We greet one another like work colleagues.Wooden, and civil, yet despite the restraint, and no hugs or kisses, I can’t help but soften at the sight of her.Her eyes twinkle, and looking at her fills me with a sense of joy that’s been missing from my life.On closer examination, she looks nervous, apologetic even, like she’s about to spill a big secret.Maybe now I’ll finally get to the bottom of it.
“I don’t want to let you down , or hurt you,” she says, wringing her hands as she leans across the table.“Especially not over something that matters to you, and something as important as your big birthday.”
I shrug.“I don’t understand why it’s such a hard no.”
She wraps her arms around herself.“Some doors are just … hard to walk back through.”
“What door did you close?”
She fidgets in her seat.“What if I don’t …fit?”
That again?I sense she’s choosing her words carefully.“You fit with me, Maya.”
She manages a smile.I can tell it’s forced, because it doesn’t light up her eyes.Is this really all that keeping her from coming to my party?I reach across the table and take her hands in mine.Soft and warm, the touch of her skin comforts me in a way that is familiar, in a way I crave and need.I don’t want to let her out of my sight again.“You fit, okay?”
“But I am and always will be the housekeeper’s daughter.”
“Says who?”
“Says me, says your father …”
“He’s not even going to be there.He’s abroad, on business, doing what’s important to him.”
She stills for a moment, like she misheard.“He’s not going to be there?”
“He never is.He didn’t even come to Brooke’s fifth birthday.Jett’s daughter,” I explain.
“That’s not good.”
“He only cares about business.Mom would have been there.”I stop, catching myself with memories about how Mom would bake cakes herself on our birthdays, not allowing the chef to do it, and how she would make a day of it.No nannies, no staff, just Mom and us, spending the day doing something together, because Dad was always away on business.Thinking about it now, maybe it wasn’t always business.It was probably him spending time with his other family.
“I’m only going ahead with it because it was what mom would have wanted.”
She slides her thumbs over the back of my hands, reassuring and comforting.
“It’ll just be my brothers, friends, and close business associates.”I watch her carefully, because her expression shifts and she seems to relax.I can almost see the tension melting away from her face and shoulders.
“I feel bad for letting you down,” she says slowly, dark eyes meeting mine like she’s asking for forgiveness.
“Then don’t.”
She takes a slow inhale, thinking about it.“I’ll come.”
Hope flares so fast in my chest it almost hurts.“You’ll come?To my party?”
She nods.“If it means that much to you.”
I squeeze her hands in mine gently.She’s changed in one instant.It’s like she was wrestling with herself, and now, she’s made the choice.“You being there means the world to me.”
“I’m sorry for messing you about.”Her voice is soft, her guard lowered.I note the fullness of her lips, the shine in her eyes, and all I want is to possess her again.Have her in my bed.I’d kiss her now, if I could reach across the table and fully claim her mouth.
She gives me a devilish, hungry smile that tells me it’s not food that’s on her mind right now.
A waitress comes over.I glance up, distracted, then turn to Maya.
“It’s you again,” the waitress says, cheerfully.Maya and I do a double take.It’s the same one we had the last time, when we had to leave without placing an order.We’re going to do the same thing again.
“I’m sorry,” I say, getting ready to leave.“But … something’s just come up.”
