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I laughed. “Well, name aside, Buffy is the grande dame of New York societyandthe head of the Legacy Ball committee. I have to impress her, or I can kiss my business goodbye.”
The Legacy Ball was the most exclusive event on the international circuit. It rotated locations every year, and the upcoming ball in May happened to take place right here in New York.
Hosting it was considered a huge honor. I’d hoped for a shot at the position, but it’d gone to the wife of a hedge fund tycoon instead.
“Speaking of high society, how’s your new job?” I asked.
Isabella quit the dive bar last week after landing a highly coveted job at the Valhalla Club, a members-only society for the world’s wealthiest and most powerful. My father had been trying to gain admission for years, but the Boston chapter was closed to new applicants, and our family wasn’t connected enough to slip through the back door.
Isabella’s face lit up. “It’samazing.Higher pay, better benefits,andfewer hours than anything else I’d find in the city. It beats bartending with Creepy Colin breathing all over me by a mile. Maybe I’ll actually have time to finish my book…” She trailed off as she stared over my shoulder. “Um, Viv?”
“Hmm?” I spotted a gold mirror on a nearby table. Buffy’s granddaughter’s party was Beauty and the Beast themed, and while I’d finalized the decor already, I wanted a unique piece to tie everything together.
“You might want to look behind you.” A strange note dampened her voice.
Curiosity kindled as I turned to see what Isabella was staring at. Not much rattled her.
At first, all I saw were passersby holding churros and vendors hawking their wares. Then, I noticed the person standing behind us.
Sandy blond hair. Blue eyes. A once lanky frame that’d filled out with muscle over the years.
My shopping bags thudded to the ground as shock displaced the air in my lungs.
Heath.
“I’m sorry for ambushing you. I was passing by, and I remembered you loved coming here every Saturday.” Heath let out a small laugh. “I guess you still do.”
I returned his smile with a wary one of my own. “Old habits die hard.”
After I’d gotten over my shock and Isabella had excused herself to “nap and write,” Heath and I had left the market to grab coffee at a tiny outdoor cafe down the street.
There were no other customers, so it was just us talking over cappuccinos like two years hadn’t passed since we last saw each other.
It was surreal.
“Are you here on vacation?” I asked.
Heath had randomly sent me a photo of the pumpkin hot chocolate at Bonnie Sue’s the other day, so I knew he was in town. It was the first text he’d sent since I told him I was engaged.
He hadn’t mentioned the engagement, and I hadn’t made plans to see him.
“Work. I have a meeting with investors on Monday and figured I’d fly in early to enjoy the city. It’s been a while.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I would’ve called you but…”
“You don’t have to explain.”
Today was an anomaly. We normally didn’t tell each other when we were in town or catch up over drinks. We didn’t have that type of relationship anymore.
“Right.” Heath cleared his throat. “You look good, Viv. Really good.”
My face softened. “So do you.”
The Heath I’d dated had been a poster boy for New England prep. The one sitting in front of me looked like he belonged on the poster for a California surfer movie. Tanner, healthier, more muscled.
I’d often wondered what would happen if I ran into Heath again. I’d expected to feel sadness, regret, and maybe longing. We’d been friends and dated for years; feelings didn’t disappear just because people parted ways.
They did, however, dull with time, because all I felt right now was the cold breeze on my skin and a strange unease in the pit of my stomach.
“How’s the IPO prep going?” I asked for lack of anything better to say.
