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“What about you, Claire Monet?”
“What about me, Dr. Russo?” I took a bite of my pizza.
“Tell me about your boyfriends in Connecticut.”
“I had one. His name was Steve Connelly.”
“I find it hard to believe that a woman like you has only had one boyfriend. How old are you?”
“Twenty-nine.” I laughed. “And it’s true. We were seventeen and dated for seven months. We were so in love, at least I was. He would tell me every day that he couldn’t imagine being with any other girl and that I was the most special thing in his life. It was a Friday night, and he took me on an expensive and romantic date. His parents were out of town, so afterward, we went back to his house, and I spent the night. He made me feel special—like I was the only girl in the world. He was mature for his age, so he knew exactly the right things to say and do. The next morning, I cooked us breakfast. It felt like we were a married couple, and I loved it. That afternoon, he took me home, walked me up to the porch, held my hand, and told me it was over between us.”
What?” Nick’s brows furrowed. “Why the hell would he do that after that romantic night?”
“He was leaving for Cabo with his friends for three weeks and told me he didn’t want to be tied down to one girl. He said if he wanted to sleep with another girl, he could do it freely without the guilt, and he wanted to give me one last amazing night before he broke it off.”
“God, Claire. What an asshole. What did you do?”
“I cried and asked him how he could do that when I thought he loved me like he always said every day. He told me that it was easy because they were just words with no feeling behind them. He said I shouldn’t be so gullible and believe every word a guy says. I took my fist and planted it across his face so hard that he fell off the porch and broke his arm.”
“Oh shit.” He laughed. “Then what?”
“He didn’t get to go to Cabo with his friends.” I smiled. “His parents did threaten to sue us, but my mom had Richard take care of it.”
“Who’s Richard?”
“He’s an attorney and business partner at the insurance company my mother and Joseph started when they moved here from Paris.”
“Was Joseph your father?” he asked.
“He was the man who raised me. My biological father was never in the picture. I just recently found out that my mother never told him I existed after she told me my entire life that he walked out when he found out she was pregnant and never came back.”
“Wow. I’m sorry. Are you trying to find him or something? Is that why you moved to California?”
“I looked him up, but he’s dead now.” I picked up my beer bottle.
“You said you moved here for a fresh start. What exactly are you looking for here?” he asked, picking up his beer bottle.
I couldn’t tell him about my newfound family, so I needed to come up with something quickly.
“Just a fresh start.” I smiled. “Too much pain back in Connecticut since my mother passed away. Speaking of which. What about your parents? You haven’t mentioned them.”
He leaned back in his chair and tipped the bottle to his lips.
“My parents live back in Seattle. Things between us aren’t that great. They never liked my ex and made it very well-known, especially in front of her. On my wedding day, when they found out what she’d done, instead of consoling me, they threw it in my face and told me that had I listened to them in the first place, none of this would have happened. They were another reason I wanted to leave Seattle.”
“I’m sorry, Nick.”
“Thanks, but don’t be. They’re very opinionated people, and it’s their way or no way. It’s how they’ve always been. My best decision was going to Harvard, across the country, and as far away from them as possible.”
“You’re a Harvard man?” I grinned.
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Don’t get mad at me for asking this, but did you go to college?”
I picked up my napkin, balled it, and threw it at him. “Yes, I went to college. I went to Columbia.”
“Okay.” He laughed, throwing the napkin back at me. “You haven’t told me what you do for work, so how was I supposed to know?”
“I’m or was the financial manager for my mother’s insurance company. I went to work there full-time after I got my MBA.”
