Chapter 51
51
Opal
I rush down the sidewalk, headed to my cousin’s celebration dinner. I’m only slightly late, but a text to Malvie just moments ago helped my level of panic dive from a ten back down to a four.
Just as I was about to leave Turquoise Crown to go home to change into the floral print dress I’m wearing now, Draven Kent showed up at the bar.
I had reached out to him earlier today in the hope that I could settle up with him. I suspected that the cost of his emergency visit to my bar, as well as the work of his crew, would eat up the rest of the funds I had set aside for random expenses.
I was prepared to bite the bullet and pay what I owed, but he dropped an anvil on me when he said there was no charge. I immediately knew that William had something to do. It took all of ten seconds for Draven to confirm it.
It seems that Draven owes William a debt since he has filled up his schedule for months in the future. Many of William’s contacts have reached out to Draven to book him for projects. Draven explained that in addition to that, William has paid him a king’s ransom to handle some renovations for him.
When I asked if the renovations were at his apartment or his office, Draven’s phone rang, and he had to rush out to a job site. I’ll ask William the same question when I see him because I think his apartment is as perfect as it can be, but I’m not the one who has to live there every day.
Running in three inch high heels is not a skill I’m known for, so I slow my pace just as I spot a familiar face headed in my direction.
“Opal?” The man I’m looking at notices me, and an instant smile blooms on his lips. “Jan, that’s Opal.”
I’ve only ever seen Chuck dressed in his work uniform, so seeing him in a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt is jarring. The fact that he’s holding tightly to the hand of a pretty woman warms my heart. He looks incredibly happy.
“Chuck!” I call out as they get closer to me.
“I didn’t know we’d run into you in this part of town,” he says as they slow to a stop in front of me. “Opal, this is Jan. She’s my fiancée.”
My gaze moves to the beautiful diamond ring on her hand. She’s holding it up so I can catch its brilliance in the early evening sunlight. “It’s nice to meet you, Jan.”
I’d tell her I’ve heard a lot about her, but I haven’t. Chuck and I don’t share personal details. Until this moment in time, I had no idea if he was single, married, divorced, or none of the above.
“We got engaged this morning,” Jan explains. “Right after we woke up. Chuck took me to Central Park as the sun was rising, and he dropped to one knee in the spot we went to for our first date. It was a picnic.”
As soon as she’s done telling me, tears well in her eyes.
I want to reach out and hug her, but Chuck is already taking care of that. He tugs her close to his chest. “I took the day off. We already did a fancy lunch on Park Avenue, so now it’s a casual dinner at our favorite diner a few blocks from here.”
“What a perfect day,” I whisper. “I’m so happy for both of you.”
Chuck’s gaze drifts to his left. “This city really is its own small world. You never know who you’ll see.”
I look in the direction he is, and my breath stalls immediately.
William is exiting a building across the street. He’s holding a small child. A blonde-haired woman next to him is pushing a stroller.
“William?” I whisper.
“That must be the woman he was telling me about,” Chuck says. “I didn’t know they had a kid.”
“They?” I question, lost by his words.
I have no idea what I’m looking at, but it’s not what I ever expected to see. The woman with William bends down to tug another child from the stroller. Little arms fling in William’s direction, so he shifts the first child to his left hip, so he can reach for the other. That one clings to him as she kisses his cheek.
From where I’m standing, the kids look like twins.
“He told me about her,” Chuck explains. “We had a drink the other night. He said he was crazy about a woman. He’s knee deep in love, and I can see why. He has a beautiful family, and to top it all off, he lives in one of the best buildings in Manhattan.”
I can’t comprehend any of this. I glance at Chuck, shaking my head because this cannot be reality. “No. That’s not right. William lives in Brooklyn.”
Chuck’s gaze wanders over my face. “I met him at a bar around the corner for a beer, Opal. He’s a regular there. He told me he lives close by. I saw him go into that building at the end of the night when I was headed to the subway. We should go over and say hi to him.”
Jan tugs on Chuck’s hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but we don’t have time. I wanted to surprise you, but I asked your parents to meet us for dinner to share the news with them. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
Chuck grins. “Really? That’s fucking awesome.”
I manage a small smile because I don’t want to ruin this couple’s engagement day.
“I’d ask you to join us, Opal, but you look like you’re on your way to a date,” Chuck says.
I shake my head softly. “It’s not a date.”
“I’ll see you the next time you get a shipment of board games.” He chuckles. “I’m glad you got to meet my girl.”
Jan smiles at me. “It was great to meet you, Opal. Chuck told me all about your game bar. We’ll stop in for sure.”
“I can’t wait,” I whisper, feeling like I’m in daze.
“Talk to you soon,” Chuck tosses that at me before they brush past me and blend into the pedestrian traffic on this crowded sidewalk.
I turn my attention back to William just as he’s helping the woman he’s with load the children and their stroller into a black SUV parked at the curb in front of his building. He’s in and out of my sight because the vehicle partially blocks my view, but I see more than I want to when the beautiful woman he’s with kisses his cheek before she slides into the SUV.
I can’t take any more, so I hurry in the direction I was initially headed while trying to come to terms with my new reality.
I fell in love with a cheat once. I promised myself I’d never do it again, but I’m a foolbecause even though I didn’t want to admit it, I opened my heart up to William.
“Never again,” I mutter to myself.
I should turn back around and head home, but I can’t wallow in my grief again. I can’t allow a man’s actions to weigh me down that way.
I’ll go to dinner, toast to Malvie’s new job, and return to the life I was living before I knew William Knight existed.
It won’t be easy, but I’m determined to do it. I have to.