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At least going into the hotel bar might distract them enough that they’d keep the conversation light and upbeat.
“One of our first dates was at this beach, having hot dogs at the little takeout on the pier. That was one of the most memorable dates we had. I was so sure I’d blow it and you’d go off with Peter Woods and I’d be left holding the beach bag.”
“You’re kidding. Me and Peter Woods? Never,” she said playfully. “He wasn’t after me. He was after Sue Beck. Remember her?”
“Yeah. How I remember her…all that black hair,” he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, a smile teetering on his lips.
“You told me you didn’t like her—you’re teasing me.”
“Of course I am. Wonder what we’ll find when we get to the bar. Probably a bunch of people staring at their cell phones.”
“And, of course, you’ve never stared at your phone,” she said, giving him a gentle poke in the ribs.
He laughed, pulled her close and kissed her. “Guilty…” His gaze caught hers, held her…and then he slowly looked away. “You can’t imagine the fantasy playing in my mind at the moment. You. Me. Our big four-poster bed…”
Struggling to recover from the force of his kiss, she said way too quickly, “I wonder if they’ve redecorated since we were here last.”
He took her hand and pulled her along with him. “I hope so. It wasn’t the most elegant bar I’ve ever been in.”
They entered the lobby of the hotel and went into the wide-open space of the bar. Taking a table by the window, they sat in deep, comfortable chairs across from each other, their hands touching casually.
She glanced around. The color scheme had changed from taupe and grays to mostly black and turquoise with splashes of white and cream. The room was filled with small tables along the windowed area, while the bar with high stools and tables occupied the rest of the space.
She liked the way they’d opened the bar up to be part of the lobby area. Young couples and singles milled about. “New color scheme.”
“Different crowd. They seem a lot younger than I remember,” Aidan said.
“And you might be showing your age,” she teased. “I remember when we were in our twenties, when everything seemed possible…our ambition limitless.”
They ordered wine and continued to people watch. “This must be a popular bar by the size of the crowd.”
“We were here to a wedding reception once and there was a dance floor over there.” She pointed to the back of the room near the entrance. “I wonder if they ever have dances here.”
“No. This is probably a bar for hookups. People coming on vacation looking for a quick fling. I hear my staff talking about how dating works today. Were you aware that there are apps you can get for your phone that allows you to find someone to hook up with on a moment’s notice?”
Is that what you did? Did you and Deidre hook up in a bar like this one?
He said that they’d been working, but what if they went to a bar for a drink after work? She couldn’t stop the sudden rush of images. Her husband touching another woman, kissing her in public…laughing…sharing a joke. Deidre flirting with him, making it clear she wanted him. No strings attached. Just sex…
She felt the blood drain from her face. “How do you know that?” she asked, her voice sounding distant, not part of her body.
Surprise dawned on Aidan’s face. “I—I know because of some of the people I work with.”
“Is this how you and Deidre got together? Did you go to a bar?”
“No! We worked long hours together…” He rubbed his face with his hands, his eyes bleak as he met her desolate gaze. “Look, I never hang around bars when I am out of town. They don’t have any appeal for me. I eat in the dining room of the hotel, then head upstairs to work. I’ve always done that.”
