had stumbled into that guy territory. Lesson learned.
Becca was also a realist. He got that too. Distance was a factor. No sense planting a rose bush in the desert.
Which was why after returning to the yarn shop, he convinced his mom to go somewhere other than Cups for lunch.
“But I had my heart set on a lettuce cup and I thought we were going to see Becca...”
Calder pushed the door open for her. It was already warm out, probably eighty. “To tell you the truth, I was just there and she...hinted around that it wasn’t going to work out between us.”
His mom huffed. “That seems premature.”
“Not really, Mom. Didn’t you ever go on a date where you were pretty sure, pretty fast that the guy wasn’t for you?”
“Yes, but you’re a wonderful man and she’d be lucky to have you.” She took his arm and they started walking toward the car.
“That may be true,” he said, “but this wonderful man lives across the country. And he travels. A lot. I don’t blame her at all.”
“You could still be friends.”
“Maybe. Let’s just give it some time. Next visit, I’ll touch base with her and see where we stand. In the meantime, how about we go to Taverna Banfi, that restaurant at the Statler? I’ve heard their crab cake sandwich is pretty good.”
The Statler was a four-star hotel on the Cornell campus where students getting degrees in hospitality management got hands-on experience and training. It had several popular restaurants, Taverna Banfi being the most elegant.
His mom regarded him with a knowing smile as he pressed the remote to unlock the Camry. “You just want to go to the dessert buffet.”
“Is that a crime?” he asked. “Come on. Don’t be the second woman today to break my heart.”
“Oh, all right. Let me call Hart. He should just be pulling into town right about now. He’ll want to meet us.”
Calder stifled his sigh. He’d forgotten about Hart. As if his day wasn’t already shitty after Becca shutting him down. Now he had to make nice with his brother.
After a short drive, during which his mom caught him up on the gossip of her knitting buddies, they arrived at the restaurant where they got a table with a great view of the campus. Just as they were about to order drinks, a voice called, “Mom!”
Calder looked up to see his big brother dressed in chinos and a polo. No flip-flops, of course. Hart had always been into his appearance, even in high school. Sunglasses hung from the open vee of his button-down, and his face was smoothly shaven. Appropriate for a guy whose teammates called him GQ, after the men’s magazine Hart seemed to want to emulate.
His mom pushed back her chair and bear-hugged her older son. “Hart! Oh, honey, it’s so good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too, Mom.”
When his mom let go, Calder extended his hand. “Hey, bro.”
“Hey.” They shook.
The waiter came and took their drink order. He and Hart both had water. His mom ordered iced tea.
“So, how was the drive?” she asked.
“Fine. Quick.”
Hart liked to drive fast.
“What were you doing in New York?” Calder asked.
“Had a meeting with my agent.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Calder said, remembering. “You’re a UFA.”
“What’s a UFA?” Jenny asked. She looked back and forth between them questioningly.
“An unrestricted free agent,” Hart said. “It means my previous contract is up and I’m free to listen to offers from any team in the league.”
“Well, that’s exciting,” Jenny said brightly.
“Have you gotten any offers?” Calder asked. Hart’s last contract had been for eight million. Calder himself signed for only four.
Hart fiddled with the edge of his napkin. “None that I can talk about right now. It’s still early.”
“But you had a meeting,” Calder said. “It can’t be that early if you had a meeting.”
Hart picked up his menu and flicked it open brusquely. “Back off, CS. I used to live in New York, remember? I visited
Becca was also a realist. He got that too. Distance was a factor. No sense planting a rose bush in the desert.
Which was why after returning to the yarn shop, he convinced his mom to go somewhere other than Cups for lunch.
“But I had my heart set on a lettuce cup and I thought we were going to see Becca...”
Calder pushed the door open for her. It was already warm out, probably eighty. “To tell you the truth, I was just there and she...hinted around that it wasn’t going to work out between us.”
His mom huffed. “That seems premature.”
“Not really, Mom. Didn’t you ever go on a date where you were pretty sure, pretty fast that the guy wasn’t for you?”
“Yes, but you’re a wonderful man and she’d be lucky to have you.” She took his arm and they started walking toward the car.
“That may be true,” he said, “but this wonderful man lives across the country. And he travels. A lot. I don’t blame her at all.”
“You could still be friends.”
“Maybe. Let’s just give it some time. Next visit, I’ll touch base with her and see where we stand. In the meantime, how about we go to Taverna Banfi, that restaurant at the Statler? I’ve heard their crab cake sandwich is pretty good.”
The Statler was a four-star hotel on the Cornell campus where students getting degrees in hospitality management got hands-on experience and training. It had several popular restaurants, Taverna Banfi being the most elegant.
His mom regarded him with a knowing smile as he pressed the remote to unlock the Camry. “You just want to go to the dessert buffet.”
“Is that a crime?” he asked. “Come on. Don’t be the second woman today to break my heart.”
“Oh, all right. Let me call Hart. He should just be pulling into town right about now. He’ll want to meet us.”
Calder stifled his sigh. He’d forgotten about Hart. As if his day wasn’t already shitty after Becca shutting him down. Now he had to make nice with his brother.
After a short drive, during which his mom caught him up on the gossip of her knitting buddies, they arrived at the restaurant where they got a table with a great view of the campus. Just as they were about to order drinks, a voice called, “Mom!”
Calder looked up to see his big brother dressed in chinos and a polo. No flip-flops, of course. Hart had always been into his appearance, even in high school. Sunglasses hung from the open vee of his button-down, and his face was smoothly shaven. Appropriate for a guy whose teammates called him GQ, after the men’s magazine Hart seemed to want to emulate.
His mom pushed back her chair and bear-hugged her older son. “Hart! Oh, honey, it’s so good to see you.”
“Good to see you, too, Mom.”
When his mom let go, Calder extended his hand. “Hey, bro.”
“Hey.” They shook.
The waiter came and took their drink order. He and Hart both had water. His mom ordered iced tea.
“So, how was the drive?” she asked.
“Fine. Quick.”
Hart liked to drive fast.
“What were you doing in New York?” Calder asked.
“Had a meeting with my agent.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Calder said, remembering. “You’re a UFA.”
“What’s a UFA?” Jenny asked. She looked back and forth between them questioningly.
“An unrestricted free agent,” Hart said. “It means my previous contract is up and I’m free to listen to offers from any team in the league.”
“Well, that’s exciting,” Jenny said brightly.
“Have you gotten any offers?” Calder asked. Hart’s last contract had been for eight million. Calder himself signed for only four.
Hart fiddled with the edge of his napkin. “None that I can talk about right now. It’s still early.”
“But you had a meeting,” Calder said. “It can’t be that early if you had a meeting.”
Hart picked up his menu and flicked it open brusquely. “Back off, CS. I used to live in New York, remember? I visited
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