"No, I don't think so," she stated. "I think I would recall discussing something as important as the purchase of a vehicle."
He set his pizza down on his plate, wiped his hands on his napkin, and took a swig from his mug of beer.
"Yes, I bought a new truck, I figure if we're going to make some changes and have a fresh start, now is as good a time as any."
She wasn't sure how spending money on a truck would help their marriage, but she took a deep breath and tried not to escalate the situation.
"Okay, but how are we going to afford a brand-new truck if we're considering giving up our jobs and moving to a different city?" she asked, trying to sound reasonable rather than accusing.
"Don't worry about the money," he reassured her. "I can cover it."
"What do you mean you can cover it?" she asked, more puzzled than ever. "I know what's in our accounts, and I don't think a new truck is in the budget."
"I have some money," he insisted. "Don't worry about it."
"You have some money," she stated, as though the words weren't quite sinking in. "What do you mean, you have some money? We have joint accounts, I know what we have."
"I have a bit of money set aside," he explained patiently.
"Where did this money come from?" she asked.
"I said, don't worry about it," he replied. "I've been saving some money."
She sat there, dumbfounded and unsure what to say or how to respond to what she had just learned. When they married, they had decided that they would have joint accounts, and all the money would be pooled. He was insistent that, as a couple, there should be no separate accounts but that what was his was hers and vice versa. This revelation that he was saving money for himself unbeknownst to her set her back on her heels. Apparently, purchasing a truck wasn't the first thing he had done without her input or awareness. What else had he not bothered to tell her? She didn't dare ask him any further questions, as she knew it would wreck the rapport they had established over the last week or so.
"And anyway, a new truck will ensure we have reliable transportation, especially if we decide to move somewhere far away." he reasoned.
"Where did you have in mind?" she asked casually. "I don't think you ever really suggested anywhere specific"
"Well, you know I've always wanted to move back home," he said. "Maybe this would be a good time; your kids aren't kids anymore, and we have no real reason to stay here."
"Hmmm… that would be quite a change."
The idea of moving across the country to settle down and start over in a place she had no ties to, didn't exactly thrill her. He would know people and be able to re-establish relationships fairly fast, and he had his family, no matter how rocky those relationships were. But she didn't know a soul and had only met his mother once. It hadn't left a very good impression on her, and she couldn't see her mother-in-law jumping in to help her feel at home. She had already lost most ties with her friends, and she didn't see her kids all that often, now that they had moved away from home. All she had was her work and her work friends. Could she just give that up and move to try and save her marriage?
He reached out and placed his hand over the top of hers. Looking into her eyes, he gave her a smile that she remembered from the early days of their relationship. Looking deeply into her eyes, he caressed her hand with his.
"You are so incredibly amazing," he said. "I don't know what I was thinking - I haven't been giving you enough attention, and you deserve to be treated better."
Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt the old familiar rush of emotion come over her. She felt a combination of amazement and gratitude. This was the man she knew and fell in love with so many years ago. Maybe there was a way to salvage their marriage, after all! She just needed to be flexible and open to what he was suggesting. It wasn't too much to ask of her, was it?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Olivia
O livia was in the middle of editing an article when her office phone rang. Picking it up, she was pleased to hear Luke's voice.
"Why hello there!"
"Why hello there you," he responded. "What are you up to?"
"Oh, you know, working hard," she leaned back in her chair and stretched the tense muscles in her shoulders.
"Glad to hear, it means you're staying out of trouble," he teased.
"Always," she responded.
"You didn't sound like you were staying out of trouble last night when you were moaning in your bath,"
"Oh, you never mind!" she answered with a laugh and a tinge of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, did I embarrass you?" he teased.
"No, I'm just at work," she said.
"Okay, I won't keep you long," he said with a laugh. "I just wanted to know if we could have dinner at my place tonight?"
"That would be good, are you cooking?"
"Of course! I wouldn't invite you over and expect you to cook for me. So, I'll see you after work?"
"I'll be there," she said, hanging up the phone.
She was still smiling to herself as she went back to her work, although she was finding it harder to concentrate than before Luke phoned. He had a way of unnerving her but in a good way. His voice had brought back memories of the night before, and she turned slightly pink as she recalled the effect he'd had on her.
She had been working for about an hour when she heard the text notification ping from her phone. Picking up the phone, she realized it was from Luke. It was a short text, but it made her catch her breath a little.
"Do you like gold or platinum?"
She hesitated before she answered.
"I like both, but I sometimes have an allergic reaction to gold. Why?"
"Okay, thanks – go back to work now!"
She sat staring at her phone. What was he up to? He hadn't brought up marriage other than in a casual way since he the night he had asked her if she would say yes to a proposal. That was only about a month ago, and now he was asking her about her metal preferences? As much as she was thrilled with the way their relationship was progressing, it was way too soon, and she was worried he was planning to ask her for real. What would she do if he did?
She was staring off into space, pondering those questions when someone knocked on her door.
"Flowers for you!" the receptionist exclaimed.
"Wow, thank you, I wonder who they're from?"
"Well duh, they're probably from that hunky man of yours," the receptionist laughed.
Reaching into the beautiful arrangement of red roses for the card, she opened it and walked towards her desk, shielding it from the receptionist's inquisitive look.
"For the love of my life, my beautiful, squeaky clean Olivia."
She smiled and gave a quick giggle before she turned around and thanked the receptionist.
"Are they from him?" she asked Olivia.
"Yes, they're from Luke," she answered with a smile.
Sitting down at her desk, she fired Luke off a text thanking him for the flowers. Then she went back to work, her concern over his possible intention to propose relegated to the back of her mind.