The Dinner Date
1354 Words
Emma regretted agreeing to dinner almost immediately.
Not because she disliked Lucas.
Quite the opposite.
He was kind.
Funny.
Easy to be around.
The problem was that her life hadn't felt easy since Noah Callahan had walked back into it.
Or rather, since she'd walked back into his.
She stood in front of her apartment mirror, staring at her reflection.
The black dress she wore wasn't particularly fancy.
Just simple.
Elegant.
Appropriate for dinner.
And yet she found herself asking a ridiculous question.
Would Noah like it?
Emma groaned.
"Get a grip."
Five years.
Five entire years.
She was a grown woman with a successful career.
She should not care what Noah thought.
Unfortunately, her heart appeared to disagree.
With an irritated sigh, she grabbed her purse and headed out.
Tonight wasn't about Noah.
Tonight was about moving forward.
About remembering there were other men in the world.
Men who didn't carry enough emotional baggage to sink a ship.
Men who didn't still haunt her dreams.
Men like Lucas.
The restaurant overlooked the waterfront.
Warm lights reflected across the water.
Soft music drifted through the dining room.
It was beautiful.
Sophisticated.
Romantic.
Emma immediately wished she'd suggested somewhere less romantic.
Lucas stood when he saw her.
His face lit up.
"Wow."
Emma laughed nervously.
"Don't start."
"I'm serious."
He pulled out her chair.
"You look incredible."
Heat touched her cheeks.
"Thank you."
They settled into comfortable conversation almost immediately.
Work.
Travel.
Childhood stories.
Embarrassing moments.
The kind of effortless exchange Emma hadn't experienced in a long time.
Lucas had a gift for making people feel seen.
He listened.
Really listened.
Not just waiting for his turn to speak.
As the evening progressed, Emma found herself relaxing.
For the first time in days, she wasn't thinking about deadlines.
Or articles.
Or interviews.
Or Noah.
Well.
Mostly not Noah.
"Can I ask you something?"
Lucas swirled his wine thoughtfully.
Emma nodded.
"Sure."
His expression softened.
"What's the story with you and Callahan?"
Her stomach dropped.
Of course.
Eventually someone would ask.
Lucas smiled apologetically.
"You don't have to answer."
Emma stared down at her glass.
Part of her wanted to dodge the question.
The other part was exhausted from carrying the weight of it.
"We were together."
Lucas nodded.
"I figured."
"How?"
"The way he looks at you."
Emma froze.
The answer caught her completely off guard.
Lucas continued.
"Trust me. I'm a doctor."
She laughed.
"That's not how medicine works."
"No, but observation does."
His smile faded slightly.
"That man is absolutely miserable whenever you're around."
Emma's heart skipped.
No.
That couldn't be right.
Could it?
Noah seemed angry.
Frustrated.
Cold.
Not miserable.
Yet suddenly she remembered the pain she'd seen in his eyes during their hallway argument.
The confusion.
The heartbreak.
The desperation.
A knot formed in her chest.
Lucas watched her carefully.
"Whatever happened between you two..."
He paused.
"...it clearly isn't over."
The honesty startled her.
Most people would have ignored it.
Pretended not to notice.
Lucas simply stated the obvious.
And unfortunately, he wasn't wrong.
Because every interaction with Noah felt unfinished.
Like a conversation interrupted halfway through.
Like a story missing its final chapter.
Before Emma could respond, movement near the entrance caught her attention.
Her stomach immediately dropped.
No.
Absolutely not.
The universe couldn't possibly be this cruel.
The restaurant doors opened.
And Noah walked inside.
For one terrible moment, Emma considered hiding beneath the table.
A mature response?
No.
A tempting one?
Absolutely.
Noah hadn't noticed them yet.
He was accompanied by several teammates.
Dressed casually.
Relaxed.
Laughing at something Ethan said.
The sight felt strangely intimate.
Dangerously familiar.
Then Noah looked up.
And saw her.
Everything stopped.
His smile vanished instantly.
The laughter disappeared from his face.
His gaze locked onto hers.
Then slowly shifted toward Lucas.
Toward their table.
Toward the candlelight.
Toward the unmistakable appearance of a date.
Emma watched his entire body tense.
The reaction was subtle.
Most people would miss it.
She didn't.
Couldn't.
Not after loving him for so many years.
Noah's expression became unreadable.
But his eyes...
His eyes gave him away.
The jealousy was immediate.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
And completely unexpected.
Emma's breath caught.
Why would Noah care?
Five years ago he'd walked away.
Hadn't he?
Hadn't he?
The question echoed painfully inside her head.
Noah looked away first.
Joining his teammates at a table across the room.
Unfortunately, not far enough away.
Emma could feel his presence.
Feel his attention.
Feel every stolen glance.
Lucas sighed.
"Oh."
Emma closed her eyes.
"What?"
"Now I understand."
She groaned.
"Please don't."
Lucas looked almost amused.
"The man looks like he wants to commit a felony."
Despite herself, Emma laughed.
Then immediately looked toward Noah.
Big mistake.
Because Noah was already looking at her.
Their eyes collided.
Heat exploded through her chest.
Neither looked away.
The moment stretched.
Dangerous.
Electric.
Then Noah's teammate said something.
The spell broke.
Reality returned.
Emma forced herself to focus on Lucas.
On dinner.
On anything else.
Yet Noah's presence lingered like a storm cloud.
Impossible to ignore.
An hour later, Lucas excused himself to take a phone call.
Emma remained at the table alone.
Enjoying a rare moment of silence.
Or trying to.
She sensed him before she saw him.
A familiar awareness.
A pull she'd never completely escaped.
Slowly, she looked up.
Noah stood beside the table.
Her pulse instantly accelerated.
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
As though restraining himself.
As though standing here already required effort.
Neither spoke.
The silence felt intimate.
Heavy.
Filled with five years of things left unsaid.
Finally, Noah broke it.
"You seem happy."
His voice was low.
Controlled.
Emma studied him carefully.
"You seem surprised."
His jaw tightened.
"I am."
The honesty stunned her.
Noah glanced toward the patio where Lucas stood talking on his phone.
Then back at her.
His expression darkened.
"So that's him."
The jealousy was unmistakable now.
Emma couldn't believe it.
Part of her wanted to be angry.
Another part wanted answers.
"His name is Lucas."
"I know."
Of course he did.
The realization should not have pleased her.
Yet somehow it did.
A little.
Which was ridiculous.
And dangerous.
Noah looked exhausted.
Like a man fighting a battle no one else could see.
"Do you like him?"
The question escaped before he could stop it.
Emma blinked.
Of all the things she expected him to ask...
That wasn't one of them.
The vulnerability in his eyes nearly shattered her resolve.
She swallowed.
"Maybe."
The lie tasted bitter.
Because she genuinely liked Lucas.
But not the way Noah meant.
Not even close.
Noah looked away.
The reaction was immediate.
Pain.
Pure pain.
Emma's chest tightened.
For five years she'd imagined Noah moving on effortlessly.
Finding someone else.
Forgetting her.
Yet the man standing before her looked anything but indifferent.
He looked broken.
And somehow that hurt even more.
"Good."
The word sounded forced.
Empty.
"If he makes you happy..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Emma noticed.
So did Noah.
Their eyes met again.
And suddenly neither of them seemed capable of breathing.
The air between them felt charged.
Fragile.
One wrong word away from disaster.
Or confession.
Emma wasn't sure which frightened her more.
Then Lucas returned.
The moment shattered instantly.
Noah stepped back.
Walls rising.
Mask returning.
The captain.
The superstar.
The stranger.
"Goodnight, Emma."
Her name sounded different on his lips.
Always had.
Always would.
Before she could answer, he turned and walked away.
Later that night, Emma lay awake in bed.
Sleep refused to come.
Her thoughts replayed every moment.
Every glance.
Every word.
Every contradiction.
Most of all, one memory haunted her.
Do you like him?
Not because Noah had asked.
But because of how he'd looked while asking it.
As if the answer mattered.
As if she mattered.
As if losing her still hurt.
The realization settled heavily over her.
And for the first time since their reunion, Emma allowed herself to consider something she'd been avoiding.
Maybe Noah hadn't stopped loving her.
Maybe he never had.
And if that was true...
Then what really happened five years ago?
- Writer
