The Heart Wants What It Wants

“You know, jewelry should be an uninspired gift, but this is really gorgeous. And it suits you perfectly well. It’s a carrot.”

“It is. It’s a carrot studded with rubies and emeralds. Rubies seem wrong, don’t they? The wrong color.”

“Stop being so nitpicky, Di. It’s perfect. Shall I put it on for you?”

Diana shook her head.

“No, of course not. I’m not going to wear it now. I don’t think I should wear it at all. Don’t you think I should give it back to him?”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s far too expensive, isn’t it? It’s probably real rubies and emeralds. Or do you think they’re fake stones? It’s not too bad if it’s fake, it’s not too expensive, then. I can take it then.”

Alex grabbed the box, shook it, and the warranty card fell out.

“Nope, I don’t think they’re fake. This is certified. And fair trade, too, look! A billionaire with a conscience – I didn’t think they existed. Isn’t that nice? A billionaire who cares, and he likes you. Well, you have done well, my Di! I told you to bring me back a story, but I didn’t expect one this good. It’s a fairy tale!”

Diana shook her head quickly.

“No, of course it’s not. He’s from a different world, Alex. Besides, he’s too old and set in his ways, and he’s married.”

“What?”

Alex screamed that, and Diana shook her head quickly.

“No, he’s not married now. He was married a few years ago. He was married for four years. Didn’t you find that in your research?”

Alex shrugged.

“I didn’t look. I was more focused on his net worth, if you know what I mean. So he’s not married now? What happened?”

“I suppose they broke up and divorced. That’s how people usually stop being married, isn’t it?”

“No, give me the juicy details. Who divorced whom? Did she take him to the cleaners? Never mind, I’m sure I can find all the details online. Why don’t you shower and get ready, and I’ll find the whole story.”

“I… Alex, I don’t think we should pry. It’s private, isn’t it?”

“Says the woman who wants to be a lawyer. Don’t be silly, Di. Call it due diligence. I’ve got to find out just who my best friend’s new sugar daddy is.”

“Sugar daddy!” yelped Diana, pausing with one foot out of the bed, suspended in midair.

“Well, yes, right? He’s sixteen years older than you, so technically he could be your daddy, though he’d have been a teenager back then. And he’s definitely got all the sugar anybody could possibly want. And he’s hot, too. That’s the jackpot, isn’t it?”

“How is that the jackpot? He’s old enough to be my father. If he’d been a very irresponsible teenager, he could’ve had a daughter my age. I mean, that’s just… That’s not…”

“Don’t break your head over that. He’s not a father, is he? Does he have kids from his marriage?”

“No, he doesn’t. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it, so I didn’t really push. He said… Well, he said he hasn’t ever been in love, not all the way, not like my mama and daddy were. He’s been married, but he’s never been in love.”

“Great, so you could be his first true love. Who cares about being the first wife when you can be the first true love, right?”

“No, I… What kind of a cynical man doesn’t marry for love? That was eight years ago. He was thirty-four when he got married, and he doesn’t think he was in love. If he couldn’t love when he was thirty-four, eight years have probably only made him more cynical. No, I think I should send the necklace back, and then go on with my life.”

Diana made it to the shower, but she was just getting in when Alex walked in behind her.

“Alex!”

“I’ve bathed you after you puked all over yourself after having an entire bottle of peach schnapps, don’t give me that. I can talk when you’re in the shower. Look, why are you so dead set against dating him? He seems to like you.”

“It was just a weekend, Alex.”

“So you didn’t sleep with him?”

“Of course I didn’t sleep with him. You know I don’t sleep with anybody like that. I don’t just jump into bed with people.”

“Well, maybe if you did it a little more often, you wouldn’t be so wound up all the time. But I digress. My point is, you might as well give it a go. He has your number, you have his number, and he… Did you kiss him?”

Diana was silent as she pulled the shower curtain closed and turned the shower on.

“You did, didn’t you!”

“Maybe.”

“That must mean you really like him. Was there any chemistry? What was it like?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Alex!”

“That good, huh? Well, you should think about calling him and seeing if this goes anywhere, Di. You want to settle down. You’ve tried guys our age. They don’t want to settle down. Maybe this is the guy for you.”

Diana frowned but refused to answer.

She was not going to think about it. She was not.

It had just been a weekend. And that was that.