She studied the label. 2002 Ruffino Chianti. “Good choice. Everything’s ready. Let’s eat.”
We sat down at her small table. I uncorked the wine and filled her glass halfway. She swished the wine around, then sniffed the burgundy liquid.
“That’s nice. Fruity.”
I sipped the wine and was about to take a much-needed longer drink when Ashley said, “Wait. We should toast.”
I stopped the glass on the way to my lips. “What would you like to toast?”
“Your career, of course. No, the future.” She raised her glass. “To the future.”
“The future,” I repeated dully. I nearly drained my glass.
“So tell me about this tough day.”
“It can wait,” I said.
“No, then it will just hang over our evening like a cloud. Tell me now, then we’ll move on to having fun.”
I finished my drink, set down my glass and took a deep breath. “All right. Here it goes. I’m leaving Jacobson.”
She blinked in disbelief. “What?”
“I’ve taken a job with another firm. A bigger one.”
Her expression fell. “You’re leaving your family’s business? You’re going to own that place one day.”
“I took a job in Chicago. It’s an agency called Leo Burnett. It’s one of the biggest firms in America. There’s lots of potential. It’s a chance to—” I borrowed Simon’s words—“spread my wings.”
She looked stunned. “Chicago? What’s wrong with spreading your wings in Colorado?”
“Colorado,” I said, wading through my excuses. “It’s just too small of a market. There’s not enough sky.” I filled my glass with more wine. “This is a great opportunity.”
Ashley just stared at me. Then tears began welling up in her eyes. “You can’t do this.”
I breathed out slowly. “It’s a done deal. I’ve already accepted the job and resigned from Jacobson.”
“Then unresign.”
“You can’t unresign.”
“Of course you can. This isn’t some global conglomerate, it’s your family. You can do whatever you want!” Her lips tightened in anger. “You couldn’t have talked to me about this first?”
I didn’t know how to answer her. “I had to . . .”
“Had to? You had to what? Throw everything away? We’re here celebrating your first big campaign, your big break at your family’s firm, and now you’re leaving? Did your first success just go to your head?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t answer.
She took a drink of wine, then put her hand over her eyes. “I can’t believe this. Tell me you’re kidding before I melt down.”
“I’m sorry. Everything just happened so fast.”
“And how do I fit into this?”
“You’ll come with me.”
She looked at me incredulously. “I’m supposed to just pull up my roots? What about my career? Things are just starting to take off for me.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s not fair. But there will be bigger opportunities in Chicago. Chicago has some of the biggest modeling agencies in the country.”
“Like I’ll have a chance breaking into one of those?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“Because big-time models spend their lives becoming big-time models.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe this.”
“Ashley, just have a little faith. It’s going to be great. It’s a chance for us to strike out on our own.”
Tears began to fall down her face. She wiped her eyes and said, “With or without you, I’m not leaving Denver.”
Her words stunned me. “What?”
“I’m not leaving. Everything, everyone I love is here.”
“Except me,” I said.
“That’s your choice, not mine. If you love me, you’ll stay.”
I felt like my heart was going to stop. “You really would leave me?”
“Don’t turn this around. You’re the one leaving. If your ambition is more important than me . . .” She wiped her eyes with her napkin, then stood. “I can’t believe you’re doing this. I can’t believe it.”
“I had to.” I stood and walked up to her.
“No you didn’t.” She wiped her eyes again. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow around one.”
She let out a small gasp. “You tell me the day before?”
“Ashley . . .”
“I think you better go now.”
“I know this isn’t fair. Why don’t we wait a few months, I’ll get things settled in Chicago, then you can come out and . . .”