Page 90 of Selfish Desires

“Just the opposite.” Blair beamed, sitting across from me. “Come back to King’s Cafe.”

I blinked, looking over my mug at Blair. “King's Cafe?” I echoed.

“Yes. I miss you. The staff misses you. Even after years gone, our regular customers still ask for you.” Blair reached across the table, squeezing my hand. “Come work with me again. Like how it used to be now that you’re back.”

“Blair, I can’t let you create a position for me.” I swallowed, my throat clicking.

“Your position is still there as the general manager. I never replaced you.”

“What?” My heart skipped the best beat.

“Yep,” Blair said cheerfully. “I've been handling things independently—not completely alone, but you understand. I kept your position open, just in case.”

My eyes filled with unshed tears, and Blair squeezed my hand again. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” she responded, her smile softening. “But I wanted to.” Blair smirked. “Call me crazy, but a part of me always knew you’d come back.”

Memories of my time at King’s Cafe rushed back to me: the warm smell of brewing coffee in the morning, the clattering of dishes from the kitchen, the chime of the bell hanging above the front door, despite it being more for show, signaling a new customer’s arrival. It was where I had truly felt a sense of purpose and joy.

“I...I need to think about it,” I finally said.

“What’s there to think about anymore?” said Zachary’s deep timbre from across the kitchen.

Blair and I whipped our heads in his direction as he sauntered through the kitchen, wearing a crisp white shirt and black slacks—classic Zachary attire. His left hand held a wad of tissues, using them to wipe his nose every other step.

“Aw, babe. Are you getting sick?” Blair asked, clearly amused.

“You know I don’t get sick.” Zachary came around and kissed Blair’s head before unleashing a gnarly sneeze. “It’s these fucking flowers.” He flailed his arms toward the ridiculous amount of roses in the room. “And I’ve gained at least five pounds from all the cookies, cake, and whatever the fuck else Vincent has been sending over to win you back. You’ll live happily ever after while I’ll become a diabetic at this rate.”

I glanced at Blair, who was muffling her laughter into her coffee mug.

Zachary released another gigantic sneeze that shook the room. “I promise, it's not contagious.” He nudged Blair with his elbow and pulled up a chair to join us at the table. “I heard what you were discussing,” he said, looking directly at me. “And I agree with Blair. You belong back at King’s Cafe.”

I stared at my half-drunk coffee, then back at Zachary, then Blair, who smiled warmly. Seeing them together like this reminded me of the life I had before.

“You know, the day everything went down, Vincent thought he was on his way back to Newport to apologize to you,” Zachary added as if reading my mind.

“Ugh, I know.” I rubbed my eyes, hating to be reminded of the day where I was going to be killed.

“Zach, don’t remind her of that day.” Blair slapped his side.

“Look, remember when Blair and I almost didn’t get back together because I was stupid, and she was blind to my stupidity?” Zachary asked.

“Who’s the stupid one in this situation?” I glared at Zachary.

“Vincent, obviously. But what I’m trying to say is, don’t let the past ruin all the progress that you guys have made.”

“Progress?” I exhaled sharply, looking down at the table. I could still feel the sting of Vincent's absence, the hollowness his departure had carved in me. “Sometimes it feels like there is no progress without him. Do I really want to go back to someone where I feel that way?”

“I disagree when you say there’s no progress,” Zachary countered, his tone unexpectedly gentle. “You're back here, aren't you? That's progress. You're healing and rebuilding, even if it doesn't always feel that way.”

Blair nodded in agreement, reaching across the table to take my hand again. “He's right. We know it hurts, Wendy. We've been there too.”

“I know you have,” I admitted, feeling a lump in my throat. But our stories weren't the sameBlair and Zachary were together now, happy and whole once more. My ending hadn't been so kind. “I called Vincent before, and he still hasn’t called me back.”

“You called?” Blair’s tone brightened.

“Yes, I called. I left a message asking if we could talk.” I shrugged.

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