“It makes me happy seeing you doing so well.”
They had both seen their fair share of struggles growing up. Chloe’s father had died in a boating accident when she was eight, and money had been tight. Thankfully, Ethan and his acting career had pulled them out of poverty.
Theo’s father had been injured while renovating their house when a beam had fallen on him and broken his back. It had taken months to recover, and in that time his burgeoning real estate business had foundered. Facing bankruptcy and difficulty finding a new job that could accommodate his wheelchair, he’d moved his family to New York where his brother had offered him a job overseeing renovations of all the property his brother had snapped up during the Great Recession. When his brother had died a few years later, Theo’s father had inherited the company and its extensive real estate portfolio.
“I’m not the only one who’s doing well. You’re a bigshot agent to a lot of pretty impressive actors. Good for you.” He paused. “You know, Ethan never told me, how did you get your start?”
“Not much to tell, mostly I was in the right place at the right time. My agency was expanding into Sydney, and they were hiring.” She shrugged, there was something so mundane about it, but it was the truth. “I was lucky. I have to pinch myself sometimes. A lot of the people I’ve met have been amazing. I love my job.”
Their food arrived, and they spent the next few minutes enjoying their meals.
“So, what else have you been doing these past twelve years?” Chloe asked.
Theo took a sip of wine and shrugged. “Work, mainly.”
“Really? What about a social life, travel… the fun stuff?”
“Workis‘the fun stuff.’”
Chloe pushed her plate aside, propped an elbow on the table, and dropped her chin in her hand. “You don’t always work. I’ve heard about the many women you were involved with.”
An eyebrow rose, and he smirked. “How do you know that?”
“Oh, well… Ethan used to mention it.” Heat crept up her neck. Now she sounded like a stalker. “Being rich and handsome in a city full of beautiful women, I’m surprised you’re not married.”
The smile that played on his lips dropped. “Ethan never told you?”
“No. You were married?” Ethan’d told her about the womanizing, which had hurt. Why hadn’t he told her about Theo’s marriage? Surely he’d been a groomsman or at the very least invited to the wedding. He should have told her, maybe if he had she wouldn’t have kept secretly pining over Theo.
From what she could tell, Theo was having his own internal conflict because despite the growing silence between them he kept staring into his glass. Finally he said, “Yes.”
“From your stone-faced expression, I’m guessing it didn’t end amicably.”
“It ended as well as any divorce can.” He drained his glass. “At least there’s no hostility.”
And yet misery etched his face. Had she been the love of his life and broken his heart? How could she leave someone like Theo? Or had Theo gotten tired of her? She had to know. “What happened?”
He poured another glass of wine. “We grew apart.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Failed marriages aren’t easy.”
For a second, he screwed up his face. “It was for the best.”
What had happened for them to grow apart and for it to be “for the best”? Because from Theo’s reaction, it seemed like he was still hurting. “How long were you married?”
“Five years. The divorce was finalized a few weeks ago.”
“No wonder you look like you’ve swallowed razor blades. It’s still fresh.”
“We’ve been separated for over a year. Any feelings are long gone.” Theo signaled for a waiter. “Time for dessert,” he said, putting an end to the conversation. He may say the feelings were gone, but in the depths of his eyes, pain lingered. Did he still love his ex-wife?
He must. Suddenly so much of his odd behavior made sense; like Darius he was still rebounding. She must have unwittingly reopened the wounds of his failed marriage. She promised to be more considerate in the future and hoped that she wouldn’t need his help again.
During dessert, they talked about their friends, family, and work, laughing over the funny stories she told him about her clients and his ongoing saga with a certain DJ. She’d never felt so comfortable around a man in her life. This was what she wanted in a relationship. Someone she could talk, laugh, and share her day with. They’d have dinner, a glass of wine or two, and cuddle on the sofa in front of the TV bickering over what movie they wanted to watch. Then they’d go to bed, and Theo would undress her, roaming his hands over her body as he kissed her long and deep.
“Hey, Glowy.” Theo clicked his fingers in front of her face. “Am I boring you?”
Oh God, she’d fantasized about what a relationship would look like and cast Theo in the lead role. “Oh, sorry. What were you saying, and I can’t believe you still call me by that horrible name?” she deflected.