what I did, but she still couldn’t stand it. I had a feeling we weren’t going to last, but I stayed anyway. Over time, she resigned herself to the fact that I wasn’t going to quit, and she stopped arguing with me about it. Eventually, I realized I could love her, and I asked her to marry me. I know now that was my mistake. I loved her, but I was never in love with he r. Does that make any sense?”
Rebekah nodded her head, her eyes full of compassion. He could not believe he was saying some of this to her. No one knew about his early years with Carrie, not even his closest friends, or his sister; yet, here he was spilling his guts to a stranger, who was beginning to feel less and less like one with each passing minute.
“I think she felt the same way. One night, a year ago, after a huge fight, she moved out. She went back to waitressing at a little diner in town called The Cafe, which is what she used to do before we got together. She moved into her studio where she painted. I started working on the movie, so I wasn’t around much. I always hated the idea of divorcing, so while I was gone, I thought about giving it another try. When I got back six months later, I realized part of our problem in the first place. She had been seeing some guy named Tim for the past year. When she found out I was home, she came to my old Penthouse that I had moved back into, not knowing I had found out about Tim. I asked her to leave that night and ordered the security guards in the lobby to never let her back in. I filed for a divorce the next day. It was finalized two days ago.”
Rebekah reached her hand across the table and placed it on top of his. He turned his gaze up to meet hers, and could again see the compassion in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be," he replied simply. "I strongly believe that what's in the past is in the past. I've had six months to come to terms with this, and I have. I don't have any regrets about what happened, because that's what led me to where I am today." He paused and took a breath before he continued, looking into her eyes, "and believe me, I like where I am today." Gently he squeezed her fingers and she smiled at him. "You know what?" he continued. "Enough of that. Now you know all there is to know about my ex-wife. Let's think about something else." He stood up, his hand still holding onto hers. "Would you like to dance?"
"I would love to," she replied as he gently pulled her to her feet. Never letting go of her hand, he led her to a small area near their table. It was big enough for one or maybe two couples to dance on it, but the nice part about the space was that it, like the table, was secluded. Pulling her toward him, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, and continued to hold her hand in his left as she encircled her other hand around his neck. Neither said anything as they began to sweetly dance to the music; both too caught up in the nearness of each other. He smiled as he realized how perfectly she fit in his arms, and was hoping she noticed it as well. Unbeknownst to him, she was thinking the same thing. Closing her eyes, she took a tentative step towards him, and as he felt her slight movement he tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head forward, resting his cheek against the side of her head, allowing himself to investigate her intoxicating scent.
Unsure of anything around them, the couple was lost in the dance and lost in each other. For a man who prided himself on control, he knew he was quickly losing it. The woman in front of him was absolutely amazing, and she was stirring feelings in him that he long ago gave up. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest and she was so close he could tell hers was beating the same way.
Before they realized it though, the music ended. Reluctantly, she pulled back slightly but remained in his embrace. Slowly, she pulled her left hand from around his
Rebekah nodded her head, her eyes full of compassion. He could not believe he was saying some of this to her. No one knew about his early years with Carrie, not even his closest friends, or his sister; yet, here he was spilling his guts to a stranger, who was beginning to feel less and less like one with each passing minute.
“I think she felt the same way. One night, a year ago, after a huge fight, she moved out. She went back to waitressing at a little diner in town called The Cafe, which is what she used to do before we got together. She moved into her studio where she painted. I started working on the movie, so I wasn’t around much. I always hated the idea of divorcing, so while I was gone, I thought about giving it another try. When I got back six months later, I realized part of our problem in the first place. She had been seeing some guy named Tim for the past year. When she found out I was home, she came to my old Penthouse that I had moved back into, not knowing I had found out about Tim. I asked her to leave that night and ordered the security guards in the lobby to never let her back in. I filed for a divorce the next day. It was finalized two days ago.”
Rebekah reached her hand across the table and placed it on top of his. He turned his gaze up to meet hers, and could again see the compassion in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be," he replied simply. "I strongly believe that what's in the past is in the past. I've had six months to come to terms with this, and I have. I don't have any regrets about what happened, because that's what led me to where I am today." He paused and took a breath before he continued, looking into her eyes, "and believe me, I like where I am today." Gently he squeezed her fingers and she smiled at him. "You know what?" he continued. "Enough of that. Now you know all there is to know about my ex-wife. Let's think about something else." He stood up, his hand still holding onto hers. "Would you like to dance?"
"I would love to," she replied as he gently pulled her to her feet. Never letting go of her hand, he led her to a small area near their table. It was big enough for one or maybe two couples to dance on it, but the nice part about the space was that it, like the table, was secluded. Pulling her toward him, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, and continued to hold her hand in his left as she encircled her other hand around his neck. Neither said anything as they began to sweetly dance to the music; both too caught up in the nearness of each other. He smiled as he realized how perfectly she fit in his arms, and was hoping she noticed it as well. Unbeknownst to him, she was thinking the same thing. Closing her eyes, she took a tentative step towards him, and as he felt her slight movement he tightened his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head forward, resting his cheek against the side of her head, allowing himself to investigate her intoxicating scent.
Unsure of anything around them, the couple was lost in the dance and lost in each other. For a man who prided himself on control, he knew he was quickly losing it. The woman in front of him was absolutely amazing, and she was stirring feelings in him that he long ago gave up. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest and she was so close he could tell hers was beating the same way.
Before they realized it though, the music ended. Reluctantly, she pulled back slightly but remained in his embrace. Slowly, she pulled her left hand from around his
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