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Mom watches us like a hawk as he turns and smiles at me. “All right, Sunbeam.”
I glance in Mom’s direction again. She’s smiling as I get up and leave the table. I head to the restrooms, which are on the other side of the restaurant, passing the open kitchen on the way. I go in and take time after fixing my hair and makeup, then walk back out into the long corridor that leads back to the dining area.
“Rose?”
I freeze at the familiar voice as the man comes down the corridor toward me.
“Gareth?”
He looks different to last time I saw him, three years ago. His deep brown hair has been cut close to his head, and he seems shorter, if that’s possible. But his eyes are the same light brown. The same warmth in them as he says my name. The same friendliness that acts like a mask, hiding what’s going on behind.
I never could tell what he was thinking.
“Wow. You look great.” His gaze drops over my short black dress and chunky heeled sandals.
I stare at him as he brings his eyes back to my face and politeness wins as I give him a small smile. “Um, so do you.”
He grins at the compliment. “I heard you got a new job in England.”
“You did?”
“Mom told me.”
“Oh.”
Gareth’s mom still lives locally, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she knew about me going to England because my mom sees her around town. But the thought of him knowing anything about my life now feels strange, considering I know nothing about his. I’ve never asked. I didn’t want to know how great he was doing while I felt like my life had stalled.
“And you? You’re—?”
“Head of sales over at Logify. Youngest in the company’s history.” He lifts a brow, a self-satisfied smile taking over his face. Modesty never was his thing. He was always the first to boast about his achievements, even if that meant raining on someone else’s parade to steal the limelight.
An awkward silence stretches between us as he looks me up and down again.
“Great. Well, take care.” I step around him, eager to avoid a trip down memory lane, but he catches my wrist in his hand and stops me.
“Rose. Wait.” He lets go of me and studies my face. “Itisgood to see you. You look… you look happy. Last time I saw you…” He exhales, his brows pulling together. “I’m sorry about how things ended between us, is what I’m trying to say.”
I jerk my head back.Gareth’s admitting he was wrong?
“It was a long time ago.”
Relief settles over his face as he nods at me. “I’m glad there’s no hard feelings. Listen, are you back in town long? I’m staying with Mom a few days. I’ll take you out for dinner. We can catch up.”
Nausea swirls in my gut. Everything about this feels wrong. Gareth is my past. He’s not my present. My present is—
“Hey, there you are.”
A warm body envelops mine as Dax curls one hand around my hip, extending the other to shake Gareth’s hand.
“Hi, I’m Dax.”
Gareth frowns, his brow knitting as I lean into Dax’s side.
My nausea vanishes like magic.
“Hey, I’m Gareth. You’re British?” Gareth stares at Dax as he shakes his hand. “Do you work with Rose over there?”
“Yes, he’s—”
