“Games are sacred, Barbara,” Andrew said and gave her a droll look. “They’re not a live version of Tinder.”
“Why, Andrew, I’m surprised you even know what Tinder is. Relics don’t usually take to new technology.”
I tried not to laugh, even though I wasn’t on camera, because my mic was still live.
Andrew gave the camera a weary look and I saw the crew laughing. And then he turned to me and I was back on camera. “Will you be at the game, Nadia?”
“Of course,” I lied. The city of Boston didn’t want to know I wasn’t a hardcore Red Sox fan. I wasn’t a baseball fan at all. Henry was but he thankfully wasn’t into forcing someone to a game just to keep him company. Plus, Caine had a box at EMC Level and Henry always went to games with him. That meant I got to enjoy my first weekend on my own in a while. I couldn’t wait. I had a pile of movies and a bottle of wine waiting for me.
We finished up our program for the day and when I got back to my desk, flowers waited for me. Peonies. A few weeks after Henry and I started dating and were photographed together in the society pages, the text messages stopped and so did the calla lilies. He finally got the message.
But he’d ruined calla lilies for me. When Henry asked me what my favorite flowers were, I told him peonies.
Henry sent them every week.
“Did you get my flowers?” Henry caressed his thumb over the top of my knuckles.
We were seated at the Bristol Lounge for lunch as was our weekly tradition. It had become apparent in the last few months that Henry was incredibly affectionate. No matter where we were, there was hardly a moment he wasn’t touching me. I didn’t even think he was aware of it half the time. For instance, we’d sat at the table, me adjacent to him, and I’d fiddled with a fork, my mind on work. Henry had automatically reached for my hand and hadn’t let go of it while we waited for our food.
I smiled at him. I had no idea where he got peonies, considering they were out of season in this state, but every week, without fail, peonies turned up at the station.
“You know I love them.” And I did. “Where are you getting them?”
He grinned. “I’ll never tell.”
I rolled my eyes. “Infuriating man.”
Henry tugged on my hand. “You love it.”
Any attempt to remain expressionless were obliterated under his deliberately heated stare. No matter how many times I tried to not react, I failed. I laughed and shook my head at him.
Our meal arrived and I attempted to let go of the uneasy butterflies in my stomach so I could enjoy it. This was my treat. Every week, a burger at the Bristol Lounge.
I was digging in and made the mistake of looking up from my burger as I chewed.
Henry was staring, a small smile curling his lips.
Swallowing, I put my burger down and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “What?”
“Nothing.” He dug into his filet.
“It was something.” I huffed. “You don’t stare at a woman when she’s eating a burger, Lexington. It’s rude.”
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Come on. Seriously. What were you staring at?”
Henry leaned toward me and said quietly, “I like watching you. Whether you’re eating a burger or coming around my cock, I like watching you.”
Did I mention he had a tendency to say filthy things to me in public? I threw my napkin at him and he laughed, ducking to avoid it.
“Well, you wanted to know.”
The truth was I loved our banter. I loved how playful he was and I was never bored when we were together. In fact, I looked forward to seeing him like an addict looked forward to their next fix. It was dangerous, I knew it, but I couldn’t stop myself. And I really believed Henry felt the same way. No one could look at someone with the deep intensity he looked at me with and not feel the same way, right? My past lovers had told me that they cared but now I knew, after feeling the sincerity in Henry’s words, those prior words were merely letters put together on the tongue.
“Henry.”
The voice abruptly yanked me from my sweet musings.
It was a voice I did not want to hear.
“Mother.” Henry pushed back his chair and stood. I finally drew my gaze upward to watch him round the table to kiss his mother’s cheek. She stood before us looking ill at ease. Behind her was another well-put-together woman around her age and a young, beautiful brunette, likely in her early twenties.
To say things had been strained between Henry and his mother was to put it mildly. It had gotten to the point where he’d stopped visiting his parents’ home, and I could only surmise it was due to her opinion of me. I truly didn’t know what I’d done to upset this woman so much, but it was clear she detested me, and even more so now that her hatred had damaged her relationship with her son.
It was horrible to be the cause of their discord, and I’d tried talking to Henry about it but he didn’t want to discuss it.
“How are you?” he asked.
Her expression said, “You’d know if you called more” but she kept those words to herself. “Well, thank you. You remember Edina Hamilton?”
Henry nodded and held out his hand to the older woman. “Nice to see you again.”
“You too, Henry.” Her eyes ran over him appraisingly and there was something in them that made me stiffen. I realized what that something was when she practically yanked the young brunette into Henry’s personal space. “You remember my lovely daughter June. She graduated from Yale this summer.”
His smile was lazy and flirtatious as he shook June’s hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She beamed up at him. “I still can’t believe I graduated.”
“June was pre-law,” her mother preened. “She’ll be attending Harvard Law in the fall.”
“Impressive. Smart and beautiful.” Henry winked.
I hated him.
His mother shot me a smug look while he wasn’t paying attention and I squirmed in my seat.
Yes… the last few months with Henry had been blissful. With one exception.
His inability to not flirt.
I’d tried to not let it bother me.
But it bothered the heck out of me.
“Well, our table is waiting,” Mrs. Lexington said. “Before we go, Henry, I was thinking you could introduce June to Caine as she hopes to go into corporate law. It’s best to make all the connections she can now, am I right?”
“Definitely,” Henry said affably.
“Oh, wait.” June dug into her purse and produced a card. “My number.”
He took it. “Have a lovely lunch, ladies.”
As they walked away, Henry returned to the table and I wondered how much of a scene I’d make if I stuck my fork in his hand. I tried to tell myself that his flirting didn’t mean anything, but I guess I wasn’t thick-skinned enough to be able to put it to one side.
I didn’t want him telling other women they were smart and beautiful.
I didn’t see other men anymore. I only saw him. And it hurt to think my feelings were more involved than his.
My appetite gone, I shoved the burger around my plate.
“Are you okay?” He frowned at me after a few minutes.