Libby purses her lips, making a show of thinking it over. At last, she smiles at me. “It will do,” she giggles, and winks. That makes me laugh, and the conversation flows easily after that. We’ve never had any trouble communicating, ever since that first night at my apartment. Our words flow as naturally as if we’ve known each other for years, and what’s left is a sexy, easy romance with the banter to match.
The waiter arrives to take our drink orders, and as he’s retreating to the kitchen, I catch Libby staring wide-eyed at the space around us like she’s never seen anything like it before. It’s during moments like these when I’m reminded of just how new this is to her, and of what an adventure the luxury must be. I’m honored to be the one to show her the finer side of life.
I order a filet mignon for two, plus caviar on the side, with a seafood starter. This is the kind of decadent lifestyle that I work so hard to achieve. “I can’t believe you literally just ordered all that,” Libby says wonderingly. “The menu at this place alone would cost me a month’s salary.”
I quirk an eyebrow at her. “That’s not a problem, is it?”
“No,” she replies, before breaking down and blushing. “It’s fantastic, Frisco.”
“I wanted to do something special,” I reply as the waiter arrives with our iced teas. “It’s not every day that a girl like you comes into my life.”
“You make me sound so important,” Libby says, ducking her head.
“That’s because you are,” I growl. “I spent a long time thinking I’d never have a chance with you, thinking you and Patrick were the real deal. I’ve never been more happy to be proven wrong, to be honest.”
Libby looks taken aback, and I catch a look of self-consciousness cross her face. She does a good job of hiding it, but not before I notice that something is bothering her. “What is it?” I ask gently.
“Hm?” She clears her throat, making a show of looking at her nails. “Sorry, it’s nothing. I’m just a little distracted.”
“Libby.” I reach across the table and cover her hand with my own. “What’s going on? I can see how hard you’re thinking, sweetheart.”
“It’s just…” She looks around the room as if trying to find the right words. “All this, it’s fantastic, Frisco. Seriously. I’ve never done so many exciting things in my entire life. I mean, just look at this place and the view too!” She sweeps her arm out in a circle. “And I think that’s the problem, in a way.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, frowning. “Is it making you uncomfortable? I know I can be lavish with my dates, but you’re important to me, honey. I want to give you the best.”
“No, no,” she protests quickly. “It’s not that, believe me. This is marvelous. But you’re treating me so well, taking me to places like this, that I can’t help feeling a little guilty.”
“Guilty?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “About what?”
“About this,” she says helplessly, gesturing between the two of us. “I’ve never been happier in my entire life, and I think that’s the problem.” Looking down, she explains, “None of this would have happened if I hadn’t done what I did to Patrick. Not just sharing the pictures, but coming to see you too. It’s all so wonderful, but it happened because I was trying to ruin my ex-boyfriend’s life. Sometimes, it makes me feel rotten inside and like I don’t really deserve this.”
“I see,” I reply, nodding slowly. “Have you talked to Patrick about this?”
Libby shakes her head. “We haven’t spoken since the night I forwarded the snaps. Frankly, I can’t blame him - I wouldn’t want to talk to me either, knowing what I did. I’ve been meeting with Pastor Ed once a week after Bible study for spiritual guidance, but I don’t feel any better because I haven’t told him about you and me. Imagine what Pastor Ed would say if he found out.” She shakes her head, looking down. “That’s the real problem. As much as I love what we have, Frisco, I don’t feel any peace of mind about what happened with Patrick. I know I want closure. I need it.”
I’m silent for a moment.
“Well, what is it exactly that’s keeping you from getting closure, do you think?” I prompt her. “Is it what you did to Patrick, or what Patrick did to you?”
She bites her lip again.
“Both, I guess,” she admits. “It’s like, I know what I did was wrong. There’s no arguing that anymore. But I still can’t wrap my head around Patrick cheating on me, when I really thought he was a good guy. And it wasn’t just the fact that he cheated on me, it was the way he did it. How could I have been so naïve?” she exclaims, her voice going up an octave. “I was so dumb and trusting! And no matter how hard I try, I can’t get those pictures out of my mind either.”