Chapter 70
HANNAH
T he following morning, Hannah wandered hesitantly down the street and around the corner for her unexpected ‘blind date’.
Standing outside the meeting spot she’d selected, she looked up, taking in its unassuming facade, and automatically smiled, remembering her first visit there.
This place was the perfect location to meet Ed. It was close by so not too tricky for her neighbour to get to, absent of any accessibility hurdles. It was also easy-going and considerably less stuffy than many of the more high-end eateries around here, and quieter too.
Despite Ward’s early promo efforts, business had since tapered off and gone back to normal, tap-and-go Millennials apparently unimpressed at the proprietor’s steadfast refusal to bend to technology.
Hannah smiled. Since she already knew Ed certainly wasn’t a Starbucks kinda guy, maybe he and fellow technophobe dinosaur Frank would hit it off and if he didn’t already, Ed might even keep frequenting this place once she was gone?
She was still taken aback that now, after all this time her curmudgeonly neighbour wanted to meet, and while in truth she wasn’t especially up for being sociable, there was no way she was going to turn him down. He had obviously come to value their faceless companionship a lot too.
So the notion that this meeting might have a dual purpose in helping her lonely neighbour make a new friend made Hannah feel less guilty about her out-of-the-blue announcement that she was leaving at such short notice.
She was curious too about the insight he’d provided in his latest missive about Ward and Rob’s public showdown and the suggestion that maybe she’d misinterpreted. But she could certainly agree with his assertion that Ward’s current status as a former client was the best thing for all concerned. There truly was always something so wise and reassuring about Ed’s words.
Now she wondered momentarily if she was subconsciously tempting fate by deciding on such a meeting spot. ‘No,’ she reassured herself. ‘It’s old school, just like him.’
Last night when she’d picked up Ed’s note on return from her walk, she’d written a quick response thanking him for the invitation, saying she would meet him here tomorrow at eleven.
And just so you know who to look for, I’m mid-thirties, chestnut-hair, about five-three or so. I’ll head in early to grab us a table. Excited about meeting in person.
Even though he hadn’t provided a physical description in return, she was pretty sure she would be able to identify Ed when he came through the door; an older male with mobility issues, a gruff exterior and inferiority complex that concealed his inner child and good heart.
Huh she thought now, sounds familiar . . .
Hannah took a quick look at her reflection in the window of Frank’s coffee house, fluffed her hair, then opened the front doors and strode in. Squinting a little to get her bearings, she glanced around the café’s current patrons, trying to discern whether Ed had beaten her there.
‘Hey, Frank,’ she called out to the smiling proprietor, who was as always behind the counter, manning the place on his own. Looking longingly at his fresh produce display, she grabbed a free table for two by the window taking the far side so she could keep an eye on the door for her neighbour’s arrival.
‘What can I get for you?’ Frank asked as he approached.
‘Just a flat white, please.’ As much as she wanted one of his legendary cannolis, she figured it would be rude to order something before Ed’s arrival. But given his sweet tooth she thought he’d be only too happy to join her.
‘You got it. Anything to eat?’
‘I’m actually . . . waiting for someone. I’ll let you know.’
Hannah felt herself jumpy with nervous energy. It really was kind of like going on a blind date. She truly had no idea if she and Ed would hit it off in person, which was also why being anonymous all this while had made it so easy to communicate. So she hoped things didn’t feel awkward face to face.
Frank headed off to fill the order while Hannah tapped her hands on the table, feeling fidgety. She picked up her phone and glanced at the time.
It was now a little after eleven. She hoped he wasn’t having trouble finding the place or negotiating the street in his wheelchair or mobility aid, or whatever he used day to day. And now she wondered if it had been a bad call not just to meet in the lobby of their building and go from there. But that would have been way too awkward. This way, much like a blind date, either one could come and go as they pleased.
Just then, the door chimed and Hannah perked up to check out the new arrival but the person, a guy in a baseball cap, was much too young. Then looking properly at the face beneath the ballcap, she felt the room start to spin.
Ward had just walked in.
Shite . . . Hannah grimaced and automatically started to slump in her seat to fade away from view, even as her heart instinctively fluttered at the mere sight of him.
But if she truly thought about it, wasn’t there a subconscious part of her that had chosen this very place, considering their history? She wasn’t sure and she just sat there, hoping that he might just grab his usual takeout and wouldn’t notice her, but it was too late. Frank approached her table with her order right as Ward passed by.
‘Hey, man, how you doin’?’ he called out, bringing attention directly to where she sat. As Frank set the cup down in front of her, Hannah muttered a thanks but could already feel Ward’s gaze on her as he closed the distance between them.
‘Great, Frank, how about you?’
‘All good, man, all good.’
Swallowing hard and staring at her hands as Frank moved away, Hannah finally transitioned her attention to his piercing green gaze.
‘Hey, Hannah,’ he greeted quietly.
She shifted in her seat even as she felt her face grow hot.
‘Hi, um … what are you doing here?’ she stuttered.
‘Just grabbing coffee. This is one of my favourite places, but I think you already know that,’ he answered, and now she worried that he might think she was here hoping to bump into him or something. Like some psycho stalker.
But of course that didn’t make sense since she was the one who’d been avoiding his calls.
‘So how are . . . things?’ Trying to compose herself she briefly raised her gaze to his, before glancing again at the door. This was incredibly awkward. Especially if Ed were to appear now and they were all forced to exchange pleasantries or something. Hannah wasn’t sure how she’d introduce either man to the other without raising a lot of questions on both sides.
Ward seemed to follow her line of sight. ‘Are you meeting someone?’ He motioned to the empty seat in front of her.
‘Actually, yes, I . . . ’
But he was already sitting down. ‘Is it a date?’ he teased, making Hannah’s heart pound in her chest. ‘I’ll move when he gets here.’
‘It’s . . . not a date. Just a friend . . . ’
He studied her face. ‘Saying some goodbyes maybe?’ he asked softly.
Hannah opened and closed her mouth, feeling momentarily confused until it dawned on her. Bernie must have told him about her plans to leave the city, her excuse not to have him back as her client.
‘You could say that,’ she confirmed, feeling a bit sheepish now for being too cowardly to fill him in herself.
‘I’ve been trying to call you, Hannah,’ he said then, his voice growing softer, causing her to look up at his face, still covered in bruises. His eyes sparkled like emeralds.
‘I know.’
‘You haven’t called me back. Never even replied to my messages.’
‘I know,’ she repeated. What else could she say?
‘I’m so sorry for what happened, I know I should have controlled my temper and shouldn’t have made a scene. I embarrassed you in public and made things hard for you, I recognize that. But no way could I stand by and watch you being pushed around like that. Can you accept my apology?’
Hannah took a sip of her coffee and then wiped her palms on her jeans. Her hands were sweating. She did not want to have this conversation with Ward. There was no way she would get out of it with her heart intact.
‘You know, my friend, who I’m meeting, he’s likely to be here any second . . . ’
‘Do you accept my apology?’ he pressed. ‘Honestly, Hannah, I know you and Kendrick have a history, but . . . ’ Then he trailed off. ‘I know I don’t have any right to ask and your relationship is none of my business, but I just need to know, after everything, are you OK? With him I mean?’ She’d still been glancing at the door, but his heartfelt tone brought her back to the present. ‘You’re important to me,’ he continued earnestly. ‘Your happiness is important to me. And now I’m worried that I put you in a difficult position.’
‘Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, would it?’ she remarked, the words out before she could stop them, but catching sight of his expression she relented. ‘I was just teasing. I get that your intentions were pure. You were just trying to be the good guy – no, you are the good guy.’
Ward leaned forward in his seat, waiting for her to say more.
Taking a deep breath, she added, ‘Yes, I forgive you.’
Of course I do. How the hell could I not when you’re looking at me like that ?
‘Thank God,’ he said softly, emotion thick in his voice. He put his hands on the table and Hannah had the sudden urge to cover them with her own but knew that would be wildly inappropriate. Yet somehow the mood between them had shifted, something had intensified, and she glanced at the door again, now wishing that Ed wouldn’t show up after all.
‘Anyway,’ she said, her voice becoming light as she realized she needed to wrap this up, ‘all’s well that ends well. Rob got what was coming to him. Your career is going to be fine, better than fine, since the whole world now adores you.’ She smiled and then added, ‘I just hope you and Shelley are—’
‘I am not with Shelley,’ Ward interjected quickly. ‘Let’s clarify that once and for all.’ Hannah furrowed her brow, suddenly confused. She opened her mouth, additional questions on her tongue, but he stopped her. ‘I have never been with Shelley,’ he said, his tone measured, searching her face for a reaction. ‘She’s my personal trainer, a friend who agreed to come to the ceremony as my plus one after you pretty much strong-armed her into it that day here. You assumed we were together for some reason . . . You created that narrative.’
Did she? Hannah searched through her memory trying to put the string of events in order, and realized that he was right.
‘I was happy to go along with it, though,’ Ward admitted. ‘I was embarrassed after that night in the park and ashamed too. Especially when you’d told me you were with someone, with Kendrick.’
‘But I wasn’t, I mean we’d split up by then but it was all a bit messy and confusing still and then he turned up at my place unexpectedly and …’
She felt herself start to ramble and truly hoped that Ed didn’t decide to show up now because at this point it would be a seriously unwelcome intrusion. She got the sense that she and Ward were on the verge of something important, and she needed an answer to her next question.
‘Why?’ she asked, her voice no more than a whisper.
‘Why what?’
‘Why did you want me to think that you were with Shelley?’
‘Because I was afraid, Hannah. I already crossed a line that night in the park. And I was terrified of losing you, not as my publicist or a friend but …’
Her eyes met his and she knew without a doubt that he was telling her the truth.
‘Oh . . . ’ she breathed as the weight of his admission weighed on her heart.
Then Ward stood up. ‘How late is your friend running?’ he asked, suddenly changing the subject so fast that her thoughts spun back to the present. She’d almost forgotten she was here to meet someone else.
‘Quite a bit to be fair.’ She too looked absently at the door.
‘Well, I guess I’d better get going. Again, I’m so sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. Just know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and I wish you didn’t need to leave. I especially hope that my actions haven’t caused you to want to do that. You’re a special person, Hannah, and you deserve so much better than someone like Kendrick.’ She nodded, unsure what to say, and Ward continued. ‘I’m sure that the guy you’re waiting for knows how lucky he is to have you in his life.’
‘Apparently not since he’s decided not to come after all,’ Hannah mused, a little let down, but also somewhat relieved that Ed hadn’t appeared.
Her emotions were all over the place and she didn’t think she could take any more surprises, nor handle idle pleasantries.
‘Well, at least it meant you and I got the chance to say goodbye.’ As he turned to leave, Ward tentatively reached across and rested a hand on hers. ‘See you round, Hannah.’
She barely managed to utter goodbye in return she was so overcome by the significance of what he’d revealed to her. He cared about her too. Yet what was she supposed to do? Run out on the street after him and fling herself into his arms?
Hannah sat there for a few moments longer, uncertain if she was still waiting for Ed or deciding what to do about Ward.
But before she could think any more about either scenario, Frank reappeared at the table with a plate, on top of which sat one of his famous pastries, the same one she’d chosen the very first day she’d come here.
She glanced up in surprise. ‘But I didn’t order …’
The older man nodded toward the door. ‘Ed did. He came in before you arrived and asked me to give this to you when he was gone.’
‘He did?’ Hannah looked at him, mystified. Ed had been in here already? How had she missed him? But Frank just shrugged and moved away.
Still reeling, she stared down at the plate and then noticed a piece of paper sticking out from beneath the cannoli.
Another note.
Hey Cannoli Girl. Good to finally meet in person.
Seems like you and I both made assumptions about a lot of things from the get-go. Believe me, I had no idea either what was going on until I read your goodbye note.
While I hope what I told you just now makes sense, there’s so much more I need to say. And a lot of time to make up for.
But I thought I’d start by paying you back for all those Rice Krispie treats you made for me. Good thing I already know you like this one.
Edward McKenzie
PS: I’m heading home now if you’d like to chat some more. I have a feeling you’ll know exactly where to find me …