"How is everything at home?" Stevie was sitting across from him at the booth, finally breaking the ten minute silence that had come and gone as they scanned over the menu.
Being married for as long as they had been married meant that sometimes there wasn't much to talk about... For them though, there was never anything to talk about.
Glancing up, he just barely looked at her before his eyes fell back to the list of drinks the restaurant had on tap. "Everything is the same as usual." He shrugged a shoulder lazily, still holding the very mundane tone that he had since she'd met him in the lobby of the Inn an hour earlier.
He was never overly thrilled to make the trip out there... it always felt hectic. He had a whole other life out in California- a job, the home that he'd built her twenty years prior, a group of friends... Making the trip to Nantucket just to check in on his wife and the world that she had created thousands of miles away from home was really just the last thing he wanted to do anymore.
He loved her but he didn't love that.
"I'm so glad that you carved out a little time to come out here." Stevie didn't mean for it to sound like a backhanded comment, even though it did and in some ways, it was.
Arching a brow, Tom let out a little chuckle. "I don't know, I felt like maybe spending the holidays in the same proximity as my wife wouldn't be the worst thing in the world." He mentioned, even though he wasn't quite sure... Maybe it would be.
Biting down on the inside of her cheek, she nodded lightly. "I am very happy that you want to spend this time out here, with me." Stevie recounted, trying to sound a little more appreciative and welcoming than she had before.
When they first met in the lobby, he could tell, right off the bat that she had been up all night and even though he was focused on getting the spread sheet figured out with Max, he still made it clear that he wasn't that enthused with her... He just didn't think she always acted like she was forty- seven years old.
"I haven't decided where I'm staying yet, but it probably won't be at the Inn." He admitted as he finally brought his deep green eyes back up hers.
He was a very attractive man- he always had been, but especially as he aged. He had salt and pepper hair, a smile that could still make her blush and a set of orbs that she'd never really known how to read... You'd think after that many years together, they would be able to figure each other out.
"That's okay, I understand." She nodded lightly, not surprised to hear that and not really let down by it either.
His jaw settled lightly, scanning the room as he folded his hands on the table in front of him. "You look really nice, Steph." Tom decided to mention, only because it felt kind of fitting.
It had been a while since they had seen one another... At least six months and in that time, she had colored her hair a little lighter, started doing something different with her makeup, even though he couldn't exactly pinpoint what, and she seemed more gentle... The distance always did them both wanders.
She cracked a gentle smile as she let out a very soft chuckle. "Yeah, you too." She assured as she slowly brought her glass of wine up to her lips to take a sip.
"Anyway," he shifted in his seat, not really sure how to make small talk with her anymore... It hadn't always been that difficult, not that he could remember at least. "I think on Christmas Eve, we should go out to Boston to see the kids." Tom had already pitched the idea on the phone with her when he first mentioned that he'd be coming out, which really got her excited.
Her eyes lit up, a smile traveling across her face as she nodded in agreement. "We could take the train and-"
"I hate the train, Stevie." He cut her off, creasing a brow as he he shook his head in disagreement. "We can drive. It's so much easier and way less crowded." He waved a hand lazily, not even entertaining her idea.
Pursing her lips to the side, her shoulders sank. "Whatever you want to do, that's fine with me." She didn't really care- just as long as they got to see their kids for the holidays, that was enough for her.
"What are you going to get?" He changed the topic just a second later, not interested in forcing their conversation any longer.
With a soft sigh, she glanced down to her glass and she watched the white wine swirl around in the stemware. "I'm not sure yet."
~~~
By the time Stevie and her husband were traveling back into the hotel lobby, the world at the Inn had begun to speed up once more. It was dinner time in the extravagant dining room, so the servers were moving about, people were flooding the first floor and chaos was in full swing.
"I'm going to help Marissa fill out the rest of that paperwork." Tom was following her through the door, keeping a little bit of distance between them.
She nodded her head softly, lingering close to the counter as she watched him slip behind it. "Are you going to come up or are you going to leave after?" She asked, already certain of his answer but wanting to know anyway.
He was already picking up a folder, not looking up at her when he spoke. "I'm meeting some of the guys for drinks, so I'll probably just catch you in the morning." Tom shrugged lightly.
"I'll see you in the morning." She could feel a tiny hint of emotion wash over her as she shifted all her weight from one foot to the other. "Bye, honey." She added in a low tone before she turned on her heel.
"I love you." He told her... He always did.
Glancing back for a brief moment, she gave him a light wink. "I love you, too." She assured as her eyes fell back to the floor and she began to head for the staircase.
Marriage wasn't supposed to be easy... No one ever says it's a walk in the park, but theirs was just totally beyond her at times. It was overwhelming and just as she was getting ready to let it consume her, she passed by the dining room, where her attention was drawn elsewhere.
He was sitting alone at the circle table closest to the door, staring aimlessly as he sipped something from a crystal glass. He was so handsome, it made her heart skip a beat.
"There she is." Lindsey's eyes met hers, a smile creeping across his face the moment he saw her.
She giggled softly, shaking her head a tad as she began to head through the small crowd of people lingering in the doorway... The holidays were the busiest time of year there. "Long time, no see." She teased, not hesitating to pull out the chair across from him to take a seat.
"Are you free tonight?" He wondered, not giving it a second thought.
She creased a brow, a little taken back but not at the same time... He was very care free- it was obvious. "I'm free tonight." She assured, already having forgot that her husband was in town... She probably should have been busy.
"Cool," he chuckled lightly, blue eyes scanning over her face. "Do you wanna go for a drive or something?" He wasn't sure what he actually had in mind, but he knew whatever it was, it would be better with her.
Her cheeks turned into a soft shade of pink as she grew shy instantly. "I couldn't think of a better way to spend the evening."
