Page 3 of Meet Me Halfway
“You know I do.”
“Then just hang tight another ten minutes, okay? I promise all will become clear shortly. Deal?” I stick my hand out, and she stares at it for a beat before putting her own, much smaller one in mine.
“Yeah, I guess.” She sighs again.
“Sit tight. I’ll be right back. Again.” She gives me a weak chuckle, as I had hoped, and I get back out of the car.
Fay is sitting in her vehicle, focused on her phone, I’m assuming to give us a shred of privacy. She jerks in surprise as I tap on the window.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I say when she rolls the window down. “Shall we unload the cars and get the weekend started?”
“You sure?” She looks at me dubiously. “I’m not sure your wife is happy with having an interloper crash her party.”
“We’re all good. I promise.”
She nods but says nothing further. Instead, she pulls the lever that opens her trunk, closing her door as she makes her way to the back of the vehicle.
I indicate to Vivienne to open our trunk and do the same. While I’m grabbing our bags, I hear her door. Joining her, I lean over and kiss her on the forehead. Briefly, she leans into me before straightening. “Lead the way.”
Fay is waiting for us over by the front door of the cabin.
“Babe, this is Faith Granger, but everyone calls her Fay. Fay, this is Vivienne.”
She and Vivi smile politely at each other, murmuring awkward greetings as I introduce them before unlocking. As the door swings open, the three of us are treated to the most magnificent view, and it’s almost as if you could feel a slight thaw in the frigid atmosphere that surrounds my wife.
Here’s hoping I haven’t fucked up her birthday weekend and she finally relaxes enough to enjoy it.
Fay
The introductions were uncomfortable to put it mildly. I’m not surprised. No woman wants some random stranger to be invited along to what she thought was an intimate weekend with her husband.
I warned Cal. When he first approached me about his idea for Vivienne’s birthday, I told him I thought it was a bad idea to spring it on her, but he said it was all under control. There was no reason to disbelieve his statement. Now here we are.
I’m currently hiding out in my bedroom, trying desperately to figure out how best to extricate myself from this train wreck with minimal damage to his plans. As yet, I’ve come up with zip in the twenty minutes I’ve been in here.
The quiet tap on my door tells me my time is up.
“Come on in,” I call.
The panel opens to reveal Cal on the other side. “The view is exquisite from the balcony, if a little chilly. Why don’t you put something warm on and come join us for a celebratory glass of wine?” He glances over his shoulder before continuing. “I have a plan. It involves copious amounts of alcohol and a tipsy Vivi. You in?”
I stare at him for a long moment, then shrug. “Fuck it. Why not. I’ve come this far, right?”
He laughs. “Yip. May as well see it through.”
“I’ll be out in a second. I just want to grab a hoodie.”
He closes the door, and I grab the hoodie out of the wardrobe where I’ve just unpacked the few things I’ve brought for this long weekend. Squaring my shoulders, I brace for a frosty welcome.
Dusk is fading into the darker blue of night, and the lights of the small seaside town below twinkle cheerfully against the darkening sky. Vivienne is curled up into a corner of one of the outdoor sofas, and Cal is leaning against the railing chatting to her. As I step out onto the balcony, both turn toward me, and I’m shocked when she offers me a shy smile. I mean, as in cliched “push me over with a feather” shocked.
Shrugging mentally, I decide to accept the smile for the peace offering I’m hoping it is and smile back.
“Fay, come. Join us.” Cal passes me a glass of what appears to be white wine.
I give an awkward wave. “Hi. It’s nice to finally meet you. Cal talks about you all the time at work.”
Her eyes warm a smidge at that. “He does?”
