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We walked to a café down the street, but Christie didn’t say much the entire way. I wondered whether her job was something she really wanted or if she was just settling for some other reason. I realized I’d have to be gentle to find out. I needed to let her connect with me again.
When we entered the café, we were swallowed by cool, humid air and the aromas of different coffees, pastries, and sandwiches to fit a number of palates. I really enjoyed this place and found myself eating here more often than not, but once I moved into my house, it would probably be added to the stack of good eateries I rarely visited anymore.
“So,” I started when we were seated at a booth. They’d redecorated or something. The space felt a little larger, more open, and classy red tablecloths adorned the tables, while the bright lights made the place feel more like it were almost outside.
“So?”
“You still like Dallas?”
Christie shrugged. “I don’t know whether it’s for me or not.”
“It’s sometimes good to start fresh in a new place,” I tried.
“I wouldn’t call it a fresh start,” she countered.
The waitress asked what we wanted to drink, and we both asked for tea. When she left, we decided to browse the menus, giving me time to figure out how to make it through this conversation alive.
Chapter 31
Christie
How would I make it out of here with my heart intact? Every time Ryan said something, I wanted it to mean something to us. I wanted to believe something other than the truth: not only had he made up with Darlene, they’d rediscovered each other. They were on the same page. That was a good thing, so why did it have to hurt?
When the waitress returned with our drinks, I planned the rest of our conversation. My work, his work, then maybe some talk about James or Dallas or maybe even Darlene, but then I would leave. Out of his life.
“How’s work?” I started, less interested than I thought I’d be, but I wanted to know all the same.
Ryan’s soft frown suggested he wasn’t a fan of the change in topic, but he answered anyway. “It’s fine. Good, actually. I’m moving things around to prepare some of my veterans to take on bigger roles, so I don’t have to bear all the weight.”
“Good,” I said, then sipped my tea. I’d ordered a sandwich and tried to time its arrival with my transition to the next topic. “So you still opening up in Houston?”
“No. I’m holding off for now. I’ll focus on settling things in Waco so it’ll work on its own, then I’ll focus on our residentials here for a while.” He shrugged. “Maybe get my hands dirty again.”
“Back to the basics. That’s good.” Damn, this conversation felt stiff. I wished I could make it flow the way our normal conversations had been, but I wasn’t sure how.
“When do you move?”
Dammit. He beat me to it. I sighed, contemplating the most evasive answer I could manage. “They haven’t given me an official date yet.”
“So you’re not working yet?”
I shook my head while chewing lightly on the straw in my tea. “Just meetings I have to go to so I’m kept up-to-date with current events and stuff.”
“And Andrew?”
I spit the sip of tea I’d inhaled right back down the straw. “What about him?”
“Do you see him?”
“Of course I see him.”
“But is everything okay?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that one. He’d cornered me with personal questions that I wanted to avoid. I’d only been in one meeting so far with the team, and despite Mr. Mayhew’s promise, Andrew was there. Maybe he’d meant he wouldn’t be there just on the first day, but it was clear, if nothing else, that nothing had been done to warn Andrew of his overstep.
I’d said no when he invited me to lunch, but in the few hours I’d been in that building, I saw him more than anyone else. It had almost felt like he wanted to make his presence known; his power over my position was something he needed me to be well aware of.
But I could have been overthinking it. I was new, after all. People kept a careful eye on new hires, right?
