Convenience

Part 80

Releasing her car door he shoved his hands into his pockets, "You've been upfront." David told her flatly. "So, before you leave, let me tell you what I think!"

She snorted at that comment. She narrowed her eyes. "I am not interested!" She retorted primly.

He growled back at her. "Too bad!" He watched her carefully. "I listened to you." He retorted glibly, " Afford me the same courtesy!" Her eyes sparked. He waited.

Silence greeted that pronouncement. It took her a tense few seconds "Fine!" She muttered, folding her arms across her chest, and squaring her shoulders.

He wasn't expecting easy capitulation, not this easy. He studied her for several seconds. He took a deep breath and blew it out in a slow, controlled way. He started with a statement that she wasn't ready for. "I allowed you to walk all over me! And I never treated you as a doormat!"

She nearly yelled, as she worked through his two statements. She took deep calming breaths.

He held a hand up. "You walked out! You walked all over me, left me with pieces of our marriage!" He pinched the bridge of his nose before he continued to explain. "You left without seeing if our relationship had a chance."

She looked astonished. "Are you kidding?" She huffed, interrupted irritably. She reached for some semblance of composure.

David ignored her question. "You left!" He studied her carefully. "I agree, you are right: We don't know enough about us." He rubbed the back of his neck and said softly, "And you need to know me better." He said quietly. "I wanted to kiss you. But I let you decide: If you wanted to kiss me!"

Beatrice's common sense warred with her anger. She was ready to thump him. She took a deep breath and her eyes glittered with suppressed fury as she forced herself to remain calm.

"You admitted you wanted that kiss. I thought you wanted me to kiss you. But I don't do public demonstrations! Yet, I did with you!" He said more calmly "Five years ago, like now, you don't want to stick around!"

She sighed then crossed her arms defensively.

His deep, faintly rough voice said, "You left me. I never treated you as a doormat! Ever. Even now, maybe I tried to manage you, because I am used to managing people."

Beatrice thought that was true. But still. She cast him a suspicious look.

He murmured, "A doormat wouldn't have acceded to my pitiable plans." She flicked him a dismissive glance. He watched her for a few tense seconds. "You didn't let me just walk all over you. Anyone would see that my strategies with you were dumb." He said drolly. " And I'm smart enough to know that my stupid strategies with you were inappropriate, tactless and inapt!" He gave her a long hard look. "But in my business, I look at what is in front of me, decide my goals, make plans to address my goals, set up the plans using available resources and go for it. And sometimes I get it wrong! I get that. With you, I was wrong. Spectacularly." He took a breath. "My business grew because I learnt from my mistakes." He stated as quickly as he could, "And like you, I do not repeat my mistakes."

She nodded, acknowledging that statement, looking him straight in the eye. 

David carried on, "Yeah, my fault, I put all of my energy into the business. I should have put serious energy into our relationship. I thought that our relationship would survive, while I sorted out the business issue. In hindsight, that was a big mistake. And worse, I let you leave." His voice became inaudible. "But you need to know," their eyes met, "that I learn from my mistakes. And you can call it Davidism." Her eyes narrowed. He continued softly "Our relationship is not over. Not then, not now!

They stood and watched each other.

"I am not perfect, Beatrice." David said eventually. "My focus, five years ago, was on my family business. An error. I get that mistake cost me. You." He said softly, "And, in Davidism, I promise you, that I will sort out this."

They looked into each other's eyes. They both felt the impact all the way down to their toes. Beatrice nearly gulped. Her heart hammered.

They continued with their stand-off.