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“What’s gotten into you?” she asked.
I smiled. “We never get to hang out, and I just want to spend more time with you.”
Ali folded her hands in front of her lips and rested her elbows on the table, her gaze fixed on mine. “Everleigh, what’s going on with you? If I were a gambling person, which I’m not, I’d bet my entire salary that something is bothering you. And I’d double down on my bet and guess that it’s a man. Who’s this finance guy you’ve been seeing, and what’s going on with him?”
I sighed and drained my prosecco flute. I couldn’t talk to Ali about Gunnar, but I wanted her advice. “You’re right.” I took a bite of the chocolate torte that the waitress had delivered. “This finance guy – I’ve kind of been seeing him for a while now. Almost a year.”
“What?” I thought Alison’s eyes were going to pop out of her head. “And you’re just telling me now?”
I tilted my head and gave her a coy smile. “It was super low-key for a while, but then it got a bit more serious.”
“A year?” Alison almost yelled, then glanced around. “A year?” she hissed.
“Almost a year.” I didn’t want to reference the hockey season. “I didn’t want anything serious, so I broke it off. But then we ran into each other and it started back up again – like instantly. We couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”
Alison’s cheesecake sat untouched in front of her. “I knew it. You’ve been glowing, Everleigh. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. So who is he?”
I took a deep breath and tried to figure out where to take the story from there. “I can’t say.”
Alison narrowed her eyes and took a small bite of her New York cheesecake. “Why?”
I couldn’t tell her the truth. “He’s married.” It was the first thing that came to my mind.
“Oh.” Alison’s eyes dropped to study her dessert. “Everleigh,” she whispered.
“I know, I know.” Alison’s previous husband had cheated on her. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t think of that when I blurted out the lie. “That’s why we’ve called it off.”
Alison dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “I don’t know what to say, Everleigh. You were a mistress. That’s a shitty thing to do.”
My stomach clenched. What had started as a little lie was now morphing into something a lot bigger. “It was shitty. But in my defense, he’d found out that his wife was cheating on him and he’s going to leave her. He just can’t for a while.”
Alison inhaled so heavily her shoulders rose. “It sounds complicated. And I won’t judge you, Everleigh, but—”
I held up my hands in front of me. “It’s over. And until things get less complicated, I’m staying far – far away from that man.”
“That sounds like a good idea. What was so great about him? Can’t you find someone who isn’t…complicated?”
I finished my dessert. “Are you going to eat that?” I pointed at hers.
“I’ve kind of lost my appetite.”
I reached across the table and took Alison’s cheesecake. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Alison looked at me suspiciously. I never ate dessert, and someone of my social standing would never ever finish someone else’s plate in a restaurant. But I was hungry and didn’t care.
“I’m good. I mean, I’m heartbroken, but good.” I pushed the cheesecake away from me as the realization hit me. “Ali, I think I’m eating my feelings.” Tears stung my eyes and I blinked hard to make them go away.
Alison handed me her napkin and I dabbed at my eyes. “This is going to sound crazy, Ali, but you know me. I’d never get involved with…” I hesitated, but had to continue with the story I’d woven, “a married man. But we just have this connection, and it’s something special that I’ve never felt with anyone else before. Ever.” Saying it out loud felt good, but also made it real. Gunnar and I were done.
“Do you love him?” Alison’s voice was quiet and she glanced around. We had to be careful about how we acted and what we said in public.
“It doesn’t matter.” I deflected. “It’s over.”
Alison gave me a look that said she wasn’t going to push it, but she knew the answer. I had fallen in love with Gunnar Lockwood.
The server dropped the bill at the table. “No rush, ladies.” Then she stepped away tactfully. It was obvious she had interrupted a serious discussion.
I dropped my black card on the billfold. “Are you still coming to the game tonight?”
“Of course.” Alison’s enthusiasm seemed a bit over the top, as if she were trying to lighten the mood. “It’s the season opener. Colton has been doing visualizations all day.”
