Page 110 of Keep My Heart
‘Where in New York?’
‘Manhattan.’
‘Wow, fancy,’ Jane gushes. ‘I love New York, but Michael, my husband, hates it. He thinks it’s too crowded.’
‘Are you married?’ Molly asks.
‘No. I’m single.’ He glances at me. ‘Well, actually I’m dating someone.’
‘Anyone we know?’ Jane asks.
‘Me.’ I wrap my arm around Nick’s. ‘Nick and I are dating.’
‘Wait—what?’ Molly looks at Jane, then back at me. ‘What about Chris?’
‘We’re divorced.’
They both frown.
‘But you two were such a cute couple,’ Jane says. ‘We thought you guys would last forever.’
‘It just didn’t work out,’ I say, not wanting to talk about it.
I knew people would react this way. I knew they’d tell me how Chris was the perfect guy for me and try to convince me I made a huge mistake by leaving him. I wish they knew what he was really like instead of keeping him on the pedestal they put him on back in high school. They only did that because he won us football games, which made him a celebrity in a town this size. But Nick’s just as much a celebrity being a Kanfield, so I don’t know why people got so crazy about Chris and why they still think he’s so great.
‘So you guys never had kids?’ Molly asks, like she can’t believe it.
‘They would’ve had the cutest kids,’ Jane adds.
‘Chris didn’t want kids,’ I say, letting them know he was thereason we never had any. ‘He forgot to tell me that before we got married,’ I say, a hint of anger in my voice.
‘Why don’t we get some drinks?’ Nick says, giving my hand a squeeze. ‘It was good seeing you,’ he says to Molly and Jane.
‘Maybe this was a bad idea,’ I say as we walk to the bar. ‘I don’t know if I can go all night being questioned like that, or having people act like Chris is perfect and I’m the problem.’
‘If you want to leave, we’ll leave. Just tell me.’ Nick stops at the bar.
‘I’ll be fine.’ I turn to the bartender. ‘Chardonnay.’
‘Whiskey on the rocks,’ Nick says, getting his money out.
‘How’s it going?’ someone asks. I turn and see Diane standing next to me, wearing a red dress and heels, her hair in a twisted updo.
‘Hey, you look great!’ I give her a hug. ‘Wait, is this why you told me not to wear the red dress? Because you were wearing red?’
‘Maybe,’ she says with a guilty smile. ‘But the pink still looks better on you.’
‘It looks great on her,’ Nick says, handing me my wine.
‘Hey, Nick.’ Diane looks at him in the suit. ‘You clean up nice.’
‘I’m Tom.’ He comes up behind Diane and shakes Nick’s hand. ‘We haven’t had a chance to meet.’ He smiles. ‘I hear you’re one of the famous Kanfield brothers.’
‘I wouldn’t say famous, but yes, I’m a Kanfield. The oldest.’
‘Should we go sit down?’ Diane points to a table. ‘We’re sitting over there.’
We walk over to one of the round tables and take a seat. I’m next to Diane and the guys are sitting on either side of us.
