It's Better This Way(24)

Her mother smiled. “You mean like Peter Pan?”

Carrie nodded. “Exactly like Peter Pan,” she agreed. “It never concerned me before. For whatever reason, it did today.” The contrast between Justin and Eric was profound, especially their work ethic. “When I left Green Lake, I realized it was time to move on. He’s a friend, and we most likely will see each other now and again through mutual friends.” No longer would Carrie seek him out, though.

As her grandfather used to say: It’s better this way.



* * *



—

With her thoughts full of Justin and her decision, Carrie returned to The Heritage. Her decision really was for the better. She knew without a doubt that after three or four excuses why they couldn’t get together, Justin would likely shrug and move on. They’d never been exclusive. She was aware of at least two other women he saw, and they, too, seemed willing to pay for his chili dog or whatever.

Soon after Carrie took the position as concierge, she discovered the roof of The Heritage. It was lovely up there, with potted plants decorating the corners. Someone had put up a few lounge chairs, which invited her to sit and enjoy the evening.

The view was spellbinding, especially at night. A cool breeze blew off the waters of the Sound as the clatter of the street noise echoed far below. Every so often a siren would scream, announcing another emergency, followed by a stillness that reminded her how far removed she was from the chaos.

    Being in a thoughtful mood, she decided to head up with a glass of wine, unwind from her day, and let go of the past and look instead to the future. Carrie was happy for Hillary, although she had to wonder if she was ever going to meet “the one.”

Nestled in the chair, dusk settled over the waters of Puget Sound and a few stars blinked in the darkening sky. Sipping the wine, she relaxed and felt the tightness ease from between her shoulders. Time on the rooftop had the ability to do that.

The creak came from behind her as the door to the rooftop opened and she realized she was no longer alone.

“Oh.”

Whoever had joined her seemed as surprised to find her as she was to have her space invaded. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw it was Eric Hudson.

“Eric,” she said, pleased to see him outside of his condo.

He stood next to the lounge chair with his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking as if he wasn’t sure what to do. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“You didn’t.” She patted the chair beside her. “Join me.”

He hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure this was a good idea.

“I don’t bite,” she assured him, with a welcoming smile.

“You didn’t bring me dinner this evening,” he mentioned as he took a seat.

He’d noticed, which pleased her. “I was off today and out with a friend.” The less said about Justin, the better. “Did you miss seeing me?” she asked, jokingly.

“If I did, I wouldn’t admit it,” he said as he claimed the seat next to her and stretched out his legs.

“Ah, come on, Eric, admit it. You look forward to my visits.”

    “I admit to nothing,” he said.

She noticed he was smiling, and she couldn’t contain a smile of her own. “I’d offer you a glass of wine, but I only have the one.”

“Thanks anyway.”

“It’s good to see you outside of your condo.”

“Yeah. I come up here most every night that the weather permits. It frees me…if that makes any sense.”

Carrie understood perfectly. “It does. It’s like I can breathe in what’s good and exhale the frustrations of the day.”

“Exactly,” he murmured.

“It’s surprising we haven’t bumped into each other before now.”

“You come up here often?”

Carrie wasn’t sure what to make of the question. She feared he was hinting that he hoped this was a one-off. Then, too, it could simply be a question. “Every now and again. Would you rather I didn’t?”

“Not at all. It’s kind of nice catching you here. Working from home, I don’t often have human contact—well, other than over my computer screen.”

Carrie had wondered about that. Once Eric started to relax, she found him to be good company. He explained that he owned his own business, how he was the tech support for a number of small companies around the country. He’d started out with computer support for one business, but as his reputation grew, he added more employees and other staff, all who worked remotely. Carrie couldn’t help being impressed. He was an entrepreneur. He then explained that the company had grown fast and demanded more and more of his time, causing stress to mount as he struggled to meet those demands. No wonder he visited the rooftop.

    He paused when he seemed to realize he’d been doing all the talking. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on like that.”

“No, really, I’m interested.”

“I should go.” He looked ready to leap off the lounge chair.

“Please don’t,” she pleaded, and she meant it.

“I need to get back to work,” he insisted, as he stood.

“You know, there’s more to life than work,” she said, hoping that would convince him to stay.