Page 54 of A Beginner's Guide to Forever
His message indicated nothing about where he was or what he was up to, but deciding I couldn’t stay in the hotel room any longer, I opted to risk it. Dressing in jeans and a cozy tunic, I venture out. The sun feels incredible on my skin, and after a short cab ride, I’m pulling up to the location, which turns out to be a posh athletic club, the prestigious kind with everything from squash courts to an ornately decorated dining room to a series of private conference rooms.
I make my way through a great room with a massive stone fireplace and several sofas, not sure where I’ll find him. Wandering past the dining room, I find Hart and his cousin Hayes seated side by side at the bar.
It’s the kind of old-school New York bar you’d find in a classic gangster movie. Dimly lit, with plenty of brass, dark wood accents, and glass bottles lined up neatly along a mirrored wall.
When Hart spots me, he waves me over. “Feeling better?”
I nod. “Much. Thank you.”
“Make room,” he says to Hayes, who slides down one barstool so I can sit next to Hart. But before I can even get settled, a sound of surprise behind us grabs our attention.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” a feminine voice calls out.
“Mia?” Hart turns, his voice filled with surprise.
“Hart!” she gasps, trotting over to hug him. Hart stands there, frozen, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides, but he doesn’t refuse the contact or push her away. She’s wearing a sequined minidress, and I’ve never felt more out of place than I do right now.
This is the girl who broke his heart.
They square off, staring at each other for a few tense seconds while a mountain of private information is communicated without speaking a single word. The moment is overwhelmingly intense, and unease swims through me.
Hayes wears a satisfied smirk like there’s something he enjoys about my discomfort or maybe Hart’s. Mia, for her part, seems a bit oblivious about any of this turmoil, seemingly happy about running into Hart here.
“You’re looking well, Mia,” Hayes says, standing to take his turn at a hug.
She pats his back and laughs. “You are too.”
Hart’s jaw flexes.
Mia is everything I’m not. She’s young and very pretty. Tall and thin, without an ounce of body fat anywhere on her lanky frame. There’s not a laugh line or sun spot as far as the eye can see. But it’s more than that too. She’s carefree in a way that I’m not and probably never was. I doubt she’s worked a day in her life. She’s probably never done her own taxes, driven a used car, or struggled at all. I hate her on principle. Mature of me, I know.
Is this what he wants? A woman who looks like the equivalent of a chocolate croissant? Beautiful and tempting but with no nutritional value? A chill races down my spine.
But jealousy isn’t an emotion I’m used to, and I’m unsure what to do with these new, confusing feelings.
“Mia, this is Alessia Moore,” Hart says, introducing me.
“Nice to meet you.” She offers me her hand.
I shake it reluctantly and then fold myself back in against Hart’s side.
Confusion washes over her features. “Oh. Are the two of you ... together?” She hesitates over the words, as though they don’t taste right coming out of her mouth.
“No,” I say at the same time Hart says, “Yes.”
We exchange a look.
She laughs, an uninhibited, throaty sound that hits me square in the chest.
“Have you eaten?” Hart asks, brushing his fingers over my cheek with a look of concern.
I shake my head.
“Then let’s get you something to eat,” he suggests.
“Yes, let’s,” Hayes agrees, offering the seat next to him to Mia. “Join us.”
She smiles and places one manicured hand on his forearm. “You are too kind. But I can’t stay long. I’m meeting a friend for dinner in Midtown.”
