Chapter 1. There’s No Such Thing as the Perfect Kim #2
“How nice.” I returned their glares, then directed my attention to the happy pair. “Leo and Lila. Such a perfect couple name. Are you naming the baby Luke, Leia, Liam, or Lily?”
“You haven’t changed.” Leo raised his eyebrows. “There’s no need for that. We’re all adults here.”
“No need for what? I was just suggesting some baby names.”
“No, you’re being passive-aggressive, and you know it.”
Fine, maybe I was. Leo possessed this rare ability to extract all the catty, snarky bones in my body and shove them into the spotlight for all the world to witness.
It had been several years, so I wasn’t still hung up on him.
In fact, him cheating was the best thing that had ever happened to me.
The reason I was seething was because he seemed happy, and it felt like he was here to rub his happiness in my face, because I was still alone, struggling to navigate the murky waters of online dating.
And unfortunately, in the biased eyes of society, that meant he’d won, and I’d lost, because he was checking off all the boxes in the (Ridiculous) List of Things an Adult Should (Supposedly) Achieve Before They Turn [Insert Desired Age].
“I’m Shane. Kimmy’s friend.” My date, who had been shamelessly staring at Lila’s chest, offered his hand to Leo.
“Congratulations on finding your person, man. Hold on to her with all you’ve got, because nothing lasts forever.
” He raised his wineglass. “To your happy little family. May you be blessed with a long and fruitful union, with many more kids to bring joy and laughter to your household.”
What. The. Fuck.
I buried my face in my hands, not even bothering to hide my exasperation. Where on Earth was my coffee and dessert when I needed them the most?
Shane and Leo continued their aggravating bonding while I considered moving to another country to avoid sharing a city with my ex and his new fiancée.
Or undergoing facial reconstruction surgery and changing my name, to anything but a variation of Kim.
Maybe hiring a team of scientists to wipe my memory so I’d have no recollection of these people.
No, why should I be the one making such a huge sacrifice?
I’d pay to wipe Leo’s memory instead. Better yet, all of their memories.
I glanced at Leo’s family and felt chills trickling down my spine.
His scowling mother, with her eyes trained on me, got up from her seat, presumably eager to share a piece of her thoughts about how, according to her, I’d committed the eternally unforgivable sin of breaking her precious son’s heart.
I wasn’t raised to run away from confrontations and challenging situations, but I’d already been subjected to that highly delusional speech once, so I wasn’t keen on a repeat performance now. Or ever.
Grabbing my purse, I got up and mumbled to Shane and the happy couple, “Gotta go. Just remembered I had a, um, hair coloring appointment. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Without waiting for their answers, I turned around and collided with a solid wall of muscle, smelling faintly like fresh mint and crisp apple. I staggered back a little, and a strong pair of hands gripped both my arms, saving me from falling over and using Leo and his fiancée as safety cushions.
A familiar, amused voice rumbled from somewhere above me. “Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Halim, but your wine tasting session is about to start.”
Surprise flooded through me as I looked up. “My what now?”
Instead of a friendly, smiling waiter, a pair of hazel eyes twinkled down at me. My own eyes widened at the sight of Rob Carmichael, in his white T-shirt, brown suede jacket, and dark jeans, and definitely not part of the restaurant serving team.
Thanks, universe. Go ahead and pile on the humiliation, why don’t you?
I took a step back and pulled my arms away. “What wine tasting?”
“The private wine tasting you booked last week.” His smile grew bigger. “We’re starting shortly. Would you like to follow me?”
I glanced behind me, sighing when I saw Leo’s mom getting closer. Time of impact: less than twenty seconds. It was now or never.
“Yes, of course, the wine tasting!” I gave Rob an overly bright smile. “Guess I’ll have to cancel that hair appointment, huh?”
“I do love a good bottle of wine.” Shane placed his napkin on the table and stood up. “Would you like to join us, Leo and Lila? I’ve heard great things about the wine cellar at this place.”
No, no, no. Over my cold, dead, rotting body. And also, did he really just offer wine to a pregnant woman?!
I opened my mouth to protest, but Rob beat me to it. “My apologies, but the session is fully booked tonight. Please speak to the duty manager if you’d like to reserve a spot at our next one.” He glanced back at me, the smile still on his face. “Shall we?”
Yep, I didn’t need to be asked twice. I quickly flagged a waiter and told them I’d be at the bar, then bid a hasty goodbye to Shane and the parents-to-be before following Rob toward the back of the restaurant.
He rounded the corner and strolled into the connecting building, where the formal ambience of the restaurant was swapped with a more relaxed yet still classy vibe.
We made our way toward the bar, a long glistening crystal-white table backlit by warm lights.
An ornate wine rack with hanging glass holders and bottles upon bottles of wine and liquor lined the back of the bar, where a couple of smartly dressed bartenders were busy pouring drinks.
The place buzzed with chatter and laughter of the patrons, with clinking glasses and the gentle sounds of smooth jazz playing in the background.
Rob made a beeline for the only vacant seat and motioned for me to sit on it. He held out his hand, offering to help me up on the high stool, but I shrugged it off and hoisted myself up.
“You know what’s funny?” I said. “I don’t remember booking any wine tasting.”
“You don’t? That is funny.”
The guy sitting on the stool next to me hopped off, and Rob nodded his thanks as he took the vacant seat.
“Downright hilarious.”