Page 4 of Good Intentions, Vol. 3

Chapter Two

Heather

I inhale the crisp air then sigh contently, snuggling more into the comfy chair. Looking around, I can see people do the same as we all collectively drink up the first spring sun rays on the terrace of the restaurant. It took me a long time to get to this point. The feeling of contentment. Eight months to be exact.

After resigning, I took the offer Mr. Matthews offered me, moved to a new apartment and focused only on work for the first two months. It was that or completely lose my mind. Every day was torture to wake up and go into the office. I would reach across the bed looking for Nick, but only the cold morning air greeted me. It’s funny how after only a handful of nights spent with him next to me, I became so accustomed to him being there. It felt that everything and everyone around me was moving forward and I stood still. Waiting. Waiting for something that would never be mine. And one day Mr. Matthews had enough of me going into the office in the crack of dawn and leaving close to midnight. I had no other choice. If I didn’t, the loneliness and emptiness that resided inside would kill me.

He decided to put a stop to it by asking to join him for lunch. It became our regular routine. Every Monday he would take me here to eat and ask about my father, my friends, my life. He once tried to talk about my abrupt decision to leave Thompson Inc. but he must’ve seen something on my face as he changed the subject.

“Heather, my darling girl,” Mr. Mathews calls for my attention.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” I shift in my seat trying to hide the fact that I was once again headed down the road that ends up in my tears.

“No apology necessary, my dear,” Mr. Mathews says with a small, gentle smile on his face.

When the smile that he usually has for me slips from his face, every cell in my body braces for impact. I just know something is going to strike me and it will not be good.

“I know you don’t want to talk about this, Heather. But I have to ask,” the man that I have come to know to be strong as a mountain hesitates and takes a sip of water that’s been sitting on the table in front of him. When he places the glass back on the table and does nothing but stare at it, I gently prompt him to continue.

“Yes, Mr. Matthews?”

“Oh, sorry,” he says the line I gave to him just moments before. “You see, there’s this new business opportunity that has come up and I need to know,” he stops speaking once again when the message alert on my phone goes off.

“Go ahead,” he gestures to my phone that’s vibrating on the table with his hand.

Distractedly, thinking it’s Erin with her daily updates, I pick it up and don’t look at the sender. It’s only when I read it that my eyes fly to the top of the screen and I gasp.

“Everything alright?”

“Yes, sir,” I say, setting my phone back to the table. I can’t stop staring at it like it’s a snake that’s about to strike.

“What is it?” the concern in Mr. Matthews’ voice is now evident.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” I wave my hand and hope I’m appearing casual even though my insides started shaking the moment I saw the words on my screen.

“Is it Luke?”

Luke. My boyfriend. We started dating four months ago. I wasn’t even aware of the fact that it was our first date until he kissed me good night. I just thought he was a friendly neighbor. I warned him that I wasn’t ready for anything, but he said to give him a chance and left me standing there. When he showed up the next morning, holding a steaming cup of coffee and fresh bagels, the smell of which filled my mouth with saliva, I realized he was serious.

It didn’t take long for him to break through, and we ended up spending every night together. I don’t know why, aside from the fact that when I was with him, those were the only times that I didn’t think of Nick, but I dove into that relationship and didn’t stop to think what the hell I was doing.

Unfortunately, the magic period of a new relationship wore off quickly and in the dead of the night, I ended up lying down while Luke was sleeping next to me and think of the whispered conversations I had with Nick in the dark and pretending that the next day would never come. The ones that were stolen from someone. The ones where Nick was all mine. And in the morning, there was Luke, waiting for me when I got out of the bathroom with fresh coffee and breakfast. I promised myself I would stop thinking of Nick, stop longing for him, and give my all, to give Luke a chance. I kept good on that promise.

Until now.

“No, Mr. Matthews, it’s not Luke,” I clear my throat to give myself a needed second to come up with a lie. “It’s Erin, she’s reminding me we’re going dress shopping today.”

“Oh, that’s right, her wedding is coming up.”

“Yes, in two weeks,” I say with a genuine smile on my face.

It was a hard road for Erin for a while, but she finally ended up choosing her dream man and stopped asking what if.

“I honestly can’t wait to see her walking down that aisle.”

“Well, it’s time for me to go,” Mr. Matthews looks at his watch.

“But, you wanted to talk to me about something,” I ask when he signals to the waiter to bring him the check.

“Oh, it’s nothing that important, we have a new business deal to smooth over and we start negotiations tomorrow,” he says.

He looks to the man standing at his right, takes the brown leather book and puts his credit card in it. Looking back to me, he frowns a little but the frown goes away as quickly as it appeared.

“I’m positive you will be great as always, my dear.”

I don’t know what to say. I look at the man as he accepts his card back, smiles again to the waiter, then stands up.

“Take the day off and go buy that dress, Heather. You deserve it,” after nodding his head he turns and leaves.

“Thank you,” I whisper, stunned at his departing back.

For the first time in six months, I cancel on Luke. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night while he’s sleeping next to me, thinking of another man. I know it will happen. Because all I can think of is the text and the man who sent it.

Pretty girl, how are you?

I still miss you.