Chapter Nine

 

 

 

Claire stared at her reflection in the mirror, the eye liner pencil poised to do the second eye. The makeup hid most of the redness around her eyes, but she hadn’t been able to lessen all the swelling from the tears.

She’d told Matt the truth. Nothing felt like home now, after everything that had happened when she’d moved out to Chicago. The job that had sounded too good to be true had turned out to be just that.

Eighteen and just graduated high school seemed to be just what Steven had been looking for. She had been taken in by his suave, city-polished style. She’d signed the contracts and joined him in the real estate venture that he promised would make them both wildly successful. Only after she had taken out loans for the company, tying her credit into the process, had he disappeared with all the proceeds of the sales she had worked so hard to complete. He’d left her hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Her pride held her back then. She couldn’t go home with nothing to show but failure.

Claire continued applying the mask of makeup she had gotten used to using. As she layered her lashes in mascara, she recalled how cold the nights had been, sleeping in her car. She brushed her hair and thought about the lack of sleep while she worked three jobs to keep up on her payments. Brushing her teeth, she remembered selling her car to get the room over the grocery store. Dabbing her lips with color, she swore she could smell the food that the grocer’s wife would bring her and insist she eat without paying.

This property she had now was the final hold in the sheer rock cliff she had scaled out of the nightmare. It had taken every bit of profit from her last sale to buy at the foreclosure auction and, if she could turn it around for what the neighborhood was worth prior to the first payment being due to the association, she would finally be back on even ground. Her name had begun to circulate, but selling real estate was difficult if one’s office didn’t attract, nor impress, the type of clientele she needed.

Claire pulled on a Ralph Lauren formal, a custom creation castoff that she had picked up for a song. The red brightened her appearance, though she didn’t feel it. With the fabric clinging until the mermaid skirt flared at her knees, she knew it showed off assets she was confident in. The sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves deemed it appropriate for the final event of the reunion—a flashback to prom.

She let her hand trail over the entirety of her wardrobe where it hung in the closet. The silks and rich cottons and wools had held up well, being packed into the garment bag day after day while she showed the apartments and condos. The small suitcase held only the necessities and the three pairs of shoes she had splurged on to complete the image of success. She slid her feet into the Louboutins, picked up her clutch purse then left for the last night she would have for the luxury of looking back.

 

* * * *

 

Back in the event center from the first night, Claire was surprised to see how well they had transformed the room into something glamorous. The dim lights were accented by the candles grouped at each table that surrounded the wooden floor. A live jazz band was set up at one end of the dance space with a sultry female singer adapting a popular song to the big band sound. The atmosphere was light and happy, leaving Claire’s mood sinking further into feelings of isolation. She found an empty table and soon gratefully accepted a glass of champagne from a passing server.

Claire elected to watch the dancers quietly, telling herself she could leave after the one glass of wine. Some faces were familiar as she observed them—Evelyn Grant with a former member of the football team, Kayla and Chas, Ted and Marissa, and others. Too soon, a question came from behind Claire.

“Are these seats taken?”

Claire turned her attention to the voice and smiled at Nick Marcus. He had approached, his arm around the waist of a slight woman.

“Hello, Nick. No, they’re open, as far as I’ve discovered. Please.” Claire gestured, pivoting her body to a more open position. Holding her hand out in greeting, she introduced herself. “Claire Wallace.”

“Taryn,” the other girl responded as the couple sat. “They’ve really dressed this place up tonight, huh?”

Claire mirrored Nick’s nod, though his was paired with a frown. “They kept it pretty dark.”

Claire saw Taryn look at Nick with concern and place a hand on his arm. “We’ll be okay.” Nick placed his free hand over hers and Claire wondered at the thankful glance he threw his partner’s way before he looked to Claire.

“I heard the rumor that you’d come back for the reunion,” Nick commented. “I didn’t see you at the event Wednesday.”

“I wasn’t here long,” Claire explained. She smiled slightly. “I ran into Matt, and we tried to get reacquainted a bit.”

“Matt?” Taryn asked. Looking at Nick, she clarified her question. “Is that Matt from—”

“Yeah, it is.” Nick interrupted her, but gave her a soft smile before including Claire. “Matt and I reconnected after I got back from service. We run into each other every once in a while when he has to come out to court.”

“Oh, sure. That makes sense, accident scenes and all. And I heard something like lawyer for you, right?” Claire asked Nick.

“That’s right.”

The conversation derailed as Kayla dropped into the chair on Claire’s other side, flinging her arms around her shoulders. “Claire!” she squawked.

Claire was surprised to hear the laugh coming from her own lips. Her earlier, desolate mood seemed to be disappearing the longer she stayed. “Hey, Kayla. You guys looked good out there.”

“The lessons paid off, Kay. I told you,” Chas piped up from behind Kayla’s chair, leaning over to put a cocktail in front of her. “Hiya, Claire.”

“Hi, Chas.” Claire sat back in her seat, watching the banter whipping between her tablemates. Kayla smacked Chas’ arm for the offense of mentioning his mother. Nick offered legal services for battered spouses, but it was Taryn’s comment that drew her attention.

“Oh, come on, Kayla, I’ve seen you smack harder than that out at the farm.”

Before Claire could ask about the reference, Evelyn laid a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Hey there, handsome. I’m calling you out. None of you fellas danced with me in high school, so I’m taking my turn now.” Nodding to Taryn, she amended, “As long as you can spare him, dear. I won’t wear him out too much.”

A meaningful exchange occurred between the two before Taryn conceded. “Sure, Evie. I’ll be right here.”

“Excellent!” the curvaceous woman crowed. “Come on, quarterback! Let’s see if you still got moves.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nick chuckled, earning a suggestive ‘ooh!’ from the others at the table.

The crowd watched as Nick swept Evelyn onto the dance floor. Claire shook her head with a soft laugh. At Kayla’s questioning look, she explained. “It’s weird. You guys have changed and yet you haven’t.”

“Aw, sure we have, Claire,” Kayla said. “The jokes are just dirtier now.”

“And we can drink legally,” interjected Chas, clinking his glass against Kayla’s. “Oh, and we proposition each other’s moms about real estate.” Chas winked at her. Before Claire could respond, another addition to the list was made.

“And there’s the Sanctuary.” Taryn’s statement drew everyone’s attention, one questioning and the others shushing.

“Sanctuary?” asked Claire. She fixed the querying look on Taryn after seeing the others at the table unwilling to comment further.

“Oh, no.” Taryn clapped her hand over her mouth in apology. Sliding it down, she whispered, “She’s not—?”

Claire turned to see Kayla rolling her eyes. “Claire hasn’t been in town for ten years. She has no idea.”

“Sorry!” Taryn squealed. “I thought when you guys came over that she was— And Nick and I— I’m going to be in trouble for that one.”

“All right!” Claire interrupted. Looking at Kayla she simply asked, “What?”

Kayla’s cheeks turned red. “Uh… Well, good old West Haven might have changed a little more than you think.”

Chas shook his head. “Kayla, she’s a big girl, who lives in the big city.” Leaning around his wife, he dropped the bomb. “It’s a kink club.”

Claire’s jaw dropped. One of the few nights out she’d been on had ended at a kink club near Logan Square in town. Her date had held a membership, but the evening had ended once she found out that he was a serial one-night-stand who expected every girl he invited to the private club to ‘perform’.

“Wait. There’s a kink club. In West Haven. And you’re all part of it?” Claire’s voice dropped to a whisper.

Taryn shrugged. “Well, I’m sort of new, but that’s where I met these guys.”

“And Nick?” Claire felt her eyebrows shoot up in shock.

“Well, no, he’s actually my neighbor. But he took me my first time.”

The connection was made in Claire’s mind. “And… And that’s where you met Matt?” Silence at the table gave Claire her answer. “Wow. I had no idea.”

Loud laughter was getting louder as Nick twirled Evelyn back to the table. With a nudge to Kayla, Claire pointed at Evelyn with a speculative glance. Kayla sighed and nodded to Claire’s delight. “Oh my gosh, who else?”

“Who else what?” Nick grinned as he held a chair out for Evie to sit.

“Somebody”—Kayla started, pointing a finger across the table at Nick’s date—“decided to open her big mouth and now we’re not answering questions.”

“Who else?” Claire demanded.

Kayla let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, Aaron and Marcy. But I’m not telling you anymore!”

“Oh, come on, Kayla!” Claire snickered. “You cannot tell me that West Haven has a sex community and not share. When I left, people were still complaining that they were even teaching sex ed in the high school! Next you’re going to tell me there’s even a Pride festival.” At the looks that circled the table, Claire cracked up. “That’s fantastic!”

“This town has grown up. We might not be as exciting as Chicago, but we’ve found a way to do things right.”

The cold tone quieted the snickering at the table. Claire met Evelyn’s eyes, taken aback by the hardness she saw there. “Evelyn, I didn’t mean—”

“No, you’re right, Claire. It did take us a long time to open up to things, but we have a safe community where we can all experience the things we like without fear of someone outing us. We might seem backward and small town that way, but you can stop laughing at us.” Her chair skittered back as she stood and swept away in a huff.

Claire scrambled up and followed as best she could in the tall heels. “Evie, wait! Hang on!”

The other woman didn’t falter until they’d reached the entrance hall. Claire’s hand on her shoulder made her stop short. Before Evelyn could speak, Claire held her hands up in defense. “Evie, that’s not what I meant at all. I’m really glad to hear about…” Claire looked around the mostly empty lobby and opted for caution. “I’m glad to hear the town is growing up. The way things were then was a big reason I left. Please… Don’t think I’m laughing at you.” She remembered Taryn’s comment. “The Sanctuary sounds great.”

Evelyn’s expression didn’t soften, but her posture did slightly. “Thanks. It really is. It’s become a home away for some of us, so we don’t take it lightly when someone risks taking it public.”

“Understood.” Claire drew an X over her heart and held her hand up in the childhood oath they had all solemnly taken years ago. “To the grave.”

The corner of Evie’s lips curled, showing Claire a small smile. “Good.” With the curt concession, Evelyn turned, gliding away gracefully.

A rush of air took Claire’s attention to the doors at the base of the stairway. Matt walked in, his head bent in conversation with another man who struck Claire as vaguely familiar. The two halted at the base of the stair.

Unseen at this point, Claire took a moment to look over her first love. The suit fit him like a dream, and she smiled to see that he had worn it without a tie. The look came across as metropolitan and confident with a style Claire had seen often affected at bars in the city. Just like the town, Matt had grown up, and like the town, he had obviously changed much more than she could see. Warmth bloomed inside her, and Claire pressed a hand below her breasts to contain the sudden glow.

The pair of men started up the stairs, the conversation holding steady as they approached where Claire stood. Claire watched as Matt’s gaze lifted from the steps, meeting hers. His brow furrowed and he turned away to answer the other man, continuing past Claire and into the ballroom. The warm glow dimmed slowly as Claire trudged back to the table, staggered by his slight, and she retook her chair.

Kayla and Chas returned again after a few minutes, out of breath from dancing a popular party song during the band’s break. Collapsing in a chair, Chas let out a playfully pained grunt as Kayla dropped into his lap. “Easy, Amazon!”

She giggled, swaying slightly. “You aren’t supposed to get me tipsy anymore, Four. This is how we ended up pregnant before. Twice.”

Claire listened to the low grumble of Chas responding for Kayla’s ears only and heard Kayla giggle once again in reply. She smiled wistfully, sure that the two of them were feeling a bit of that warm glow she had experienced moments before. Unwilling to interrupt the sweetness of the kisses they now shared, Claire stood and gathered her clutch, preparing to leave.

She walked a handful of steps through the crowd, then it opened in front of her to reveal Matt standing in her path. The light in the room cast shadows over his face, the candles sending flickering flashes over the white shirt he wore. The rush of golden warmth stopped her escape short as her gaze collided with his. She couldn’t identify the emotion in his warm eyes, but she felt naked to his gaze.

“Leaving?” he asked. Claire couldn’t find her voice to respond, so just nodded. She watched his gaze, seeing them drift down over her floor-length dress and back up. “Will you do something for me first?”

Claire swallowed hard. “All right,” she agreed.

“Dance with me?”

He extended his hand to her and Claire gulped again. She clutched her evening bag to her stomach, willing the glow to go away again, to make her not read too much into his gesture. She took his proffered hand, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

The piano played softly as Matt pulled her close. Claire rested her small gold clutch on his bicep and stared at his unbuttoned collar, afraid to lift her eyes as they swayed to the first words from the singer’s throaty voice.

“I don’t get many things right the first time.

In fact, I am told that a lot.”

“You look beautiful.”

The hushed compliment brought Claire’s gaze up. Matt was looking down at her with an intensity she couldn’t quite handle. “Thank you,” she replied.

“I wasn’t sure you’d be here tonight.”

Claire looked toward the table she had been sitting at, surrounded by old friends. “I wasn’t either.”

“I’m glad you came.”

She smiled gently, remembering the laughter and conversation. “Me too.”

They swayed and turned around the floor. The lyrics from a long-ago love song echoed through Claire, giving them life and fanning the heat inside her that came from his embrace.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Running out on you earlier wasn’t right. I just want you to know it wasn’t you.”

“I wondered.” His reply was as calm as the melody they danced to. “I thought maybe I said something that just triggered a bad memory. Or maybe hearing and speaking Korean again did?”

Claire shook her head. “Actually, I haven’t used that in ages. It was sort of nice to remember it.”

After a pause, Claire heard Matt exhale, “Thank you.”

Claire looked up at Matt in surprise.

“If it wasn’t for you, I would still be beating myself up thinking that Mrs. Kim hated me.” He grinned at her, inspiring a chuckle from Claire.

“Sure.” Claire smiled in return. They fell to silence again, allowing Claire to hear the singer once again.

“And in a wide sea of eyes, I see one pair that I recognize

And I know that I am, I am, I am, the luckiest.”

“Thanks for telling me about Chinatown. I like hearing your stories.”

Claire tightened her fingers on the evening bag. “Matt, please. Can we not right now?” She bent her head, looking at the scant inches that separated their bodies. “Can’t we just be here, now, and forget the past for a few moments?” The emotion in the song and the feeling of being cradled in his arms had Claire close to breaking apart.

Matt’s finger slid under her chin, tipping it up again to meet his eyes. “Yeah,” he whispered at her lips before he captured them with his own.

Claire clung to his biceps as he slid his arms around her waist. The kiss was sweet—too sweet. She retreated, ending the kiss and breathing unevenly. “Come to my hotel.” Her stare pleaded with his.

He smirked ruefully. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I understand.” Claire nodded weakly and stepped back farther. “I have to go. I’m leaving in the morning. Good night, Matty.” She spun on her heel then left him on the dance floor.