I descended the staircase of The Plaza in a twelve-foot silk train. My cheating boyfriend of seven years went white as a corpse. His bourbon glass shattered on the marble floor. “Aurelia?” he choked out. “This isn’t funny.” ········································ First week back after the Christmas break, we flew into the New York headquarters for the annual board meeting. The Chairman beamed as he flipped through last year’s performance reports. “Aurelia’s been grinding it out in London for three years. Doubled our profits over there. She’s the reason we’re celebrating tonight.” “Dominic, come on. Seven years with this girl. Isn’t it about time you brought her home and put a ring on it?” The other executives jumped in, laughing. “Seriously, Dominic. Seven years is a long time. You can’t keep a woman like Aurelia waiting forever.” I gripped my pen a little tighter. A thousand nights alone in that London flat, and I thought the finish line was finally in sight. But Dominic just pressed his fingers down on a printed transfer order already sitting in front of him. “Tessa is being reassigned to headquarters. Aurelia will continue in her current position in London.” His tone was cool. All business. “Tessa is still green. Some time at headquarters would be good for her development.” “Baby, you wouldn’t want people saying I play favorites with my own girlfriend, would you?” The room went dead quiet. Tessa was biting her lip, but she couldn’t hide the gleam in her eyes. “Dominic, I really don’t think this is right. Aurelia’s been waiting three years to come home…” Dominic turned his head toward me, his voice warm but every word a knife. “Aurelia, you’ve always understood the bigger picture. You get why I have to do this, right?” “Honey. New York and London aren’t that far. I’ll fly out every weekend. I’ll even bring your favorite caramel truffles.” I stared at the transfer papers in Tessa’s hands—the ones that should have had my name on them—and nodded at him. “You’re absolutely right, Dominic. A company has to have standards.” Dominic. Seven years of flights between two cities. I’m done waiting for a homecoming that was never coming. … The sky over Manhattan was gray when the meeting broke up. Everyone filed out fast, reading the room. Everyone except Tessa, who clutched her folder to her chest and hurried over to Dominic. Her eyes were glassy, lip trapped between her teeth. “Dominic, thank you so much for this chance. I just—I’m worried Aurelia might take it the wrong way…” Dominic didn’t even look up. He was still rubbing slow circles on the back of my hand. “This was a corporate decision. It has nothing to do with my relationship with Aurelia.” “Aurelia sees the bigger picture. She doesn’t lose her composure like you do.” Distant. Dismissive. Like Tessa was nothing to him. Tessa flicked a quick glance at me before bending forward in a rush of gratitude. “Yes, of course. I’ll work so hard, I promise. Aurelia… I’m sorry you’ll be stuck in London a little longer.” I didn’t say anything. I just slipped my hand out of Dominic’s. The second Tessa disappeared down the hall, Dominic got up, slow and unhurried. He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Are you upset?” “Tessa is a kid fresh out of college. She’s never been exposed to a real corporate environment. She needs the HQ experience to grow.” “She’ll go back to London eventually, I promise. I’m actually doing this for you. Someday I’ll hand you back a sharp, capable executive.” I didn’t bother arguing. I picked up my bag and stood. He reached over and took it from my hand before I could stop him. “Come on, let me drive you to the hotel.” In the parking garage, the moment I slid into the passenger seat, he produced a small white box. “I had someone wait in line for these this morning.” He broke off a piece of caramel truffle and held it up to my lips. I kept my mouth closed. “I’m not hungry.” He pulled his hand back, a little stiff, and leaned across to reach for my seatbelt. His cologne was the sandalwood one I gave him for Christmas. But as he pulled the strap across me, something soft and pink caught my eye. A little fuzzy charm was clipped onto the buckle. He froze for a split second, then casually ripped it off. “Tessa. She grabbed some files from me yesterday and complained the belt was digging into her neck, so she stuck this thing on there.” He tossed the pink ball into the center console with a sigh. “Girls her age love this cutesy stuff. Honestly, it’s exhausting.” That compartment used to hold my allergy medication. Now my little orange bottle was shoved into the back corner, buried under chocolates and a mini Jellycat keychain. Every single thing in there was something Tessa liked. I thought about all those nights in London. How I’d rearrange my entire week just to see him for one dinner. I’d sleep at the office on Thursdays, burn through files all day Friday, and sprint to Heathrow to catch the last evening flight to New York. Sometimes storms grounded everything and I’d sit on a terminal bench until sunrise. He always used to say, “Baby, London is so far. You don’t have to keep flying back like this.” I thought he was worried about me. Now I realize he was worried I’d walk in on what he was doing while I was gone. Dominic didn’t notice anything was off. He started the car, his face perfectly composed. “Did you book your return flight yet? I won’t be able to drop you at the airport tomorrow.” “Tessa needs someone to walk her through the departments. I promised I’d take her around.” He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like me dragging a suitcase to the airport alone had become so routine he didn’t even register it anymore. I turned my head toward the window. “Dominic, I’ve bought one hundred and fifty-seven plane tickets over the last three years. Every single one of them had you at the other end.” “My mother told me before she died—if you knock on a door for seven years and no one answers, it’s time to find a different door.” Dominic slammed the brakes. He reached over and pinched my cheek. “Your mom was just worried about you. She didn’t mean it.” “I’ll expense every single one of those tickets for you. And didn’t I just promise in that meeting? From now on, I’m the one flying out. You won’t have to lift a finger.” He popped a chocolate into my mouth. Sweetness that was never meant for me melted on my tongue. “Come on, babe. Don’t be like this right now. Once the London project wraps, I’ll bring you home. I promise.” The car pulled up to my hotel. He didn’t even cut the engine. He glanced at his watch, then at me. “Aurelia, I’m slammed this afternoon. You go upstairs and rest, okay?” He leaned in to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I pulled back before he could touch me. “Dominic. Seven years. If you can’t follow through, I’m not waiting anymore.” Dominic laughed softly, his expression cooling. “Don’t say stupid things, baby. London gets damp this time of year. Don’t forget to take your medication.”
The next morning, I walked straight into headquarters and submitted my paperwork. The HR manager looked down at the form, then up at me, then broke into a grin. “Oh my God, Aurelia, congratulations! Ten days of wedding leave, approved.” “I knew it. Dominic was just being stubborn in that meeting yesterday. One night with you and he folds like laundry. He’ll be on his knees proposing before the week’s out.” A couple of coworkers passing by caught the tail end of it, and within thirty minutes the rumor had torn through every floor of the building. I went into the break room to grab coffee and ran into three senior VPs who’d known us since we first started dating. “Aurelia, honey, finally! Seven years and you’re making an honest man out of him. Better save us seats at the reception.” I just smiled politely. Didn’t confirm it. Didn’t deny it. “I still need to wrap a few things up. Let’s catch up later.” I headed to the executive floor to drop off my final report. I hadn’t even reached the Chairman’s office when I saw something through the crack in Dominic’s door that made my lungs lock up. Tessa was standing right up against his desk in a tight pencil skirt. Dominic was leaning forward, his hand sliding around to the small of her back. Her zipper must have been stuck, because he was working it slowly, patiently, his fingers lingering where they didn’t need to. “This skirt is inappropriate. Don’t wear it to the office again.” The words were a reprimand. His voice wasn’t. I had never heard him sound like that before. Tessa giggled and shifted closer into him. “But I wore it for you.” Dominic sighed and flicked her nose. “I thought I was getting a future executive. Looks like I got a handful instead.” I curled the corner of my mouth into something ugly, then raised my hand and knocked. They sprang apart. The moment Dominic saw it was me, the warmth drained from his face. “Aurelia? What are you still doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be on a flight to London today?” He spotted the folder in my hand and let out a long breath. “You still had reports to drop off? That’s grunt work. Tessa could have run down to grab them.” He reached for the folder, but Tessa cut in and snatched it from him first. “I’ve got it, Aurelia. Dominic was just telling me how fast I pick things up.” Dominic nodded, approving. “She’s right. Aurelia, she’s got real potential.” For a second they looked like the perfect mentor and mentee. Then the Chairman pushed the door open without knocking. The old man walked in laughing. “Dominic, you dog! Her wedding leave form just hit my desk.” “So where are we doing this thing, New York or London? We’ve got to throw you two the wedding of the century. Our golden couple.” Dominic’s hand went rigid on the desk. He looked up at me, first shocked, then something darker sliding into his eyes. “Sir, we haven’t finalized anything yet. Please don’t listen to office gossip.” The Chairman rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, read the room, and excused himself. The second the door clicked shut, Dominic was on his feet. “Aurelia. You’ve got some nerve. You filed wedding leave without saying a word to me?” “What is this? An ambush? Is this how we’re doing things now?” “You’ve always said you were a modern woman. Since when do you pressure me into marriage?” He wasn’t holding back in front of her. Tessa gasped on cue, pressing a hand to her chest. “Aurelia, I had no idea you submitted wedding leave…” “But Dominic, you and I were going to tour the new venue sites this afternoon. He won’t be able to help you plan anything…” Dominic shot me a look of pure disgust and swept the coffee mug off his desk. It was the mug I’d hand-painted for him one rainy weekend in London. “Tessa, I’m sorry you had to see that. Our afternoon schedule stands. Why don’t you step out for a minute?” Tessa arched an eyebrow and gave me a slow, deliberate smile on her way past. “No problem. I’ll meet you at our usual spot, Dominic.” The door closed behind her. Dominic loosened his tie and softened his voice. “Aurelia. Get whatever little games you’re playing out of your head.” “I’m in a critical phase of my career. I’m not blowing it up over something this petty.” “Take the leave. Go on a vacation, on me. Spend whatever you want. Relax somewhere nice.” “But if you’re dead set on getting married, you’d better start looking for another groom.” I didn’t cave the way I usually did. I lifted my chin and looked him dead in the eye. “Fine. You said it yourself.”
A full week went by, and I almost forgot Dominic existed. He didn’t text. Didn’t call. He was waiting me out, expecting me to crack first, to come crawling back with apologies the way I always did. But I was enjoying the silence. I even took a long walk along the Hudson on my lunch break one afternoon. I liked New York better than London. The breeze here was soft. Almost gentle. London’s wind was damp and heavy. It cut into you like broken glass. Three years in London and I never once felt like I belonged there. I used to wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding, remembering the promises Dominic had made to me on a Hamptons beach the summer we fell in love. Then, late Friday afternoon, my phone buzzed. “Seven p.m. tonight. Per Se, sixty-sixth floor. Happy anniversary.” I read the message three times. Something inside me wavered. Per Se’s Central Park view was glowing gold when I arrived. The city lights flickered on Dominic’s face as he sat across from me, looking every inch the man I’d fallen in love with. He pushed a velvet jewelry box across the table. “Seven years, baby. Happy anniversary.” My fingers had barely grazed the lid when his phone started buzzing. Tessa. Her name lit up the screen like a slap. Dominic answered. Her voice came through, trembling, choked with tears. “Dominic, the power just went out in my whole building. I’m so scared of the dark. I was trying to cut up an apple and I sliced my finger open, there’s blood everywhere—” Dominic’s entire face shifted. He gripped the phone hard. “You’re bleeding? How bad is it? Do you have Band-Aids in the apartment?” “Don’t move, okay? Don’t touch anything.” Three panicked questions in a row. I slid my hand back from the box. Whatever was inside didn’t matter anymore. He’d already forgotten I was across the table from him. Tessa let out another little shriek through the speaker. Dominic looked up. His voice was soft, but his mind was already halfway across the city. “Aurelia, Tessa’s all alone in New York. She doesn’t have family here. She’s probably terrified.” “She can’t handle this by herself. I have to go.” “Can you wait for me? I’ll be quick.” He didn’t wait for an answer. He was already grabbing his coat, already walking out. In London, I lived alone. I learned how to change light bulbs. How to unclog a garbage disposal. How to haul a new mattress up three flights of stairs by myself. I went from crying into my pillow every night to knowing which wrench to use on a leaky pipe. Not once did he show up. I stopped needing him a long time ago. Thirty minutes later, Tessa walked into the restaurant with a pristine Band-Aid wrapped around her pinky finger. She trailed behind Dominic like a scolded child, peeking out from behind his shoulder. “Aurelia, I’m so sorry. I’m such a mess. I completely ruined your anniversary.” Dominic pulled out the chair next to his for her. “Aurelia, Tessa used to work under you. Don’t make her feel awkward, okay?” The waiter arrived with our entrees. Dominic held up a hand to stop the dish with the seared scallops. “Take that back. Bring her the lobster bisque instead.” That was what he used to order for me. Every single date, for seven years. “Aurelia, your stomach’s been off lately. Keep it light tonight. Eat something gentle with Tessa.” I had no idea who had a bad stomach. It wasn’t me. He ordered himself a black truffle filet mignon. Carved off a piece with the serving knife and dropped it onto my plate. “Eat up, baby. You’ve been working too hard in London.” I stared down at the truffle shavings and my throat closed up. Dominic had forgotten I was allergic. Before London, I’d been rushed to the ER after one bite of a truffle pasta. He held my hand in the hospital bed and swore to me, on his life, that he would never let that food touch me again. Across the table, his head was bent over Tessa’s plate, patiently picking out sides for her. “Your stomach gets upset easily, Tessa. Don’t push yourself to eat something you don’t like.” I picked up my fork. Kept my face blank. Cut into the filet and ate it. Under the table, my other hand dug into my bag, pulled out the emergency antihistamine I always carried, and washed it down with red wine. Tessa’s hand “slipped” and knocked her wineglass sideways. A wave of red cabernet crashed across the front of her dress. “Oh no, my dress—” Her eyes welled up. Right on schedule. Dominic reacted instantly. He snatched the small silk-wrapped package sitting next to my plate. It was my seven-year anniversary gift to him. A silk pocket square I’d hand-embroidered over three sleepless nights in London. He ripped open the tissue paper, balled up the silk, and started dabbing at Tessa’s dress. “How are you this clumsy? I thought this was your favorite dress.” Tessa mumbled, cheeks pink. “It’s my favorite because of who gave it to me.” When he was done, Dominic tossed the stained handkerchief onto the table like a dirty napkin. He saw me staring at the crumpled silk and gave me an impatient look. “Oh, come on. It’s a piece of fabric. Her dress is ruined. She was about to cry.” “You’ve always seen the bigger picture. Don’t pick a fight over something this small. Please.” I smiled to myself. “You’re right. Waste not, want not.” I stood up and walked to the front of the restaurant to pay the check. Dominic caught up to me outside on the sidewalk and reached for my hand. “Aurelia, I’ll get you a new one tomorrow. Something nicer.” I sidestepped him and looked out at Park Avenue. “Dominic. There isn’t going to be a tomorrow.” He laughed softly, like he hadn’t heard a word. “Stop it. Go home and sleep it off.” I turned around and didn’t look back.
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