Page 17 of Hard To Leave

I took a sip of my water and looked down at my feet. Would it really be so bad if I went out with him?

It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. I’ve gone out with friends and hung out with guys plenty of times, but an actual date? No. I convinced myself a long time ago that I was better off on my own. One big, major heartbreak was enough to last me a lifetime.

“You’re taking an awfully long time to give me an answer. In my business world, that’s not a good sign.” The hum in my veins had me feeling excited, but I still felt apprehensive.

“I just need to look at the calendar and make sure I can get a sitter,” I lied, thankful that he wasn’t here to see the truth in my eyes. Finding someone to watch Tanner wouldn’t be a problem; it was having the courage to actually go through with it.

“I understand. I’ve got a meeting next Friday morning in Manhattan that I’m hoping to have wrapped up by noon. With any luck, I’ll catch a late afternoon flight out of JFK and be at the beach before sunset.”

“What exactly is it that you do?” For the first time, I wished I had paid better attention to the chitchat of my coworkers and customers around the diner. I might be better informed.

“I work in real estate development. We buy existing commercial properties like malls, hotels, and office buildings. We also do some residential business, that focuses on apartment buildings, condos, etc.”

“Do you enjoy it?” I asked fumbling with the hem of my T-shirt. It sounded like a big job for a man his age.

He let out a long sigh. “I liked it better when I wasn’t running the entire company. I used to just chase opportunities and pull the deal together, and that was fun. Believe it or not, there really isn’t much time left over to screw around when you’re the guy signing the paychecks.”

“You mean the rumors of corporate executives having three-martini lunches and golfing their afternoons away aren’t true?”

He laughed. “Truthfully, some of the best deals I’ve ever made have been over a game of golf. But personally, I’d rather drink a couple of cold beers at Yankees Stadium or watch the Nicks play at the Garden than chase a little white ball around the grass.”

“I’ll file that little piece of information away for future reference.” Talking to Jack made me smile. It’s been a long time since I’ve had these fluttering feelings for a man. I guess going over seven years without any type of intimacy would do that to a girl.

“Have you always lived in New York?” I asked, taking a sip of my lemonade. There was something about Jack that had me wanting to learn more and devour every little detail about his life. Which was ironic, because up to this point, I’d done everything I could to learn as little about the man as possible.

“Yes. Growing up we spent the school year here in Manhattan, and were down in the Carolinas during the summer and holiday breaks.”

I perked up at that. “Do you like living in the city?”

“It’s a little intense, but it’s all I know. The traffic, the people, the pace. There is always something going on. We are, after all, the city that never sleeps. I find the frenetic pace very enjoyable.”

“Unlike down here where a sale at the Piggly Wiggly might be front page news? Compared to New York, this place must seem slow and boring.”

Jack and I could not be more different. It was almost a cruel joke that the one man to strike an interest in me was the polar opposite of everything I was. Aside from our physical attraction to one another and our obvious chemistry, what did we have in common?

“I don’t know if I’d call it slow and boring.” He paused like he was thinking it over. “I would call it relaxing and restful. The people seem to be more genuine; they slow down long enough to look you in the eye when you’re having a conversation with them. They pay attention. That doesn’t always happen here in NYC.”

“I’m sure having a little bit of both worlds makes for a nice balance.”

“Have you ever visited the Big Apple before?”

I was there once a long time ago. I remember thinking it was a great place to visit, but I would never want to live there. Now here I was, talking to a man who was born and bred in the chaos. Sure, he had a little Carolina country in him, but his body language was all city. What the hell was I doing?

“I have, actually. It was a long time ago. It was during spring break my junior year of college.”

Right before my whole life got turned upside down, I thought silently in my head.

“Wait a minute.” I heard the scraping of the chair sliding across the floor. “You went to college? How did you end up working for Ree and Dave at the diner? Not that there is anything wrong with hard work and making an honest living, I’m just curious.”

“What is that saying?Man plans and God laughs.” When he didn’t laugh at my joke, I cleared my throat. “I dropped out when I found out I was pregnant with Tanner. I had every intention of finishing my degree, but life and bills kind of got in the way.”

“What was your major?”

“Nursing. My mom is a cardiac nurse. I always wanted to specialize in that field, especially since both sets of my grandparents suffered from heart disease.”

“You know my dad died of a heart attack, right?” His voice turned somber, and I wanted to kick myself.

“I didn’t. I’m sorry. Was he sick or was it sudden?”

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