Chapter Twenty-Three

JOEY CHECKED HERSELF into a hotel the next day and told Taylor to call if she wanted more time, but otherwise she’d be back in a week. She picked a hotel near Hyde Park so she could walk through it when the weather was clear and was happily surprised that it was sunny just after she dropped off her bags.

It was good to be outside because she started to panic. Had she really just sent the woman she loved into the arms of someone else? Was it too late to call the whole thing off?

As she walked along the winding path, she felt restless. Moving felt good, but it wasn’t quite enough. It was time to write.

She headed back to her hotel room and looked at her notes. She’d been purposely leaving the end of her story open, but decided it was time to use her novel as the ultimate pro/con list. She would write everything she’d outlined so far, but finish this time with her main character going back to the man she loves. She’d write a happy ending for the woman left behind, then see how it all felt to see the ending written out like that.

Then, in a new draft, she’d choose door number two. Maybe whichever version was easier to write was the right answer. She was giving Taylor a week to think things through and take stock of everything; she should do the same.

She knew she could still see herself with Taylor, but if things ended badly, she could fly home and beg Dan to forgive her. They’d already bought tickets to be there for Betty’s graduation. One way or another, that trip would seal her fate.

She sat down to write and was amazed at how easily the words came. Her outline had kept the story churning in her brain for so long and it was such a relief to finally get the words out of her. She wrote for as long as she could each day, taking short breaks to eat and do a lap around the park so she wouldn’t get too stiff. On one of her walks, she decided to go a little further and stumbled past an antique shop. The window display was lovely, and she decided to take a peek inside.

The woman running the shop was old and kind, but a bit too chatty. Joey was about to leave when she noticed a case of jewelry by the door and couldn’t help but look inside. She’d been planning to stop by a shop specializing in engagement rings, but an Art Deco ring in the back of the case caught her eye.

“Lovely, aren’t they?” the shopkeeper said, coming up behind her.

“That one,” she said, pointing to the ring. “May I see it?”

“Of course, dear. We can’t just wait around for a man to buy us something special.”

Joey decided to spare this woman the story of what she had planned for the ring and put it on her own hand to admire it. It really was beautiful. Even if she didn’t end up giving it to Taylor, she knew it would haunt her forever to leave it at the shop.

A realization struck her. “My purse. I left it at the hotel.”

“It’ll keep,” the woman said. “I’ll put it away till the end of the day if you like, dear.”

Joey thanked her and walked briskly back to the hotel. She was walking so determinedly she didn’t even notice Taylor in the lobby until she did a double take.

“What are you doing here?” she said, slowing her pace and changing direction.

“I came to see you,” Taylor said. She was dressed in the new spring coat Joey had bought her and looked radiant. Joey worried that the time apart had given her that glow. Or worse, that her date with Vienne had.

Joey guided her to her room, not sure if she should be thankful or angry with herself for telling Taylor where she was staying. It had seemed prudent, but Joey didn’t want to cause a scene in this fancy London hotel and she didn’t know how she’d take the news that her girlfriend was leaving her for someone else.

She chastised herself for thinking so negatively as they walked from the elevator to her room and thought about the ring she’d left behind. If Taylor was here with good news, that was most definitely a sign that she should hurry back to buy it.

“How was your date?” Joey asked, once they were safely in her room. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to that question but best to get right to it.

“It was lovely,” Taylor said.

Joey winced but tried to will her face to not show how much those words hurt.

“Vienne is kind, and beautiful, and straight,” Taylor said, with a nervous laugh.

“She’s straight?”

“Oh, yes. She was happy to have dinner with me but made sure to drop her boyfriend’s name into the conversation about twenty times before the salad came.”

“But I thought…”

“Yes, I did too. I’m not sure what she would have done if I’d kissed her that day, but I don’t think it would have been her kissing me back.”

“So, nothing happened this week?” Joey asked.

“Not nothing. I realized how much I love you.”

“That’s definitely not nothing.”

“And I got to know a few of the other girls in my classes. I’ve got a few new friends.”

“That all sounds delightful. But don’t you want more time? I’m relieved you didn’t do anything with Vienne, but I don’t want you to resent me.”

“Joey, you’ve shown me you can give me the freedom I need, and that’s all that matters. I was worried we were moving too fast, but if you can be this generous, I could never resent you.”

Taylor moved closer to kiss her, but Joey took a step back.

“Could you give me just a minute? I actually came back here to grab my purse,” she said. “There’s just a quick errand I need to run and then I’ll be right back.”

“Uh, okay,” Taylor said, clearly confused.

“It’ll all make sense in about fifteen minutes.” Joey guided Taylor to sit on the love seat by the window. “You just wait right here. You look so beautiful, by the way.”

Taylor blushed and Joey kissed her on the forehead. She really did look beautiful. And she’d been the one to end their time apart. The signs couldn’t be any clearer. On the way to the elevator, Joey checked her reflection in the mirror. She was a little flushed from her walk, but otherwise she looked good. She knew Taylor didn’t care how she looked, but she thought it was important to look nice when proposing to someone.

The shopkeeper was thrilled to see her back so soon and had found a nice box to put the ring in.

“In case you don’t want to wear it just yet,” she said, closing the lid and handing it to her.

Joey tried to walk slowly back to the hotel but felt herself nearly skipping on the way back. She could see everything so clearly now and couldn’t wait for the rest of her life to begin.

“Honey, I’m home,” she said in a singsong voice as she opened the door to the room.

Taylor wasn’t sitting where Joey had left her. In fact, she wasn’t sitting at all. She was standing at the window, holding a stack of papers and staring down at them.

“What the hell is this?” was all she said.