Her breath caught. Every seat was empty except one. Seventh row,eleventhseat. Even in the dim lighting of the antiquated sconces lined up on opposite walls, she could see him. The back of his head, at least.
Kingston.
She took a deep breath and tried to slow down the hammering heartbeat in her chest. She also didn’t want to trip gracelessly over her feet—a good possibility considering her impractical footwear.
When she reached the seventh row, he stood up. Turned. Looked at her and smiled.
The tingles returned with a vengeance. She made her way down the row, stopping a few feet in front of him. “Hi,” she said, giving up on trying to control her racing pulse. Oh, how she’d missed him while he was gone. And even though they were just friends now, she was so happy to see him.
“Hi.”
The tingles turned into tiny explosions, but she held her composure. “Welcome back.”
“I’m glad to be back.” He took her in. “Nice outfit.”
She blushed. “I didn’t want to be underdressed at the showcase.”
“How did it go?” He sat down and motioned to the seat on the opposite side. Number ten. Her seat.
She looked at it, then sat down on number twelve. Hmm, just as good as ten. “It was terrific.” She filled him in on the event. “Why didn’t you come if you were back in town?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.” He lifted his hand, and an usher appeared with a bucket of popcorn and two drinks. He handed one of the sodas to Olivia.
She sipped. Diet Coke, of course.
After Kingston took his drink and the popcorn, she asked, “How did you manage this?”
“I won’t divulge all my secrets, but let’s just say the owner has a soft spot for surprises.” He turned to the usher. “Give us ten minutes. Then you can start the show.”
“I’ll let Fred know.” The young man hustled to the back of the theater and exited.
“What show?” she asked.
He offered her popcorn, and she accepted. “You’ll see.”
She smiled. “I think I already know.”
He arched a brow and smirked. “Maybe you do; maybe you don’t.” He looked at her. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Same here.”
Her pulse settled. The conversation was a step above small talk, as to be expected between friends. While he was gone, she’d held on to a sliver of hope that when he returned, they could... She extinguished the thought. They had both agreed to keep things platonic, and she needed to temper her expectations.
“How was Fiji?” Olivia knew Anita hadn’t heard from him other than when he checked in periodically to let his family know he was okay.
“Productive. I learned how to scuba dive. Snorkel. Did some deep-sea fishing. After a week and a half, I flew back to the US and did a tour of the northwest and up into Canada. But mostly I relaxed and had fun.”
“I’m glad.” And she was. She was also grateful that things weren’t awkward between them anymore.
“I also did a lot of soul-searching. I came to the conclusion I don’t like everything I do. I had figured since I’m good at teaching, I should teach. I’m a good practitioner, so I needed to join a clinic that had two locations. I’m a good speaker, so I should do the convention circuit.”
“The curse of being so talented,” she said, completely serious.
“Or just overly ambitious.”
“See, you’re even good at being humble.”
A slight blush tinted his cheeks. “Anyway, those things aren’t what I’m passionate about. Once I was away from the office and the university and the travel, I didn’t miss it thatmuch. I realized there were only two things I truly missed while on sabbatical. One was volunteering at the health department. So when I came back, I had a talk with their HR department. They’re looking to hire a pediatrician. The hours are less. So is the pay. It’s not a glamorous job, but there’s a need, and I want to fill it. I’ve already put in my notice at the clinic.”
