thirty-five years old. It was time to figure out, finally, who she was.
Troy cleared his throat. “Rigby?”
Elle looked up with a confused expression, unaware of how long she’d been lost in thought.
“Where’d you go?”
“I was just thinking. I’ve been doing that a lot lately.” She dabbed her mouth with her napkin and quickly gulped down the remainder of her wine.
Troy reached across the table. Elle hesitated briefly, looking at his outstretched arm, before grasping his fingertips with her own. “Maybe we both need to stop thinking so damn much.”
Elle’s teeth dug into her bottom lip as his words set in. “Maybe.” They ate in silence for several minutes before Elle changed the subject. “Tell me about Payton.”
Troy sat up tall in his chair, a gleam developing in his eyes. “She’s awesome, such a great kid. I get to see her every other weekend and every Thursday.”
“That must be hard.”
“We make it work. I miss her a lot, though.” He scratched the skin of his forehead, looking down at the table. “She’s a lot like me.”
Elle eased her elbows onto the table, perching her chin on her linked hands. “Like how? Is she stubborn?”
“Oh yeah, big-time. She’s a pistol. Can’t get much by that kid, she keeps me on my toes for sure.”
“And her mother?”
“I guess you could say we’re friends. If it wasn’t for Payton, we wouldn’t be, but we get along just fine. We’ve made the best out of a difficult situation.”
“That’s really admirable. Obviously, I’m not a parent, but I think it would be hard to raise a child with someone else, especially if you’re not . . . you know, together.”
Troy shifted in his seat, took another drink, then asked, “How about you? Do you think you’ll ever want kids?”
Elle didn’t expect that question; even though he delivered it casually, she knew it was loaded. Troy wanted to know how she felt about motherhood seeing as she was thirty-five, single, and without children. She was also married to her job, and worked at least fifty to sixty hours per week.
“Honestly? I’m not sure.”
“Really? Did something change your mind? You always said—”
“I know, it’s just . . . the show is so consuming. I’m not sure I could focus on a baby until it goes off the air. And I’m hoping that won’t be for a long time.” Elle picked at her food, unsure of how Troy would feel about her lack of drive toward motherhood. He was right, though. In her twenties, Elle always assumed she’d have a family. Hell, at that age, she expected to have at least two children by her midthirties. But she also never expected to be the creator of the biggest television drama on any network. Things change.
“Makes sense. You’d be good at it, though.”
“You really think so?” She let out a sardonic laugh. “I think I’d be a nightmare. So anal-retentive, so structured and demanding.” She laughed into her napkin.
“Nah.” Troy studied her face, before licking his lips and smiling. “I think you’d do just fine.”
For the first time since she entered the restaurant, a shot of adrenaline made its way through her body, making her quite aware of the effect Troy still had on her. His opinion mattered, as it always had. The fact he thought she’d be a good mom was endearing, special. It meant something.
“Thank you.”
This time Elle extended her arm across the table, opening her hand in invitation. Troy’s lips formed a soft smile before he placed his hand in hers. They sat in the middle of the restaurant, hands interlocked, and said nothing. They simply smiled at one another, appreciating the common ground they’d managed to find after so many years, and Elle was so grateful.
“I have to ask you something, and I hope it won’t spoil the night because, so far, it’s been really nice.”
Tension hung over the table. Elle wrinkled her nose, but squeezed Troy’s hand, waiting for his question.
“Are you still seeing that guy? The one you brought to my place?”
There was no way Elle would lie. She had to be honest. Instinctively, she pulled her hand from Troy’s. He stared down at the empty space between them. “Yes. We’re dating, but we’re not a couple or anything just yet.”
Troy’s forehead relaxed and he scratched the back of his neck. His cheeks turned pink as he grinned. “Okay, cool.”
“Cool?” Elle was amused. She’d expected tension, a possible ultimatum or a warning from Troy that he wouldn’t get involved with her if she was