Chapter 37

Emma and I still weren’t living together, but we were together a lot. We were together now, right now, at Abby’s, staring at a couple just coming in. Talk about serendipity. I mean she knew she was coming into a place that I frequented. Oh she? Why Willa Metzger; well, that’s the last name I knew her by before she dumped me. I didn’t know her companion, but she had mentioned a man when she informed me of her intention to leave me.

And then she, they, saw us. And then they came up to us. And then she spoke to me.

“Adam, I’m surprised. Didn’t expect to see you on a Tuesday evening,” she said.

“Okay?” I said. “You know Emma of course.”

“Yes, hello Emma, nice to see you again,” she said.

“And this is Carlton, Carlton Hays, my husband,” said Willa. I think my eyelids injured themselves flicking up and down in surprise like they did. Emma nodded and kinda smiled.

“Oh, okay, congratulations,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said. The man, Willa’s man put his hand out for me to shake. I was still sitting down, but I did reach across and shake the man’s hand.

“May we join you?” said Willa, daring the undareable. I shrugged. Emma gave me a look.

The new couple sat.

“So you’re married,” I said.

“Yes, a couple of months now,” dared Carlton.

Emma hadn’t offered up any significant words so far, but now she did. “How did you meet?” she said, nodding to each of the newcomers in turn.

“At a beauty salon; he owns it,” said Willa.

“Just so you know, Willa, Emma and I are engaged,” I said.

“Yes, I noticed the ring,” she said.

“So is your salon nearby?” I said, addressing the man.

“Yes, but actually I have seven salons, but the original one is indeed nearby, a half mile or so,” he said.

“Oh, so you are prospering then,” said Emma. I gave her a look.

“Yes, I suppose I could claim as much,” said Carlton. I was smiling. I couldn’t help it. It seemed as though everyone measured prosperity in terms of income or property.

Willa decided to change the subject. “So you and your family?” said Willa. I shrugged.

“We’re talking, if that’s what you mean. Mostly me and the kids,” I said. Willa looked concerned.

“Adam...” said Willa.

“It’s okay. Emma and I are doing well, the Scottsdale Barneses are doing well, everybody’s doing well,” I said.

Willa smiled. “Well, I’m glad everybody’s doing well then,” she said. I knew without a shred of doubt that my look screamed for her to drop the subject of the Scottsdale Barneses. She ignored my look.

“And you and your ex-fiancée?” she said.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Nothing really. Just have you, you know, put the bad stuff behind you?” she said. I was stunned that she would be so challenging in her questioning. We were broken up; she had no business asking those kinds of questions. I had the feeling, however, that she really wanted me to substantially answer her question, and I had no clue why she was pushing me to do so!

“Like I said, Willa, everybody’s doing well.” She looked down, realizing that she had gone too far.

“Adam, I didn’t mean. I mean now that you have the best girl in the world for your own, sir...”

I’d finally gotten it: her meaning. She was assuming that with Emma on my side that Riley should indeed now be a historical artifact. Emma had been watching the tableau play out, and that with interest.

“He’s trying,” said Emma. “He’s got a ways to go, but he is trying.”

“Huh?” I said, turning my gaze upon my intended.

“I’m just saying, Adam, that you do need to let bygones be bygones,” said Emma. I was stopped dead in my figurative tracks. Willa who knew me pretty well, could see that my woman had stung me.

“Adam...” started Willa, but stopped.

“Let bygones be bygones, you say?” I said; and now I was just short of frothing at the mouth. “I just remembered; I have something to do.”

I got up and marched out. My tablemates had to be stunned. I didn’t look back but the silence from said table was metaphorically shrill in its reaction to my reaction. My woman had just said that which I could not believe that she, especially her, would ever say in my presence, and that especially in front of others.

My engagement to Emma Sorensen had just ended. There was no way in heaven or on Earth that I would ever let bygones be bygones, or even discuss the possibility of such happening. Get along with the bad guys, okay, for the sake of the children. But forget it all: all of the lies, betrayals, insults, backstabbing, not a fucking chance in hell!

“Emma, this is my fault,” said Willa. “He took it all wrong. I know how much he thinks of you. You are the perfect mate for that man; you are! I was sure my question would be taken as purely rhetorical.”

“Apparently it was not,” said Emma. “On one level, I’m glad you asked it. I had thought that he had put her mostly if not totally behind him. I guess that I had thought wrongly.”

“If I may,” said Carlton. “I mean I don’t know the whole story. Willa has made it plain that she didn’t feel comfortable talking about the man behind his back. But I can plainly see that he is still invested in his former girlfriend, and that for whatever reason. I’ve seen the like. He likely will always have some feelings for her: good or bad there will always be something there.”

“Yes, and I know him better than anybody,” said Emma. “And I didn’t see it until just now. I will try to talk to him. He has to realize that the world does not revolve around Riley Barnes.”

It had been three weeks since my walkout on the little impromptu party at Abby’s. And then she was knocking on my door, she being Emma Sorensen. It was Valentine’s Day: shades of missed opportunities. I opened the door and we stared at each other.

“You going to ask me in, or am I persona non grata?” she said. I nodded and stood aside for her to enter.

“It’s been a while,” she said.

“Yes,” I said.

“Are we done as a couple. You want the ring back?” she said. I hadn’t even thought about the ring. As for her, I’d been thinking about her constantly since I’d gotten home from my walking out on the group of them.

“Keep the ring. As for us as a couple. No we are no longer a couple if you expect me to ever let bygones be bygones with the two of them, and especially her,” I said.

“Jesus, you are upset,” she said.

“Upset? That is an understatement of magnitudinous proportion,” I said. “You know my history. You know better than anyone, even Horace, what I went through. You know how she betrayed me and him too. There will never be any letting bygones be bygones. I can get along with them more or less formally because of the kids, but forgive and forget? No!” I said.