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"Caroline?" a concerned voice ca toward us
"Hey, Jale
"You ready to go?" he asked, looking at Siht and looked back, just as carefully
"Yep, ready to go Simon, this is James James, Simon" They leaned in to shake hands, and I could see that they both exerted a little extra force, neither seeo first I rolled my eyes Yes, boys You can both write your naer letters?
"Nice to ht? I’m Simon Simon Parker"
"That’s correct Jah on Si Si the handshake of the century
James turned tohere his car was double-parked, and Simon looked at me
"Brown? Jah
"Shush," Iat James when he turned back to me
"Nice tome to the car with his hand on the small of my back I didn’t think twice about it, as that’s hoays used to walk together, but Siht
Hmm…
James opened the door forin front of our building e drove away I rubbed rinned at Jah the traffic
"So, where are we headed?"
We made ourselves comfortable in the swanky bar he’d selected It seemed very James: chic and sophisticated, and laced with hidden sexuality The deep red leather banquettes, thinly cushioned and cool, ensconced us as we settled in and began the process of getting to know each other after so many years apart
As aited for a server to come by, I studied his face He still looked the same: closely cropped sandy blond hair, intense eyes, and a lean frae had only iood looks, and his carefully torn jeans and black cashreat shape James had been a rock climber, relentless in his pursuit of the sport He viewed each boulder, eachto be conquered
I’d gone cli with hih I grew up skittish about heights But watching hi the sinewy muscles stretch and manipulate his body into positions that seemed unnatural, was a heady experience, and I’d pounced on his in the tent like a wo about?" he asked, interruptingabout howyou still do?"
"It is, but I don’t get as much free time as I used to They keepBasin as often as I can," he added, set you two?" she asked, placing napkins in front of us "She’ll have a dry vodka ers of Macallan," he answered The waitress nodded and left to fill our order
I studied hiaze to me
"Oh, Caroline, I’m sorry Is that still your drink?"
I narrowed my eyes at hiht?" I answered primly
"My mistake Of course, what did you want to drink?" He waved the waitress back over
"I’ll have a dry vodka martini with three olives, please," I told her with a wink
She looked confused
Ja her head
"Touché, Caroline Touché," he said, studying ain
"So, tell me what you’ve been up to the last few years" I put my elbows on the table and chin in hands
"Hmm, how to encapsulate years in a few sentences? Finished law school, signed on with the fir for two years I’ve been able to ease up a bit, only around sixty-five hours a week now, and it’s nice seeing daylight again, I adrinned, and I couldn’t help but s as much as I do leaves me very little time for a social life, so it was just blind luck that I saw you at the benefit lastforward on his elbows as well Jillian attended many social events around town, and I accompanied her on occasion Good for business I should’ve known I’d eventually run into Jas
"So you saw me, but you didn’t co me to work on your condo Why is that, exactly?" I acceptedpull
"I wanted to talk to you, believe me But I couldn’t So much time had passed Then I realized you worked for Jillian, who a friend had recoht, ‘how perfect’" He inclined his glass toward mine for a clink
I paused for awith et me into bed, is it?"
He looked at me evenly "Still direct as ever, I see But no, this is professional I didn’t like the e left things, admittedly, but I accepted your decision And now here we are I needed a decorator You are a decorator Works out well, don’t you think?"
"Designer," I said quietly
"What’s that?"
"Designer," I said, louder this tiner, not a decorator There’s a difference, Mr Attorney Man" I took another sip
"Of course, of course," he replied, signaling for the waitress
Surprised, I looked down to find lass empty