Annie doesn't even have to look over her shoulder at the photo in question to know the one he's talking about. The memory of the day it was taken makes her smile, though, and she says, "An ex. We dated for a year and a half, but..." She shrugs. "Didn't work."
Derek fought the urge to get smug that they had rather satisfying sex in the ex's face. He continued to chew his bite then swallowed before voicing any more of his thoughts. "Worked enough for you to have a keepsake to remind you every day."
"Like?" he asked. Annie had a good poker face. Derek would give her that much credit. However, cool and blank did not match keeping a daily reminder. His goal wasn't to hit a nerve. He was simply curious. It didn't dawn on him that her ex could possibly be a touchy subject. Not if the man was on display for all to see. Derek kept his eyes on her expectantly, not even breaking his gaze as he took a sip from his glass.
"How to ride well, how to dance better..." She finally glanced at the photo. "How to take rejection gracefully."
Looking back at Derek, she raised a single shoulder in another shrug. "When he made it clear he didn't want me anymore, it stung. Especially when I kept running into him at the coffee stand."
She had to glance at it. Oh no, there was more than the cool response she gave him. Derek was sure of it. Yet...he wasn't sure that he really wanted to know. He gave her a curious grin. "And you want a daily reminder of that? Seeing him at the coffee stand ain't enough?" There seemed to suddenly be little eating going on. His eyes remained fixed on Annie.
"How often do you really look at the things on your fridge?"
It was a pathetic attempt to be dismissive and she knew it. She also knew he wasn't eating anymore, so she went with honesty... again. "He saved my life in a dark alley once. He means a lot to me, even if--" She paused. "He regrets ending it. I know he does."
Derek couldn't help a chuckle at her question. It wasn't a mean laugh. Annie was simply too smart to really ask him that. He was hitting a nerve. At the realization, he stopped showing his amusement and returned to a friendly glance. She wasn't over the relationship. That's why the man's face was something she chose to look at on a daily basis.
He gave her a nod of encouragement. The last thing he had meant was to trudge up a painful past. Unrequitted love. Derek didn't know a whole lot about that other than being the rebound guy. He had never really even held a torch for long. Sometimes that seemed sadder than being heartbroken--to be nearing forty without ever falling madly, deeply in love.
Annie recognized the moment he realized something because the pity showed on his face and she decided to tell him... well, everything. She pointed to the fridge.
"That man knew more about me than anyone else on the planet and when he chose to end it between us, he used the most painful and personal things he could think of to make me hurt." She looked at the photo again, and though her expression hadn't changed, her tone had. "I don't keep the picture because I still love him, Derek. I keep it as a reminder."
The question came out quickly, almost challenging. If there was one thing that Derek wouldn't tolerate, it was a lie. Even if it had all the good intentions in the world. Nothing good came from a lie. He didn't immediately assume Annie was intentionally trying to deceive him as much as he thought she might have felt the need to save face. His question was more of a reminder of her words that her ex meant a lot to her than it was to question her.
"I'd think that what you went through cut deep enough, you wouldn't need any reminders."
Not that anyone asked him what he thought. It felt important to stand his ground. They could have a good time and it never turn into nothing more, if that was what Annie wanted. What he wouldn't put up with was living a lie or running games. He might have slept with a number of women but he wasn't a player, contrary to popular belief. He watched her carefully, cautiously. He had more invested in her response than either of them probably realized.
"I love him," she said immediately, a smile on her face, one that held only trace amounts of humor. "But I'm not in love with him anymore and that makes all the difference in the world."
Again with a glance at the photo. "He was more than just a lover, Derek. He was my closest confidant, my best friend... someone I could count on all the time, which..." She trailed off, then tried again. "It's not a reminder that he hurt me, I don't need that. It's a reminder not to trust like that again."
Webb had done worse than break her heart. He'd made her a cynic.
At her immediate answer, Derek started in on his food again. His eyes remained on Annie while he slowly ate. He believed her. Everything added up. If he were the jealous type, he might have pushed about the picture being kept on the fridge. It was only her decision. No one else's. He might have kept a picture on his desk with the similar sentiment for the one they now discussed on her fridge.
There was something witty or teasing that he could say but she didn't deserve him minimizing her experience. Derek knew something about trust issues. So far he felt that Annie had placed a lot in him, more than he had in her. She more than made up for getting him to take her to his place. She was even doing a number on reducing the flame on the torch he had been carrying before their accidental date.
She had the floor to continue or change the subject. Or leave enough silence that he'd find a way to fill it.
The way Derek went at his food again told her volumes about how he felt about her photograph. Someday, she might explain how he'd rescued her from an Iranian prison or replaced her shoes or covered for her when she was beaten and broken and couldn't see her sister.
If she were still in love with Clayton Webb, she'd have their photo framed on her bedside table. She wasn't going to make any more excuses and she wasn't going to eat anything else. The two bites she'd had were enough. In fact, if Derek wanted to know more about her tells, the man to talk to was Webb. Because while she'd dismiss it as not being hungry, she was upset.
The silence remained as comfortable as it had been. If it had been.
As far as it stood, Derek believed what Annie said. He assumed the disclosure brought back both good and bad memories. That seemed to be the whole point for the man's face to be up where it would be seen regularly. He wouldn't question that topic further.
"You invited me over for dinner and you're not eating," he said after a minute of silence. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. His mouth had watered over what she made, but Derek wouldn't eat if Annie wasn't going to. Especially since he had a feeling it had to do with what they talked about, and he was definitely at fault for that subject coming up.
"We both know how I like to eat out," he teased, obviously having more than one meaning. "But that was really good. So I'm just gonna have to work up your appetite a little more. Can't have you missing out on the good stuff." He stood up from his seat and walked to her side, extending a hand for Annie to take. Derek looked expectantly at her. "Dance with me."
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Obviously.
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She kept her voice cool and her expression blank. She wasn't going to lie, but she had a feeling that her emotions regarding Webb wouldn't be welcome.
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Looking back at Derek, she raised a single shoulder in another shrug. "When he made it clear he didn't want me anymore, it stung. Especially when I kept running into him at the coffee stand."
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It was a pathetic attempt to be dismissive and she knew it. She also knew he wasn't eating anymore, so she went with honesty... again. "He saved my life in a dark alley once. He means a lot to me, even if--" She paused. "He regrets ending it. I know he does."
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He gave her a nod of encouragement. The last thing he had meant was to trudge up a painful past. Unrequitted love. Derek didn't know a whole lot about that other than being the rebound guy. He had never really even held a torch for long. Sometimes that seemed sadder than being heartbroken--to be nearing forty without ever falling madly, deeply in love.
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"That man knew more about me than anyone else on the planet and when he chose to end it between us, he used the most painful and personal things he could think of to make me hurt." She looked at the photo again, and though her expression hadn't changed, her tone had. "I don't keep the picture because I still love him, Derek. I keep it as a reminder."
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The question came out quickly, almost challenging. If there was one thing that Derek wouldn't tolerate, it was a lie. Even if it had all the good intentions in the world. Nothing good came from a lie. He didn't immediately assume Annie was intentionally trying to deceive him as much as he thought she might have felt the need to save face. His question was more of a reminder of her words that her ex meant a lot to her than it was to question her.
"I'd think that what you went through cut deep enough, you wouldn't need any reminders."
Not that anyone asked him what he thought. It felt important to stand his ground. They could have a good time and it never turn into nothing more, if that was what Annie wanted. What he wouldn't put up with was living a lie or running games. He might have slept with a number of women but he wasn't a player, contrary to popular belief. He watched her carefully, cautiously. He had more invested in her response than either of them probably realized.
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Again with a glance at the photo. "He was more than just a lover, Derek. He was my closest confidant, my best friend... someone I could count on all the time, which..." She trailed off, then tried again. "It's not a reminder that he hurt me, I don't need that. It's a reminder not to trust like that again."
Webb had done worse than break her heart. He'd made her a cynic.
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There was something witty or teasing that he could say but she didn't deserve him minimizing her experience. Derek knew something about trust issues. So far he felt that Annie had placed a lot in him, more than he had in her. She more than made up for getting him to take her to his place. She was even doing a number on reducing the flame on the torch he had been carrying before their accidental date.
She had the floor to continue or change the subject. Or leave enough silence that he'd find a way to fill it.
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If she were still in love with Clayton Webb, she'd have their photo framed on her bedside table. She wasn't going to make any more excuses and she wasn't going to eat anything else. The two bites she'd had were enough. In fact, if Derek wanted to know more about her tells, the man to talk to was Webb. Because while she'd dismiss it as not being hungry, she was upset.
The silence remained as comfortable as it had been. If it had been.
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"You invited me over for dinner and you're not eating," he said after a minute of silence. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. His mouth had watered over what she made, but Derek wouldn't eat if Annie wasn't going to. Especially since he had a feeling it had to do with what they talked about, and he was definitely at fault for that subject coming up.
"We both know how I like to eat out," he teased, obviously having more than one meaning. "But that was really good. So I'm just gonna have to work up your appetite a little more. Can't have you missing out on the good stuff." He stood up from his seat and walked to her side, extending a hand for Annie to take. Derek looked expectantly at her. "Dance with me."
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