Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
C ory had wanted to come by and pick Mandy up, but she insisted on meeting at the Straight Wharf, downtown near the waterfront.
She didn’t want to confuse the kids by having Cory come to the house and the two of them going off on a date.
It was confusing enough for Mandy. Cory reluctantly agreed, and after making sure the kids were all set with Emma, she headed out.
She arrived a few minutes early, and Cory was already waiting outside, looking sharp in one of his best suits with the seafoam-green silk tie she’d given him for his birthday.
Mandy stopped short as the scene looked so quintessentially Nantucket, with the ferry leaving the harbor, the salty smell of the ocean, and a stunning sunset that cast a golden glow over Cory making him look more handsome than usual.
She guessed that he must have had a client meeting.
He dressed more casually otherwise, cotton dress shirts and pants usually.
He smiled big when he saw her and pulled her in for a hug.
“You look beautiful,” he said. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, his warmth and full attention on her made her feel a bit flustered.
She had taken care in how she looked though.
More than usual. Not that she wanted to dress up to impress him, but she wanted to look good.
She’d curled her hair slightly, used a little more makeup than usual, and wore the black pants that made her look a bit thinner and her favorite blue-green cashmere sweater.
They were seated at a cozy table for two, and Cory immediately ordered a 1989 Chateau Margaux, a French Bordeaux.
The Straight Wharf had one of the most extensive and expensive wine lists Mandy had ever seen, with many rare bottles that sold for several thousands of dollars.
Mandy enjoyed wine, and even though Cory could afford it, it seemed a bit silly to her to spend that kind of money on a bottle of wine. But Cory enjoyed it.
Their server went off to get the wine and returned a few minutes later with the bottle of wine and a crystal decanter.
He presented the bottle to Cory to confirm that it was the one he’d ordered, then opened and slowly poured it into the decanter and then a small amount into Cory’s glass to taste.
Cory made a production of swirling the glass, sticking his nose into it to inhale the scent of the wine, and then took a taste and closed his eyes, savoring it.
He swallowed and nodded his approval. The server then poured for both of them and asked if they had any questions about the menu.
“I’m good. I think I’m to go with the rib eye, medium, and the wagyu beef starter. What about you, Mandy?”
“Slow-cooked salmon I think. And the salad to start.” It was a simple salad with a homemade ranch dressing.
Mandy lifted her wine and took a sip. It was exquisite.
She relaxed, and for the next few hours, it felt like happy times again.
Cory made her laugh with stories about some of his clients and the young traders in the office.
The food was as delicious as the wine, and she wouldn’t have ordered dessert for herself, but Cory made her promise to have a bite or two of his vanilla bourbon cheesecake.
And of course it was so good, she did better than that and shared it equally.
They finished with coffee, and eventually Cory signaled for the check.
It had been a lovely evening, and as Cory put his black card down and the server whisked it away, the happy mood shifted a bit. Sadness slipped in, joined by anger.
Cory reached over and took her hand, oblivious to her mood change. “This was a great night. It felt good, the two of us again. Don’t you miss this? We can have it all again, Mandy. What do you say? Don’t you want to fix things?”
Mandy sighed. “Thank you, Cory. This was a wonderful dinner and fun night. But I really don’t think it would be that easy to go back. Everything has changed,” she said sadly.
She saw the light dim in his eyes, and he let go of her hand. But still, he pressed on. “I know we could make this work, Mandy. It’s not too late. Why not let me move back in and we can give it a real try? It could be so good again.”
Mandy was tempted. It would be so easy to do, as Cory suggested.
He could move back in, and they could pretend that he’d never slipped.
He swore it would never happen again. But if she did that, let him move back in, that would be telling the kids that they were back together.
What if it didn’t work? How long would she give him?
She shook her head. “I can’t do it, Cory. I just can’t. I want to, I really do, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
She saw a muscle flicker in his jaw before he simply nodded and then stood. “I’m ready if you are.”
The house was quiet, and Emma was reading in the living room when Mandy walked in. Emma looked up and smiled.
“How was dinner?”
Mandy knew she wasn’t asking about the food. She shrugged her coat off and sank into the sofa opposite Emma.
“The food is always good at the Straight Wharf. The wine was amazing. Cory was charming, and it was really fun. Until it was over and he asked if he could move back in.”
Emma inhaled sharply. “He really asked you that?”
Mandy nodded. “It’s not that surprising. It’s Cory. He thought he could charm his way back in. And it was tempting. The kids would love it if he moved back in. But it would be even harder the next time he moves out. And I know it would happen again.”
Emma didn’t say anything, but Mandy could see that she agreed.
Mandy felt her eyes well up, and she looked away for a moment and willed the tears away.
She was tired of crying over Cory. “I wish I could go back to how things were, how we were back when we were more of a team and we had fun like that more often. I was blindsided by Cory cheating, but when I look back, we had been growing further apart each year. It was me and the kids and Cory and work.”
“So you told him no?” Emma said gently.
“I did. I hope he knows I mean it. He had said he’d be sending a new offer to my attorney.
We’ll see, I guess. I hope we can work it out without having to get the lawyers too involved.
That will just drag it out longer too.” Mandy grabbed a tissue, dabbed her eyes, and smiled.
“The Virgo in me wants this settled so I can put it behind me and move on.”
Emma stood to leave and gave Mandy a hug. “It will be settled soon, I’m sure of it.”
Emma’s words and tone calmed her, and Mandy felt some of her tension ease.
She remembered that Barbara had suggested that she make an appointment with a therapist. Mandy hadn’t been keen on the idea at first, but maybe she would give her a call and make an appointment. It might help to talk things through.