Harrison’s blazing turquoise eyes hold mine across the table, and they glow with a deep appreciation. “That’s the greatest compliment anyone has ever given me. Thank you, Juliette.”
I wave my hand in front of my face. “You’re going to make me emotional. Tell me something else you like to do.”
He smiles softly, squeezing my hand in his. “How did I get so lucky to meet you?”
“Harrison,” I whisper, my heart catching in my throat. I can feel my emotions barreling through me quickly.Too quickly. I try to change the subject again. “Tell me what you like.”
He pauses and thinks. “I love watching sports with my brothers, we’re big into baseball and football. In the winter, I enjoy skiing. Claud, not so much, but she does it.”
“Oh, that’s a dream of mine. I was never allowed to ski. Actually, there was a whole list of things I couldn’t do as a professional dancer. Since that’s off the table, I hope to one day tick some of them off my list.”
“Because of getting injured?”
“Exactly. Also, I was on a semi strict diet. I ate a lot because I was burning so much of it off, but I ate healthy, and rarely let myself cheat, otherwise I wouldn’t feel my best. I love eating whatever I want now.”
“Like what?”
I scrunch up my face, embarrassed. “One thing I haven’t eaten yet that I’m dying for is a dirty water dog.”
His face is a sheet of surprise, and a bit of disgust. “A hot dog is what you’re excited for?”
I bite my lip and nod, unable to hold back my smile. “Don’t make fun of me. I always loved them as a kid. If I had one, I’d want a million, and that’s a no-no in dance.”
Harrison’s quiet, staring at me. “Do you miss it?”
I take a deep breath. “It’s a complicated answer, but yes, every day.”
His face drops. “Every day?”
I cast my eyes down and draw imaginary circles on the table with my free hand as I think.
“It was my whole life. Moving my body freely while connecting with it in such a deeply emotional way was exhilarating. I will always miss dancing.” I pause for a moment. “I was fortunate to move my body like that.But I don’t miss the people and the politics behind it. That’s like any job, but sometimes it was hard for me to separate the business part from the creative part, if that makes sense.”
“It does. You know Claud pretty much wants to be you when she grows up.”
I huff out a laugh. “Oh, trust me. I know. She tells me, or anyone who will listen how she will be a real ballerina when she grows up.”
He squeezes my hand. “Well, I hope soon enough you’ll be able to feel that freedom again, even if it’s not through dance.”
I gulp down my unease and hope he’s right.
“Where’s Robert?” I ask as we exit the restaurant and begin walking uptown toward his penthouse.
“He dropped off your stuff at my place, and I told him to go home for the night. I thought you’d want to walk again.”
“You’re right.” I put my hand in his. “Summer nights like this are perfect. The rare absence of humidity is the biggest bonus, though. Otherwise, my hair would be five times the size.”
“Normally, I have no idea what women are talking about, but humidity I get. Claud’s hair is unmanageable in the summer.”
Frizz is just a normal thing for us New Yorkers.
We turn off Lex toward Park Avenue to escape the honking and outdoor chatter of all the restaurants, walking in a pleasant silence until someone screams Harrison’s name from behind.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Harrison grumbles and turns us around. “Do you have a tracker on me or something? You don’t even live up here,” he calls out to Nate.
Nate jogs the rest of the way to us, and to be honest, he looks like shit.
I’d never say so, but he looks so much different than he did yesterday afternoon.
