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“Always has,” I said.
“People without it seem to think money’s evil,” Arianna said lightly. “But we can change the world with our wealth.”
“Are you planning on doing that?” Jamie asked. “Saving the world?”
“I have some ideas,” Arianna said, tightly. “But right now I’m focusing on the wedding and my business, of course.”
“You may or may not like it,” Rob said to Jamie. “But the world needs people like me. I’m a visionary and not afraid to make the hard decisions.”
“If you say so,” Jamie said, as sweet as could be. She could match Rob perfectly that way. Both of them fakes. “Still, I wonder what your ex-partner would say about it all?”
"Funny girl,” Rob said without an ounce of humor in his tone.
No matter how much money or how well he dressed, Rob couldn’t hide the fact that he was a soulless liar. Men like him won in the short term but someday it would catch up with him. Or maybe not. It didn’t really matter much to me or my life. This was the past. Sitting next to me, lighting up the room with her smile and her spirit—was she the future?
No sooner had I thought it than I realized how much I wanted her to be in my life. Maybe forever. Not since Arianna had I been so smitten. This was a good thing. I might have a chance for happiness. The kind that Arianna had with Rob. As much as I disliked him, she was happy, and that was good. I’d truly moved on. I could sit across the table from her and that giant engagement ring and feel nothing but happy for her. That didn’t mean I had to like either one of them.
Our main courses arrived. Rob muttered something about the quickness of its arrival after our drinks and asked where the bottle of wine was. The server, who appeared to be shrinking with every interaction he had with Rob, looked desperately over at his bartender, who was in the process of setting a bottle on the counter. “I’ll bring it right away.”
Arianna looked horrified by the portion and the blood trickling out of her steak. Jamie let out a delighted squeal. “I’m sorry for the cow who had to die for my dinner, but I’m going to enjoy every bite.”
The server reappeared with the wine. I watched as his hand shook when he pushed the corkscrew in and tugged it out so fast that several drops of red wine spurted out and landed on my shirt. The poor man looked as if he were going to cry. “I’m so sorry.”
“No big deal,” I said.
“I can pay for it to be cleaned,” the server said.
No, he couldn’t. He was living paycheck to paycheck, week to week like most of us. “Dude, I promise, it’s not a big deal,” I said. “A stain remover will get this out no problem.”
“I could send my mom over,” the server said.
Jamie laughed. “Could you send her to my house too?”
“No, please, it’s not necessary.” I gestured toward the empty glasses. “Let’s give this a try.”
The server poured a small portion into Rob’s glass, who then made a big thing of swirling and sniffing before lifting it to his mouth. “Yes, that’s fine,” Rob said.
I draped my arms around Jamie’s shoulders and gave her a quick kiss on her temple. She looked up at me in surprise. “What was that for?”
“For being you.”
16
JAMIE
The unexpected squeeze and kiss from Darby had me glowing from the inside out as I gobbled up my steak and a mound of buttery mashed potatoes. Fortunately, the rest of the night went a little smoother. Rob acted less cocky and condescending. Still, I couldn’t wait for the night to end and I could leave here with Darby.
We walked to the car hand in hand without talking. The stars had come out while we were inside. Out here by the lodge, they were more visible than in town. At the car, I stood looking up at them for a moment, breathing in the scents of the fall night—dry grass and decaying leaves mixed with pine and fir needles and a hint of a wood-burning fire pit on the other side of the lodge. Voices and laughter from guests enjoying the fire and s’mores punctuated the night.
“Maybe I should have a fire pit,” I said as I got into the car. “At the inn.”
“I’ll build you one, if you’d like.” Darby turned on the car but didn’t back out yet. “Maybe with river rock or something?”
“That would be lovely.”
We chatted about where it would be safe to have one out at the inn as he pulled out of the lot and onto the road that would lead us back into town.
“You were awesome,” he said as we drove into town.
