Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series) - By Anna Kristell Page 0,39

room, order dinner and expect fifteen years to disappear.”

“I know that, sweetheart. Let’s relax. You are as tense as can be.” He began to massage the tight muscles in her shoulders, the way he used to do after a long day at work. “Just relax, enjoy the champagne. We’ll enjoy our dinner and catch up on small talk. But then we can’t put this off any longer, Angie. We have to talk about what happened fifteen years ago, what has happened since, and where we go from here. I didn’t walk into your office last Friday morning by sheer coincidence. I told you that I asked for the assignment. I miss you, Baby. I had to know if you were still single. I had to know if we had any kind of a chance together. What better way than to approach you at your work? You have no idea what the last fifteen years without you have done to me.”

So, there it was. Michael had laid his cards out on the table. He does want me back. Those words should have brought sheer joy to Angie’s soul. But would he still feel that way when she told him her secret? Maybe she would never have to tell him. Maybe it would not even come up in conversation. But deep in her heart, she knew that if the subject came up, she would have to finally tell him. If they were ever going to have a chance at happiness again, she would have to tell him the truth. She was older and wiser now, she could see that her mother had been right. She should have told him back then, but the pain had been so fresh and raw. She had tried to shield him from feeling the same pain that she had felt. She had given him a chance to find happiness. But at what cost to herself? At what cost to him? The last fifteen years had been no picnic for her either.

Their dinner finally arrived. True to his word, Michael had ordered all her old favorites. Angie was amazed that after all this time he still remembered her favorite foods. The blackened salmon was prepared just the way she liked it, with twice baked potatoes and steamed asparagus as the sides. He had even ordered her favorite dessert, peanut butter pie. How could he have still remembered this? She knew more and more with each passing minute that she had made the biggest mistake of her life fifteen years ago. As they ate their food and talked about old times and old friends, she realized it all seemed so easy with Michael. Being with him seems so natural. Why couldn’t I have seen it back then? Actually, you big dope, you did see it. You were just too devastated to think about it.

She told him about Katy’s big date with Ryan. Michael thought that was interesting. He had liked Ryan instantly when he met him and felt he and Katy would be a good match. He told her he hoped it would work out for them. He also said he was proud of Katy for starting her design business after all this time. He spoke of the times he and Katy had spent together after the death of her husband and daughter. He told Angie how he had done everything he could to help Katy at the time. Katy had always been the strong one of the group and he felt she had needed a shoulder to lean on for once.

Angie told him that Marianne and Jon were going through difficult times.

Michael remarked, “I hope they are not as foolish as the two of us have been and

they don’t lose something very precious.” The words he spoke touched her heart. She felt tears spring to her eyes.

They also discussed Lizzie’s venture with advertising and the chance she had taken by going ahead and doing the ads for the O’Gradys without checking with Rex. Michael said that it did not surprise him in the least. Lizzie had always been very resourceful. He added that he was looking forward to seeing Rex again when he flew out to Dallas later in the week. They discussed each other’s families and caught up on all the happenings with each family member.

After they finished dinner and the dishes had been removed from the room, he poured her another glass of champagne.

“You know, I’ve had my limit, this is my last glass. I won’t