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I stayed back when he went to let her in the door so they could have privacy, but I’d heard the kiss he gave her. For a moment, I did feel weird that my father was kissing another woman, but I pushed it aside.
Finally, they entered the living area.
“Leah, honey, this is Karen, Karen this is my daughter, Leah.”
Karen looked more than fifteen years younger than my father. Her red hair flowed in wild abandon, and her green eyes shone with affection toward my father.
She extended her hand to me. “It’s so lovely to meet you Leah. I’ve heard so much about you. Congratulations on nearly being done with your MBA.”
“Thank you. It’s wonderful to meet you too.” I wanted to say something teasing about my father, but held back. He was already red as beet.
We had a lovely dinner. As it turned out, my father’s method for getting to know her was to help her with her business plan, and now she was thinking of adding a second location of her coffee shop in Brooklyn.
After dinner, my father got a business call and had to excuse himself leaving me and Karen alone.
“I’ll admit I was worried about meeting you, Leah,” Karen said as we sat on the terrace of dad’s apartment.
“Oh?”
“It can’t be easy to see your father with a woman that isn’t your mother.”
“I want him to be happy. My mother would too. You seem to fit the bill.”
She smiled, and it was brilliant. I could see that her feelings for him were real. I had a tinge of jealousy that she could have that, but I couldn’t, at least not with the man I wanted.
“He’s worried about the age difference.”
“Are you?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. Age is just a number, after all.”
I laughed. “Dad seems younger now that you’re in his life, so I suppose it’s an attitude.”
“Yes. I guess that’s right.” Her expression appeared relieved. “How about you? You’re such a beautiful woman, Leah, you must have many suitors.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Right now, I’m focused on my school work and internship.”
Her eyes narrowed in the way a woman’s did when she knew she wasn’t being told the whole truth. But she didn’t push me. “Well, you have time. You’re young still.”
I realized that she was in her mid-thirties and not married. Had she been married before? “I imagine it’s not much different from your business.”
She shrugged. “Clearly, your father isn’t the first man I’ve had in my life. I haven’t been very lucky in love… until now.” She sipped her wine. “I always had a tendency to choose men who didn’t want more than a good time, if you know what I mean. They were nice men, but complete commitment-phobes. My advice to you, Leah, is to steer clear of men like that. They’re fun to spend time with, but you end up wasting a lot of time in a relationship that won’t lead anywhere except to disappointment and heartache because they don’t change.”
I swallowed as I realized that’s what I had with Sebastian. And as much as I knew I was going to be hurt, I was staying in it with him in the hopes he’d change.
Chapter 19
Sebastian
It was harder than ever golf with Henry knowing the debauched things I’d done to his daughter. Worse yet was that my intentions weren’t pure. I wanted her body, not her heart. Not that I didn’t care about her, because I did. More than I probably should, but my life path was set, and it didn’t include marriage or family. I’d tried that with Valerie, and it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I felt as fulfilled now as I had when I was with her, a sure sign that our marriage didn’t enhance my life.
I grieved for her when she died. I still did. She was a smart ambitious woman. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit relieved that she wasn’t in my life anymore. I much preferred my independence. Especially since marriage didn’t really provide the emotional benefits everyone gushed about.
I could see in Leah’s eyes that she wished I was different. For that reason, I shouldn’t have been seeing her anymore. But god help me, I couldn’t quit her. I’d decided she’d be gone soon enough and so why not indulge in her as much as I could? As long as she was willing and accepted the terms, why not?
“I tell you, Sebastian, it was such a relief to have Leah finally meet Karen.”
I walked with Henry on the fourth fairway toward the green. “So, it went well?” I figured it would. Leah seemed supportive of the idea that her father get back into the dating world.
“It did. They seemed to really like each other.” Henry’s brows furrowed. “Is it weird that Leah is closer in age to Karen than I am?”
