Page 41 of Screw Christmas
She’d come out. She had to.
My phone buzzed, making my heart leap in my throat. Had she gotten a new phone? Pulling it from my pocket, I looked down at the screen.
Doris: Whatever you’re thinking of doing. Don’t. Stay away from her and let it be.
Not going to happen Doris.
Without replying, I tucked the phone back into my pocket.
I knew what happened even if no one else did. I wasn’t in the wrong, and our relationship was on the line. Even if she ultimately didn’t want to be with me, she needed to know the truth about Aaron before he wrapped her up in his web of lies and she got hurt again.
A half an hour went by. An hour.
My shoulder slumped in defeat. She wasn’t coming out. She knew I was here, and I’d waited an hour; she wasn’t coming. I’d lost feeling in my fingers and toes a long time ago despite the gloves and boots.
“Fuck it, she’s not going to show.” Standing, I dusted the snow that had accumulated on me while sitting and began to make my way through the park towards the subway line. I’d tried. What else could I do? Keep trying her phone and hopefully she kept the same number when she got a new phone? That was all I could do.
“I thought you said you’d wait for me!” A faint voice called from behind me.
My entire body froze as another gust of wind hit me, leaving me slightly breathless. Slowly, I turned. As I turned, my heart stopped beating for a moment as my eyes fell upon Maya, standing on the sidewalk just outside of the park. She was bundled up, a wool cap pulled low and a scarf up over her nose. I could only see her eyes, but I knew it was her.
Relief hit me so hard I nearly fell to my knees. She’d come. “Maya…” A smile spread across my dry, chapped lips as I jogged towards her. My intention was to pull her into my arms and never let her go, but she put a gloved hand out to stop me. “My God, how are you feeling?”
“I’m good. I just came to talk. I need answers.”
“I can tell you everything you need to know. Just ask.” I wanted to pull her into my arms and protect her from the world so badly it hurt. But I knew I couldn’t push her.
She visibly shivered. Ignoring her request to no advance, I closed the distance between us and slipped an arm around her waist pulling her to my side. We needed to get out of the cold, and I suspected her place wasn’t the best choice. Mulling over the dilemma in my mind a moment, it came to me. “I know a place we can go to get warm. It’s just down the road a bit.”
There was a hesitation in her eyes.
“I promise, I’ll bring you right back and never bother you again. Just trust me this once.”
She didn’t respond but allowed me to guide her down the street. Ten minutes later we were making our way into the Italian restaurant I’d taken her on our first date. Hopefully this would spark her memories better than anything else.
The older gentleman who’d served us Christmas evening was working again. While last time we’d been the only guests in the place, this time there were a number of tables occupied. “Welcome back!” He smiled at us and ushered us into the blessed warmth.
~*~ TT ~*~
Maya
“You know us?” I asked as he escorted us to a table at the back of the restaurant. This restaurant seemed familiar. Had I been here with Dylan? When?
The elderly waiter smiled as he pulled out a chair for me. “Of course. It wasn’t that long ago. I may be old, but I’m not entirely senile yet.”
Pulling off my outerwear, I hung it up on a hook next to the table and sat down with Dylan sitting across from me.
“Could I interest you both in something to drink while you decide?” the waiter asked passing us menus.
“I’ll just have a water please.”
“Beer for me. Doesn’t matter; whatever kind you have,” Dylan answered.
I looked at Dylan once the waiter left. He’d aged extremely well. Hell, I wished I’d aged as well as he had. There was a tingle in the back of my mind. I should have been shocked by how much he’d changed. It had been over twenty years since we’d seen each other, but I wasn’t. He looked familiar.
Giving my mind time to process why Dylan looked so familiar I looked down at the menu and immediately chose the chicken parmesan. Once the order was placed, I clasped my hands in front of me on the table and leaned forward eyeing him with intense scrutiny, hoping just looking at him would spark something.
“What do you want to know? What do you need to know?” he asked after a moment.
