something to upset you?”
“No…”
“Is it Tim?”
Anne Marie nodded. “We had a…falling out.”
“Over Ellen?”
“Not exactly.” Based on what he’d said to her daughter, he seemed to regret their argument. So did she. Perhaps he felt it best to keep his distance, step aside and give her a chance to work things out with Mel. She wasn’t sure how to interpret this painful silence, this…discord between them. All she knew was that she had to find some way of resolving it.
“I remember how awkward it was when Hector and I first started seeing each other,” Lillie said. “His family objected, and Barbie had her doubts, too. Neither of us wanted to cause problems, so we ended our relationship. I have to tell you, I’ve never been more miserable in my life.”
“That’s where I am right now,” Anne Marie told her.
“Then do something about it,” Lillie said. “If you have feelings for Tim, you need to tell him.”
Lillie made everything sound so straightforward. Unfortunately, Anne Marie’s situation was anything but. She liked Mel and enjoyed his company, but he didn’t stir her senses, didn’t make her feel the passion or excitement she felt with Tim. Mel was attentive and smart and she knew he loved her. But she didn’t return his feelings. And there was nothing she could do about that. She couldn’t force emotions that simply weren’t there.
“You’ll tell him, won’t you?” Lillie urged.
“I…I don’t know yet.” One thing was certain: shecouldn’t move forward with Tim—if he even wanted to—until she’d broken off with Mel. And that wasn’t going to be easy.
Mel had suggested they meet at the Italian restaurant where they’d gone on their first date. So their relationship would begin and end at the same place. That wasn’t a comforting thought. But there was no option other than honesty. Anne Marie would drink her glass of wine, then as gently as possible confess she was in love with Tim. After that, she’d be on her way.
She hoped.
By the time she arrived at Ti Amo Sempre, Mel had secured a table by the window. He stood as she approached and kissed her cheek. He’d already ordered her favorite wine, a Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina. His thoughtfulness made this final meeting even more awkward.
As she picked up her wine, Mel also raised his glass. “To Fridays,” he said.
Anne Marie touched the rim of her glass to his. “To Fridays.”
“You had a busy week,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
Nervous, Anne Marie reached for a handful of the nuts their waiter had delivered with the wine. Her week had actually been slow, but she’d invented excuse after excuse not to see Mel, most of them related to the business, which led him to believe she’d been overwhelmed by a huge influx of new inventory and custom orders.
“You, too,” she murmured, evading the truth for another few minutes—or seconds.
“Very busy,” he said solemnly
She responded with a weak smile, then drew in adeep breath and plunged forward, forgoing any further exchange of pleasantries. “I think you already know why I wanted to meet you this evening,” she said quickly. Her stomach was in knots, and all she could concentrate on was saying what needed to be said.
“I asked you out, remember?” he said. “Now, relax and enjoy your wine. It’s your favorite.”
“I know…but I can’t relax.”
“Try.” He gestured for her to take another sip. “The wine will help.”
Anne Marie did, and Mel was right; the wine did make her feel calmer. “You came into my life at a turning point,” she began.
“And you came into mine when I needed you.”
Anne Marie nodded, trying not to wince, wondering how he’d react to her announcement. “I’ve really enjoyed our times together,” she said.
“I have, too, which makes this all the more difficult for me.”
Difficult for him? Anne Marie glanced up, unsure of his meaning.
“I’ve met someone else, Anne
“No…”
“Is it Tim?”
Anne Marie nodded. “We had a…falling out.”
“Over Ellen?”
“Not exactly.” Based on what he’d said to her daughter, he seemed to regret their argument. So did she. Perhaps he felt it best to keep his distance, step aside and give her a chance to work things out with Mel. She wasn’t sure how to interpret this painful silence, this…discord between them. All she knew was that she had to find some way of resolving it.
“I remember how awkward it was when Hector and I first started seeing each other,” Lillie said. “His family objected, and Barbie had her doubts, too. Neither of us wanted to cause problems, so we ended our relationship. I have to tell you, I’ve never been more miserable in my life.”
“That’s where I am right now,” Anne Marie told her.
“Then do something about it,” Lillie said. “If you have feelings for Tim, you need to tell him.”
Lillie made everything sound so straightforward. Unfortunately, Anne Marie’s situation was anything but. She liked Mel and enjoyed his company, but he didn’t stir her senses, didn’t make her feel the passion or excitement she felt with Tim. Mel was attentive and smart and she knew he loved her. But she didn’t return his feelings. And there was nothing she could do about that. She couldn’t force emotions that simply weren’t there.
“You’ll tell him, won’t you?” Lillie urged.
“I…I don’t know yet.” One thing was certain: shecouldn’t move forward with Tim—if he even wanted to—until she’d broken off with Mel. And that wasn’t going to be easy.
Mel had suggested they meet at the Italian restaurant where they’d gone on their first date. So their relationship would begin and end at the same place. That wasn’t a comforting thought. But there was no option other than honesty. Anne Marie would drink her glass of wine, then as gently as possible confess she was in love with Tim. After that, she’d be on her way.
She hoped.
By the time she arrived at Ti Amo Sempre, Mel had secured a table by the window. He stood as she approached and kissed her cheek. He’d already ordered her favorite wine, a Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina. His thoughtfulness made this final meeting even more awkward.
As she picked up her wine, Mel also raised his glass. “To Fridays,” he said.
Anne Marie touched the rim of her glass to his. “To Fridays.”
“You had a busy week,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
Nervous, Anne Marie reached for a handful of the nuts their waiter had delivered with the wine. Her week had actually been slow, but she’d invented excuse after excuse not to see Mel, most of them related to the business, which led him to believe she’d been overwhelmed by a huge influx of new inventory and custom orders.
“You, too,” she murmured, evading the truth for another few minutes—or seconds.
“Very busy,” he said solemnly
She responded with a weak smile, then drew in adeep breath and plunged forward, forgoing any further exchange of pleasantries. “I think you already know why I wanted to meet you this evening,” she said quickly. Her stomach was in knots, and all she could concentrate on was saying what needed to be said.
“I asked you out, remember?” he said. “Now, relax and enjoy your wine. It’s your favorite.”
“I know…but I can’t relax.”
“Try.” He gestured for her to take another sip. “The wine will help.”
Anne Marie did, and Mel was right; the wine did make her feel calmer. “You came into my life at a turning point,” she began.
“And you came into mine when I needed you.”
Anne Marie nodded, trying not to wince, wondering how he’d react to her announcement. “I’ve really enjoyed our times together,” she said.
“I have, too, which makes this all the more difficult for me.”
Difficult for him? Anne Marie glanced up, unsure of his meaning.
“I’ve met someone else, Anne
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