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“That’s disappointing. I’ve been wanting to do business with him for a while now and it would be upsetting to expect business talk and get something else.”
“It could be business, too, but I know his parents want us back together. They’ve been pressuring him.”
“Are you sure there’s no chance of you guys getting back together, then?”
“There was a third party involved on his end, Dad. What do you think?”
Again, I waited for the man’s outrage on behalf of his daughter, just as I was so mad when I found her hurt and vulnerable on my doorstep. But I was in for a surprise when Paul just sighed again.
“Third parties always mess everything up,” Paul confirmed. “If he gets a third party involved, then how can we trust him not to bring someone untrusted into the business?”
“So you’re not mad that I ended things with him?” she asked carefully, and I realized she was expecting at least some anger. But Paul’s answer was firm.
“Not at all. I think you made a smart move not to merge with someone that unreliable.”
I couldn’t fucking believe this. It wasn’t what she expected, and it dawned that perhaps she expected a good scolding and was prepared to fight it. I watched as the tension visibly eased from her shoulders. There was a flash of sadness, too, but determination quickly took over and settled into her body lines. I knew what was coming next and tried to stop her again, but she was already moving aside and speaking.
“By the way, I’m with your good friend Matthew Curb. Remember him?”
“Of course I remember him,” Paul stated, his voice cheering up. Guilt assaulted me.
“Hey, Paul,” I greeted, my voice tight even though I was trying to relax it. “Long time no talk.”
“I’m dating your good friend, Dad.”
The way Sophie just jumped into topics without warning felt like a damn heart attack. I gaped at her. She stared back, her jaw so rigid with stubbornness. It was too late to take her words back, so I braced myself as silence pulsed on the line.
“Matthew?” Paul echoed. “You’re dating Matthew?”
I didn’t have it in me to let her keep shouldering everything, not when she was already so brave from the start. Like a switch was flipped, determination hardened my body, and I cleared my throat.
“Yes. She’s telling the truth. We’re dating. I’m sorry you had to find out like this, Paul.”
A strangled sound caught my attention, and it took me a while to comprehend that it was from my background, not the phone call. I turned to find Sebastian and Rupert lingering in the area close to the front door, their ears perked. I glared at them in warning, daring them to make another sound.
“How’s the business going?”
Paul’s question took me back to the phone call.
“What?”
“You still have a business in the city, don’t you?” he asked. “Your restaurant?”
I was baffled at where the topic was going, but I went with the flow.
“It’s doing well. I’m thinking of expanding in a few months. Maybe next year if there’s enough time and resources.”
“That’s good. Is it going to be another restaurant? Or are you thinking of expanding into another market?”
“It’s most likely still going to be a restaurant. I haven’t really thought about it.” There was a heavy pause, mostly coming from me. Then I let it go and said what I wanted to say for the longest time. “Paul, I’m in love with your daughter.”
I couldn’t see her, but a pin dropping could be heard from miles away in the silence that followed. Even Sebastian and Rupert sobered, the former losing his teasing expression.
“Does that mean you won’t be involving third parties in this relationship?”
Again, Paul’s line of questioning caught me off guard, but I already knew my answer to that.
“If you mean cheating, then no. Hell, no.”
