Brian smiles tightly. Yes there’s a lot more upheaval coming up. But the four of us have always been thick as thieves. We’ll just need to make room for a new member in our little clan. Ava is shy today but I can tell she’s a wonderful person.
The lunch doesn’t go too badly at all, and as we say our goodbyes, a weight lifts off my shoulders. I feel light as a cloud.This is good,I tell myself.This is really good.
When Brian and Ava embrace goodbye, it’s heartwarming to watch. When they finally let go of each other, I reach in for an awkward hug. We leave each other with plans to get together again soon.
As we settle back in the car and head home, I exhale a long breath of relief.
* * *
I’d toldmyself that I would never reach out to him again. But there’s no way I could let him go through this alone.
I watch him quietly as his skilled hands dance on top of a young brunette’s head. The place is buzzing, and he hasn’t noticed me slip in. He’s serious today, not his usual chatty self. My heart aches for him.
All the chairs are occupied, and there are three other stylists at work. The woman at the reception desk is on the phone, and the lady sitting next to me in the waiting area is struggling to contain her very agitated toddler. I watch him intently, eagerly anticipating the moment when Joel will turn and glance my way.
When he finally does, his face falls. He stares at me for a beat and jerks his gaze away. My heart sinks. He hates me.
But I’m not leaving until I’ve had the chance to talk to him.
I watch him as he blow dries and styles the brunette’s thick long locks. She’s happy with the results, and he smiles at her as she heads to the cash register.
He glances my way again.
Yep. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.
He reluctantly heads my way, probably knowing I won’t leave until he acknowledges me.
“Hi, Joel,” I say cheerfully.
“Hi.”
“I thought we could talk.”
He nods. “Why? What do we have to say to each other?”
“So much, Joel,” I tell him. “I’m so sorry.”
“You knew all along.”
“Yes… well, when I first met you…” I can’t get into all this now. Here. “Why don’t we go somewhere and talk? Do you have any openings in your schedule?”
“I was just heading for lunch.”
“Perfect. I could tag along and we could chat.”
He studies me for a beat. I can tell he’s curious. He probably has a lot of questions. “Sure,” he finally concedes.
We head to the deli across the street. We both order roast beef sandwiches and Snapples. I’m not planning to have much of it — I’m too wired to eat anything. We take a seat at a small table by the window.
He twists the cap off his Lemonade Snapple. “It wasn’t a coincidence when you first came into the salon, was it?” His sandwich has yet to be touched.
“It wasn’t,” I admit. “I wanted to meet you.”
He stares at me without a word, confused.
“Let me explain…” I start. I twist open my own drink. “I found a picture of Ava by chance, and I wondered who she was, so I went a little Nancy Drew and spied on my husband’s laptop. I found his browsing history and found Ava’s Facebook profile. At first, I thought he was having an affair with her… crazy, I know. Anyway, I wanted to know more about her. So naturally, I became quite interested in her life.”
He listens intently, his sandwich still untouched.
