“Aren’t they by appointment only? You must be doing better than everyone thought if you’re going to places like that.” She smiled, like she hadn’t just insinuated that all of their old friends thought she was a loser. “Oh, I see Michael. He’ll want to say hello you, too.Michael!Come over here, honey. You’ll never guess who I just found. It’s Jay.High schoolJay.”
Shit. Jay looked over at the man Angie had singled out. It wasn’t hard to spot him: his hair had receded a little and his middle had thickened, but otherwise, Michael Valdez looked almost exactly the same as she remembered him. Light brown skin, curly hair, and a slightly perplexed expression that had always reminded her of a well-trained dog awaiting approval.
“Wow, Jay,” he said, looking her over in a way that had her stepping back, and folding her arms. “You look amazing. I mean, uh, wow. Amazing that it’s been so long. It’s great to see you.”
Angie shot him a sidelong look that he didn’t notice. “Itisgood to see you. I think you were just about to tell me where you’ve been hiding yourself away this whole time.”
“San Francisco. But I’m back for now. Anyway, it’s been so good to run into you both and, um, congratulations.” Jay realized she was twisting a strand of hair around her finger and hastily lowered the offending hand. “I should really go—”
“I heard you moved back home. Are you living with Nicholas?”
You’re really doing this here, Angie?Jay clenched her teeth behind her smile. “Why not? It’s a big house. He offered and I said yes.”
Not to what he wanted you to.
“Well, I’m glad you two could make up after all of that horrible business with your dad.” Angie gave Michael an expression of exaggerated sympathy. “It took the whole town by shock.”
“Stepfather,” Jay said. “He wasn’t my father.”
“Michael felt so guilty.” Angie put her hand on his shoulder and while he didn’t shrug her off, Jay saw him visibly tense. “He always talks about how close we all used to be, and how he wished there was something he could have done.”
“I don’t know why he felt guilty,” Jay said, which made his eyes slide away from hers. “We only went out for about a year. Our parents just did business together. It had no reflection onhim.”
“How is Nicky, by the way?” Angie asked sweetly. “Is he seeing anyone? I heard you were his plus-one for the gala.”
Damn you, Nicholas.“We don’t really talk about his relationships.”
“Our housekeeper sees him at the supermarket. He’s alwaysalone. Even at parties, he never brought an escort. I always thought that was so sad. It seemed like nobody was good enough to meet his standards. But at least now he has you.”
Jay swallowed. “I suppose.”
“You two should come by for a visit sometime.” She plucked a business card from her pants pocket, sliding it into Jay’s hand.Diamante Dining Group.“I own some of the businesses downtown—two restaurants, a bakery, and a bar. Michael built them, if you can believe it. I can’t, even though it’s how we got together. Though not much is getting built now.”
“There’s no land.” Michael still seemed to have trouble looking at her, but Jay didn’t think she imagined the tightness in his voice.Sore spot, maybe?
“And weren’t we lucky we seized upon what we had when we had the chance, babe?” Angie arched her eyebrows at Jay as she plucked her phone out of her purse. “Looks like the babysitter needs to leave, and so do we. I’ll bring the car around. And seriously, stop by the bar for a chat sometime, Jay. We can catch up on everything we missed over drinks while the boys have beers.”
“Yeah, that sounds great.”That sounds horrible.
“I just can’t wait to hear all your secrets.” Angie patted Jay on the arm. She flinched.
With a smile that felt more like a baring of teeth, Angie flounced off to the gravel parking lot. She paused halfway, her shoulders tightening when she noticed that her husband hadn’t followed.
Because he was still standing right there.
“Sorry about her.” Michael scratched at his neck. “She’s always been a little competitive.”
“You should go after her.” Jay watched Angie swivel around, with an expression of hurt anger on her face that was painful to look at. “She looks upset.”
“That’s all you have to say, after disappearing for nine years?” He rocked back on his heels, staring at her like she was a ghost of herself. Maybe to him, she was.High school Jayhad never talked back or criticized. “You could have asked how I’m doing.”
“Okay, it’s nice to see you. Congratulations on your kid. How are you and your wife doing?”
He sighed. “So it’s going to be like that, is it?”
“I’m not really sure what you want from me.”
A stone scratched against the pavement as Michael toed the loose rocks with his tasseled loafer. Nicholas made fun of shoes like that. He said loafers were for men who bought boats but were terrified of water, which really shouldn’t have been as funny as it was.
