“I said I'm fine."
Roman exchanges a look with the jeweler that clearly says "he is not fine."
"We'll take them," Roman says, pulling out his credit card. "Thank you for the beautiful work."
"My pleasure. And congratulations on your wedding. I hope you have many happy years together."
"Thank you."
We leave the store, and the December cold hits like a slap, and Roman immediately whirls on me, blue eyes burning worse than the sharp, acerbic weather.
"Okay. What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"You've been sulking for eight days. That's not nothing."
"I don't sulk."
"You absolutely sulk. You've been sulking since the gala. Since you fired Harper and—" He freezes, glowering. "Are you still convinced you made the right decision?"
"Yes."
“Bull. Shit.”
"She was in contact with FoodFirst. About confidential acquisition information. That's a fireable offense."
"She told them no."
"After considering it. After weighing her options."
“Maybe she was desperate. Or scared. Or didn't know how to ask for help." Roman stops walking and turns to face me fully, running a hand through his dark auburn hair. "Victor. I'm going to say this once, as your friend. You fucked up."
"I protected my company."
"You protected yourself.” Roman crosses his arms. "She told FoodFirst no. She walked away from money she desperately needed because she loved you more."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I talked to Rachel. Who talked to Harper's sister Margot. Who confirmed that Harper told Vanessa Chu to go to hell. Before you even asked her to be your girlfriend."
“What the—“ My jaw works. “I guess I can thank Rachel for your current wealth of knowledge.”
He reaches out, placing one oversize hand on my shoulder.
"Rachel is worried about you. Shit, we all are. Because you're miserable, Victor. You won the board vote. You kept your job. You should be celebrating. Instead, you're here, sulking in the Diamond District while your wife?—"
"Ex-wife. Soon to be ex-wife."
"—is at her sister's wedding. Alone. Probably miserable too."
I inhale deeply, taking in a mouthful of cold air that freezes my lungs.
The freeze-burn is a welcome distraction from the twisting that my stomach is doing right now, thinking about exactly where Harper is right now.
At the courthouse. Watching Amelia marry her fiancé Declan. Then heading to her parents' house in Queens for the reception.
The reception I was invited to.
