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But the hostess leads us to a table by the window. It's overlooking a busy street, but the linen curtains block most of the view.
There's something so fake about this place. It has brick walls and soft lights, but it's manufactured. It's owned by a huge chain and its pasta sauce comes out of Costco jars, not from secret family recipes.
We take our seats. Samantha is giddy. Her first time back at some place nice, no doubt. She folds her hands together, practically sighing over the fake candle on the dark red tablecloth.
A dark red, no doubt, to hide the marinara stains.
"Luke?" Her voice is soft, but it's a demand for attention.
"Yeah?"
I peel my eyes away from the tablecloth, but it feels like the room is spinning. The air in here is heavy and the fans are so loud.
"Is everything okay?" It sounds sincere.
"Yeah. Fine."
She mumbles something. "I'm sure Alyssa is just running late. It's not like she'd ditch this dinner."
I take a deep breath and offer her my best hey-this-is-just-business smile. "Of course not."
Samantha sighs. "She sounds very nice."
"She is."
She folds her napkin in her lap. "I had another job interview today. They seemed receptive, but there are a few details to iron out."
"I thought you were going back to Edward's firm."
She shakes her head. "There's so much gossip. Everyone thinks I'm a home wrecker. Even though, well, I don't want to remind you about that..."
"I know my father was a widower. I was there when my mother died." I was the one the police told. I was the one who gave a shit about the funeral.
She pats her lipstick with her napkin. "Of course. But Edward didn't like to talk about that."
"No, what did he talk about..." when he and Samantha were fucking behind my back?
I shake my head. This isn't the time. Hell, it's never going to be the time.
"Where is the firm?"
"Right by the house," she says. "It's only a mile or two away from Lawrence and Knight, actually."
"And here I thought maybe Ryan hired you to replace me."
She smiles. "You couldn't pay me enough to do divorces all day. I don't know how you do it."
"There's something so magical about fostering a breakup. It's a beautiful thing."
She shakes her head. "Do you have a speech prepared?"
"It's hell to be stuck in a relationship you have no way out of."
Her eyes turn to the floor. "Like what?"
"Ryan and I, for example."
"Oh." She sighs in a deep, deep relief. "You know you're never going to outlast him. He was always the most stubborn person in our study group."
