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“Rachel, where the hell were you? You had me worried.”
Rachel hugged her, “I’m sorry. The last client I had insisted on seeing more fabric samples after we had decided on one. I had already let all of my employees go home so had to lug the fabric books from the cabinets myself. Then she wasn’t sure if she wanted white. I didn’t want to be rude, but I think I am going to let Rigo handle this client. He can be so charming when dealing with difficult clients.”
Rodrigo Bartolomeo Vicaria was Rachel’s husband of three years. She met him when she attended The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. Both he and Rachel were designers. He approached her four years ago to ask if she wanted to form a partnership. He had been designing wedding dresses for the elites of the world and had more business than he could handle.
They briefly dated when they were in college, and he knew her skill and talent as a designer. After eight months of collaboration, Rigo again asked her on a date. Rachel already had affection for him, and it only grew once they started dating again.
Several months later, he asked her to marry him. She had a large wedding with three hundred guests of family, friends, and colleagues. Ava served as her maid of honor. It was yet another event that Xander Wilder did not attend (though Rachel had told her that he did send a gift).
Ava had to agree with Rachel about her husband. “He is charming. He charmed the pants right off of you, didn’t he, and you are one tough cookie.”
Rachel laughed, “Yes, you’re right, but I couldn’t see my life with anyone except him.” Rachel was harboring a secret. She was almost two months pregnant with her first child. She saw how pained it made Ava to be around Sandra, and decided it would be better to keep this information to herself. It was hard for her because she had shared a lot with Ava, and often they supported each other. But this was one thing that she could not reveal just yet.
After they moved to a table and placed their food order with the waitress, Ava zoned out. Rachel brought her back to earth.
“Yoohoo? Remember me?” Rachel said as she tapped her on the arm.
“I’m sorry, Rachel. I have a lot on my mind today.”
“Tell me. Isn’t that why we are having this dinner? So we can talk?” She felt sheepish saying it when there was a big secret she was keeping.
Ava told Rachel about what had happened with the graduation roses, the painting at camp, the text and the letter she found. All of these signs of Xander were eating away at her.
“I don’t know what to do, Rachel. I want to believe that maybe Xander is coming back to me but if not, then why is he doing these things?”
“Ava, I have known Xander all my life. We practically shared a crib together. I can’t say what I think is going through his mind, but I can say he is a tortured soul. The both of you are. There was no closure with your relationship. It just stopped.”
“I can’t move on until I know. And there also is a man that is interested in me. We shared a kiss at camp, and I pushed him away. He was so hurt that he didn’t talk to me for the rest of the time I was there. This afternoon, I met him in the park while I was running. He said he would like to take me to lunch and I blurted out he could come to the barbecue tomorrow. What do I do if I start something with him and Xander comes back?”
“Ava, that is the choice you need to make for yourself. Do you think this man could make you happy?”
“I don’t know. He is sweet and nice.”
“Does he make your stomach do flip-flops?”
“I haven’t really given him a chance to know that.”
“Maybe you should then.”
For the rest of lunch, Ava seemingly concentrated on her food. She was thinking about what Rachel said. Could Tim make her happy? Did Xander want her to wait around for him to make up his mind? Before they left, Rachel asked if she could take a road trip with her the next weekend to Montreal to see a high-end client. Usually, Rigo would go, but he was going to be in California meeting another client. Rachel wanted to spend the weekend shopping in Montreal and then on Monday, meet her client.
“Yes, I think I can go. I have nothing going on that weekend and Mondays, and Tuesdays are usually light. I want to take things slow with Tim. It might not turn into anything, but at least I should try.”
“You might be surprised. Don’t get me wrong. I love Xander, but I think he could have handled this situation much better. You can’t spend your life waiting for him. If he wants you, he will surface.”
That’s what I am afraid of most; he will surface when it’s too late.
* * *
When Ava arrivedat the barbecue the next afternoon once she finished studying, Tim was already sitting on the steps of the brownstone waiting for her. He chastely kissed her on the cheek, and they trotted up the steps and into the house. Aunt Mavis greeted them, and Ava introduced Tim, then she took him outside to meet the rest of her family. While everyone, including Rachel, seemed to like him well enough, Samantha was suspicious. When Tim was discussing a computer issue with Jacob, Ava pulled her to the side.
“Sam, you don’t seem to keen on Tim. What’s the matter?”
“I’ve seen him somewhere and I just can’t place it. Is he the best you can do?”
“I can’t believe you would say that to me! Would I ever say that to you about your boyfriend?”
Sam smirked at her. “Hell, no! Robert is freaking hot; besides, he’s your cousin. You would never say that about him.”
