left things earlier today. But I had to try. I didn’t come all this way to fail. James deserved my best efforts to fix my mistake.
I lost my nerve. “I, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to join us again for dinner?”
The lined hummed for at least thirty seconds. Had he hung up on me?
“Dinner?”
“Yes, Janice—I mean, I would really like you to come.” Maybe if I played to his ego, he would accept the invitation. Then, somehow, during dinner I could find a moment to pull him aside and propose a serious meeting. We needed to discuss the divorce and how we were going to make that happen. After today’s fiasco, I didn’t want to see him alone. Dinner would be the best solution to keep us both out of trouble.
His voice was guarded. “I might be free this evening. Let me check my schedule.”
I could hear him flipping through papers.
“I can be there at eight o’clock.” His words were stilted.
“Great.”
“Is that all?” he asked. “I’m quite busy here.”
“Uh, no, that’s it. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Joaquin gave no response, affirmative or negative, on the other end of the phone.
Dammit, I really messed things up. He sounded less than enthused about meeting us for dinner. Not a good sign.
I wondered what his life had been like up until now. Did he have other lovers? Other women he may have wanted to marry? I might have ruined whatever chance he had for a normal, happy life.
Being away from him all these years, I managed to box up my feelings and set them aside. The less I thought about Joaquin, the less it hurt. And the less it hurt, the easier it was to forget. That included thinking about what my actions did to him. How I may have affected his life. I had been selfish and immature. Deep down, I had known that for awhile now, but had been too much of a wimp to own up to it.
I couldn’t be wimpy, however. I had to grow a backbone when it came to Joaquin, and I had to grow it now. No weaknesses could show through anymore.
Maybe if I found out more about what his life had been like after I disappeared, maybe there would be some common ground, something to convince him a divorce would be the best option. To end the hurting now, for both of us, rather than punish each other for a stupid mistake for the rest of our lives.
I looked down at my watch: almost seven thirty. I had no time to change for dinner; Janice and George would be expecting me at Chez México, the nicest restaurant in the hotel. Janice would likely be more than happy to find out Joaquin would be joining us for dinner. She and George would canoodle over their meals, giving me the opportunity to speak to Joaquin.
I headed toward the restaurant located at the southern end of the hotel and shook off my feelings of apprehension.
“Suze, over here!”
Janice and George sat on a padded bench outside the restaurant. She glowed in a shimmery halter top and short, black skirt. She made me feel frumpy in my touristy togs.
I waved.
She sat knee-to-knee with George, their hands clasped together. They looked like honeymooners. Crazy to think these two had only met this morning. Talk about a match made in heaven.
“Hey, good to see you again,” said George. “Hope you don’t mind me tagging along on your girls’ night out.”
“Well, Janice isn’t the only one bringing a date.”
“So you remembered to invite him?” Janice stood up with George and secured the skinny strap of her evening bag on her bare shoulder.
“I told you I would,” I said.
Janice touched my arm, “I’m teasing, Suze.”
I noticed she wore a lot more make-up than she usually did. Sparkly eye shadow? Glistening lip gloss? What happened to a dash of Chapstick and a few brushes of mascara? And was she wearing my eyeliner?
Wanting to encourage her foray into more girlish behavior than normal, I told her, “You look gorgeous, by the way.”
“Uh-uh! Don’t change the subject on me.” Janice blushed at the compliment. “So, where’s your
I lost my nerve. “I, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to join us again for dinner?”
The lined hummed for at least thirty seconds. Had he hung up on me?
“Dinner?”
“Yes, Janice—I mean, I would really like you to come.” Maybe if I played to his ego, he would accept the invitation. Then, somehow, during dinner I could find a moment to pull him aside and propose a serious meeting. We needed to discuss the divorce and how we were going to make that happen. After today’s fiasco, I didn’t want to see him alone. Dinner would be the best solution to keep us both out of trouble.
His voice was guarded. “I might be free this evening. Let me check my schedule.”
I could hear him flipping through papers.
“I can be there at eight o’clock.” His words were stilted.
“Great.”
“Is that all?” he asked. “I’m quite busy here.”
“Uh, no, that’s it. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Joaquin gave no response, affirmative or negative, on the other end of the phone.
Dammit, I really messed things up. He sounded less than enthused about meeting us for dinner. Not a good sign.
I wondered what his life had been like up until now. Did he have other lovers? Other women he may have wanted to marry? I might have ruined whatever chance he had for a normal, happy life.
Being away from him all these years, I managed to box up my feelings and set them aside. The less I thought about Joaquin, the less it hurt. And the less it hurt, the easier it was to forget. That included thinking about what my actions did to him. How I may have affected his life. I had been selfish and immature. Deep down, I had known that for awhile now, but had been too much of a wimp to own up to it.
I couldn’t be wimpy, however. I had to grow a backbone when it came to Joaquin, and I had to grow it now. No weaknesses could show through anymore.
Maybe if I found out more about what his life had been like after I disappeared, maybe there would be some common ground, something to convince him a divorce would be the best option. To end the hurting now, for both of us, rather than punish each other for a stupid mistake for the rest of our lives.
I looked down at my watch: almost seven thirty. I had no time to change for dinner; Janice and George would be expecting me at Chez México, the nicest restaurant in the hotel. Janice would likely be more than happy to find out Joaquin would be joining us for dinner. She and George would canoodle over their meals, giving me the opportunity to speak to Joaquin.
I headed toward the restaurant located at the southern end of the hotel and shook off my feelings of apprehension.
“Suze, over here!”
Janice and George sat on a padded bench outside the restaurant. She glowed in a shimmery halter top and short, black skirt. She made me feel frumpy in my touristy togs.
I waved.
She sat knee-to-knee with George, their hands clasped together. They looked like honeymooners. Crazy to think these two had only met this morning. Talk about a match made in heaven.
“Hey, good to see you again,” said George. “Hope you don’t mind me tagging along on your girls’ night out.”
“Well, Janice isn’t the only one bringing a date.”
“So you remembered to invite him?” Janice stood up with George and secured the skinny strap of her evening bag on her bare shoulder.
“I told you I would,” I said.
Janice touched my arm, “I’m teasing, Suze.”
I noticed she wore a lot more make-up than she usually did. Sparkly eye shadow? Glistening lip gloss? What happened to a dash of Chapstick and a few brushes of mascara? And was she wearing my eyeliner?
Wanting to encourage her foray into more girlish behavior than normal, I told her, “You look gorgeous, by the way.”
“Uh-uh! Don’t change the subject on me.” Janice blushed at the compliment. “So, where’s your
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