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15
“You didn’t say a thing to him? All day?” Ali sounded shocked on the phone. “Janie, why not?”
Jane was sitting at her desk with the door closed, trying not to talk too loud just in case anyone was still around. She had a plate of food that the kitchen staff had prepped for her, filled with various appetizers and small bites. She knew she still had time to kill and would go through the paperwork and emails that had been piling up during the day.
“I talked to him all day, but there was never a good time to talk about that,” Jane shot back. “It’s not that easy, Ali. There were always people around, and it just wasn’t the right time. I was working, after all.”
“The longer you wait,” Ali answered, “the harder it’s going to be.”
“Well,” Jane said while rolling her eyes, knowing her sister couldn’t see her but could feel her annoyance, “it’s easier said than done.”
“Is he still there?” Ali asked, pushing a little.
“I don’t know,” Jane responded, getting more annoyed. “I think so, but I’m not going to go track him down at the bar to tell him.”
“So you’re just going to ride it out another day or so or, better yet, not say anything?” Ali challenged her, as only a sister could.
Jane let go of the papers in front of her and leaned back in frustration. She knew she had missed her opportunity today, but she was OK with it given the circumstances. She was a different woman now and looking back was sometimes a tough thing to do.
“Honestly, Ali,” Jane said, knowing she sounded angry because she was feeling angry, not so much at her sister, but at herself for not having the strength to do what she had planned. “What do you want me to say? I freaking chickened out, OK? Is that what you want me to admit?”
“I’m not trying to make you admit anything,” Ali replied in a curt tone. “I’m just trying to help you. You seemed upset about it last night, and I don’t want you to drag it out any longer than you need to.”
“Well,” Jane answered, “you know, there’s always the possibility that he doesn’t remember it,” she said with some hope in her voice.
“I don’t know, Janie,” Ali answered, her turn to get annoyed with her sister. “You flip back and forth really quickly on things. Like I told you last night, rip the Band-Aid off and get it over with. Even if he doesn’t remember, at least it’ll be off your chest.”
Jane stood up from her desk and walked over to the window in her office and looked out. She just needed a second to process her thoughts. She wasn’t like her sister in the sense that she did things at the drop of a hat; she needed time to think and prepare. As she stood admiring the view, she smiled at the tent, which was lit up with the music going full force. The Oxford was truly a magical place for a wedding.
“Are you still there, Janie?” Ali asked, hearing silence on the other end.
“Yes,” Jane replied to the phone in her ear.
“Don’t be pissed with me,” Ali said with a lightness to her tone. “I’m just trying to help you out, that’s all. I know you would be the same for me.”
“I know,” Jane replied, looking at her watch and realizing it was close to 10 pm. “Listen, I’m going to do a final check on a wedding I have here, and then I’ll be home. If you really want to help me, I do have one thing you can do.”
“What’s that?” Ali asked amused, knowing what her sister was about to say.
“Have a glass of wine ready for me when I walk in,” Jane laughed.
* * *
Jane completed her due diligence, did her final check on the wedding outside, and said goodbye to the wonderful couple. It was bittersweet, but she knew they were happy with their wedding and The Oxford experience, and that was all she could ask for. As she walked toward the front entrance of The Oxford, she passed by the bar area and saw Austin sitting there, chatting with the bartender. He was laughing, fully engaged with what the young bartender was saying, oblivious to anything else around him. She should have known he would still be here almost two hours after they parted ways earlier.
As she kept walking, all she could hear in her ear was her sister telling her to get everything off of her chest and talk to Austin. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, so much to her surprise, she diverted her path from the front door toward Austin. She knew if she stopped to think about it any longer, she would chicken out again. This was her perfect opportunity and she needed to seize it
Her heart was beating out of her chest as she walked toward Austin at the bar, but she didn’t let it stop her. She kept going and knew that as long as she stayed calm and took a deep breath, her voice wouldn’t go up three octaves while talking to him.
Almost sensing someone was coming up behind him, Austin turned around and saw Jane. As his eyes locked with hers, he smiled. This sent shivers through her body, which did not help the situation at all.
“Uh-oh, what did I forget to do?” Austin asked in an amused tone as Jane approached him.
Jane laughed nervously and put her handbag on the stool next to Austin, trying to take a deep breath and collect her thoughts before saying anything.
“Oh, shit,” Austin said, looking at Jane, thinking that something must be wrong. “Is there another fire that needs to be put out?”
“No, no, no,” Jane replied, feeling nervous, but knowing she needed to do this. “I just wanted to talk to you real quick before I left.”
