Mid Life Love (Mid Life Love #1)(66)

“Where are we going today?” she asked. “Did you shut down Ocean Beach so we could eat there?”

“Would you like me to?”

She shook her head and smiled.

“We’re going to Pittsburgh Rivers.”

“What?” She paled.

“Pittsburgh Rivers. It’s a specialty restaurant a few miles from here. They have themed meals from the city. I was hoping you’d be able to suggest some things for me to try since that’s your hometown.”

“Oh...”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She turned her head towards the window. “I’m fine.”

I pulled into the parking lot minutes later and looked at her. She hadn’t said much of anything on the drive over. She’d been strangely quiet and hadn’t given me any of her usual sarcasm.

“Are you sure that you’re okay, Claire? We don’t have to eat here if you don’t want to. We can go to my beach house or—”

“I’m sure. I’m just a little tired...”

I knew she was lying, but I decided not to push the issue any further. I helped her out of the car and led her into the restaurant.

“Good evening, Mr. Statham. Right this way.” The host greeted me as soon as I stepped inside and ushered us into a private room.

The walls were painted in murals of all the popular Pittsburgh landmarks—Heinz Field, Cathedral of Learning, Carnegie Museum—and I thought Claire would start chatting about them, but she didn’t say a word.

“Welcome to Pittsburgh Rivers, San Francisco’s own version of the great city of Pittsburgh,” our waiter said. He pulled a few menus from his apron and looked back and forth between us. “Will you two require a full or a half menu tonight? The Hot Metal Bridge special is only available on the full one.”

“Full.” I noticed Claire wincing.

“Fine choice. I’ll bring out those menus right away sir. Would you be interested in the chef’s special wine? It was imported directly from a French winery.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a wonderful wine, a hand-pressed 1975 Bordeaux and—”

Claire started coughing and stood up. “Excuse me, gentlemen. I’ll be right back.”

“No, thank you...” I watched her saunter off. “We’ll have your best champagne.”

“Yes sir.” He walked away.

I scrolled through my emails again, waiting on Claire to rejoin me at the table, but twenty minutes passed and she never returned.

I stood up and headed to the bathroom, knocking before I walked in. “Claire?”

“I’ll be out in a minute.” She sighed.

I stepped inside and locked the door behind me. I walked past all the empty stalls and spotted her sitting at a vanity with her head down.

“What’s wrong?” I touched her shoulder. “Tell me.”

“Can we...” She slowly turned around to face me. “Can we please get the hell out of here?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere but here...”

I reached for her hand and led her back outside. I wanted to drive to my beach house, but it was forty minutes away so I headed for my condo downtown.

Once again, she said nothing to me during the drive. She kept her head turned towards the window and I caught her wiping away a stray tear.

“Welcome back, Mr. Statham.” The valet caught my keys as soon as I pulled up to the building.

“Thank you, Mr. Reese.” I helped Claire out of the car. “Could you keep it on the bottom level?”

“Of course.”

I pulled Claire close to me as we stepped onto the elevator, watching her face pale in the reflection of the doors. When we reached my place, I led her over to a sofa and sat next to her.

“Talk to me...Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just having a bad day.” She forced a smile. “Do you have any movies here? We should watch—”

I cupped her face in my hands. “If you and I are going to work, you’re going to have to open up to me...If this was strictly physical or if I didn’t care about you, I wouldn’t be concerned, but I do care. You can trust me.”

“So, you don’t have any movies here?”

“We’re not watching any movies. You’re going to tell me why you’re upset. You completely changed once I mentioned Pittsburgh Rivers and I want to know why. You can sit here and be silent for as long as you want, but we’re not leaving this room until you tell me.”

She leaned back against the couch and shut her eyes.

Fair enough... I tapped my phone and prepared to order dinner, but she turned to face me.

“My ex-husband proposed to me at Heinz Field,” she said. “He knew one of the physical trainers that worked for the football team and he let us in after hours. I thought we were going there to take a private tour, but he walked me out to the fifty yard line and proposed to me...It was so romantic. He even managed to get the scoreboard to read ‘Will you marry me?’ in bright yellow lights. I just knew that he was the one after that...until fourteen years later when I found out that he and my best friend had been having an affair and she was pregnant by him...Everything that I thought was beautiful about my life in Pittsburgh became ugly after that.”