“You’re not,” I assured him, though he most definitely was. “I’m enjoying the conversation.”
The relief was evident in Rory’s face, but he made a point to ask me questions from then on. “How’s Eve doing?” he asked.
“Hell if I know,” I muttered before I could stop myself. Traffic began moving again, but a glance at Rory revealed his surprise at my remark. “Things have been… less than great between us for a while now.”
“Sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. I could sense that he was curious, but he didn’t want to pry.
“She doesn’t like me working so much,” I explained.
“Ah, I see.” Rory turned a little in the seat to face me. “You two have been married… what, ten years?”
I was impressed that he remembered a detail I’d once mentioned to him only as an aside. “Yep, and while I worked just as much ten years ago, she was fine with it at the start of our marriage. Or at least she told me she was. But things change, I guess.”
Eve came from money, and while she kept busy running local charitable organizations, she’d never needed to work a day in her life. She didn’t understand why I wasn’t willing to be a kept man, content to let her pay for everything and control every aspect of my existence.
I noticed that Rory’s expression had darkened a bit, and I wondered if he was contemplating the state of his own marriage. Though I was more than a little curious, I figured he might be willing to open up to me over dinner. I’d chosen a fine restaurant, with a subdued and somewhat formal atmosphere. When I pulled into the lot, I found that it was a little crowded but not packed. No need for reservations this early on a Thursday evening.
“I’ve never been here before,” Rory remarked.
“It’s a good place to bring clients.” As we got out of the car, I heard Rory’s phone chime, and he glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing. “Everything okay?” I asked him.
Rory gave me a chagrined smile. “Heidi just wants to know what time I might be home tonight,” he confessed. “I thought we covered this when I called her.”
I dared to draw closer to him, then inclined my head as if I were sharing a secret. “Well, how late you stay out tonight is completely up to you, isn’t it?” I murmured.
His eyes widened a little, and I knew I’d caught him off guard yet again, but he hurriedly nodded. He tapped out a response on his phone and didn’t hesitate to send it. “I told her I’d let her know when I’m ready to head home.”
I nodded, not bothering to hide that I was pleased with him for finally growing a pair when it came to his wife. When we stepped inside the restaurant, I requested a table at the back, away from the other patrons. I hoped the privacy would make Rory more at ease.
The setting was almost romantic, with soft ambient lighting and flickering candlelight at each table. I used to bring Eve here a lot, when we still wanted to spend time together. I remembered the evening she wore a dress with a plunging neckline, her red hair swept back from her face. My wife had turned plenty of heads that night, and though she was older now, she still attracted plenty of attention.
A waiter approached our table, and I looked at Rory expectantly. “I could use a drink,” I told him. “How about you?”
“Yeah, sounds good,” he said. After he ordered a Tom Collins, I requested a whiskey on the rocks, and when we were alone once more, he flashed me a somewhat guilty smile. “Heidi’s not crazy about me drinking, so I’ll have to make sure I don’t overdo it.”
“You mean she doesn’t drink at all?” I asked.
Rory shook his head. “She comes from a religious family, and alcohol is very much frowned upon.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Holy shit!” My own smile grew devious as I held his stare. “I hope I’m not corrupting you by suggesting that you have a drink with me.”
“Not at all,” he said with an embarrassed laugh. “I drank plenty in college, and I certainly miss having a beer at the end of the day, but I try to keep the peace, you know?”
“Oh, I hear you.” Tilting my head, I narrowed my eyes a little as I regarded him. “You don’t strike me as particularly religious, Rory.”
He began to look uncomfortable, and I wondered if I should steer the conversation in a different direction. Before I could, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “I’m not, actually, and that’s been the cause of some… conflict between me and Heidi. I guess she figured that after we’d been married for a while, I’d come around to her way of thinking, but…” He let the sentence trail off into silence.
The last thing I wanted was for him to be guarded and tense around me, so I made an effort to reassure him. “You two haven’t been married all that long; some things tend to work themselves out over time.”
“But you and Eve haven’t worked out the issue she has with your job,” Rory pointed out, and almost immediately he blanched at his words. “Shit, I’m sorry, Patrick. I didn’t mean…”
“No, you’re right,” I said. “Some issues prove to be unresolvable. But maybe you and Heidi will have better luck in that regard.” I didn’t bother to tell him how resentment was so fucking caustic, eating away at the foundation of a marriage over the years. I had a feeling he would find out soon enough.
The waiter returned with our drinks, and I decided to order a steak, rare. Rory did the same, and only after the waiter collected our menus and walked away did my colleague pick up his drink and bring it to his lips. Upon taking that first sip, he actually closed his eyes in pleasure. “God, I really did need this,” he told me. “I appreciate you inviting me out for dinner.”
I smiled and took a sip of whiskey. The knowledge that Rory rarely if ever drank was helpful; I was already planning the moment when I would order another Tom Collins for him. My goal was to get him nice and relaxed but not falling-down drunk.
I let our conversation drift back toward work, a safe topic for the both of us. When Rory finished his drink, he looked down at the empty glass with an expression akin to surprise. I signaled to the waiter and quickly ordered another.
“Oh, I shouldn’t,” Rory said.
“Relax. I’ll drive you home if necessary,” I told him. “Just enjoy yourself for once.”
His shoulders visibly loosened a little, and it was then I knew I had him. Still he muttered, “Heidi would have a fit if you were to take me home.”
I set my jaw in a firm line. “Heidi needs to understand that in this line of business, you’ll occasionally need to go to dinner after hours. You’ll need to socialize and network.”
Rory swallowed hard and looked down at the table, but he nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’m going to have to talk to her.” When the waiter appeared at our table and placed the drink before Rory, he picked it up without hesitation.
Again I brought the topic of discussion back to neutral territory, not allowing things to get too intense. It was only after our meals had arrived and I was working on a second whiskey that Rory leaned toward me a little, lowering his voice even more. “You mentioned that things haven’t been great between you and Eve. Do you think…” He seemed to struggle to find the right words. “Do you think you’ll stay together?” I considered his question for several moments, and my silence unnerved him. “Jesus, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he hurried on. “That’s none of my business; forget I asked.”