Chapter Six
Chase sat at the Chicago Country Club bar sipping his vodka tonic while he waited for Astrid to join him. She’d been pleased with his hefty donation toward the renovation project. He’d written the check, signed his name, and handed it off with little emotion.
Chase had supported a variety of charities through the years.
He felt it was his moral obligation to help those who were less fortunate.
But he knew this wasn’t what Maisy had in mind, and it upset him that he had somehow disappointed her, although it was impossible that she would ever know.
He’d paid her kindness forward and the country club would benefit.
Astrid set the time for them to meet and was never late.
He recognized there were certain expectations on both sides of the family.
It saddened him that he was about to disappoint both sides.
Simon had encouraged the relationship, along with Astrid’s father.
Simply put, Chase didn’t feel it. Hard as he tried, he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life with her.
And he was convinced he wasn’t alone. Giving it over a year, he and Astrid had worked hard to create something meaningful out of this relationship, to no avail.
Time and time again he worked to convince himself that he would grow to love her.
It hadn’t happened, and he was fairly certain she felt the same.
It was a testament to their efforts that they’d been together as long as they had.
Even more troubling was how his brief encounter with Maisy lingered on his mind.
He’d thought more about her in the past week than he’d thought about anyone he’d met in his entire adult life.
The urge to contact her and ask for suggestions on how best to fulfill her request was nearly overwhelming.
He’d tracked down her contact information, and, weird as it sounded, he wanted to talk to her, to hear her voice again, which confused him.
He had no idea why their brief encounter continued to play in his mind.
She was nothing like the women who normally attracted his attention.
Her complete lack of sophistication should’ve been off-putting, but somehow her Pollyanna attitude had been refreshing.
Her appreciation for something as mundane as an airline meal would involuntarily float into his thoughts, and suddenly Chase found himself smiling.
It went without saying that any further communication with her was out of the question.
She was already in his thoughts far more than warranted, and he didn’t want to take the chance of sending the wrong signal.
He had nothing in common with Maisy, although he couldn’t avoid being curious about her.
Checking the time, he was surprised to see that Astrid was late. He reached for his phone, wondering if he’d missed a text.
Someone claimed the barstool beside him, and Chase saw that his companion was Astrid’s father.
“Evening, Harry,” Chase greeted. The two had a comfortable relationship.
He appreciated that Harry was successful.
He was a Wall Street broker with a portfolio of over a billion dollars in assets.
Harry was personal friends with Warren Buffett and was well connected in the financial world.
Merging their families held benefits for both sides, although Chase had heard rumors that Harry had recently made an unfortunate investment—nothing terribly serious, otherwise it would be common knowledge.
“Good evening,” Harry said cheerfully, as he motioned for the bartender and ordered a drink. “Astrid sent me to let you know she’s running behind schedule.”
“No worries. Our dinner reservation isn’t for another thirty minutes.”
“I’m sure she’ll arrive before then,” Harry told him. The older man sipped his martini and turned so that the two made eye contact. “You know how deeply Astrid cherishes your relationship, don’t you?”
Chase avoided responding. They were friends. It went without saying that Astrid was far and away the most intelligent, fun, caring woman he knew.
Harry took another sip of his drink before he asked a more pointed question. “How long have the two of you been dating now?”
Ah, so that was it. Harry was basically asking when Chase was going to move forward with his daughter and propose. His hackles went up, and he took a few moments to gather his thoughts before he responded.
“A little over a year now,” he answered in an even voice, doing his best to disguise his irritation at the less-than-subtle pressure. He held back from telling Harry this relationship had reached a dead end. He needed to clear the air with Astrid first before he said anything to her father.
“I don’t mean to be blunt, but then again, I suppose I do,” Harry continued in the same jovial mood he’d displayed earlier.
“It’s time for you to make your move, young man.
Astrid and you are a perfect couple. I don’t know what it is with young adults these days.
No one seems to want to make a commitment. I say it’s time.”
It took all Chase’s determination to bite his tongue. He glared at the broker and carefully measured his words. “I believe this decision is one Astrid and I will make. I don’t appreciate the pressure, and I’m sure she doesn’t, either.”
“Now, now, there’s no need to overreact. I’m only saying her mother and I would appreciate knowing if we should start making wedding arrangements or not. From what Dori tells me, we should be working on the details a full year in advance, if not sooner.”
“Like I said, this is between Astrid and me,” Chase said, hoping that would put an end to this uncomfortable conversation.
“Of course. No harm intended.”
“None taken.”
Harry swiveled back to the bar and his martini.
“Dori and I are blessed. I doubt that you’re aware that my wife could have had a career of her own and chose not to.
Her degree is in psychology, and she could have been a huge success, had she chosen to pursue her field. She and Astrid are so much alike.”
Chase had no idea about Dori’s educational accomplishments.
“When Dori saw how my company was taking off, and the demands on me mounted,” Harry continued, “she chose to stay home to support me. She willingly sacrificed her own chance of success to stand at my side. Frankly, I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful wife.”
It was true. Astrid’s mother was deeply involved in several worthy charities, serving on the board of at least two organizations that he knew of personally, and possibly more.
She traveled extensively, and Astrid often accompanied her.
Astrid, too, was deeply involved in these groups, and it was understood that she would take over for her mother sometime in the future.
Not all her travels were charity related, however.
Last winter, Astrid and her mother flew to South Africa to tour and play golf.
On the way home, they’d stopped in Paris.
That was early in their relationship, when everything had looked promising.
He strongly suspected that mother and daughter had been scouting out wedding dresses, although Astrid had never mentioned it.
In retrospect, he understood why. Like him, he believed it wasn’t long before she recognized they weren’t meant to be.
Chase knew about this Paris shopping trip from a conversation he’d overheard between Astrid and her best friend.
The two had been chatting, their heads close together, and whispering.
Because he hadn’t been paying close attention, Chase had caught only a small part of what they’d said—the name of a high-end fashion designer who was well known for creating elaborate bridal gowns for the rich and famous.
Several months had passed since the trip to Paris. Time enough for Chase to accept that there would likely be no wedding in their future, which was a shame, as they both had made the early assumption that they would do well together.
“I’ve always admired Dori,” Chase said, when he realized Harry was awaiting a comment.
Harry’s words had been rife with meaning.
Harry was letting Chase know that if he should propose to Astrid, he could expect the same kind of support from her as Dori had given Harry.
It went without saying that Astrid had a lot to offer a man. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that man.
Astrid’s father slapped him across the back, seemingly pleased he’d gotten his point across. “I’m sure the two of you will accomplish great things together.”
Chase was about to say something more when Astrid strolled into the lounge. Every eye turned to look at her. She was stunningly beautiful, tall, lithe, and blond, with deep blue eyes. Her lavender dress was perfect. Chase was the envy of every man in the room.
Smiling, she walked up to Chase and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
He reached for her hand and slid off the barstool. “You didn’t. Your father and I spent the time chatting.”
Astrid’s gaze slid to her father, and she sent him a slight frown. So slight that Chase almost missed it. She seemed to know why her father had made an appearance, and she wasn’t pleased.
“Shall we go in for dinner?” Chase suggested.
Her smile was smooth, as though nothing was amiss. After dating for as long as they had, Chase was able to read her moods, and he didn’t miss the look that passed between father and daughter.
Chase bid Harry a good evening and escorted Astrid to the dining room, his arm around her waist.
As soon as they were seated and gazing over the menu, Astrid said, “What did Daddy want?”
The question revealed mild curiosity, although he knew otherwise.
Before he could answer, Astrid continued, “You should know he sent me on a fool’s errand so I’d purposely be late. I have a good idea of what he was up to, and I apologize.”
“No apology is necessary.”
“What did Daddy have to say?”
Chase didn’t feel it was necessary to sugarcoat the conversation.
“Your father claimed it’s time we decided our future, seeing that we’ve been dating exclusively for over a year now.
” Chase wasn’t sure now was the best time to suggest they part as friends.
The dining room was full and there were several tables within earshot.
Astrid leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I know my father. He was putting the pressure on you to propose, wasn’t he?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “I’m sorry, Chase. That must have been an uncomfortable conversation.”
“I…” He tried, but couldn’t deny it.
“Chase, I understand. Our families have expectations, and forcing us to set a date isn’t helping. In the beginning, I had high hopes. I believed we’d make a good match.”
“I shared your feelings,” he inserted, when she didn’t continue.
He had been certain that Astrid was the one, especially when they’d first started dating.
It made perfect sense. Anyone looking at them would assume they were an ideal couple.
They shared the same friends, moved in the same social circle, and were economically secure.
Chase hated disappointing his father, who had been the one to promote the relationship.
Simon had handpicked Astrid and claimed Chase would be a fool if he let this woman slip away.
“But,” Astrid continued, “when I marry, I want my husband to be so head over heels in love with me he can barely think straight. I assume you’d want your bride-to-be to feel the same. The truth is, I don’t think we’re there.
“Marriage is a huge step,” she went on to say, “and it has to be right for you and for me. I don’t believe it’s a good idea to let my father pressure us when it’s clear at this point neither one of us is invested.”
“Do you honestly feel that way?” he asked, again choosing his words carefully.
“I do. While I deeply admire you, I’m not in love with you, Chase.”
“I’m not in love with you, either,” he confessed.
“The thing is, I don’t think we should give up completely. Not yet, anyway. I’m willing to give it a bit longer, if you’re in agreement.”
Chase didn’t think it would do much good. “Are you sure?”
“I’d like us to give it one last try.”
“Okay,” he said, unable to disguise his reluctance, although he wasn’t convinced.