by Claire Adams
I turned to look back into the mirror. I dabbed my skin and eyes with a cool, damp paper towel and braided my wavy hair over my shoulder quickly. I felt so restless. I walked out to the counter where Heather was standing with two cups of coffee and smiled at her.
“Hey,” I greeted her as she looked up from the screen that showed our appointments. She slid one of the coffees my way.
“I brought you this.” I looked to the right to see if Austin was still here. He watched me from my station.
“It’s a popular day for coffee,” I said and smiled. “Thanks.” I knew that my voice sounded high and that my hand was shaking. I took the coffee and walked it to my station, meeting Austin’s gaze as I set it down.
“You didn’t tell me that you knew Austin Harris,” Heather said, turning to look at us.
“I have since high school.” Heather was younger, and a fresh graduate from the beauty school, so she wouldn’t remember him. “You two met then?”
“Sure did,” she replied.
I realized that she was smitten with him. Even in his Texas clothes, Austin was gorgeous. What else could I expect?
“I’d like to take you to lunch today, Rebecca. As a way to apologize and all that,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said.
He smiled crookedly at me. He knew what that did to me, and I shook my head slowly at him.
“I want to,” he said. “Pick a place. It’s on me. I can afford to spoil you a little bit.”
Austin stood and asked me for my phone. He did something, and I heard his phone chime as he set mine back on the counter. “Text me when you’re going to lunch, and tell me where to meet you. I’m going to talk to Seth and his dad for a bit.”
I stared at him as he left, pressing my lips together.
“Oh, my goodness,” Heather said. “I think he likes you.”
I laughed. She didn’t know the half of it.
“We were friends in school, and he’s visiting,” I said in a weak voice. “It’s been a while, that’s all. Austin is a silly guy.” I sat down in my seat.
“The press makes him seem so driven and serious. You know he’s a billionaire, don’t you?” her voice lowered.
I nodded sadly. I certainly did, and it might be what ruined us.
“I see stories about him all the time,” she said. “He’s like a celebrity in New York!”
I wanted to tell her there was another side to him. Austin went to school here and lived here before all of that. He liked Star Wars and comic books. He wore jeans and scuffed up sneakers. He drove a piece of crap used car in high school, just like the rest of us.
But I remained quiet, wanting to keep all of that to myself. I felt confused by everything that happened this morning, and I needed to think about it. What was I going to say at lunch? I kind of dropped a bomb before I ran away and felt so scared of what he could respond with.
Ugh. I took a sip of the coffee that he brought and glanced up as the door chimed, signaling the arrival of some customers. That would kill some time until around noon, when I normally took my lunch.
Chapter Nine
Austin
I got the text from Rebecca, telling me to meet her at the local diner just a block from the salon. I used to work there back in high school, and it made me laugh in the middle of talking to Seth and his dad.
“I am going to step out for some lunch,” I said. “Come over for dinner soon, you two.”
“Sure thing,” Seth said. “Where are you going?”
I shook my head. “Bunny’s. I haven’t been there in years.”
Seth smirked at his dad. “You’re in for a surprise, buddy. Have fun.”
I tilted my head at him. “Okay. I’ll do that.”
I told them to call me, and I walked out. The snow had stopped, but a crisp layer of fresh snow covered everything I could see. I was glad that Dad told me to take his old Suburban today. I was going to call the rental place later and try to get them to let me switch to an SUV. I’d have to make the six-hour-round-trip drive, but it might be worth it. I turned to the left and walked over the sidewalk towards the cafe, a place that held a lot of memories. I passed the flower shop owned by Betty Niles and walked inside to get a small bouquet for Rebecca. I was mildly surprised to see that Betty was still here and being helped by a woman who I recognized as her daughter, Maura.
“Austin Harris, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” the older woman exclaimed, squinting at me despite the glasses that she wore. “How are you?”
“Doing good, Mrs. Niles. How about you and your family?”
She smiled at her daughter. “We’re great. You’re like a hometown hero here, young man. I am glad that you came back to visit your mama. She missed you.”
I blushed. I’d just earned some money, not saved a life. “I don’t know about that,” I mumbled and looked around the tiny store. “I’d like a small bouquet. Something pink.” That was Rebecca’s favorite color.
“We have some tulips that just came in,” Maura told me as she reached into an old cooler. “Here we go. What do you think?”
“They’re perfect,” I replied. She quickly constructed a delicate little bouquet. I paid her and added a generous tip before I headed out, worried about running late to lunch. She was only on an hour break.
I walked into the diner and paused when I looked around. “He’s a bit proud of you,” Rebecca said from my right. She stepped over to me and looked around the walls covered with various pictures of me.
I frowned. “That or obsessed,” I remarked. I caught sight of Gus coming out of the kitchen.
“Austin! It’s great to see you here. I’ve been following your career and all your hard work. Congratulations.” Gus walked out and shook my hand. I thanked him. “Come on in. Pick a table and we’ll cook anything you want. I know you’re probably used to that fancy city food now.”
I didn’t want to tell him that I was enjoying the food here more than ever before, slightly embarrassed that he was making such a fuss over me. There were a few other customers seated around the small room, looking at me and pointing. I shot Rebecca a helpless look. She shrugged.
We found a table in the corner, and I finally presented her with the flowers.
“You didn’t have to,” she said, blushing.
“All part of the apology,” I assured her.
She lifted the flowers to her nose to inhale them. “Tulips always look so perfect when they bloom,” Rebecca murmured.
Someone approached the table.
“Hi, Austin. Rebecca. What would you like?” The sweet girl was flustered. I smiled gently, hoping she’d relax.
“I’ll have the grilled cheese and vegetable soup, Nadine,” Rebecca said. “Thank you.”
I asked for the bacon cheeseburger and fries. We both asked for hot chocolate to drink, and I smiled at Rebecca.
Gus brought the food out himself, and he stuck around to chat. It was good to talk to him, but Rebecca and I didn’t get much time to talk. As we ate, what seemed like the whole town came through the doors. News traveled fast there, even in the winter.
I had to admit it was flattering that they all wanted to talk to me. A lot of people thought I wasn’t going to make good on my goals, and I proved them wrong. They were all here to say it to my face now, and I basked in it for a moment. I knew these people and liked them all. I knew that they liked me underneath all the high school attitude.
Once the meals were finished, Gus tried to insist that he wasn’t taking a penny of my money. It was an honor to have me here, and he clapped me on the back as I looked down at the table. “Gus, you don’t have to do that.”
“It’s a sight to see the two of you sitting in here again. You used to bring Rebecca here all the time.” He smiled at her and leaned back to take this all in. I was certain this was the most excitement North Reed had seen in quite some time.
“That I did,” I murmured, locking my gaze with Rebecca’s.
I managed to
convince Gus to let me do something for him. After a bit of discussion, I signed some of the covers he had on the walls. He asked if he could take a new photo for the wall, and of course, I agreed. We took several together, all over the diner, before some of the other customers asked for the same. I complied since so many of the celebrities in New York were jerks to their fans, but I kept looking at Rebecca the entire time.
She smiled as she watched. When the crowd was satisfied, I managed to sit across from her. She looked at her phone. “I have to walk back, Austin. This was nice though.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologized.
She laughed softly. “You’ve been saying that a lot today. But it’s fine. They all loved seeing you. I can’t complain about that, Austin.”
I leaned closer to her, and her cheeks flushed pink. “Let me walk you back, at least,” I offered.
She nodded. I left a large bill on the table for a tip and led her to the door, still clutching her flowers.
Once we were outside in the frigid air, I shivered and looked at her. “I never hated this town, Rebecca. I just had dreams that were too big for it. I wanted to work on Wall Street and learn as much as I could about investments.”
She nodded. “I know that. You dreamed about it for a long time.” Her voice was soft. “You got your dream.”
“I loved you as well, Rebecca.” I watched as she glanced at me. “That’s why I asked you to come with me. I wanted you to be part of my dream.”
“Maybe we should have just said it back then,” she said. “But it felt too fast, too soon. For me, at least. We were so young, and I knew how it was going to end.” Her eyes were clear as she met mine. “I suppose I didn’t see the point.”
“I hated leaving you,” I said. “I thought about you all the time. They’re all so proud of me here, and all I ever wanted was for you to be a part of it. I wanted you by my side.”
“Bad timing.” She started to walk again.
I caught up and joined her. “Yeah, I guess so.”
We walked in silence. She stopped in front of Grayson’s and looked at me.
“What?” I asked her, my tone light and teasing. “If you want a picture with me, you can just ask.”
She smiled. “I have a lot from high school. I like thinking about that time, Austin. I don’t need one of you now. Thanks for lunch. Thanks for…everything.”
“I think that you should thank Gus for lunch, not me,” I said.
She shrugged. “Thank you for these,” Rebecca said as she held up the flowers. “They’ll look great on my station.”
I told her goodbye one last time and watched her walk inside. I made the short walk to the car and got inside before starting the engine. The heat took a minute, and I sat to wait as I thought about Rebecca. I remembered the day we met.
She was at the end of her sophomore year, and we had a pep rally. Rebecca grew up here, but I’d never noticed her before. I was so self-absorbed in my goals and friends, but that day, it was like a spotlight shined on her.
She was gorgeous. When she glanced at me, I knew I was done for. We talked the following week, and I asked her out. By the time we started the next year of school, the two of us were a couple. I lost myself in those great memories as I drove home. We spent summers at the drive-in, the creek, and the diner, with friends or just the two of us. We were always laughing, and I knew that I could be myself with her.
Too bad that version of me thought more about college in New York, followed by a career. I didn’t know then how many regrets I would have about leaving her behind. I didn’t see that I hurt her every time I talked about my future, but I saw that now.
I saw a lot of things now that I’d already fucked up. I had a life in New York that I’d worked too hard to build for me to come back here. I wouldn’t have the connections here nor the success.
I drove back to my parents’ house and looked the town over as I drove. Seeing everyone so excited for my career and treating me like a celebrity felt good, but I was no longer a part of this town. I had a life elsewhere, and while I would enjoy the time here, I also knew I had to leave eventually. I wanted more than anything to bring my parents and Rebecca with me, but they’d made their choice every single time that I asked them to join me.
I knew that today, Rebecca still wouldn’t come with me. We had no future. I swallowed the lump in my throat. She was the only woman I ever loved. More than likely, Rebecca was the only woman I would ever love, based on the last decade of my life. I still had my work at home waiting for me and my success, which would never go away if I kept pushing myself. Hell, even if it did, I was a billionaire and could do anything I wanted in my life.
Mom was cooking a roast when I arrived home. She took one look at my face and walked over to me. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, just tired. I spent a lot of time with Seth and his dad, catching up. The weather got rough a few times.” I shrugged and went to get a bottle of water from the fridge.
I focused on contacting Preston to see what was going on with the deal. It was the one thing that I felt like I had control over, and my soul craved it, needing something to work out. I felt disappointed in today, even though I’d gone to see Rebecca with no real expectations.
I sure as hell didn’t expect the line about her wanting to marry me. She never told me that before now. I thought she used to love me in some way, but marriage never crossed my mind. The idea of staying here to settle down seemed crazy back when I could only think about getting away, and I thought that Rebecca would come with me.
I thought that I was worth it to her.
We had a quiet dinner before I excused myself to go upstairs. I was in the middle of a text conversation with Preston, needing to know every detail of what was happening. At this point, I’d welcome having to leave to deal with things so I could forget all about North Reed. I had my laptop open, looking at numbers as we moved to chat online with some of the staff and tried to figure out what to do.
I fell asleep hours later to find myself dreaming of the last time that Rebecca and I made love, way out in the country under the night sky. Nothing since then had felt as good. No woman ever felt like she did.
Chapter Ten
Rebecca
I was finishing my shift at the salon when my cell phone rang at my station. I looked at the screen to see that it was my sister calling. I picked it up and headed to the back corner of the room since there were a couple of customers getting cuts now that the weather cleared up a bit.
“Hi, Kim,” I said, leaning against the wall. “Is everything all right?”
“My car won’t start. Brad told me the battery was getting old, but I thought I had some time. Can you take me home? I have wine!”
I laughed softly. After my day, I needed some wine. I’d felt off ever since lunch and even before that.
I never meant to confess about my stupid dreams of marriage to Austin. He seemed to recover fine, and we enjoyed lunch, but a part of me felt empty once I was back at work again. I knew my teenage girl dreams would never happen now. I knew that I still had feelings for Austin, but they were pointless.
“Of course, I can take you home. I’m done here for the day.”
“Good,” Kim said. “You can tell me all about lunch in the car.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stupid small town,” I muttered.
She laughed and told me that she’d see me soon. I told the girls I was heading out and left the salon, pausing on the sidewalk to look around at the thin layer of snow. There was a quiet here that couldn’t exist in a place like New York. I remembered saying goodbye to Austin earlier today. I’d gone back to being in high school, back when I had some hope that we’d work out. I hoped that he would decide to stay here with me.
It was never going to be, and if anything, he’d told me that today.
I wanted my life to go back to some sense of normal once he was gone for good. I knew he didn’t hate it here. I saw the look in his eyes when everyone was so excited to
see him today, even if he did seem a bit embarrassed. There was a sense of pride.
I told myself I was happy for him as I walked to my car and unlocked the door. I wanted him to reach his goals and make all the hard work count, and that’s just what happened. It was as it was supposed to be for us. He’d gotten what he wanted, and I was happy here with my job and living near my sister.
None of this would even be an issue if he’d never returned home for the holiday.
I groaned as I started the engine. A pop song played over the speakers, and I backed out carefully, looking for anyone who might be coming down the road. I was accustomed to driving in snow, but that didn’t mean that I loved doing it. I chose to sing along to the words as I made the short drive to the library. I looked the old brick building over as I parked near the doors. It was perfect for what it held, and the idea of it closing devastated me, all because some funds had gotten messy in the city. Kids needed the chance to read and learn, and the mediocre libraries in the schools in town didn’t hold a candle to this one.
A figure made their way down the sidewalk, bundled up in a familiar pink puffy jacket. I unlocked the door so Kim could slide into the passenger seat, giving her a quick hug.
“Did you call Brad?” I asked her.
She nodded. She dated Brad for a minute, and I swore that he still liked her sometimes. He’d probably replace the battery himself.
“Yeah. He’s going to take care of it tonight and get my car home for me.” I rolled my eyes dramatically, and she giggled. “What?”
“You know just how to wrap them around your little finger,” I told her.
She pulled her hood down. “Whatever. I wasn’t the one at lunch with the town celebrity today, was I?” she asked. “How did that happen?”
“You know that we got into a bit that night when my tire was flat.” Kim nodded. “He wanted to apologize, so he came into the salon and lunch came up. It was nothing.” I frowned. “You should have seen Gus, though. Everyone there, for that matter. They freaked out, Kim.”
