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Syd and I both stop walking and turn to the voice behind us. There is a woman a little shorter than me with long, dark brown hair and beautiful emerald green eyes. I tilt my head while appraising the woman, definitely not missing the uncanny similarities to Aiden. They both have a strong jaw line, although hers definitely looks feminine.
“Are you Addison?” she asks, fiddling with her purse strap. She’s wearing black slacks, black boots, and a pink sweater. She’s as beautiful as Aiden is gorgeous.
I nod. “And I’m assuming you’re Katie?”
“How did you …” she stops when she looks at my face. “Oh, well, I guess we do look a lot alike.” She flips her hand out and an awkward laugh escapes her lips. I can tell she’s nervous.
I glance around to see if there is anyone else with her. I’m not sure who I expect but a little flicker of hope is that I’ll see Aiden standing somewhere close by. He’s not here. I look back at her. “What brings you to New York?” I ask.
I’m having another déjà vu moment right now. It seems everyone is visiting New York today. And me.
“I was here visiting … a friend,” she answers.
I look at Sydney. “What is with all the vague answers today?” She laughs while Katie’s eyebrows furrow, obviously confused. I’m not sure why she feels like she needs to lie. She could have just said she was here on business, and I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But now I am. Is Aiden back? No. I’m certain Max or Damon would’ve told me.
“Katie, this is my best friend, Sydney,” I say, looking between the two.
“Aiden’s mentioned you,” she says as she shakes Syd’s hand. My heart patters. Did he mention her recently? Maybe he is back. I narrow my eyes at her.
“Is Aiden back?” I ask.
“Oh. No,” she says, sighing when she sees my lips turn down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to think I’ve talked to him recently. I haven’t talked with him for a few months.”
“That’s okay. I was just wondering,” I say. I don’t want to let this connection go, though, not yet. “We were headed to lunch. Would you like to join us?” I offer.
“Are you sure?” she asks, looking at Syd and then back to me. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Syd smiles at her. “I don’t mind. I’m kinda tired of being with her all the time by myself,” she says, giggling.
“Hmph … I love you, too,” I huff, wrinkling my nose.
Syd laughs again, wrapping her arm around me. “I love you lots and lots,” she says, looking up at me with puppy dog eyes. I roll my eyes at her dramatic flair. Even if I wanted, I could never stay mad at her.
Katie agrees to go to lunch with us. We’re walking down the street, passing Bella Mistero, when Marco comes rushing out of his restaurant.
“Addison!” he boasts. He walks up to me with his arms stretched wide and wraps them around me. I feel a little irritated because he takes away my control by not waiting to see if I even want a hug.
It’s okay, it’s just Marco. I tell myself. He’s always been a hugger. He’s not going to harm me. I take a deep inhale and blow it out slowly. Sydney saves me, pulling me out of his embrace and saying it’s her turn, then gives him a hug. When our eyes meet, hers bore into me.
He pulls back quickly, looking back to me. “Please come in and have lunch, ladies. I have a new dish I need to test out,” he says, smiling wide at us. He’s always been a happy guy, but he seems a little over the top right now.
Syd glances my way, her eyes wide. “Thanks, Marco, but we were going—”
“Nonsense,” he says interrupting me. “I promise that you will have an amazing lunch with wine or anything you want, beautiful.” He opens his door, ushering us in. Syd is still staring at me, throwing fire with her eyes. I shrug. What am I supposed to do? Katie walks in behind Syd, not having a clue as to what is going on.
We’re seated out on the terrace. The sun is out in full force, but the cool spring breeze keeps it perfect. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the fresh air. It feels rejuvenating. Things that I took for granted before, like fresh air or the feel of the sun’s warmth, I now covet.
“Are you okay?” Syd asks, sitting across from me. I keep my eyes closed and nod. I just need a moment for a time out. I’ve learned to meditate, especially right after situations that I feel uncomfortable. Marco’s hug is definitely one of those times. And it’s not really him; it’s me and my levels of comfort right now with men.
“Addie, we don’t need to stay. I can make up an excuse for us to leave,” Syd says as she squeezes my hand on top of the table.
I open my eyes and sigh loudly. “No, I’m okay. I can’t keep running and hiding when I feel anxious. Marco is harmless.” I look to Katie, wondering if I’ve made it uncomfortable for her. Instead, her eyes crinkle with a warm smile.
Lunch ends up being amazing, which doesn’t surprise me. The food here is always getting rave reviews from foodies. Our conversation is light with lots of laughs and flows throughout lunch. I feel relaxed and really like Katie by the time we finish with lunch. She doesn’t bring up Aiden, which surprises me. I thought that was the whole reason she wanted to find me. She admits she was here for a man but doesn’t disclose any other information, and we tried to pry it out of her. I’m not exactly sure why, but I get the feeling she’s hiding something from Aiden. She tells me that she’s wanted to meet me for a while now, but for obvious reasons hasn’t. Since she’s in town, she said she thought she would look me up. I’m so glad she did.
As we get up to leave, Marco comes to our table. This time when he moves forward to hug me, I step back. “I’m sorry, Marco,” I say holding up my hand. The hurt in his eyes makes me second-guess my decision. Don’t be a bitch. The man just gave us an incredible meal, on the house, and this is how I treat him. “I just …” I pause trying to gather my thoughts. “I’m just not ready for a lot of touching,” I explain the best I can.
“Beautiful, I understand,” he says softly. His body language says something different though. His posture is stiff, and I notice the flex of his muscles. I tilt my head, watching him briefly, before Syd takes it upon herself to say our goodbyes. As we’re leaving, I glance back at Marco and offer an apologetic smile. He scowls until he realizes that I’m looking at him. His expression instantly changes to a smile, and he waves goodbye. Shit, I hope I didn’t make him mad. He’s always been so nice to me, I should really come back later and apologize. Without Sydney.
