I could tell he was annoyed, but not so much because it was his sister. It was sweet.
When our food arrived, we both ate like our lives depended on it. He would still ask me stuff—when I opened my shop, why I did. But I wouldn’t talk about my mom yet. It was still too hard.
We continued to chat, but my curiosity was eating me alive. I sipped the rest of my coffee, there was no alcohol, so it served as my liquid courage.
“Who is Vivian?”
He stared back at me, a coldness washing over his otherwise happy green eyes. I saw his throat bob as he swallowed with a sharp inhale. Maybe I overstepped, I averted my gaze to my crumbed plate. I didn’t think he would answer me.
“She’s my ex-wife.”
I suspected that. I didn’t know how it made me feel, honestly. He had a life before me.
&nbs
p; “You were married?” Dumb question, but I was blanking for good responses. He nodded.
“Yeah, for ten years.”
I exhaled.
“That’s a long time…can I ask what happened? If you don’t mind, of course.”
His tongue pressed against his cheek, his jaw gritting. I was immediately distracted by the strength of his jaw. As his fists clenched, the veins of his arm protruded against the fine hairs. This woman really hurt him. It made my blood boil, why? I had known him two days, collectively. But for a month I had pictured him, imagined him, built him up as a person. I attached myself to a maybe, and now here he was. I told myself it was natural. That I wasn’t crazy, overthinking things.
“She cheated on me. With her optometrist.”
I stifled a gasp.
I was mad at the woman. Yes, mad. How could she hurt him like that! Tristan was seemingly kind and genuine, I couldn’t imagine anyone betraying him like that.
“That’s low. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t resist the urge to reach out and touch his hands gently.
He let out a breath and overturned his hands to take mine. They closed over mine, large and warm. It soothed my entire body. This was already too dangerous, too deep.
“It is what it is. Anyway, we’re divorced now. She took a lot of my money, but I’m just glad to be rid of her.” He tried to brush it off. But I knew it hurt, I could hear it in his voice. Feel it; I saw it in the tenseness of his body.
“I can’t imagine why she would do that. You seem like a really good man.”
“Seem?” His playful smirk returned, and I relaxed.
“For now.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Tristan
There was never a woman that invaded my thoughts as much as Emilia had.
It was just like after the party. She was on my mind every morning, and every afternoon, and evening. Of course, it sucked I couldn’t have sex with her unless I was imagining it.
I wanted her. There is no doubt about it. I wished she wasn’t so head strong.
I wanted to adhere to her wishes of keeping this professional, but I was a natural tease after all. It made it easier over text message, that way she didn’t yell at me. Quite frankly actually seeing her angry was a turn on.
Morning, baby doll.
I texted her every morning. At first, she would just remind me of what she said a few days ago. It had only been a week since that day in the flower shop. I was still going out of my mind, and I hadn’t even seen her. I tried making dinner arrangements, then stepped it down to lunch, and even just a drink. She kept denying it. I guess I should be flattered that she didn’t trust herself around me.