“Are you happy?” he asked.

She looked across the table at this man that was once her could have been.  God he was handsome. She leaned her head thoughtfully to the right.

“Yeah,” she responded matter of factly. “I am…. It’s easy. Being with him is just easy. I’m not exactly used to it.”

He smirked. She couldn’t help but smile back, it was the smirk that had her walking away a few years ago thinking she had to know this man.  She had to know what that smirk tasted like.

“Oh I know.  But easy is good, right? It’s supposed to be easy.”

She looked at him again as he waited for a response.  She simply smiled in response. She knew he would see it was just a little forced.  

“And you? Did you buy your ring yet?” she inquired.  As she asked her rate picked up just a bit. She wasn’t sure why she had asked.  His ring wasn’t her business. “She” wasn’t any of her business.  THEY weren’t any of her business.  Her heart continued to race.

He breathed deep in anticipation, “Not yet.  I go Monday to meet with jeweler.”

“Oh, you’re going custom?” Her heart rate increased.

“Well, kind of,” he responded, bashful. Not common with his character. “I have an idea of what I want, like I saw it online, but I’m using some of my old jewelry to melt down into the band and the side diamonds are going to be from her grandmother’s wedding ring that her mother gave me.”

Mentally she cringed, hoping her movement hadn’t mimicked her thought. Why did she have to ask? She didn’t really want to know.  She also didn’t want to ADMIT she didn’t want to know. “Wow, you’re going all out. That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

It was all she could manage.  

He chuckled lightly. “Yeh, thanks.  I’m happy. Very happy.” He smiled, looking down at his severely bitten fingers. She silently smirked remembering what a bad habit his nail biting was.  One of several, each one more endearing.

She smiled at him, fighting back this feeling she didn’t even want to have.

“I’m happy for you Brute,” she repeated using the nickname she had given him what felt like a lifetime ago.  Again, it was all she could say.

Slowly, he got up.  He could feel the tension between them growing. She knew he could see her inability to meet his eyes. She quickly followed his lead and stood.

As he walked around the desk, she shrank back from being near him even as his clean, masculine scent enveloped her.  As if noticing her reaction, and maybe he did notice, he was always exceptionally perceptive, he moved out the door as if looking for something.  What that something was, she wasn’t sure. Again, she followed and walked out of the suddenly suffocating office.

As they awkwardly meandered about the lobby of his building she tried to remember what she had been thinking coming here in the first place.  For her life, she couldn’t think of a good reason. Sure, she was in his building on business but what on earth did she need going to his office.  

“Well it was good seeing you, Lex.  I’ll see you around,” she breathlessly whispered.  She still couldn’t breath as his smell clung to her.  

She walked away briskly, not missing the fact that he watched her walk away in appreciation, inhaling sharply as her hips naturally swayed side to side.  She smirked, but didn’t look back to reprimand him as she used to. This is what she was to him, something to appreciate as she walked away. And that was fine.  She had a wonderful man of her own waiting for her at home. One who loved her, catered to her, and treated her as if she were gold. She loved him, she really did.

The man behind her had once had the capacity to treat her the same she remembered as her breath hitched.  She had caught glimpses of it during their many conversations and hours spent together. He just waited too long back then.

She continued to walk towards the doors.  He stayed smoothly behind her, his eyes burning a hole in her body from head to toe.

He was getting engaged this month.

She reached for the glass door. A tear slipped down her cheek.  She sniffed and pushed into the wet fall air.