low in the front and low in the back, seemed to hit just the right vibe. Orchid sipped an iced vodka cranberry cocktail as she dressed.
Her doorman called at five.Right on time.
Heading down the elevator, she mentally checked if she had everything she needed:lipstick, phone, keys.
Her legs moved on automatic pilot off the elevator. Holy hell, he’d gotten hotter in the week since she’d last seen him. Attired in a well-cut dark tux, offset with a crisp white shirt and trim, dark tie, he looked like an ad for men’s cologne. It wasn’t just his physical beauty. The corners of his eyes crinkled with happiness. He met her halfway through the foyer and captured her around the waist. Dipping her, he kissed her cheek. She stood and looked up at azure eyes smoldering a familiar hole into her racing heart.
