“I’m on my way to the gym. Then Judy and I are having lunch at the Club Car. Judy mentioned yesterday that her daughter just got divorced, and we thought you two might want to meet up? Can I tell Judy you’ll call her?”
Blake had a vague recollection of Judy’s daughter as a spoiled, bossy blonde that spent a lot of time at the country club. She was friendly with his ex, Caroline. Very similar to Caroline, actually.
“No. I don’t think so. Thanks anyway, Mom. I’m not big on setups.”
His mother sighed. “Well, you’re not going on any dates, are you? I just thought you two might hit it off.”
“I can find my own dates.”
“Hmm. Okay, well, if you change your mind, let us know. Bye honey.”
Blake set the phone down and gazed out the window. It was less than six months since his last serious relationship ended. Dating wasn’t high on his priorities at the moment. Much to his mother’s dismay. His sister was married and his mother was anxious to see him settled, too. But the last thing he needed was to date someone who was so similar to his ex—and what he knew he didn’t want. It was easier to not think about it, and to focus on work and enjoying Richard’s company.
Chapter 6
Marley was annoyed with herself as she changed outfits three times before deciding on the one that flattered her the most. Why did she care that much about how she looked? It’s not like she wanted Frank back. But she still wanted to look good. She knew her feelings for Frank were complicated. Even though she didn’t want to get back together with him, they had been together for many years. She’d talked to her daughter the night before when she got home from dinner with Mark and learned, as suspected, that Frank had been dumped by the new girlfriend.
“Mom, he told us that he’s going to win you back. He’s not himself. I think this breakup really rattled him. I feel bad for him, but I still hope you won’t take him back. You guys were so miserable at the end.”
“Oh honey, I have no intention of getting back together with your father. I had a feeling it was something like that. I’ll let him down easy.”
“Thanks, and good luck, Mom. He sounds like he’s on a mission.”
Marley chuckled as she hung up the phone. She wasn’t surprised by any of it. That was how Frank had always approached everything he did, full steam ahead and with total determination. It was an approach that usually worked well for him and for the company. But not this time. Still, she had once loved the man. It would be nice to see him.
She pulled her Audi sedan up to the entrance of The Whitley and handed the keys to the valet. The hotel looked beautiful, with lush landscaping out front and along the walkway and a breathtaking view of Nantucket Sound. It was an exceptional property, the nicest hotel on the island, by far. Marley had been there a few times, for drinks or for dinner. This would be the first time for a conference.
She made her way inside to the luxurious lobby, with its cool marble floors and vibrant flowers in crystal vases throughout the room. An easel with a poster pointed the way for the conference and she continued on down a long hallway to the main conference room where there was a registration desk by the door. She signed in, received a tote bag with an agenda and several free business books from people that were speaking at the event. There was also a name tag and lanyard, which she put around her neck and wandered into the ballroom to find a seat for the first lecture.
Frank was nowhere to be found. She guessed that he was still in his room, sleeping. They’d always been opposites about that. She was the early riser, and he stayed up until midnight most nights and rarely got up before nine. She found a seat near the front. The room filled up quickly and at eight o’clock sharp, the first presenter took the stage.
It was a busy morning and a fascinating one. Marley took lots of notes and her mind was whirling with new ideas to test and possibly suggest to her clients. There was still no sign of Frank at the mid-morning coffee break. It wasn’t until they stopped again for lunch that she saw him. He’d already spotted her and was waving furiously from across the room.
She made her way over to him, and he pulled her in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek. His hair was still damp, which confirmed her theory that he’d slept in. But he looked good. She’d always found him attractive, though. He looked like he’d lost a few pounds. He still had a belly, but it was smaller than the last time she’d seen him. There was a bit more gray in his hair, but he hid it well with gel and he was newly shaved. He was making an effort.
“You look fantastic!” He exclaimed. His enthusiasm made her smile.
“Thanks, you look good too. Did you see any of the morning sessions?”
He grinned. “Nope, missed them all. I ran into some guys I knew when I checked in last night and we had dinner and drinks here at the hotel. Food was impressive. It ended up being a late night. A good time though.”
“Figures you made it down just in time for lunch,” Marley teased him.
He laughed. “You’ve got that right. Want to go find some seats?”
They made their way to the ballroom and found seats at one of the many round banquet tables. Marley was starving and looking forward to something good for lunch. They weren’t disappointed. As soon as everyone was seated, waiters came around with bowls of clam chowder that were garnished with two fried clams. Marley enjoyed her soup while Frank held court at the table.
Several of the guys from the night before joined them and they quickly had a lively conversation going about the market and trends in retail shopping. Marley listened carefully and took it all in. She found it all fascinating and was enjoying the high energy level. That was one thing she missed working by herself. The energy at the company had been like that—continuous excitement as they all worked toward building something bigger and better.
They moved on to Caesar salad and then sautéed Nantucket scallops in a lemon butter sauce over whipped parsnips and broccolini. It was all delicious. Marley savored every bite while Frank inhaled his without missing a beat—he stayed engaged in intense discussion the whole time. He’d always been like that, usually the center of attention, and he loved being social. Marley enjoyed getting out too, but she was the quiet one in the relationship, which, for many years, had worked well for them.
She thought about what had happened with them and realized they’d drifted apart so slowly that neither was aware of it at first. Frank was just consumed with the business. It’s all he thought about or talked about. And as much as she loved it too, after a while, it began to feel very unbalanced. She missed seeing their friends and spending time together as a couple. It was impossible to separate work from their personal relationship.
They’d tried counseling, but that hadn’t worked. Frank never really saw that there was a problem, unfortunately, so he wasn’t able to fix it. Eventually, Marley just grew tired of it and both of them were aware that things weren’t right between them, and maybe they’d just come to the end of the relationship. At least, Marley had thought they were both on the same page about that.
When they were just about done eating, Frank turned his full attention her way. “This is such a great group of people. Are you having fun?”