Софи Келли - Faux Paw

Why on earth hadn’t Marcus said something sooner?

He caught my hand as I started to slip past him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

I felt a surge of frustration. I yanked my hand away. “You’re such a guy!” I hissed.

Eddie was standing in the hallway.

Alone.

He turned to look at us, sadness etched in every line on his handsome face. “She left,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” I said. It didn’t seem like enough, but I didn’t have any other words.

“I thought she’d say yes.” He tugged at the knot in his tie. “I don’t care about the age difference or kids or anything.” He blew out a breath. “Will you two please just . . . be with her?” He made a helpless gesture toward the outside door with one hand.

I nodded.

Maggie hesitated. Then she put a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “She loves you,” she said. “That hasn’t changed.”

He nodded, barely, in response.

Maggie turned to me, zipping up her jacket as she did. “We should go find Roma,” she said.

I touched Eddie’s arm for a brief moment and then followed her out.

“Which way?” Maggie asked once we were out on the sidewalk. She looked up and down the empty street. There was no sign of Roma in either direction.

I pointed left. “That way,” I said and started walking.

“Are you sure?” Maggie said, easily catching up with me with her long legs.

“Yes,” I said. My bangs were hanging in my face. I brushed them back with one hand. “No. I don’t know. Roma came with Marcus. If she’s walking home, she’ll go this way.”

The street curved and there was no sign of Roma in the block ahead of us. We’d come out the back door, so I pulled Maggie down a block, jaywalking in the middle of the street. Up ahead I caught sight of Roma, walking rapidly down the sidewalk, shoulders hunched, the hood of her jacket pulled up against the light rain.

“Can you run in those?” Mags asked, looking down at my high-heeled boots. She was wearing her red high-tops.

“I hope so,” I said.

Maggie darted a quick look for traffic and we ran down the street after Roma. We caught her at the corner, Maggie sprinting ahead to put a hand on Roma’s shoulder and stop her.

She turned, held out a hand and let it drop to her side. “I couldn’t say yes,” she said.

Maggie wrapped both her arms around Roma’s shoulders. “It’s okay,” she said.

I caught Maggie’s eye and then looked down the street in the general direction of Eric’s Place. “C’mon. Let’s go get out of the rain,” I said.

We started walking again. Maggie kept one arm around Roma’s shoulders.

“Why did he do that?” Roma asked. “The music. The rose. In front of everyone. He knew I . . . he knew I wasn’t sure.”

“He loves you,” Maggie said. “I think he wanted to do something big to show you how much.”

“I didn’t want to make a fool of him,” Roma said quietly.

“It’s okay. You didn’t,” I assured her.

She looked at me. “Then everyone thinks I said yes.”

“What everyone thinks isn’t important.”

Maggie nodded. “We’ll figure that out later.”

It was quiet at Eric’s. Nic was behind the counter. I guessed that Eric was in the kitchen.

Nic turned and smiled at us. “You can sit anywhere,” he called, gesturing to the room with one hand.

“Thanks,” I said. “Would you bring us a pot of hot chocolate?”

He nodded.

Maggie chose a table against the end wall. Roma took off her jacket, sat down and slumped against the back of the chair. She looked at both of us. “What am I going to do?” she asked, pain evident in her eyes.

“Nothing,” Maggie said. Her blond curls were damp and she shook her head. “Leave the universe to its own devices for a little while.”

I hung my jacket on the back of my chair and took a seat. “Maggie’s right,” I said. “You don’t have to do anything right now.”

“What do I say to Eddie?” She looked stricken at the idea that she’d hurt him. The way she felt about the man was all over her face. Anyone could see it. The proverbial blind man could see it.

“You tell him you need more time,” I said. “And then you take as much as you need.”

Roma twisted the silver ring she always wore around her finger. “Time is the problem. There’s too much of it between Eddie and me.”

“He doesn’t care about that,” Maggie said.

“‘Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds,’” I said softly. I’d been thinking the words and had said them out loud before I realized it.

“Shakespeare?” Roma asked.

I nodded.

“The words are beautiful, but it doesn’t change anything.” She looked past me out to the rain-soaked street.

Nic came over with three mugs and a couple of stainless steel carafes. He filled the mugs from one jug and set the other in the middle of the table.

“If you need anything else, let me know,” he said.

Roma looked at her cup, ran a finger around the rim and then picked it up. She looked at us. “I know you’re both right,” she said. “I know Eddie doesn’t care that I’m older than he is. He even says he doesn’t care about more children. But I care.”

I leaned forward. “What can we do?” I asked.

She almost smiled. “You’re already doing it.”

Marcus walked in about five minutes later. He stood just inside the door and looked in our direction.

“I’ll get this,” I said.

I walked over to him. He looked contrite.

“You mad?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. Well, maybe I was for about thirty seconds. That’s what you were trying to tell me earlier, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “Eddie wanted it to be a surprise. But the more I thought about it, I didn’t want to keep secrets from you.”

I smiled at him. “I’m sorry I called you a guy.”

“I am a guy,” he said. “I thought Eddie’s idea was romantic.”

“Maybe in different circumstances,” I said.

“How’s Roma?” he asked.

I glanced over at her. “Upset. Worried about Eddie.”

Marcus shook his head. “He loves her, Kathleen. I’m certain about that.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with that,” I said.

“He’s not going to give up.”

“I didn’t think he would.”

“Okay,” he said. “Okay.” He held out the keys to the SUV. “Here. Take Roma home.”

“How are you going to get home?”

“I can get a ride with someone. Don’t worry. I’ll pick up the car in the morning.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

He looked over at Maggie. “Brady’s outside.”

“I’ll tell Maggie,” I said. I caught his arm and gave it a squeeze before I walked back to the table.

“Mags, Brady is outside,” I said.

Roma looked up at her. “Go,” she said. “I’m all right.”

Maggie smiled at her. “No,” she said. “I’m going to go talk to him for a minute but I’ll be right back.”

“Maggie,” Roma began.

Maggie shook her head and smiled again. “No,” she repeated. Then she got up and headed for the door.

“I should go find Eddie,” Roma said.

I shook my head as I reached for my mug. “Eddie’s fine. You should have a bowl of pudding cake.”

“Pudding cake?” she said, frowning at me.

I took a sip of my cocoa. It was still hot. “‘Duct tape or chocolate can fix pretty much anything,’ is what you say, and I don’t think this is a duct tape kind of problem.”

That got me a small smile. “You’re right about that.”

I leaned back in my chair and caught Nic’s attention. He came around the counter and headed in our direction. “What can I get you, Kathleen?” he asked.