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I can do this.
Feeling renewed, I got back to my speech.
“My dad’s story at NYU started more than twenty years ago…”
I’d heard Dad give speeches before, so it wasn’t something hard to do, and considering I only graduated four years ago, I knew what these kids needed to hear, and what they wanted to hear. Occasionally, my eyes would flit over to Klara, who didn’t seem to stop staring at me. As I spoke, I gained more confidence.
When I finished my speech, still feeling a bit dazed from talking so much, I was startled by the crowd breaking into more, loud applause. I glanced over my shoulder at Dad and didn’t miss the smile on his face, or how he discreetly wiped at his eye while pretending to cough.
The representative walked up to the podium, and I received a hearty pat on the back. He was all smiles as we shook hands, and as I went back to my seat. The event was closed, and the suits that had been paying all the attention to Dad before, came to me to give me the same treatment.
After being at the office for several months, I could deal with this much easy enough. The crowd was slowly moving out, though quite a few of them weren’t leaving their seats. I kept glancing over to make sure Klara didn’t leave.
It took a while before I could break away, leaving them to Dad instead, and rushed off the podium.
Klara stood aside as if she’d been waiting for me, a small smile of welcome on her face. I came to a stop in front of her, at first not sure what to say, but the smile was reassuring.
My heart started beating faster in my chest as I mirrored the smile.
“Would you like to go for a drink with me?”
Her smile widened. “Sure,” she said. “I’d love to.”
Chapter Sixteen
Klara
I’d arrived early for the speech because I knew the place would end up being packed, and if I wasn’t early, I’d end up sitting in the back. Julia had been there with me, and we’d found seats pretty close to the front.
Walking beside Jake as we left campus, I praised that decision.
Even though I had no idea how to search for him all this time, he appeared in front of me.
Julia had been curious when I told her I’d be staying behind. I wasn’t the only one that hung back. Other people wanted to try and talk to the men of the Black family, but they’d been surrounded. I hadn't been sure how to talk to him. We’d locked eyes when he was on the platform, and I didn’t miss how he kept throwing looks at me, so he hadn't forgotten me, either.
I’d been worrying about how I’d be able to talk to him in private when he walked up to me on his own.
The two of us were silent as we walked. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be feeling. Of course, I’d been shocked to see him, and a part of me had been pleased, too. I’d always wanted to talk to him, and now I had the chance. But now, I was starting to worry.
What are we supposed to talk about? How are we supposed to talk, when we only had the one day together two years ago?
Even if we both remembered, things had changed since back then.
“So, do you know any good places around here?” Jake asked.
I looked up, startled, to find him staring at me. “Um, there’s quite a few places, but it’s past lunch already, so maybe a place where we can eat food, too? How long do you have?”
He’d come with his dad, and I didn’t know what Jake had told him about disappearing off with a woman he shouldn’t know. Or, had he told his family about me back then?
Probably not, I decided almost immediately. And there was the news about his older brother’s death. It must have happened after Vegas.
My heart ached in sympathy for him. I wondered if that was why his dad didn’t speak and he had to step up last minute. He’d given a great speech, though. He was so different from two years ago that, during his speech, I wondered if I hadn't gotten the wrong person, and it was simply a look-alike.
“Dad isn’t going to worry about me; I’ve got plenty of time.”
I took him at his word. Twenty minutes later, we were settled at a club that was frequented by students all the time. After showing off our IDs, we ordered food and drinks that were brought to our table. The food was just light stuff, though.
Thinking about it, aside from that one day we spent together where we didn’t ask each other that many questions, we might as well be strangers. It didn’t feel that way, though, as we bantered lightly back and forth through the meal. He told me a little about his family, and I told him a bit about mine. I conveyed my sympathy over the passing of his brother, who didn’t even make it to his wedding, but we didn’t linger on it, it was clear this was still a painful subject for him.
