not
going to, you know—”
“You can, but I can't?”
“You said you never wanted to.”
“That was before I knew you did.”
He dropped her hand. “This is bullshit.
I'm not agreeing to this.”
“Then we're done. I won't spend my life
with you wondering if you're unsatisfied or unfulfilled, or worse yet,
unfaithful. I watched my father cheat on my mother for years before he finally
left. I won't live like that.”
“So either we break up for three months
or we break up forever? That's a hell of a choice.”
“It's up to you.”
“What would happen at the end of the
three months?”
“We either end it for good or we get
married.”
“And would we discuss what happened
during the three months?”
“Never.”
With a deep sigh, he sat back in his
chair. “This is a pretty high-stakes game you're playing here, Jule.”
“It's no game, and it's the hardest
thing I've ever done. I can't imagine a day without talking to you, let alone
ninety of them. But I don't know what else to do.” Her stiff resolve crumbled,
and her eyes filled.
“This is all my fault.” His face
tightened with tension. “The idea of you with someone else...”
“I know.”
He checked his watch. “Damn it. We have
to go.”
“So what do you say?”
“You haven't given me much of a choice.
Since I'm not prepared to lose you forever, I guess we're breaking up for three
months.” He threw some cash on the table and guided her from the restaurant.
They drove to the airport in silence,
but he kept a firm grip on her hand. He walked her in, and when he couldn't go
any further with her, he folded her into a long hug. “I'll miss you. Every
minute of every day, I'll be thinking about you.”
The huge lump in her throat made it
impossible for her to speak so she just nodded.
“Three months,” he said with tears in
his eyes. “Not one minute more.”
“Okay.”
“I'll call you three months from today.”
She nodded.
He tilted her chin up and kissed her
with a fierce, possessive passion that left her breathless and then despondent
when it ended. “Don't go falling in love with someone else.”
“I won't. I couldn't. Don't you, either.”
“Never,” he said, letting her go with
great reluctance.
“Three months,” she said one last time
as she moved into the security line.
“Not one minute more.” He watched her
until she was through to the other side.
She waved, blew a kiss, and walked away.
***
Michael found her halfway down the long
concourse twenty minutes later. She sat on the floor against a wall with her
face pressed into her arms, but he remembered that shiny dark hair. He sat down
next to her. “Hey.”
Startled, she looked over at him and
didn't seem to recognize him for a second, probably because he was wearing a
sweater and jeans rather than a suit. “Oh, hi,” she said, wiping tears from her
face.
“I take it things didn't go well.” Even
with her soft brown eyes swollen from crying, Michael thought she was nothing
short of exotic.
She shook her head as a fresh wave of
sobs overtook her.
Her misery touched him, and with only
the slightest of hesitations he put his arm around her.
For a few minutes she rested against him
and then seemed to realize she was crying all over someone she hardly knew. She
sat up. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged.
“You might feel better unloading on a
stranger you'll never see again.”
“That's true.”
“I have three sisters,” he said with a
coaxing grin. “I'm a good listener.”
She returned his grin with a weak one of
her own.
He stood up and offered her a hand. “First
we have to get to the gate, or we're going to miss our plane.”
“Good thing you came along.” She wiped
her face. “I probably would've still been here when it took off.”
“Maguire to the rescue.” He pulled her
up and tossed her carry-on bag over his shoulder with his own bag.
“How was your weekend?” she asked
going to, you know—”
“You can, but I can't?”
“You said you never wanted to.”
“That was before I knew you did.”
He dropped her hand. “This is bullshit.
I'm not agreeing to this.”
“Then we're done. I won't spend my life
with you wondering if you're unsatisfied or unfulfilled, or worse yet,
unfaithful. I watched my father cheat on my mother for years before he finally
left. I won't live like that.”
“So either we break up for three months
or we break up forever? That's a hell of a choice.”
“It's up to you.”
“What would happen at the end of the
three months?”
“We either end it for good or we get
married.”
“And would we discuss what happened
during the three months?”
“Never.”
With a deep sigh, he sat back in his
chair. “This is a pretty high-stakes game you're playing here, Jule.”
“It's no game, and it's the hardest
thing I've ever done. I can't imagine a day without talking to you, let alone
ninety of them. But I don't know what else to do.” Her stiff resolve crumbled,
and her eyes filled.
“This is all my fault.” His face
tightened with tension. “The idea of you with someone else...”
“I know.”
He checked his watch. “Damn it. We have
to go.”
“So what do you say?”
“You haven't given me much of a choice.
Since I'm not prepared to lose you forever, I guess we're breaking up for three
months.” He threw some cash on the table and guided her from the restaurant.
They drove to the airport in silence,
but he kept a firm grip on her hand. He walked her in, and when he couldn't go
any further with her, he folded her into a long hug. “I'll miss you. Every
minute of every day, I'll be thinking about you.”
The huge lump in her throat made it
impossible for her to speak so she just nodded.
“Three months,” he said with tears in
his eyes. “Not one minute more.”
“Okay.”
“I'll call you three months from today.”
She nodded.
He tilted her chin up and kissed her
with a fierce, possessive passion that left her breathless and then despondent
when it ended. “Don't go falling in love with someone else.”
“I won't. I couldn't. Don't you, either.”
“Never,” he said, letting her go with
great reluctance.
“Three months,” she said one last time
as she moved into the security line.
“Not one minute more.” He watched her
until she was through to the other side.
She waved, blew a kiss, and walked away.
***
Michael found her halfway down the long
concourse twenty minutes later. She sat on the floor against a wall with her
face pressed into her arms, but he remembered that shiny dark hair. He sat down
next to her. “Hey.”
Startled, she looked over at him and
didn't seem to recognize him for a second, probably because he was wearing a
sweater and jeans rather than a suit. “Oh, hi,” she said, wiping tears from her
face.
“I take it things didn't go well.” Even
with her soft brown eyes swollen from crying, Michael thought she was nothing
short of exotic.
She shook her head as a fresh wave of
sobs overtook her.
Her misery touched him, and with only
the slightest of hesitations he put his arm around her.
For a few minutes she rested against him
and then seemed to realize she was crying all over someone she hardly knew. She
sat up. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be. Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged.
“You might feel better unloading on a
stranger you'll never see again.”
“That's true.”
“I have three sisters,” he said with a
coaxing grin. “I'm a good listener.”
She returned his grin with a weak one of
her own.
He stood up and offered her a hand. “First
we have to get to the gate, or we're going to miss our plane.”
“Good thing you came along.” She wiped
her face. “I probably would've still been here when it took off.”
“Maguire to the rescue.” He pulled her
up and tossed her carry-on bag over his shoulder with his own bag.
“How was your weekend?” she asked
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