Mr. Big(41)

“Well, we’re going shopping and then we’re going to meet Liam for a champagne brunch. Ava can’t come, she’s off visiting her mother.” Maddie spoke as she waited for Mia to pick up her purse and walk out of the door with her.

Maddie’s words lodged in Mia’s head. A champagne brunch. Champagne. Her mind took her back to the picnic in Central Park… Alexander pouring champagne for them, the way he looked rowing the boat, their heated kisses on the bank. She thought of the dinner they had shared on his rooftop and the champagne he had poured there. The violinist, the dancing, the night of fiery passion in his bed… in his arms, where she would never be again. She swallowed hard and forced her mind back to Maddie, trying to focus on whatever her friend had been talking about.

They visited several shops and boutiques in Maddie’s favorite neighborhood, browsing through everything from clothes, hats, and shoes, to perfumes and jewelry. There was a lingerie shop that Maddie almost walked into with Mia, until she saw the look on Mia’s face, and they opted to pass the shop for a cappuccino at a café instead.

By the time they were heading to Carly’s to meet Liam for their brunch, Mia had managed to keep Alexander off of her mind for a portion of the morning, and it had felt like a small victory to her, though she still didn’t feel much better about herself.

She had been berating herself since the moment he left her office, wondering when her morals and values had dropped so low that she would stoop to such a thing, using another person the way that she had used him, and for no reason other than to satisfy the curiosity of strangers about his body. She felt beyond wretched about doing it, and about who she had become, and keeping that off of her mind was almost impossible.

Liam welcomed them both with open arms and spring flowers, and they hugged him in return, happy to see him as well. Mia took her seat after kissing his cheek and she lifted the little bouquet of flowers he’d given her to her nose. They were sweetly fragrant, and in her mind she was suddenly back in the row boat with Alexander, drifting beneath the blossoming trees in Central Park as the pink and white blossoms swirled all around her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, determined to spend her time with her friends focused on them rather than on herself and Alexander. She took a deep breath and set the flowers at her side, looking up with a small smile at Liam and Maddie.

Liam smiled at them both. “So how was shopping? Did you find anything that you couldn’t live without?”

Maddie answered his question, going into detail about the various treasures that had been discovered during their shopping mission. When she had exhausted her story telling, he turned to Mia.

“What about you? Anything good today?” he asked, reaching his hand over to hers to hold it for a moment.

She shrugged. “Nothing I had to take home, although Maddie was fairly positive that I should never have left a cute little red cloche hat that I found, but that was all,” she answered him, but spoke simply and softly and he watched her carefully.

When she had finished speaking, he took a breath and rubbed his fingers over her hand. “How are you doing? Really doing?” he asked, his eyes penetrating hers.

All of the emotion that she had been able to keep just barely held back beneath the surface came rushing at her and she choked on it. Blinking furiously, she raised her hand to her face and closed her eyes, taking in a long slow breath.

Liam nodded. “I see,” he said quietly, handing a mimosa to her. “Here, drink this.” He fairly forced it into her hand and she took it without a word, tipping it back and emptying half of it in a few swallows. The glass was empty within moments and she set it back down on the table and took another deep breath.

“Darling, you are in such a horrible spot right now, but you are right in the middle of it, and I can promise you that there is an end to it, and the end of it will come. There will be a day, hopefully sooner rather than later, that you do not feel so much pain and sadness. That day is coming. You need to hold on for it. It will happen. I guarantee it,” he promised her, handing her another glass of mimosa. She sipped at it instead of downing it swiftly.

“Have you heard from him at all?” Liam asked softly.

She shook her head and stared at her drink, raising her eyes slowly to meet his. “How is the job going at his office? Do you… do you see him?” she asked just above a whisper.

He shook his head subtly. “No sweetie, the job is done. I haven’t heard from him at all.”

Mia nodded silently and gave him a halfhearted smile, going back to her mimosa.

Liam reached his hand over to her chin and lifted it so that she found herself looking at him. “Mia, you need to start dating other guys. Lots of other guys. Stat. Do you hear me?” he asked, his eyes as serious as his voice.