Breathless

Chapter 24: Heart to Heart - April 3

Ruby headed to her meeting with Stephanie. They spent a delightful afternoon together planning the soirée.

"You have quite a head for party planning, Ruby. Why are you working in an office? You should be doing this full-time."

Ruby glanced up at her in surprise. "Actually, event planning is what I got my degree in. But when I graduated, I couldn't find a job anywhere. My husband knew someone that worked for your husband, so he got me an interview. I was hired on the spot."

"I can see why. You are clever and capable and so creative. But," Stephanie frowned, "you have a husband?" She glanced doubtfully at Ruby's empty ring finger.

"Correction: I had a husband. I don't now."

"Oh. What happened?" Stephanie asked gently.

"I divorced him."

"Oh. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"I'm not."

Stephanie's eyebrows flew north at the uncustomary sharpness in her new friend's normally gentle tone. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

Ruby sighed. "I guess it's not much of a secret. For all I know, they're married now." She met the woman's eye. "He cheated on me. While we were married. Repeatedly."

"Oh, sweetheart! That is just awful. I am so sorry!"

Ruby shrugged. "It's been two years since we divorced."

"But it still hurts."

Ruby glanced up at her in surprise. "It does, actually. Though," she reflected, "not as much as it did two weeks ago."

"What's different?"

"Blaze," Ruby murmured, "and my secret admirer."

"Your secret admirer? Ooh, that sounds romantic and mysterious."

"It is. Very. It also complicates matters."

"Why?" Stephanie narrowed her eyes. "How are you and Blaze doing?"

Again, Ruby could feel herself blushing, so she dropped her head to stare down into her notebook, but Stephanie hadn't missed that telltale flush.

"Hmm. It appears things are heating up between the two of you. How could they not with him having a name like Blaze?" she asked jokingly.

But she was dismayed a moment later to see distress written on the canvas of her young friend's countenance.

"Ruby? What's wrong?"

"I think he lied to me."

"Blaze? About what, dear?"

"The night I first met him, I went to dinner at The Picnic Basket. He was my waiter. When he saw I was alone, he asked if he could join me for dinner. He claimed his shift was ending."

She felt the need to back up and explain their connection. "We went to high school, you see. I don't remember ever talking to him, but he clearly remembers me. In fact, he claims he's loved me ever since I was a freshman."

Stephanie's eyebrows flew up to challenge the high ceiling of her grand house. "How romantic!"

"It is. Terribly. Except that..."

"What, dear? What is it?"

"He led me to believe he was a simple waiter. But if what you said is true, then he's not only also a chef, but he's the man who owns the café too."

"I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is that he misled me. Why didn't he just tell me those things that night? Or any time we've met since then?"

"I don't know, but surely there's a simple explanation. Did he tell you he wasn't the chef or the owner? Did it come up in conversation that night?"

"He told me that he had placed our dessert order with the chef."

"Well, that's not a lie."

"No, but it still makes me feel like he deceived me. I'm uneasy. Lying was like air to my ex-husband. I will not be bound to another liar. I can't go through that again."

She began to weep quietly.

As Stephanie saw a single tear slide down her young friend's cheek, she responded, "Awww, sweetheart. You really love Blaze, don't you?"

"Do I?" Ruby glanced up in alarm. Then she sighed. "I guess I'm beginning to. How could I not? He's been so kind to me. But I can't tolerate deceit of any kind."

"Maybe he was afraid to tell you who he was."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe there's more to the story than you know. Clearly, he recognized you. Maybe he made special plans for you, but he didn't want you to know because he didn't want to put any pressure on you."

Ruby remembered how he'd backed away from her when he'd interpreted her silence as discomfort with his presence. He had been very thoughtful of her feelings.

"I think you just need to have a simple conversation with him. Just ask him directly."

"You're right." Ruby blew her nose.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."

"I hope so."

"Now, my dear, tell me about this secret admirer..."

—

"Blaze, we need to talk."

He didn't like the sound of that text. He wondered why. Those words were innocent enough. So why were they shaking him? Because he could feel in his bones that something wasn't right.

Perhaps he needed to buy himself some time to make things right.

"I can't meet tonight. Tomorrow night? Your swing?"

"No. My kitchen table."

Now he knew something was wrong.