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I nodded, feeling my stomach tighten into knots. “It’s really not a big deal. It all happened a long time ago. We were kids.”
“I should have known better.” She shook her head. “It was really wrong of me, but maybe on some level, I’d wanted it to be you.”
“I don’t really know what to say.” So, I took a bite of steak and calculated how many bites I could take to polish it off.
“Hear me out. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe we can go out sometime.” She glanced at the group over at the bar. “I’man empty nester soon, and I’ll have plenty of free time. Maybe I could prove to you how much I’ve changed.”
I nodded, watching Clara’s smile widen as she mistook my silence as acceptance. She slid her hands over her messy bob and shrugged. “What do you think? Can we at least meet for coffee?”
The server brought over Emily’s meal as I traded him for my credit card and forked in a few pieces of my steak.
“Uh, yeah. I don’t know, Clara. I’m really pretty full up on life right now.” I shook my head, chewing.
If I could be any more obnoxious, I’d be surprised.
Yet, Clara just stared at me like some lost puppy dog.
“I just don’t think it’s a coincidence that after a decade and a half, you reached out to my best friend for some tickets at the same time I moved back to Seattle.” She tilted her chin and let out a sigh.
I just took another bite of steak, wishing every second that I was sitting next to Emily.
“Well, maybe I’ll bump into you at some point,” she offered. “I mean, we had something in common all those years ago. Maybe it’s still there.”
“Teenage hormones.” I studied her closely, noticing the stress lines in her brow, the frown lines along her lips, the weariness in her eyes. Things hadn’t been easy for Clara.
But that wasn’t my doing.
“That’s what we had in common. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, Clara. I’m not interested.” I shook my head. “I’m kind of tied up right now with someone else.”
“But you told Lydia you were single.”
“It’s complicated.”
She scowled at me. “What? Were you only single until you saw something you didn’t like about me?”
“Not at all,” I said softly. “I’m sure you’re a lovely person.”
I stood up. “But I’m just not the guy you used to know.”
The server brought over plastic utensils and the receipt that I quickly signed. Clara reached for the full bottle of wine and laughed. “I guess you won’t be needing this, then.”
I smiled, shoving the plastic fork into my back pocket. “Guess not.”
She stood and came over to hug me again. This time, I picked up the heavy scents of liquor and stale perfume.
A few years ago, I might have taken advantage of the situation. Who knew? Maybe it would have even gone somewhere.
But not tonight.
Not now.
There was only one woman I wanted.
“Enjoy the wine, and maybe I’ll see you around. Welcome back to Seattle.”
She nodded, clutching the wine bottle before she turned around and made her way back to everyone waiting for her.
As I reached the door, I heard a wave of laughter and couldn’t wait to get out of the restaurant.
