"Well, in that case, how about you join us for lunch? After this, I mean, and then we can make a plan to go?"
He looked at me hesitantly, I think unsure if I was sincere. "Maybe," he started, "where would we go? I wouldn't feel right about you paying for me. You don't have to give me any handouts," he stated firmly.
"Oh, of course, absolutely. I would never assume otherwise. But just in case you would allow it, we could celebrate. No handouts, but a reward for doing something brave today. Everyone deserves a reward when they put themselves out there. I'm pretty sure that's in the rulebook," I teased, lightening the tension. I understood his need to provide for himself. He knew all about strings.
"Well, if it's in the rule book and a reward," he said with some relief in his voice, "then I guess I have to, huh?" he finished with a grin. I was glad to find a loophole he could accept.
"Perfect. Let me check out your new prints, and then I'll go see where the others went."
As I was browsing, a few people walked up, so I made sure to ask him questions about his work, helping to garner interest from others. Selecting a few new photos, I paid him and motioned I'd be right back while he talked with his new customers.
Heading in the direction Monroe went, I wasn't prepared to turn the corner and run headfirst into the last person I expected to see at a random high school. Now, I remembered why I didn't leave my condo. If you didn't go anywhere, you couldn't run into people you never wanted to see again.
"Loren!" He grabbed my arm as I barrelled into him, steadying me. "What are you doing here?"
Looking up, I found myself frozen as I stared into the eyes of Brian, my ex-husband. Fucking hell.