IshouldhaveknownStephen was behind this party. The theme was Molly's idea, and all the party touches, but the over-the-top extravagance was all Stephen. The surprise in Geordie's eyes when Stephen announced we're engaged gives me an unexpected pang of guilt.
Eyes follow us as we make our way to the double doors and out into the hallway. “Where are we going?” I ask, keeping up with Stephen's long strides.
He smiles at me with self-assurance. “We're going to the main building. I reserved the penthouse. Funny, I've never been to the penthouse at the Izuki. I hear it's a beautiful space. I was thinking about buying it to have as a getaway in the city.”
We take the pathway from the outbuildings to the hotel and find the elevator to the upper floors. I avoid eye contact as we walk through a crowd of tourists to the elevators. Dressed in my schoolgirl uniform, standing next to Stephen in a dark suit, I must look like a hooker. I did see a smiling older man who winked at me just as the elevator doors were closing. I choose to believe I reminded him of his granddaughter.
When we reach the penthouse, Stephen places his jacket on the chair and grins, shaking his head as he looks around. “I've only seen this suite online. This is the first time I’ve stepped inside the room.” He looks over at me. “Can I tempt you with a drink? I'm certainly going to have one.” When I mumble “no,” he turns to the bar, grabs a bottle of vodka, and splashes liquid into a glass. “Is the party to your liking? I left all the arrangements to Molly.”
“The party is wonderful. Thank you. Now, can you tell me why we're here?”
Stephen crosses the room, drink in hand. He appears tired, but that could be from a long-distance flight. Traveling halfway around the world, even in a private jet, can be tiring.
“I rented the penthouse along with the party venue because I knew if the celebration lasted into the morning, you would be too tired to make the trek to Saratoga.” He walks over, gazing down at me. “No kiss or hug for my homecoming?”
I step out of his space. “What's this about, Stephen? We're not together.”
“I thought by now you'd have time to think. I left the country to give you space.”
“How long have you been gone?”
“I returned to Italy the next day. I've been there since you left.”
I've been making pilgrimages to his house nearly every night, sitting in my vehicle hurting over our breakup, and he wasn't there. “If you think I'm going back to you because of a surprise birthday party, you're wrong.”
He raises his hands in surrender. “I planned the surprise party months ago. It was too late to cancel.”
“Why did you come? You knew it would be awkward.”
“It didn't need to be. I didn't tell anyone about the break-up, and based on the reception I received, you didn't either.”
“Molly knows.”
“Yes, I received a frantic call from her a few days ago. I told her not to worry, that we'd find our way back.” He abandons his untouched drink on the table. “I wanted to celebrate with you. We've always been together on your birthday.”
I take a seat in an oversized chair, frustrated and feeling ridiculous in this stupid costume. I pull the pink scrunchies from my hair and shake it out. He follows me over and sits on the armrest.
“Look, Lily, we've had these spats before, and you've always come back because we belong together.”
I look down at the pink hair band in my hands, stretching it a little. “Not this time. I meant what I said.”
“That man you came to the party with, is he my replacement?”
He's avoiding the obvious. “We're not together,” I remind him, “and why did you tell Geordie you're my fiancé?”
“You are. I've proposed and given you a ring every year on the anniversary of the day we met. Every time I asked, you turned me down. You said you weren't ready. Dalliance wasn't successful enough; you needed more time.”
“It's not that simple. I was still building my career when we met. I wanted success to be something I earned.” We're falling back into the same old arguments. He's had time to think. Maybe he's changed his mind.
“I admire your determination not to take help from me. Building Dalliance and marriage can coexist.”
“I agree it can work. The night of your homecoming, I was going to tell you I was ready.”
Hope fills his eyes. He's been hurting as much as I have.
“Then come back. We can get married tonight.”
“I can't, Stephen, it won't work. I want a family, you don't.”