The next morning, Anna arrived first in the hotel lobby for the complimentary breakfast. Years of traveling had taught her that a free breakfast was usually best when she was first in line. She wanted to enjoy a quiet breakfast without having to stand in line for twenty minutes just to use the waffle maker. She was in the middle of pouring herself a cup of coffee, when she sensed another guest in the small dining area.
“I thought I’d find you here.”
“Matthew!” she exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing up so early? What are you doing here?”
“Those are both very loaded questions. Are you sure you can handle the answers?” he asked with a playful smile. It was exactly the kind of smile that had won her over in law school.
Anna resisted the urge to smile back. “I can handle it,” she said. His proximity was already wreaking havoc on her emotions, and she had to remind herself that this man had a girlfriend and she had someone back at home who needed her. She and Matthew had once been as intimate as two people could possibly be, but that didn’t mean she would lose her head after a few smiles from him.
“Can we have breakfast together?” he asked.
She took a deep breath to steady herself before she replied, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s just breakfast. We’ve had breakfast together hundreds of times.”
She wished he hadn’t casually referenced the fact that they used to live together. “Yes, we have,” she sighed as she walked to a small table in the corner of the room and sat down. “Did you invite your girlfriend to join us? I’d really rather not be an unwilling participant in some vulgar display. This isn’t a personal trip; I’m here on official business.”
“There won’t be any vulgar display. Lena and I weren’t in a committed relationship. She actually left last night, right after I walked with you to this hotel. When she took off, I rented a room here. The only reason I came down at this ungodly hour was to see if I could catch you before you checked out.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Anna?” he asked as his eyes latched onto hers.
Anna let the silence between them linger for a moment. There was nothing obvious about this unexpected encounter. All she felt was uncomfortable and regretful. It was way easier to think of Matthew as a closed minded person who willingly defended a company’s discriminatory practices because the job paid well. If only he’d stayed as that one-dimensional, fragmented, static view she’d held onto for the last four years. Why did he have to come after her last night? Why did he have to take her hand and tell her that he understood now? Why did he have to leave that high paying position that had driven the wedge between them in the first place? And why on Earth had he told her he’d left that job? She took a small sip of her coffee before she said, “Nothing is obvious to me right now,” in a voice that betrayed nothing of her private thoughts. “Why did you want to see me again?”
“You’re the only person in town that I know, now that Lena has dumped me,” he said with a comical grin and a suggestive eyebrow raise.
“If that was meant to flatter me, you missed the mark, Matthew. You missed it by a mile,” she chuckled.
“I know,” he sighed. “But seriously… Anna, I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night. I feel like running into you was more than just a random occurrence. I feel like we were meant to attend the Bach performance at the Place des Arts tonight. I’ve heard the Montreal Symphony Orchestra is exceptional, and I know you enjoy Bach. This was definitely meant to be.”
Anna laughed at him. His words were too ridiculous to be taken seriously. She was able to keep up the pretense that he was just joking; until she accidentally fell victim to the smoldering gaze he sent her way.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful your laughter sounds,” he said in a husky voice that was more suited to the bedroom than the breakfast table.
She immediately stopped laughing, but she couldn’t break eye contact with him.
“So, what do you say? Will you join me tonight for dinner and an orchestra performance?”
“I don’t know, Matthew. I’m in town for a special seminar series, and I may not be done in time to see the orchestra perform.”
“If you can’t make the performance, I’ll skip it and we can do something else when you’re free for the evening,” Matthew was quick to volunteer.
“How would you feel about attending the seminar with me today? It’s a continuing education series on the effect of racial profiling in the last decade. Today’s topic is the effect of profiling on the crime rate in predominantly black and indigenous neighborhoods in Nova Scotia. Do you think you can handle that?” she asked with a definite challenge in her tone.
Suddenly, a sheltered look came over his face. Anna expected him to refuse, but he didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Of course I’ll come, but only if you really want me there. I’d hate to think you’re inviting me somewhere just to prove a five year old point, or to try to push me away right now… Anna, I’m not the same man who disappointed you back then.”
Emotions tried to cloud her judgment, but she closed her eyes to clear her mind. Matthew had always been excellent with charming words, and she would do well to remember that. “Who are you then?” she whispered.
“Spend today with me, and find out for yourself,” he whispered back.
Against her better judgment, she laced her fingers through his and said, “Okay. You come with me to the seminar today, and then we can have dinner and see the orchestra tonight.”