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He gives me another few slobbery puppy kisses and I ruffle the top of his head.
“Thanks, big guy. You don’t dwell on anything, do you?”
He wriggles and eyes the door. I hook him to his leash.
Twenty minutes later, we reach the diner.
Roxie’s on her own, still working on the cleanup. I pitch in and avoid her questions until the very last customer steps out through the front door.
And then, she won’t let my avoidance tactics fly for one minute longer. She flips the closed sign and joins me behind the counter.
“Okay, come on, start talking. I’m dying to know how it went.”
“I gathered that from the dozens of texts you’ve sent.”
She hops up onto the counter and swings her dangling legs. “So? Was he being a sniveling weasel or what?”
I eye her perch. “Grandpa wouldn’t like you using this counter like bench seating.”
“Oh, relax. We’ll clean after.” She pats the counter beside her, then leans over to reach for a tall plastic cup. With a practiced movement she scoops ice into it, swipes up the soda fountain hose, and fills the cup with bubbly Coca-Cola. She slides it toward me. “He wants you back, right? I bet that’s why he traveled all this way.”
My cheeks puff out as I exhale a sigh. I drag my purse up from the bottom shelf behind the counter and set it beside Roxie. Then I hop up and sit, and rifle through until I find the little velvet box.
Roxie gasps as I pass it to her. “What the?—?”
“I know,” I sigh.
“He gave it back?”
“He wants me to wear it. I said no, obviously. But, like the manipulative guy he is, he left it. To mess with my head, probably.”
She’s speechless as she removes the ring and holds it up into the light. “Maddie… this is freaking huge.”
“He’s loaded.”
“Obviously. He’s written so many big hit movies. But rich guys don’t always gothisbig on engagement rings. My friend Cora married a super-wealthy guy and the ring he got her is nothing like this thing. This—this is exquisite.”
“The size of a ring doesn’t mean anything,”
“Sure it does.” She twists to face me and places the ring back on the counter. “I mean, it means he wants to spend money on you.”
“Sylvester spends money like he does everything else. He gives to get. And this—giving me this ring—it’s because he wants to get me back.”
“Are you tempted?”
“Not even a little. He’s a thief and a liar and I know that now. I’m an object to him, just like this ring. He wants me for his own selfish reasons.”
She nods. “Good. I mean, not good that he’s like that, but good you can see it. You never sounded happy when you were with him. So, what are you going to do?”
“I have to give this ring back to him, for starters. And I have to be firm. He’ll keep pushing his agenda, and I have to be clear about where I stand on the matter. I told him today that it’s over for us, and I meant it.”
She reaches for the Coke she poured me, which I haven’t touched. She draws in a long sip, then sets it back where I can reach it. “You’re freaked out about what’s happening between you and Nick, aren’t you?”
“Where the heck did you get that—based on everything I’ve said?”
She grins. “This place has a security camera, you know.” With a mischievous glitter in her eye she gestures up to the corner of the room.
I spot the camera and then burrow my face in both hands.
