Chapter 32
Spence drew in a deep breath as he stepped into Madeline’s, Julia Stewart’s restaurant. Zoe hadn’t been at her condo. He’d tried calling her, but she hadn’t picked up. So he’d come to Julia, hoping she knew where her friend had gone.
“One for dinner?” the perky hostess asked with a smile.
“No, I’m looking for Julia. Is she here?”
The hostess looked over her shoulder. “She’s right there, at that table against the wall. Shall I…”
“Thanks,” Spence said. He’d been rude, and he’d apologize later. Right now, he needed to find Zoe.
Striding to the table, he saw that Julia was sitting with her fiancé, Nico. Spence’s new partner. Forcing himself to relax the scowl on his face, he plastered on a forced smile and hurried over to the table.
Nico spotted him first. “Hey, you here already?” he said, his eyes lighting up. “That was fast.”
“Not yet, Elliot. I still have some of my leave. I’m looking for Zoe.” He turned to Julia. “You have any idea where she might be?”
Julia nodded across the room. “She’s right there.”
Spence spun around and spotted Zoe sitting at a table with a dark-haired man. They were having an intense conversation, their heads close together across the table. The man said something, and Zoe responded with a smile.
A fist gripped his heart. Squeezed so hard, he could barely breathe. Oh, my God. Had he blown it? Was he too late?
He must have stared too long, because Zoe turned to look. Saw him and froze for a moment. Then she turned back to the guy, said something, and he smiled.
Panic wrapped its claws around him and pressed hard, shooting pain through him. He was too late.
He turned back to Julia and Nico, and Nico pulled out a chair. “Have a seat, buddy. Tell me what’s going on. I didn’t expect you for another week or ten days. Mel told me you were taking your week of leave, then some vacation time.”
“Things changed,” he said. He glanced toward Zoe and Dark Hair.
He knew he’d screwed up. Knew he’d thrown away the best thing he’d ever had. The best thing he ever would have. He just didn’t know how to fix it.
And seeing Zoe with another man? That drove the dagger deeper into his heart.
“You gonna join us for dinner?” Julia asked.
Spence shook his head. Food was the last thing he wanted right now. “I’m going to go. I have things to do,” he said.
“You want that list of apartments?” Nico asked.
Yeah, he’d need that list. But looking at it tonight would be too depressing. Too painful. “Maybe later,” he finally said, pushing away from the table.
He walked out of the restaurant without looking at Zoe and Dark Hair again. Got into his car and drove to Zoe’s building. Started to pull into Zoe’s guest parking spot, then hit the brake. If Zoe brought Dark Hair back here, he’d need that spot.
So he found a spot on the street where he could park, then got out of his car and trudged back to Zoe’s building.
Don, the evening doorman, smiled when he spotted Spence. “You back, man?” he asked.
“Just for a visit,” Spence said, the words catching in his throat and trying to strangle him.
“Ms. Melbourne isn’t here.” Don nodded to a collection of couches and chairs on the opposite side of the lobby from the elevators. “You wanna wait over there?”
“Sure. Thanks, Don.”
Spence found a spot where he could watch for Zoe and settled into the chair.
Almost an hour later, the elevator dinged and Zoe stepped into the lobby. She walked to her elevator and inserted the key, but before she could get in, Don said, “Someone’s waiting for you over here, Ms. Melbourne.”