Page 174 of Strange Seduction
“Okay! I’m back. Should we get more drinks?” she asked, brushing a lock of hair from her cheek.
Marcus stood, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. “Actually, I’m gonna take off, kiddo. Got a flight to catch.”
Her smile faltered. “Already? You only just got here.”
“Yeah. Could only spare the day.” He looked at her carefully, then added, “But it looks like you’re doing better. That’s what I needed to see.”
“Oh.” She looked a little disappointed. “Well… Today is my last day here, so I guess I’ll see you Monday, then?”
Marcus shifted his gaze to me, the smirk still in place.
“Actually,” he said, “maybe taking a few extra days to grieve isn’t such a bad idea. This kind of loss takes time to process, and I’msureTheodore can help you through it.”
Her eyes flicked to mine, then back to him. “Really?”
He nodded. “Of course, Kiddo. I knew how close you and your father were, so I know how much this hurts you. Let me know when you’re ready to start. Okay?”
She got quiet, and I could see her transforming into the ghost she was a few hours ago, before we met up with him.
“Okay,” she said in a small voice. He hugged her one last time. With that, Marcus turned and walked away, disappearing down the street.
Carmen watched him go, standing there a moment longer than she needed to, lips parted like she wanted to call him back. Like she had more to say.
I reached for her hand, anchoring her back to me.
“Hey,” I said softly. “You okay?”
She blinked up at me, her smile returning, dimmed now, but polite. “Yeah. I just wasn’t expecting him to leave so soon.”
The silence between us stretched taut. She sipped her drink, gaze fixed somewhere past my shoulder. I let her hand go and I watched her—how she traced the rim of her glass with her finger,how her shoulders curled in slightly, like she was trying to fold herself into something smaller.
I hated that. I hated watching her try to dim herself.
So, I signaled the waiter for the check.
“Come on,” I said, standing and offering my hand again. “Let’s get out of here.”
She nodded and slipped her fingers into mine.
We walked back to the car in silence. I opened the door for her, watched her slide in without a word, and then I got in on the driver’s side.
As I pulled away from the curb, she finally spoke.
“He didn’t mean anything by that. Marcus knows we’re together and he knows how serious I am about you,” she murmured, staring out the window.
I didn’t answer right away. My fingers tightened slightly on the wheel.
“I know,” I said eventually. “It’s not him I’m worried about.”
She turned to look at me, brow creased.
“I’m worried about you,” I continued, not taking my eyes off the road. “How you’re doing. What you need. And if you’re getting it here with me.”
She was quiet for a beat.
“I don’t know what I need yet.”
“I do,” I said. “You need space. Rest. Time. And you’re not going to get that if you throw yourself right back into work.”
