I take solace in the memory, and I’m almost able to feel the warmth of the sun, the grittiness of the sand beneath my feet. I can almost hear Ben’s deep voice and throaty laugh.
“And he kept saying that yes, every ocean goes on and on and on forever. Until you crushed her dreams by telling her that there is an end of the ocean,” I say, as Sam touches my hand.
I smile and turn my face to him. There’s a question in his eyes that he finally manages to put voice to.
“What took you so long to get here, Hals?”
The picture of Ben and Grace looms large above us. It makes it impossible for me to tell a lie.
“I was with Chris.”
“Please, Hallie, tell me that scumbag didn’t…”
“He’s not a scumbag.”
“He is.”
“I made my fair share of mistakes, too. You only picked my side because you needed a dancing partner and Chris has two left feet.”
Sam lets out a dramatic sigh. “Yep, that’s it. I picked you so that I wouldn’t get all embarrassed up in the club.” He grins at me and nudges my side. “What happened today?”
I can’t tell him and I can’t lie to him, so I focus my eyes on his deep brown ones and lift my hand slightly. He groans.
“Hallie. You know I want nothing more than for you to start living your life again. It’s what I want. It’s what Marie wants. It’s what your mom wants, and what Eva wants, and it’s what everyone else who cares about you wants. I can tell you right now that Chris Jensen is not the answer.”
“I think it’s the only answer I was able to figure out right now.”
Sam’s phone buzzes before he can offer a quick retort. He hands it to me with a wry look.
“ Saved by the bell. This is Marie’s fourteenth call. You better figure out a good excuse for not telling her that you were coming to town.”
“Where is she?”
“Africa. Shooting some fashion spread with wildlife. She’s been there for a week.”
“ So, she’ll be exhausted. She’ll be begging to get off the phone. You know what she’s like if she doesn’t get at least nine hours of sleep every night.”
Sam chuckles , conceding my point with a little nod as I pick up the phone. Marie’s lilting tones are raised in frustration, but just the sound of her voice puts a smile on my face.
“Samuel, if Hallie is already there and you didn’t call me the second she arrived, I really will kill you this time.”
“Marie, it’s my fault.”
She shrieks and I can almost see her arms dance around her, the way they always do when she’s excited.
“Hallie, you have no idea how much I have missed you. But, how could you come to New York and not tell me? I would have come home a day early.”
“I don’t know.” I throw up my hands helplessly , even though she can’t see me. “I really am sorry for not telling you I was coming. I know it was a mistake. I was trying to keep this trip as business-like as possible with the movie and all, and…”
“Ah, so you are in my city for a movie deal. I knew there had to be a reason. I also know you hate New York, Hallie. Half the days, I hate New York, too. Of course, half the days I think it is the most beautiful place on the planet. So dirty. Such energy. So heartless. So alive. I do not blame you for not wanting to tell us that you were coming. You wanted to return home quickly, and we would have held you captive, because we love you and we do not see you enough.”
Sam grabs the phone from my ear and shouts into it. “Baby, you know I don’t like it when you talk shit about my city. I’m a New Yorker. I can talk shit. You’re not a real New Yorker, even though you live here, so you cannot talk shit.”
When Sam first told me that he was dating a half-French, half-Ethiopian model-turned photographer, I was prepared to be skeptical , particularly after the last four model girlfriends had turned out to be empty-headed (albeit decorative) gold diggers. All of my doubts were quickly dismissed when Marie had walked in to Ben’s
“And he kept saying that yes, every ocean goes on and on and on forever. Until you crushed her dreams by telling her that there is an end of the ocean,” I say, as Sam touches my hand.
I smile and turn my face to him. There’s a question in his eyes that he finally manages to put voice to.
“What took you so long to get here, Hals?”
The picture of Ben and Grace looms large above us. It makes it impossible for me to tell a lie.
“I was with Chris.”
“Please, Hallie, tell me that scumbag didn’t…”
“He’s not a scumbag.”
“He is.”
“I made my fair share of mistakes, too. You only picked my side because you needed a dancing partner and Chris has two left feet.”
Sam lets out a dramatic sigh. “Yep, that’s it. I picked you so that I wouldn’t get all embarrassed up in the club.” He grins at me and nudges my side. “What happened today?”
I can’t tell him and I can’t lie to him, so I focus my eyes on his deep brown ones and lift my hand slightly. He groans.
“Hallie. You know I want nothing more than for you to start living your life again. It’s what I want. It’s what Marie wants. It’s what your mom wants, and what Eva wants, and it’s what everyone else who cares about you wants. I can tell you right now that Chris Jensen is not the answer.”
“I think it’s the only answer I was able to figure out right now.”
Sam’s phone buzzes before he can offer a quick retort. He hands it to me with a wry look.
“ Saved by the bell. This is Marie’s fourteenth call. You better figure out a good excuse for not telling her that you were coming to town.”
“Where is she?”
“Africa. Shooting some fashion spread with wildlife. She’s been there for a week.”
“ So, she’ll be exhausted. She’ll be begging to get off the phone. You know what she’s like if she doesn’t get at least nine hours of sleep every night.”
Sam chuckles , conceding my point with a little nod as I pick up the phone. Marie’s lilting tones are raised in frustration, but just the sound of her voice puts a smile on my face.
“Samuel, if Hallie is already there and you didn’t call me the second she arrived, I really will kill you this time.”
“Marie, it’s my fault.”
She shrieks and I can almost see her arms dance around her, the way they always do when she’s excited.
“Hallie, you have no idea how much I have missed you. But, how could you come to New York and not tell me? I would have come home a day early.”
“I don’t know.” I throw up my hands helplessly , even though she can’t see me. “I really am sorry for not telling you I was coming. I know it was a mistake. I was trying to keep this trip as business-like as possible with the movie and all, and…”
“Ah, so you are in my city for a movie deal. I knew there had to be a reason. I also know you hate New York, Hallie. Half the days, I hate New York, too. Of course, half the days I think it is the most beautiful place on the planet. So dirty. Such energy. So heartless. So alive. I do not blame you for not wanting to tell us that you were coming. You wanted to return home quickly, and we would have held you captive, because we love you and we do not see you enough.”
Sam grabs the phone from my ear and shouts into it. “Baby, you know I don’t like it when you talk shit about my city. I’m a New Yorker. I can talk shit. You’re not a real New Yorker, even though you live here, so you cannot talk shit.”
When Sam first told me that he was dating a half-French, half-Ethiopian model-turned photographer, I was prepared to be skeptical , particularly after the last four model girlfriends had turned out to be empty-headed (albeit decorative) gold diggers. All of my doubts were quickly dismissed when Marie had walked in to Ben’s
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