Page 78 of I Love My Mistake

Chapter Thirty-Three

The Next Morning

Standing out on the curb in front of the hotel by his luggage, Mark kisses me goodbye. I’m smiling on the outside… dying on the inside. He looks into my eyes and of course, sees everything.

“I’m going to be back very soon,” he says, touching my chin.

I nod.

“Hey. The show is only a little over a month away.” Hearing it, he shakes his head, looking away. “That feels like a long time away when I say it.”

I reach up on my toes and kiss him, nod against his lips.

“Your taxi’s here,” a valet calls to Mark.

We pull apart and he picks up his luggage, walking with me to the waiting cab.

“I’m nervous about the investors, Mark.”

He looks sideways to me as he hands the cabbie his bags to put in the trunk. “Don’t be. I’ve seen your work – I want your work. Hell, I even dreamed of it!” He laughs. His smile falls as he sees my sadness. “It’s you and them, or just you. It’ll work out how it’s supposed to. Don’t worry.”

Because I want to be strong, I force a smile. “So I guess everything’s going to be easy? Happy endings all around?”

He kisses me. “Yep. That’s how it’s going to be.” He looks over at the cabbie who climbs slowly into the front seat, staring at us like a Peeping Tom. Mark looks back at me and makes a funny look. “I have to go.”

I sigh. “Yep. That’s how it’s going to be.”

Mark takes me in his arms. “You’re somethin’ else, Nicole. I’ll call you. All the time.” He kisses me.

I smile, say nothing, and watch him get into the car. I bend down and wave at him. He pulls out his phone and points at it, indicating he’ll be calling. I nod and step back as they pull away and drive off. He turns in his seat and waves out the rear window, his tall body filling up the space. I stuff my hands in my coat pockets and watch until they turn a corner, until I can’t see them anymore, thinking, maybe everything will be easy this time. Maybe the universe wants to give me a chance at happiness… for once.

Now how am I going to get back? I look around me. I could take a cab, but the subway’s far cheaper. The C train is by here. I’ll go take that and maybe call the girls and grab brunch. Or I could go home and take a nap.

Who am I kidding? Here I am, pretending to be thinking normal things, like my heart isn’t falling apart from missing him two seconds in. Walking just a few yards up, I reach into my pocket to give a dollar to a homeless woman who sits on the sidewalk with her back against a cement wall. Her hand shakes as she takes it, and instantly I want to give her everything I have. I reach in and give her the few bills I’ve got on me.

She smiles. “Bless you.”

“Bless you, too,” I smile back.

A horn honks behind me and my head jerks up. The cab Mark’s in drives up and stops on the other side of the street, having turned around. Shocked, I stare at Mark’s elated face as he waves and points to his phone. What? Is he still trying to convince me he’ll call?

He jumps out of the cab and the cabbie gets out and unlocks the trunk.

“What’s happening?” I yell across the street.

“I’m staying another night!” he yells back, grabbing his luggage.

I feel like I might burst into tears. “Seriously?”

He looks for traffic and waits for cars to pass, his feet walking in place, aching to get to me. He shakes his head and yells out, “Yep! The investors want to meet with me again today! They caught me just in time!” He’s so happy, his hair blowing gently with the breeze, his grin shining brightly.

I wait for him to dodge traffic, wringing my hands with excitement. He finally sets his luggage down in front of me and pulls me in for a reunited-kiss. I laugh against his lips. We look into each other’s eyes and I cup his face in my hands. “I can’t believe it!”

“I know! They’re paying for the extra night in the hotel and the flight change fee!” He looks just as shocked as I feel.

I whisper into his hair as I hug him, “Wow. And here I thought I was just giving her a couple dollars. I didn’t know she was magic.”

He laughs, “What?”

I hold him tight, breathing in his smell. “Nothing.”

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