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I slipped off my jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders, being careful of the ring still in the pocket. I slipped the velvet box out, hiding it away in my pants pocket.
“Do you want to go in?”
“I kinda like being out here right now. Is that okay?”
I nodded and glanced behind us to see Alberto near the doorway. “Give me one minute.”
He smiled as I walked over and stepped in the doorway. “When I saw you start to walk, I put a hold on dinner.”
“Perfect, thank you.” I’d make sure to tip extra for that little courtesy.
“I brought some wine up if you’d like to take a couple of glasses out, sit on the bench. I can also get a blanket or a shawl, if you’d like.”
“Wine would be great. I think we’re okay with just the jacket right now, but I’ll let you know.”
He nodded. I watched him disappear down the hallway, returning a few moments later with a tray of the chilled wine and two glasses to take out.
I took the tray from him, noticed the bench along the wall and the small table as I stepped back out onto the deck. I set the wine bottle down before pouring two glasses, then headed back to where she still stood at the rail, watching the lights in the distance.
“Thought you might be thirsty.” I held out the wine glass to her.
She turned, a slow smile crossing her face as she took the glass. She lifted it up to examine it. “Good. White wine.”
I heard a small hint of relief in her voice.
“Why?”
“Red made me hung-over before. I’ve sworn off it ever since.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re a grown up.”
“Most of the time.”
“What brought you to Los Angeles?” I asked her, wanting to know.Needingto know, really. I would never have thought she’d come here. Ever. After the way we’d left things, I was sure she’d never step foot out of New York state again.
And that would have likely been partly my fault.
She took another sip of her wine and looked out at the water before turning and putting her glass down. “You.”
Could she be serious?
She looked at me. “I hated what you said for a lot of reasons, one of which was half of it was true, and you of all people calling me on it hurt like Hell. So I stewed for a while, then I went through every photograph I’ve taken in the last few years. I organized them, I retouched them, I had them printed, and I set up a portfolio and got Nelson to help me...and I ended up here, with a job and a place of my own, and Jimmy and Marnie are coming to visit in a month or so when I have my showing...”
“What?”
“I had a meeting. Actually, I’ve had several meetings, taking my portfolio around. The first couple, I was truly horrible, stammering my way through and had no clue what I was doing, and then I got better, more confident, more at ease, and I got a call while I was getting ready. They had an opening for a smaller show in about a month. So I texted Jimmy, and he and Marnie are coming out and...” She stopped talking. “I’d love for you to be there. It’s a small little place, probably—”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, a real, actual genuine smile that crinkled her eyes. I could see the excitement again. The passion was back.
And she wanted me to be there. She wanted me to see her work.
I set my glass down, putting my hand in my pants pocket. My fingers wrapped around that velvet box. Should I?
Was it the right time, or was I going to do another epic fail?
She was watching me, that little line between her eyebrows appearing. I wanted more than anything in the world to take it away, to stop it from ever appearing.
