Watch Me Walk Away (2 page)

“You look beautiful,” Stuart says as I reach him. He gives me a kiss on my cheek and moves aside so I can enter the cab.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I say sliding across the seat. As he gets in and settles with his arm on the back of the seat I watch him.

“So you ready to party with your friends?” he asks as he slides closer. “You said you were anxious to see everyone.”

“I just hope everything goes well for Joe. I am so proud of him,” I say. “He’s worked so hard for this and it’s a great opportunity for him, to be the star of a new play. I was so surprised that he got the part. He did say that he knew one of the major producers, so I’m sure that helped.”

“Do you know who produced the show?” Stuart asks.

“No idea, I guess we will find out when we get the playbill.” The cab slows in traffic. “I hope we get there on time. I don’t want to miss the start,” I say.

Stuart looks at his phone, “We have twenty minutes until curtain. I’m sure we will make it, it’s only ten blocks. “

As he says it, the cab started moving again. It took us another five minutes to get there. Stuart paid the cab and offered me his hand to get out.

As I’m standing up I hear my name being called. “Lisa! Holy shit girl! You look awesome!”

I turn around and am swept up in a hug, “It’s great to see you too, Brad,” I say pushing back against his chest. Brad still has a thing for me after all this time. I wish we could just go back to being friends.

Turning around I look at Stuart. I had told him about Brad so the smirk I see on his face is not a surprise. “Brad, please meet my date, Stuart. Stuart, this is Brad.” The two shake hands.

Brad looks Stuart up and down then glances at his watch and says, “We better get in there. They should be seating already.”

Stuart takes my arm and moves us to the doors. Taking the tickets out of my bag, I hand them to the doorman. He scans them and looks in my bag before letting us through. “Let’s find our seats,” says Stuart as he leads me inside.

We get our playbills and start for our seats. Brad is right behind us and asks “Where are you sitting?”

Looking down at our tickets I say, “G one and two. How about you?” as I stop at our row.

“G three,” he says stepping into the row and sitting down.

Stuart looks at me and asks, “Do you want the aisle?” He cocks an eyebrow. Again, I think about what I had told Stuart about Brad. I knew he would attach himself to me. He had told me once I was his drug of choice. Seeing me made him happy. Of course it didn’t help that I had given him my virginity one New Year’s Eve after having a fight with my ex. Yeah that was one night I wished I could live over.

“Yes that would be great,” I tell Stuart. “I want to be able to get out when the others show up.” I lean in and kiss his cheek whispering, “thanks.” Stuart really is a nice guy.

We sit down and I look around. I see Brenda and her husband a few rows behind us. Waving at her, I am sure I will be looking at pictures of her new baby all night. April and Tom are sitting next to Brad. April and I lean forward and throw air kisses at each other.

The row directly behind us is half empty. I wonder if Joe has given these to Patty. She, Joe and John have been best friends for as long as I could remember. They lived on the same street growing up and I don’t think a day went by that they didn’t still talk to each other. Jodi has been included in the group since she and John are still going out. When I think about it, I realize they have been together for a third of their lives, unbelievable.

The house lights flicker and they announce five minutes to curtain. I start to worry that they’ll miss the start. Then I hear Patty’s voice. You can’t miss her voice. I love Patty but the high pitched decibel of her voice can break glass, really, I’ve seen it happen! I turn around and there is Jodi, John and Patty along with two people I didn’t think I would see. Deb and Jimmy are in from Texas. Strange, when I had asked Debbie on Facebook she said they weren’t coming because they couldn’t afford the flights.

Standing up, I hug them all in turn. Jimmy gives me a kiss on the cheek and says, “Happy to see you. I’m glad you came anyway.” He sits down and I start to ask him what he meant when the lights start to dim.

Stuart grabs my hand and says, “Sit down, they’re about to begin.”

So I sit down as the curtain comes up and lose myself in the show. By intermission I’ve forgotten Jimmy’s comment.

Chapter Two

The show was great! Standing ovation for over five minutes and Joe was right in the center of it all. I have to say I am so proud to be Joe’s friend. We stood up and all started up the aisle. Stuart takes my hand so we will not get separated. Jodi and John fall in beside us.

“You guys want to share a cab to the restaurant?” Jodi asks.

“Sure,” I say.

As we get outside, Brad comes up behind us and asks, “Can you guys fit me in too?”

John turns and says, “Sure if you don’t mind sitting up front with the driver. “

“That’s fine,” says Brad, glancing at my hand in Stuart’s.

Stuart hails us a cab and Brad gets in the front. John slides in the back first then Jodi climbs on his lap. I sit in the middle and Stuart squeezes in beside me. Stuart puts his arm around me and hugs me close bringing his mouth to my ear.

“I can’t wait to get you home tonight. You smell delicious,” he says while nibbling on my earlobe.

I giggle, “That tickles,” and turn my face to his. His looks sometimes catch me off guard with his square jaw, dirty blonde hair and green eyes. He is the All-American, guy next door that every mom wants brought home. Not my usual type at all, which is probably why I resisted so hard while he was my client. I wonder what he sees in me. Average height of five-foot-seven, long brown hair that only does what I tell it to when I load it up with anti-frizz serum and brown eyes. Alright everyone says they are more hazel and they change with what I wear or my mood but as far as I know there are twenty girls just like me walking down the street right now.

Jodi interrupts my thoughts saying, “So weren’t you surprised to see Deb and Jimmy?”

“Yeah I was. That reminds me, Jimmy said something odd to me. I will have to ask him about it once we get to the restaurant,” I say looking at her.

She drops her eyes and looks away from me. I ask her, “Do you know something I don’t? What’s going on?”

She looks up and gets saved by the fact that the cab pulls to the curb. We are at Gino’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in the theatre district. Brad pays for the cab and gets out. Stuart opens our door while I look at Jodi, “Are you going to tell me?”

She looks up and says, “I will inside, let’s go into the restaurant first.”

I slide over and get out, reaching for Stuart’s hand. He draws me close giving me a questioning look. I shrug at him and roll my eyes. “It’s always something in our crowd.”

Stuart asks Brad if he wants money for the ride and Brad shakes his head. Jodi and John are out of the cab and we go into the restaurant.

Gino’s is a staple for the opening night crowd. It is the new Elaine’s but with a younger crowd that likes to eat and have fun. The waiters are all actors. Yeah okay a cliché in the city but these guys really will sing you the menu. And look good doing it too! Wow there is some serious eye candy in here. No wonder my mother comes with her friends at least twice a year!

We are ushered to a back room filled with the cast, crew and friends. It looks like over two-hundred people are here. I guess the producers have deep pockets! I have seen weddings smaller than this party. I notice Barbara and her husband, I can never remember his name, sitting at a table set for twenty people. I walk over and give her a kiss on the cheek and claim seats for myself and Stuart. Our table starts to fill up with our group and everyone is talking at once and catching up. I am still surprised we were all invited to this thing. Jodi is sitting across the table from me. I look at her and ask, “Ladies room?”

She nods. Now is the time I can get my answer. We stand up and start to walk out of the room. Joe and his boyfriend Fred are just coming in. I give Joe a hug and say, “You’re a star! The show was great!”

I turn to Fred. “You know you’re going to have to beat the girls and the guys off him with a stick now.”

He bows his head slightly and says, “Yeah I think I probably will.”

Just as I am turning back to Joe I hear a voice say, “Hi, Lisa”

It’s a voice I never thought I’d hear again. A voice that wakes me from my dreams all wet and bothered. A voice that still sends shivers down my spine.

Turning around, I look at him. God he’s even better looking all cleaned up and looking rich. Rich? Where did he get money? Last I heard he was hurt and discharged from the Army and recovering. Yeah ok that was three years ago. I asked people to stop giving me updates while I was in college and everyone pretty much honored that request. So what happened that he could possibly look this fine?

“Bobby,” I say. I grab Jodi’s hand and push my way through to get us to the ladies’ room.

Turning on her before the door even closed, “What the hell was that? Why is he here and why didn’t you tell me he would be?”

She looks like a fish. Her mouth just keeps opening and closing. “Jodi, talk to me! Did you know he would be here?”

“Yes” She drops her head moving into the room. “I knew. I didn’t know how to tell you. John said you would be able to deal with it better if you were surprised. He thought if you knew, you wouldn’t come and you really should be here. We all miss you.”

I close my eyes and try to process this. “He looks like he has money. When did that happen?”

“When his parents died in that crash he got a settlement from the lawsuit, fifteen-million to be exact. He started his own security company and it took off. You have probably heard of it, Harber Security.”

Opening my eyes, I look at her. Now it’s my turn to look like the fish. I tried, I really did, to get the words that were in my head to come out of my mouth but they just weren’t cooperating. Harber Security is one of the top security firms in New York. They help the Secret Service when the President comes to town. I never made the connection. Bob Harber CEO of Harber Securities.

Jodi continued, “All of his friends from the Army are his employees. Did you know he was in the Special Forces? Did he tell you?”

I finally find my voice. “Ah, no! I did not know! I’m the one he never wrote to, never called, never texted. I’m the one he left. I’m the one he didn’t want!”

Turning to the mirror I look at myself. I am not that girl anymore. I would not be drawn in to Bobby’s world again. I don’t care how much money he has or how gorgeous he is. I am over him. It has been six years. My light brown eyes show the shock and betrayal I am feeling. I have to get it together before seeing him again.

How the hell am I supposed to go out there? “Seriously Jodi, you’re my best friend. Why didn’t you tell me? How could you just let me walk in here knowing I would be seeing him?”

“Actually he wasn’t supposed to be here yet,” she says. “He didn’t think he would make it to the dinner, he was only going to show up at the club afterwards.”

She puts her hand on my arm and says, “I figured since you and Stuart were going back to his place you probably wouldn’t make it to the club so there was no reason to warn you.”

“So what, you were never going to tell me?” I jerk my arm away. “Did you think I wouldn’t run into him eventually? Obviously we still have some of the same friends.”

“I was going to tell you but you wouldn’t have come if you knew this would be the first place you saw him. You would have said you needed time to process it all and prepare. Then you would have felt guilty for not being here for Joe.” She puts her hand back on my arm, “You just need to get through a couple of hours. You don’t have to even talk to him. Let’s just go back in.” She pulls me away from the mirror towards the door.

“Please don’t leave me alone with him,” I ask.

“I won’t,” she says. Yeah and this worked out so well last time.

Chapter Three

As we’re walking back to the room I can’t stop wringing my hands together. Jodi smiles at me, “You can do this. He has been out of your life for years and you have a great guy now. Just go show him that he made a huge mistake letting you get away.”

Jodi’s right. It was his mistake not mine, why should I feel nervous? I am a successful woman who just landed a great job in NYC and I’m dating a great and handsome guy. Taking a deep breath, I straighten my back and walk into the room. While looking for my date, I spot Bobby at the bar talking to Jimmy. Stuart is on his way over there and that just sucks shit. I do not want Stuart to figure out who he is. Can I stop him from talking to them? Probably not, I will just have to go drag him away before he finds out who Bobby is and wants to network all night.

Putting down my bag, I look across to Jodi and say, “I guess I should go bite the bullet and get my guy.” I nod my head in the direction of the bar.

Jodi looks over. “I will text you in a couple minutes so you can have an excuse to leave.”

“Yeah that could work,” I say as I grab my phone out of my bag and I walk away.

Stuart and Bobby are standing together talking. Damn they are both hot! If I was anyone else I wouldn’t know how to choose between them. Stuart with the guy next door looks, Bobby the bad boy. Even dressed up he exudes power and intensity. His blue eyes turn toward me and I can see him look me up and down. His eyes flash and I see a look I remember, a look of want in his eyes. God not again! I ignore the tingling that moves down my spine. I look right at Stuart who has also turned to me with his charming smile. I give him my own wanting look. I am spending the night with him. I like him, I really do. His kisses may not fire my blood but they heat it up enough. I don’t need explosions, just a simmer is good.

Stepping right up to them, I put my hand on Stuart’s arm. “Hi, did you miss me?”

He takes my hand in his and pulls me closer, “Always. You and Jodi were gone a while, I was beginning to worry.”

“Gossip, you know how us girls are. Had to talk about what everyone was wearing.” I giggle at him.