Leon shifted, but said nothing.
“I should have told you about meeting up with him. I told him that night that I wanted you.”
There was silence.
“I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry too. I got jealous. After you told me about him that night at my place, I looked him up and he’s everything I’m not.”
“You’re better than him,” she said fiercely.
He rubbed his neck. “I’m not rich and worldly—”
“You’re so much more than that.”
“I wondered if you were settling for the primary school outcast, and then in came the cool kid again to sweep you off your feet.” He paused. “I adored you from the moment I saw you as a kid—you know that, right? I spent my entire childhood with a crush on Michelle Fitzgerald.”
“No!” Her mouth fell open. “I didn’t know that.”
“I never thought you’d look at me, and that day I ran into you here, I couldn’t believe it. It was like a dream come true.” He frowned. “But when Ashton turned up, I felt I couldn’t compete. It was like primary school over again and you were going to run off with the kids who stole my lunch.”
Tears prickled at the back of her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“I wondered if you weren’t over him.”
“No. I don’t even know what I ever saw in him. I was looking for something when I travelled, something different than my family, but you know what? I was blinded to what was in front of me. You showed me that it’s what happens in real life that matters, not what’s filtered and put on social media for everyone to comment on.”
“I did?”
She nodded. “Yes. I don’t need the approval of random strangers. I want to be loved by my family and friends for who I am. I want to build a life, a real one. Here.” She waved her hand around the café.
“How’s the job going?”
She smiled. “I love it. I’ve been working with Gabriel, mostly on pastry work. Tessa was impressed and she’s going to send me on a couple of courses. If I like it, I might do my apprenticeship with Gabriel. He’s an amazing chef. He used to run a restaurant in Italy.”
Leon looked at her thoughtfully. “That’s great, really great. I’m happy for you.”
“It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.” Michelle drew in a breath. This was foolhardy. And while she’d grown, she’d not changed that much. She was still impulsive, and this could blow up in her face like so many other things in her life, but this?
It was worth the risk. Leon was worth the risk. “If you will give me another chance, I promise you that I will never hide anything from you. I’ll never make you feel second best as you are my first choice.”
He stepped forward. “Really?”
“Truly.”
He cupped her chin, and the feeling of his hands on her skin again made her weak at the knees. “I’ve missed your spark in my life,” he whispered. “I’ve missed the fireworks.”
She smiled. “I’ve missed everything we had—the friendship and the spark.”
“I’ve missed you beating me at Skee-ball,” he admitted.
She laughed. “I’ve even missed your St Kilda scarf.”
“I’ve missed the way you look wearing one of my work shirts wielding a hammer.”
“I’ve missed cuddling up to you on your sofa.” She brought her arms around his neck.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve missed your cooking.”
“Can I cook you something for dinner to say thank you for rescuing me tonight?”
His eyes widened. “Now you’re talking. You can show me all the fancy stuff you’re working on here. They didn’t give you the recipe for that pecan pie, by any chance?”
She nodded, slowly.
“I have missed that, but nothing I’ve missed as much as you.”
She leaned up and their lips met, butterflies racing through her stomach as she felt her body against his. There wasn’t anything about him that she hadn’t missed, and as he drew her further in, she’d give anything to make sure that she never missed anything with him again.
For so long she’d thought that kissing him again would feel like home, but it felt even better than that—it felt like she was starting her life again.
One Year Later
The yellow cab made its way slowly uptown in the morning traffic. Michelle couldn’t sit still. Even after flying for so many hours, the adrenaline was pumping. It simply hadn’t been enough to follow Bebe on social media and chat via Skype. She needed to see her.
“Wow.”
That was Leon’s fifth ‘wow’ since they hailed a cab at JFK airport. She grasped his hand. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
He squeezed her hand back. “It’s chaotic.”
“I love it,” she sighed. The energy was invigorating, she could almost feel the city pulsating with life and excitement as the cab weaved through the streets, each one filled with historical landmarks and buildings she’d only seen in movies.
“Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” Leon asked.
She nodded. “I’m so excited. I can’t believe it. Oh! I think this is the street!” They watched from the window as the cab turned and pulled up outside an apartment building with a green awning. “This is it.”
They buzzed the apartment and the sound of excited shrieking greeted them, crackling through the intercom. As they walked up the stairs, they were greeted by Bebe, her hair short in an elfin style and wearing an A-line denim dress and sneakers. She hugged them both, and brought them inside the small, but airy and light apartment, that was filled with paintings and sketches in frames on the walls and a drum kit in the corner.
“This is so cute,” Michelle breathed.
Harry put his arm around Bebe, who looked at him happily and twisted a pretty amethyst ring on her finger. “It’s a great location. Easy for Bebe for L’Or and near the subway.”
“I love it.” Michelle beamed at Bebe. She looked so well, not just in her cute dress and elegant hair cut, but her friend’s smile was relaxed, and there was a certain peacefulness to her. Life here was suiting her. She glanced at the ring on Bebe’s finger. Life with Harry was clearly suiting her too.
“Can I get you a coffee?” Bebe asked. “It’s not Espresso Walk standard, but the cafetière is passable. And I bought some doughnuts too.”
“I’d love some,” Michelle said.
“I’ll give you a hand,” Leon offered.
“How are you going with work?” Harry asked as Leon and Bebe disappeared into the kitchen.
Everything about the apartment was miniature, but it was comfortable, welcoming and in typical Bebe style, impossibly chic thanks to the art, vintage lamp and large knitted blanket slung over the back of their sofa.
“Good. The apprenticeship is amazing. I’m learning so much from Gabriel and Tessa.”
“It’s a great opportunity.”
“They were sad to see you leave.” He was missed by everyone, especially Tessa who had relied on him to expertly manage Espresso Walk. “Tessa asked if I could smuggle you back in my suitcase.”
He chuckled. “I miss them, but this is pretty good too. I have a sweet job at a place in midtown.”
She glanced around and lowered her voice. “How’s Bebe? I don’t like to push on the email and Skype, but is she okay?”
“She’s great.” He said proudly. “She’s following the plan and getting check-ups. Petra arranged this top doc here who charges more for one appointment than this place costs in rent, but he’s been nothing but pleased with her results and scans.”
“I’m glad. She seems well, and things between you, well they couldn’t be better I’m guessing?”
He glanced towards the kitchen. “Every day with her feels like magic. Especially here.” He waved at the window. “It’s pretty cool. We’re always at some art gallery or play or little jazz club. It’s never dull.”
“Are you playing?” She gestured towards the drum kit.
; “A lot more than I did at home. I found a band to play with. They’re a little serious about ‘making it big’.” He made air quotes around the last phrase, before giving a shrug. “But hey, it’s fun and gives me plenty to do while Bebe is working hard in class. They keep her busy so I like to get out from under her feet where I can.”
“It sounds like she’s loving it.” Michelle had thoroughly enjoyed her online catch-ups with Bebe and had heard glowing reviews about the L’Or Master Class.
“It’s hard work, and she needs to take it easy at times and give herself time to attend medical appointments, but she loves it. She’ll land at a big design house, I know it. She’s already had a few chats with the sorts of places that I can barely pronounce let alone afford any of their clothes.”
“Maybe she’ll be able to score us some freebies.”
She glanced up at Leon as he walked out from the kitchen with Bebe, holding two coffee cups. He handed her one, and squeezed her knee as he sat down. A surge of energy hurtled through her. They were here. On this adventure together.
“Bebe said you were going to a few other places after this?” Harry asked.
Michelle nodded. “Down to Miami, then Argentina, then back to Los Angeles and home.” They had worked long hours the last few months to save cash for the trip. It had been hard work, but so much fun to look at travel blogs together and plot out their flights. They had a huge map in Leon's living room where they’d charted their course and their savings. There had been a certain amount of pride in paying for everything on her own, though her father had slipped her some US dollars in an envelope as they left the airport, in case they ‘needed it’. She was determined not to need it after they had budgeted so carefully, but she was lucky to have it as a safety net.
She’d never known that planning a trip, or indeed, life with Leon could be so warmly fulfilling as they established their routine, and jobs back home.
She’d rallied against the suburban life like her parents had for so long, thinking that her future was somewhere far away from what she’d known.
But what use was glamour when you didn’t have friends? Real friends. And family. The people who were there to catch her when she fell and loved her no matter what. The most important safety net of all.
Her and Leon would never be globe trotters, but with him by the side and the life they could build together, the world was hers.
They bundled into a yellow cab that Harry had expertly whistled down. Bebe grasped the bunch of tulips in her hand as she sat in the middle between Harry and Michelle.
“Are you ready?” Harry whispered to her.
“Ready,” she whispered back.
“No second thoughts?”
Her heart sped up. There were none to be had. She didn’t want to delay this moment. “None whatsoever.”
“You look beautiful,” he said. “I’m so lucky.”
“And you look sharp.” She adjusted the silver tie pin she’d found at a market. It sat perfectly against his navy skinny tie. “Hang on. Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?”
He rolled his eyes. “Bad luck? Pfft. Bring it on, we can handle it. We can handle anything. I think we have already.”
“We have.” She smiled.
“This is the most exciting thing I have ever done,” Michelle declared. She smiled at Bebe, who grinned back, and clutched her hand.
“Are you sure we couldn’t have taken another cab?” Leon asked from the front seat of the car.
“No!” Michelle said. “This is fun! This is so squad goals!” She tapped Leon on the shoulder and handed him her phone. “Take a selfie of us, you’ve got the best view and the longest arms.”
“I thought you were off your social media accounts,” Harry said. “And last time I checked, your profile picture was a North Melbourne football scarf.”
“Oh, this isn’t for social media.” Michelle grinned. “Just for me.”
“Say ‘wedding’!” Leon said, holding the phone up and they all grinned.
Bebe glanced at Michelle. She may not have been her sister, but she felt as real as what Bebe imagined one would as they had messaged, Skyped and emailed constantly since Bebe and Harry had left for New York six months earlier.
“Look at you two! How cute you are!” Michelle cooed to Harry and Bebe when Leon handed her back the phone. “You are the most beautiful bride ever, Bebe. You made yourself the perfect dress too.”
Bebe looked down at her dress. It was a white lace shift with an elaborate 1960s amethyst brooch pinned at the waist that she’d found at a vintage store downtown.
“Can you send me a copy of the photo, please? I promised Cole.” Bebe had designed her gown with Cole’s careful input via teleconferences and was looking forward to seeing him when he visited in a few months.
She glanced across at Harry in his retro-inspired suit and smiled. He gave her a wink and squeezed her hand. She’d gone to Melbourne thinking that she may have found the truth out about her father. She did, but she also found Harry and new friends like Michelle and Cole. It hadn’t been the easiest time in her life between her incessant worries about her parentage and then the tumour, but it had led her to the right people, the right moments and the right places.
Arriving at Central Park, they tumbled out of the cab and found her mother waiting, along with the celebrant.
“You look beautiful.” Her mother kissed her on the cheek and took her hand. “I have something for you.” She removed a small silver ring from her clutch bag and handed it to Bebe. “Your father gave me this before he died. We spoke loosely of marriage, but we couldn’t afford a proper engagement ring. This was his, and he gave it to me before he passed away.”
It was the ring. One of the items in the box that Bebe had puzzled over for so many years.
“I want you to have it.”
“Are you sure?” Bebe asked.
“I’m sure.”
Bebe slipped it onto her thumb. It was too big for her other fingers, but it sat perfectly. She’d never known her father, and never would, but the pieces she’d been able to put together painted the picture of a man who she admired and loved in her own way. Having the ring he’d worn and given her mother as a symbol of the life they intended to share, but never got to, nestled on her finger made her feel more connected to him than ever. “Thank you,” she whispered to her mother.
She clasped her mother’s arm and they walked towards the celebrant, where Harry was waiting, along with Leon and Michelle.
Harry held out his hand, and giving her mother’s arm a squeeze, she stepped forward to take Harry’s.
“I love you,” he whispered to her.
“I love you too.”
She glanced back, and smiled at her mother. It would still always be you and me, me and you, yet with Harry, she felt she had a kindred leaf spirit to blow along sidewalks be they in Melbourne or New York or anywhere else.
As long as they were together, it would feel like home.
THE END
The Things We Always Wanted
Café Chronicles Book 0.5
How far do we go for love when worlds collide?
Clare Harrison has always felt invisible to everyone other than her grandmother. While she has everything she wants in her career, something is missing: someone to love and a family of her own.
Pete Fitzgerald has family. Too much. The Fitzgeralds are loud, intrusive and always trying to set him up with the daughters of family friends. As he completes his PhD and contemplates moving back to his hometown, he’s determined to meet ‘the one’ and hopes she can cope with his overbearing family.
When Clare and Pete meet, they are instantly drawn to one another. They want the same things in life, but as Pete’s family unwittingly intrudes on his relationship and Clare’s worries for her grandmother’s health mount, their worlds begin to seem further apart than either of them thought.
Can they juggle the needs of their families to give them everything they always wanted,
or are there too many differences to overcome?
The Things We Always Wanted is a romantic prequel novella to the Café Chronicles series by award-winning author, Megan Mayfair.
The Things We Leave Unsaid
Café Chronicles Book 1
Is it the things we don’t say that haunt us the most?
Clare is anxious to start a family with adoring husband, Pete. When she takes on the seemingly simple task of obtaining her late mother’s birth certificate, she finds herself in a family history search that will challenge everything she thought she knew about her life.
Scarred by her parents' ill-fated marriage, Tessa lives by three rules – dating unavailable men, building her café into a food empire, and avoiding her father. However, when her carefully planned life is thrown into chaos, Tessa is forced to decide which of these rules she’s willing to break.
As Clare and Tessa’s paths cross and their friendship grows, can they both finally unlock their family secrets in order to realise their futures?
The Things We Leave Unsaid is the first novel in the Café Chronicles series by award-winning author, Megan Mayfair.
The Things We Promised Ourselves
Café Chronicles Book 3
Should we hold on to the promises we make ourselves?
Lottie De Luca lives to run, but since a terrifying attack while training, she's lost her passion and her way. Her career as a real estate agent is suffering, and she's disconnected from her friends. Will a chance meeting with an off-duty police officer help re-start her life?
Jess Goldsmith is a woman on the run after calling off her wedding to her childhood sweetheart, Hamish. Leasing an apartment from Lottie, she finds her a supportive friend as she deals with the fall-out of her disastrous engagement. When a terrible accident occurs, Jess fears her past mistakes have come back to haunt her.
The Things We Never Knew Page 23
