Page 7 of More Than A Boss

“I guess. My first three young adult novels got published, the first two before I turned thirty. They both had great reviews and had generated some buzz. I had written some short stories for magazines that were published, and I had a regular column in a local free shopper’s news periodical. People sent in their questions and I gave advice with a definite humorous edge. It was quite popular. When Jeff left me, I had almost completed my fourth novel.” She continued, “I had just turned thirty-five and thought my life was neatly packaged, bow and all. The shock and loss devastated me.”

“Was it completely unexpected?” he asked gently.

“That’s a tough one to answer. In hindsight, there were clues. His late work nights, home less and less, no romance, which I attributed to his overworking—HA! He just couldn’t keep up with two of us! Nevertheless, maybe I should have known, but I didn’t. I trusted him with all my heart. I was completely shocked when he abruptly told me one night at dinner that he was leaving. He said he just couldn’t stand one more day of living apart from the love of his life. He then dropped the bomb that she was already pregnant, and Jeff had wanted children so badly. She was twenty-six years old and having the baby I couldn’t bear to have.”

“Oh, Allie, I’m so sorry.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his.

“Three years ago, I would never have believed I could tell my story without breaking down, but from this perspective, I realize that our marriage was over from an emotional standpoint long before he left. We had stopped sharing our hopes and dreams. We had stopped communicating, and there was no real intimacy in the end. I don’t think I would have ever left though. So, after clawing my way out of the hole, I guess I can see how full my life is now, and I am grateful and content with the turn it took.” She smiled at Zane and asked, “What about you?” Just then, the appetizers and soup arrived.

“Saved!” he said, his strong, tanned hands moving the candles and condiments around to make room for their food. “My life isn’t that interesting anyway. As much as I wanted to hear about your life, I am reluctant to share mine,” he said honestly, smiling up at the waitress while thanking her as she delivered their first courses. He dipped his spring roll into a light sauce, took a big bite, and continued. “I will say that career-wise I got a very lucky break early on by representing a well-known local celebrity as his defense attorney, and the case resulted in acquittal for my client. It was a real nail-biter, and I was completely consumed by it. It paid off in a big way by cementing my reputation as a tough litigator. Having my name and mug plastered on the front-page news everyday didn’t hurt a bit,” he grinned.

“And quite the handsome mug at that!” Allie teased.

“On the personal front, I’ve been much less successful. I’m still a little raw and burnt from the end of my marriage. Let’s save that saga for a future date. Enough for me to say mine was a very nasty and contentious divorce that left a bad taste in my mouth and disdain for the sanctity of marriage.”

Allie was curious, but his expression had become closed and she didn’t want to push him to share more than he was ready to.

Zane had requested a couple of extra plates so they could sample some of every dish. The soup was just passed back and forth between them, using their own spoons. “I love the crunch of these spring rolls,” Allie said. “These lettuce wraps are to die for!” She cheerfully polished off the last bite of her roll. “OMG! This is beyond excellent!”

“I am glad you like it.” He reached over with his cloth napkin to wipe off a smudge of hot mustard from Allie’s chin with a tenderness that caused Allie to catch her breath. His eyes were so bright and alive as if lit up from the inside. He was enjoying watching her enjoying her food. There was a moment where it felt like time stood still as an awareness of one another suddenly filled the space between them.

The waitress brought their entrees, and Allie groaned at the amount of food in front of them. After sampling everything, Allie admitted that her favorite was the pad Thai, with the curry coming in a close second. She was stuffed! “I can’t possibly eat another bite!” holding her stomach.

Zane signaled the waitress and asked for a couple of to-go containers. “You take them with you, Zane, because I’m never eating again.” He chuckled at her misery.

“What, no dessert?” He asked humorously.

“I’m serious, Zane, I can’t move! You are going to have to carry me to the car.” Leaning back in her chair, she just held her hands over her belly. The waitress brought their bill in a leather folder, and Zane slipped cash into it and offered it back.

“Do you need change?” the waitress asked.

“No, thank you! That’s for you. Everything was wonderful. Our compliments to the chef and for the wonderful service,” he said sincerely.

She gave a slight bow and left them alone.

It was after nine o’clock when they reached the parking garage. Zane left the car running while jumping out to open Allie’s car door for her and offer his hand to help her out. She straightened, and he was right there in front of her. Still holding her hand, he said, “Allie, I want to thank you for all your hard work on this case. You really go beyond the call of duty. I honestly don’t know how I functioned before you came to work for us. You make my job so much easier. I’m more impressed with you every day! I mean that.”

“Oh, Sir, do go on!” Allie said, batting her eyelashes playfully.

He just laughed, released her hand, and turned to open her car door for her, and she climbed in. Starting the car, she rolled her window down to say goodbye. “Thanks for the great dinner and the extra five pounds!”

“Don’t worry, we will work it off tomorrow sitting in our chairs all day again!” he joked. “Bye, Allie.” He tapped the roof of her car and turned and got into his own vehicle. Smiling, Allie pulled out and headed for home.

On her way, Allie reviewed the evening she had just spent with Zane. It was so pleasant and a nice break from the stress of their case workload. She felt a slight tingle of excitement, remembering that shared moment of awareness between the two of them. He was very self-assured, and that was so compelling to Allie. A very interesting evening altogether, she thought, and the meal had been delicious. She yawned as she pulled into her driveway, jumping out at the curb to get her mail from the box. It appeared to be nothing but junk mail, much better than bills, she thought.

She tossed the mail on the counter while talking to Kit, who was meowing her displeasure due to the late dinner hour. Almost tripping over her, Allie bent down to give Kat a portion of the canned cat food. She wasted no time licking her bowl clean. Allie checked the locks on the doors, turned out the lights, and headed upstairs with Kit Kat at her heels. She had decided to get in bed early and read until she felt sleepy.

—

Zane left the restaurant with a restless energy he couldn’t quite define. He had enjoyed the great food, as per usual. That he found Allie captivating shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise, since he hadn’t been oblivious to her charm prior to their dinner out. However, he had gotten pretty good at compartmentalizing his feelings and had carefully tucked that one away. He hadn’t wanted the evening to come to an end. Even after working so many hours together, he never tired of spending time with her. This evening he had found himself wanting to discover everything there was to know about her. It had been a long time since Zane had felt this way about anyone. He was second-guessing himself about their upcoming weekend but felt he could keep it on a professional yet friendly basis. He also acknowledged that he might be fooling himself. That would be on him.

He entered his house and deactivated the alarm system. He thought he might watch a little TV before turning in since he still felt somewhat restless. He put the leftovers in the fridge and poured another glass of wine for himself from a previously opened bottle.

He turned on the gas fireplace and, sinking down into a comfortable recliner, clicked on the power button for the television. He decided to watch an episode on Amazon, of a show he loved called Bosch, which was based on a book series by Michael Connelly about a character of the same name who is a LAPD detective. He was happy that they had renewed it for another season. It had great characters and plot lines and brought Connelly’s novels to life.

He was having trouble concentrating at first because his mind kept drifting back to his dinner with Allie. He had to admit that he was looking forward to their weekend together much more than he should. Oh well, he thought, I’m not about to change it at this point. He finally let the show draw him in and began to relax as the tension uncoiled and slipped away. He watched one episode and then went to bed. Another big workday was ahead of him and then the following day they would be leaving for the lake.

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