“I’m sure you heard what happened with the concierge,” he said, slowly shaking his head, as if the memory continued to traumatize him.
“Not really. There was some talk around the building, only I didn’t pay much attention.”
“I had to report Melanie to the condo board. She had this business opportunity she wanted me to finance. I explained I wasn’t interested, and left it at that, hoping that would be the end of it. But she refused to give up. It came to the point that I couldn’t even walk into the lobby to collect my mail without her pestering me. If that wasn’t bad enough, she suggested she would be willing to do ‘anything’ if I would back her in a venture even an amateur entrepreneur knew would fail.”
“Oh dear, she was that desperate?”
“It’s unfortunate the building had to let her go. I felt bad about it, only I wasn’t about to invest in an idea that was doomed to fail. After what happened with Candace, I was leery, and felt I had no option but to report her to the association. As far as I’m concerned, I’m finished with dating. I sincerely doubt I’ll ever remarry.”
“Exactly. It isn’t worth the hassle. The men I’ve met came with a lot of baggage. I’m carrying enough of my own.”
They continued talking long past the time they’d finished their drinks. Julia learned Heath worked as a hedge-fund manager and, like her, was semiretired. She told him about her daughters—he had two sons—and that she had recently sold her interior design business and worked as a consultant, hoping to ease into retirement.
When she happened to catch the time, she was surprised to see that if she didn’t rush, she’d be late for her lunch date with her daughter. They had talked, nearly nonstop, for the better part of two hours.
Scooting back her chair, she stood and reached for her purse. “Thanks for the latte and for saving me from my sister. If not for you, I would have been forced to meet yet another man who is absolutely perfect for me. Not.”
Heath rose with her. “My pleasure.”
She hesitated, and then added, “I enjoyed this.”
He grinned. “Me, too. See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she said, and even to her own ears it sounded like a promise.
* * *
—
Hillary glanced across the table at Julia. “Mom?”
Julia looked up from her salad. “I’m sorry, honey, were you saying something?”
“Where’s your head? You look like you’re a million miles away.”
“Sorry, I was thinking about this morning.” She’d thought of little else since leaving Heath.
“Did something happen?”
“Not really…I shouldn’t say anything. I had coffee with a friend and rather enjoyed myself.”
“That’s nice.” Her daughter raised her finely shaped eyebrows in speculation. “Is this friend male or female?”
“Male, but don’t make more of it than there is.” Julia could almost see Hillary’s head spinning. Like Amanda and most of Julia’s friends, they assumed she needed a man to be happy. Nearly six years alone—the anniversary date of her divorce was only a month away—had proved otherwise. Yes, life as a single woman had been an adjustment, and yes, she was lonely at times. However, that wasn’t reason enough to compromise herself.
“Tell me about your friend. Divorced? How’d you meet?”
Julia answered her daughter’s questions, downplaying it as best she could. “We both agree we’re finished with dating.”
“What if he asks you out? Would you go?”
Her immediate response was that she would, but she didn’t admit it. “I might, I don’t know. I barely know him. I will say that we seem to be comfortable with each other; like me, he would want to keep this on a friends-only basis.”
“This is encouraging, Mom. Go for it.”
Her daughter’s words lingered in her mind as Julia left for her appointment with the masseuse. It’d only been since the divorce that she’d indulged in this luxury. Amanda had suggested a massage would help relieve her body of the tension of dealing with Eddie, following their separation. It helped, and she’d been hooked ever since, scheduling one every two weeks. As the masseuse worked on her, Julia closed her eyes and reviewed once again her conversation with Heath, and how good it had made her feel.
Her next stop was the hair salon, where she had a standing appointment every five weeks for a haircut.