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“It’s been a little while,” I say.
He nods. “Yeah.”
“How have you been?”
He shrugs. “Fine.”
“What have you been up to?”
“Got back into my culinary classes,” he replies. “I’m going to finish out my schooling.”
“That’s good, Zane. Good for you.”
“Yeah,” he says, his voice gaining a little more confidence. “After that, I’m hoping to hook onto a successful restaurant. Start as a sous chef and work my way up. I’m hoping that with time and experience, I’ll be an executive chef somewhere. After that, I want to open up my own spot. It’ll take some time and effort, but that’s the plan.”
“That sounds like a solid plan. I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
He falls silent, and we sip our beers again. Cassie shoots me a curious, somewhat worried look, and I subtly shake my head, telling her that everything is fine. I think it is, anyway. I don’t know why Zane really came here tonight, but I’m pretty sure it’s about more than his plans for the future. I’m not going to force the issue, though. I’m going to let this play out, and he’ll get around to talking to me about why he’s here when he’s ready. It just seems like he’s working up the nerve to do it.
As George and the rest of the guys finish up their drinks, they glance my way, seemingly ready to give me my nightly ration of shit. They seem to pick up on the tense energy between me and Zane because instead of busting my balls, they give me a quick, respectful wave and depart without a word. The silence between us lingers for several more minutes. But I stand there, letting him know that I’m not going anywhere and am ready to talk when he’s up for it. He drains his beer and finally raises his gaze to me.
“Another beer?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I’m good, thanks.”
“So what’s up, kid?”
He sighs. “Given how things ended the last time we talked, I know there’s still a lot of tension and bad blood.”
“Not on my end. I get why you were pissed,” I reply. “I don’t want to rehash it all and while you know my position already, suffice it to say I get it, kid.”
“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve had a lot of time to think about the things I said and the things you said.”
“Yeah?”
He nods. “Yeah,” he says and pauses for a moment before adding, “I think I’ll take that beer now, actually.”
“You got it.”
I pour him another and watch as he takes a deep swallow, still seeming to be working up the courage. It seems to me like he’s really used the time we haven’t been speaking to reflect on himself. I see that as a good thing. Potentially. Depending on what conclusions he’s drawn. Zane’s jaw muscles flex as he clenches his jaw while gently setting his glass down.
“Believe it or not, but I really did care about Cassie,” he says.
“I don’t doubt you did.”
“But you were right about me treating her badly. I did.”
His voice is soft and carries a strong tone of contrition I didn’t expect to hear.
“At the time, I didn’t realize I was doing it, but yeah, looking back on things, I can see that I treated her like shit. I was an asshole and I feel terrible about that,” he says.
“That’s good, kid. But I think you should tell her that.”
“I will,” he replies. “But I also realized I treated you like shit too.”
“Nah. You didn’t?—”
