I shook my head. "Still nothing. Why? Tell me. What did we do?"
Putting her hands up to cover her face, she groaned. "I'm still trying to forget Paul. He's teaching fifth grade this year. His classroom is right down the hall from mine."
"What happened? Don't keep me in suspense! I'm a woman with a head injury, for God's sake!"
"He tried to have sex with me in the coatroom of the hotel just as it turned midnight. As if I was going to just hike up my dress and bang him right then and there!"
"No way! You have to tell me what my date was like."
"You got off slightly better with his friend, a short accountant who spent the night unsure if he wanted to kiss you or bore you with details about his job. Thankfully, he only tried to maul you once and you didn't have to fend him off like I had to with Creepy Paul. You know, that's what I silently refer to him as every time I see him at school."
"You're terrible! The poor guy was probably in love with you from a distance and just jumped the gun a little that night," I joked.
"I think the best part of that New Year's was laughing ourselves to sleep that night," she said with a smile. "We began the year pretty badly, but we've come pretty far since then, don't you think?"
Her phone buzzed on the table and I saw that it was Justin. As she took the call, I accepted with disappointment that our night out was over. It was okay, though. All the better that I got home early just in case Tristan was there. The sadness of his message stayed in my mind still, and I wanted to be there for him in case his trip had gone badly.
"I have to go, Nina. I have work tomorrow. A few more and I'll never be able to handle the little angels."
She was lying, but it was okay. "I'll have Jensen come around and pick us up," I said as I moved to get up.
"No, that's okay. I'll take a cab. Finish your drink."
"Are you sure? Jensen can take you to Justin's. It's no problem."
Jordan gave me a definite shake of her head. "No need. It's out of your way to take me back to Brooklyn." Opening her arms, she smiled. "Come here and give me a hug before I go."
"I'll see you in a few days, so tell Justin I'm looking forward to spending time with both of you," I said as she hugged me. I released her and stepped away. "I know we usually give our gifts on Christmas morning, but yours won't be in until after that, so get ready to be blown away when it comes in January."
Jordan waved me off. "You don't have to get me anything, Nina. I know you've been dealing with a lot just before the holidays."
"Forget that. I have just the perfect gift for you, so get ready. I know you'll love it!"
Her phone rang again, putting an end to our goodbyes, and as I watched her walk out, I saw my phone light up on the table. Excited to finally talk to Tristan, I swiped the face to see it wasn't a call but an email notification. I tapped the little envelope and saw a message from Cal asking if we could meet. Since I was in the city, I figured it was perfect timing and emailed back for him to stop by The Channel if he was free and able to make it. A minute later, he replied he was nearby, so I ordered another of those candy sweet martinis and sat back to wait for him.
Checking my phone, I saw Tristan hadn't texted again. Disappointed, I quickly texted him the words I love you and hoped that would make him reply. Within fifteen minutes Cal had arrived but still no text from Tristan.
"I'm so glad you emailed me, Nina," Cal said as he sat down across the table from me. He settled into his chair and smiled. "You look incredible. Life certainly has treated you well."
"Well, except for that whole car accident and amnesia thing," I joked.
He looked at me as if he were sizing me up and shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe forgetting the past is something we all should do because you look great."
"Happiness does that for a person. You look pretty good after all these years, so you must be doing something right too."
In truth, Cal looked a little haggard. His grey wool coat was old and worn, and I'd noticed when he took off his gloves that the leather was ripped between his right thumb and forefinger. He still had those boyish good looks that had attracted me years ago, but now they were tinged with worry or weariness. I couldn't decide which.
"I have to tell you, Nina, that I was surprised at first that you came to see me, but now I'm so happy we're getting a chance to get reacquainted."
"I am too, Cal. I think bygones should be left as bygones."
I finished my drink and a waiter arrived almost instantly to ask me if I'd like another. I probably shouldn't have, but they tasted so good, so even though I was already feeling a little lightheaded and giddy, I ordered another martini.
"And you, sir?"
Cal shook his head and forced his lips into a thin line. "No, thanks." The waiter moved away from us, and Cal turned to face me. "This is a fancy place. I don't remember you liking places like this."
I couldn't tell if the tone in his voice was condemnation or insecurity. Either way, it made me uneasy to see Cal like this. As if I had to come up with an excuse why I'd want to eat in a nice restaurant, I said, "This place has gotten great reviews. I just thought I'd try it and see if it lives up to all the hype."
The truth was that I enjoyed restaurants like this now. I could afford them and I'd learned quickly from Tristan that I deserved to enjoy myself. I wasn't hurting anyone, so why shouldn't I have a nice meal in a trendy restaurant? As I sat there silently defending myself and my desire to eat good food, no matter how expensive it seemed to Cal, he shifted in his chair and seemed to not know where to put his hands as he moved them from the table to his lap and back again.
"Cal, you seem uncomfortable. Is something wrong? Is there something you didn't tell me the other day that I should know?"
He hung his head and quietly answered, "No, there's nothing more to tell. I was an as**s and deserve anything you say to me."
Reaching over, I gently touched his sleeve. "It's okay, Cal. Things happen when you're young. That's why they say people are young and stupid. Nobody ever says someone's young and wise."
He frowned at my attempt to make him feel better. "It's just that I have no right to ask you for anything."
His voice strained as he spoke the words, and I could have sworn I saw him tear up. This wasn't the person I remembered at all. He was suffering right there in front of me, and I couldn't just let that happen.
"What's wrong, Cal? What's happened to you?"
He blew the air out of his cheeks and shook his head. "I've had a bad run of things, Nina. My mother was sick for a long time and passed away just a few months ago. She always liked you, I think because you were a lot like her."
"Oh, Cal. I'm so sorry. Your mother was a terrific lady. I had no idea."
"It's just been one thing after another, and tonight I found out that my girlfriend has been seeing someone else and is moving in with him. I just don't know how I'm going to afford our apartment since I signed the lease thinking we'd both be paying toward the rent."
My heart broke at the sight of this sad man sitting in front of me. The boy who'd broken my heart was now feeling what I'd felt, but it didn't give me any pleasure. I'd been blessed with a great man in Tristan, and I wanted everyone I knew to have the same wonderful luck I'd had. I couldn't help Cal out in the girlfriend department, but I could give him some money to help with his rent. I had it, and it would be a crime not to pay it forward.
I reached into my purse and pulled out all the money I had left after paying for dinner, leaving just enough to pay for my last martinis. Handing him the cash, I pressed it into his palm. "Take this."
"No, I couldn't," he weakly protested.
I understood. He didn't want to be emasculated by an ex-girlfriend he'd recently asked forgiveness from. "Then consider it a loan. You were right when you said life has treated me well. It has, but it means nothing if you can't help out a friend in need. I know it's only a few hundred, but I can give you more tomorrow."
"Nina, no. It's okay. This is more than enough. Thank you."
I squeezed his hand before he moved to pocket the money. "You know how to contact me if you need more."
He began to say thank you again, but we were interrupted by Jensen, who suddenly appeared behind Cal. "Miss, I'm sorry I'm late. The car is waiting just outside."
For a moment, Jensen's words confused me, but I realized as he stood there looking down at my purse as it sat on the table in front of me that he believed he was safeguarding me. Before I could set his mind at ease, Cal stood and thanked me again as he quickly headed toward the door.
Tristan's driver nodded silently at me, and I slipped into my coat to return to the house. I considered asking him if he planned to mention any of this to Tristan, but I knew the answer already. Jensen worked for Tristan Stone, not Nina Edwards, and his employer likely knew all about my friendly loan to my ex.
I followed Jensen to the car and got into the back, half expecting Tristan to be sitting there waiting for me. A stab of disappointment hit me when I saw the car was empty, and as it pulled away from The Channel, I knew I'd have to explain what I'd just done, but I wasn't worried.
I hadn't done anything wrong, and once Tristan heard about the hard times that had befallen Cal, I knew he'd understand. No matter what the rest of the world saw, in my heart I knew Tristan was a kind soul like me.