She curled into him, needing him closer. “I know exactly what you mean. You want to go out knowing that you tried your best.”
“Exactly. Then I can figure out what’s next.”
Right. Everything was hinging on something else. It was all one big set of contingencies. And for now, Brooklyn only cared about what, orwho, was right in front of her. “What if this was what’s next?” She placed her hand on the side of his face, delivering a soft kiss.
Alec smiled between their lips. “I’m all in favor of it.”
From somewhere in the dark came a text notification. “Ignore it,” Brooklyn said, far more interested in what Alec’s hand was doing.
But then there was another. “That’s got to be my phone. What if someone’s trying to reach me?”
“Okay. Look. But only for one minute. Then you’re getting back in this bed, mister.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Alec scurried off the bed, found his pants, and dug his phone out of his pocket, then plopped down on the edge of the mattress. “Well, well, well. Look at this. I was right to blow off that photographer.” Sure enough, on the screen was a photo of Brooklyn, Alec, and Dallas, out and about, trick-or-treating.
“Oh, sure. Gloat because you look amazing. I’m laughing and totally have a double chin.”
He set his phone on the bedside table and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his warm naked body against hers. “You’re happy, Brooklyn. That’s all anyone will see in that picture.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cy was still avoiding Brooklyn.Or so it seemed. Every time she’d see him downstairs, he was either out at the curb chatting up a driver, or ushering a resident outside, or dealing with a delivery, or sometimes on the phone. If anything, Brooklyn saw this as evidence that he would be amazing at the job she was hoping he’d take. The man could juggle a lot at one time. But between Alec being out of town for his interview, and Brooklyn having her pivotal fertility clinic visit today, she really wanted to feel likeonething was settled. Yay or nay, she had to know.
So she left her apartment fifteen minutes before Virginia was due to swing by and pick her up. Just so she could stalk Cy.
Sure enough, he was occupied when she got down to the lobby, helping Mrs. Silverman, one of the oldest residents of the building, into a taxi.He’s so good, was all Brooklyn could think as she watched him make sure the woman was safely in the back of the car before closing the door.
“Cy, can we chat for a minute?” Brooklyn asked as he strode inside.
“I have a feeling I know what you want to talk about.”
“The job offer?”
“Yes.” Cy seemed almost embarrassed, which was worrying, but at this point, she’d prepared herself for bad news. “I haven’t talked to my wife yet.”
“Is there a problem?”
He sighed, heavily, like he had boulders resting on his shoulders. “I was going to talk to her the day you asked me. I was excited. Thrilled. And then I get home and she shows me a stack of cruise brochures she’d sent away for. She says she wants to take early retirement from her job. And it threw me for a loop. I’m thinking to myself we have very different visions of what our future looks like. And I didn’t have the nerve to ask her.”
This astounded Brooklyn. How could Cy and his wife be on completely different pages after being together so long? They’d just celebrated forty years of marriage. Brooklyn knew this because Cy brought it up every day for a week before the party their kids threw for them. “I don’t know your wife, Cy, so this is hard for me to weigh in on.”
“It’s just that work has always been very important to me, and sometimes, she thinks it’s because I don’t want to be with her. When it’s not that at all. I simply like staying busy. It’s more than a paycheck. I like feeling like I have a purpose.”
“That makes perfect sense.” She patted him on the shoulder. “If you need more time, take a few more weeks to decide. After that, I’m going to have to start looking for someone else. But I do want you to know that you won’t hurt my feelings if the answer is no, okay?”
“You’ll still like me, Ms. Monroe?”
“I’lladoreyou, Cy. Always.”
“Phew. Nowthat’sa relief.” He grinned wide and strode toward the door, opening it for her. “Off to work?”
“Not exactly. A meeting away from the office.” A big black SUV pulled up to the curb and Virginia rolled down her window and waved. “That’s my sister to pick me up.”
“Have a good day.”
“You, too,” Brooklyn said, hoping that would also prove to be true for herself. She climbed into the waiting car as Virginia scooted across the seat and buckled in.
“Hey there,” Virginia said.
