Axel nodded numbly and his mother walked over and kissed his forehead before clearing his plate. In the empty kitchen he contemplated what she had said. Love, was it really worth it? Could he really do it? What if he ended up being just another son-of-a-bitch like his father? It all seemed like so much work and there were so many unknowns. How was he supposed to know what the right thing to do was?
"Here's a little story about love," Mrs. Connelly said as she re-entered the room. "That new girl from the museum, Marie who we're not gossiping about," Axel's stomach dropped and his eyes widened at the name. "Thomas Middlemarch asked her out on a date yesterday and she said yes! See, a new girl in town, maybe on the run, but we don't know, and she's already got herself a beau. If she can do it, so can you."
Axel was pretty sure he was going vomit his lunch over the entire table. Thomas Middlemarch of all people, that asshole? Marie was going out with him, him!? His breath caught in his throat as he tried hard to keep his face blank. Something in him was rebelling against this. It wasn't okay. Her being with Thomas was not okay. She should be with him and no one else. His vision tunneled in front of him as the image of Axel pounding Thomas Middlemarch's face into a bloody pulp took over.
Chapter Twenty-One
He pulled out her chair for her. Like the hero of a romantic comedy. Marie sat down and he waited until she was seated to push the chair back in. She could get used to being treated so nicely. They were at an Italian restaurant a few miles outside of town. It had big windows, tables covered in pristine, white tablecloths and a spray of roses in a tall, elegant vase put directly in the center of each table. Thomas had brought her flowers when he picked her up, a bouquet of roses, too.
She was wearing a brand new black dress bought just for the occasion. It was tight and ended well above her knees. She felt a little reckless in it. She didn't feel like herself. She was like one of those girls Marie would have looked at with jealousy back in Arizona – the kind who went on fancy dates and wore LBDs and came to brunch with riotous stories of their many dates and the men they encountered on them.
She looked at the menu and ordered the cheapest glass of white wine they had. She still couldn't tell the difference between expensive wine and the cheap kind and didn't want to bother pretending she did. She had never dated before and she wanted to get it right. She wasn't interested in impressing him. She wanted to get to know him. She wasn't diving into anything head first; she was going to take her time. He smiled and ordered a fancy bourbon and then reached across the table and held her hand. She blushed at the attention. She suddenly had nothing to say.
"So, tell me about yourself," he said.
"Um, I'm twenty-two. I moved here from Arizona. I have a five-year-old daughter named Cate and her father is not in the picture." He nodded and encouraged she kept going. "I just joined the gym in town and I've been learning self-defense lessons recently."
"Really, so you think you could take me?"
"Absolutely," Marie said with a confident nod. "I know all the good moves, how to punch, how to kick, how to get out of holds. I could take you down in under a minute."
"I surrender," he said, holding his hands up for a moment before he relaxed and took her hand in his.
"What about you?" she asked as their wine arrived. She took a sip, trying to relax a little. She was mimicking the actions of someone else. Someone who went on a lot of dates and knew what to do on them.
"I'm twenty-seven. I'm an accountant. I've never been married. I'm really into football."
She smiled over at him. They ordered their meals. Marie worried about the price went for the cheapest option. Thomas ordered the nicest steak on the menu. The drinks kept coming and they fell into an almost easy rapport. They would talk and laugh with the occasional awkward silence falling over them, but Thomas was always quick with something to say, some question to ask.
"So, do you like working at the museum?"
"I really do, which is strange, because it's not the kind of place I envisioned myself working."
"Do you think you want to get your history degree and work in a museum for your career?"
"I don't know," Marie said. "I've never really thought about it. This is kind of the first job I've ever had other than waiting tables for like three months in high school. I'm surprised at how much I like it. I feel like I hear people complaining about their jobs, but I love mine. What about you? Do you like being an accountant?"
"I like numbers," he answered. "I like figuring things out and making the math work. It's oddly satisfying."
Marie gave him a strange look, but she could only hold back a laugh for so long before it burst out of her and she tried to quiet herself. "I have never in my life felt that way about math."
"Yeah," he said with a wan smile. "It's not for everybody. Let's change the subject. I won't bore you with math talk all night. You said you live in Arizona before you moved here?"
"Yes, but what about you?" Marie said, desperate to change the subject.
"I was born and raised in this town. I left for college at the University of Virginia, graduated and then came back to inherit the family business."
"That's a real all-American story," Marie said. Her hand was growing hot and clammy under his and she was desperate to move it, but didn't want to seem rude. She would have to wait for their food to arrive before she could finally be released. He was still talking, but she was going in and out and she cursed silently and ordered herself to listen to what he was saying.
Finally, their food arrived and a silence fell between them as they ate. With a mouth full of pasta Marie tried to figure out how the date was going. Thomas seemed nice enough, and he was certainly handsome. They were getting along well. So why was she thinking about Axel and their training sessions? Axel and his rough demeanor, his disdain for chit chat.
"So, I have to ask. If this is your first job and you've never had to think about a career before, were you living with your parents in Arizona, or..." He drifted off, leaving the question hanging in the air between them.
A pang of panic went through Marie's stomach. She tried to move past it as quickly as she could. She didn't want to let it derail her date; she opened her mouth to speak, but found the truth wouldn't come. "Yeah. I lived with my parents. They helped me raise Cate," Marie said.
It was a small town, gossip passed quickly. She didn't want people talking about her past. She didn't want anyone contacting Austin and telling him where she and Cate were. She wanted to leave her own life behind. Already Austin's voice was receding from her memory. She had more confidence than ever. If she brought up Austin it could derail her. She could lose everything she had been working so hard for. So for the moment it would have to remain a little white lie. Or a great big lie, only time would tell.
"Why did you move so far away?"
"I wanted to live my own life. I wanted to be able to do my own thing and figure things out for myself."
"That's very brave."
She looked away, feeling suddenly self-conscious. It felt wrong to be praised for what was a lie. Although the sentiment behind it was true enough. In fact, she was braver than he could ever imagine. But he didn't need to know that. He didn't need to know the truth.
They ordered dessert and he grabbed the check when it arrived, paying for everything. As they walked out he put his hand on the small of her back and let it rest there. Outside of the restaurant they waited for the valet. Behind them was a man smoking a cigarette. His face was hidden under his hat, but Marie could feel his eyes on her. He was watching her.
She glanced up at him and wondered who he was and why he was staring at her. Worry grew in her stomach. Austin was looking for her; he had to be. He would be furious she was gone. He would be in a dangerous rage. He would feel powerless and weak and it would be driving him crazy. What was he doing in his frenzy?
There was still no missing person's report for Cate that she could find, so he hadn't gone to the cops. But he was looking. He would pull her credit report to see if anything were on there, but hopefully nothing would show up. The smoking man was still staring at her and Marie was growing nervous under his gaze. Who was he and why was he staring at her? Was this some private investigator Austin had hired to track her down? Was he going to call Austin and report Marie's whereabouts?