Page 56 of Thanks for the Memories
Thankfully, our server comes to the table at just the right moment. Bethany orders a glass of wine, but there’s no chance I’m drinking tonight, so I stick to Diet Coke.
“Can you let Chef Dante know that Bethany and Reagan are here?” Bethany asks our server.
The restaurant doesn’t seem to be too busy yet, so he should have a few minutes to visit with us.
“Just think, Reagan—in a few months we’ll be coming here all the time. I can’t wait.”
I tear off a piece of focaccia bread and add some salted butter to it. This is the perfect opportunity to ask her what’s behind her change of heart.
“Bethany, I have to ask you, why the sudden interest in moving to Miami? Is everything okay back in Chicago?”
She looks surprised that I brought up the subject. Did she really think we were never going to talk about it?
“Why wouldn’t I want to?”
Um, all the same reasons she gave me hell for when I told her I was leaving Chicago.
“Well, because you told me you’d never pick up your whole life and leave Illinois.”
“I don’t think I said that I’dnevermove. When was this?” There’s a slight edge in her voice.
I’m certainly not trying to make things uncomfortable, but I am curious about her sudden eagerness to live here after only three days. Real life isn’t a vacation.
“When I first told you I was moving here, you had plenty of objections.”
She nods knowingly. “Oh, yeah, well most of that was because I knew I’d miss you terribly. I was trying to do everything I could to convince you to stay. And I was worried for you—starting life over is a scary thing.”
“Exactly,” I insist. “That’s why I’m concerned that you’re making a rash decision. You’ve only been here three days.”
Our server returns to take our order, and Bethany continues to stare at the menu. There’s definitely some tension in the air. After much deliberation she finally decides on the salmon, and I choose my favorite entrée, lemon parmesan chicken.
After the server leaves, Bethany sips her wine and places her glass down on the table.
“I totally understand your concern, and I appreciate it. I know it’s a big step, but you did it, and it’s been a great experience for you. You’re happy, and you’ve made great friends. People move to new places every day—so why shouldn’t I?”
“You’re right,” I reply. “And I’m not saying it’s the wrong decision. I just think you need to be sure. Kennedy was relentless about me coming here, and I pushed back. It took me months to finally make a decision.”
“I remember,” she says.
“And it wasn’t easy at first. Living with my sister and her new husband wasn’t a walk in the park.”
“That’s why I asked if you’d talk to Lila about me staying in the guest room,” she reminds me. “I’m sure there are plenty of gorgeous condos on the water available, but I’d rather live with friends.”
Ugh. This is going to be more difficult that I thought.
Bethany swirls her glass on the table. “Reagan, why does it feel like you’re trying to discourage me? It’s confusing because you practically begged me to move here with you.”
“I did and you wouldn’t even consider it,” I say. “You offered me a plethora of reasons to discourage me, so I’m trying to better understand what’s fueling this change.”
Before she has a chance to respond, I catch a glimpse of Dante walking toward our table. He’s wearing his white chef’s jacket and his signature grin on his face. His eyes meet mine, and he waves.
“Dante’s coming,” I say. I breathe a sigh of relief because his presence will definitely help ease some of the tension that’s building from our discussion about her decision to move to here.
Bethany and I both stand to greet him. When he and Bethany hug, I notice she doesn’t let go of him immediately.
“The dynamic duo—and wow you both look sensational.” He pulls a chair over from a nearby table and looks back and forth between both of us. “Man, it’s just so great to see you together again.”
Clearly, he hasn’t picked up on the tension that’s settled in the air around our table. To me it feels like you could cut through it with a knife.
