Quaddra leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. ‘I really wanted you to come out with me tonight, Mary, but I wanted you to do that because you were interested in me, not because of who I am, or what kind of favor I could grant you.’ He immediately lifted a hand to pause Mary before she could refute. ‘That’s not me judging you before getting to know you, Mary. That’s just me taking one step at a time. I really didn’t want myposition in life being a factor in you accepting my invitation. I just really wanted you to like me for being me.’
The sincerity in Quaddra’s tone didn’t go unnoticed.
‘I’m not a liar, Mary, and I didn’t do what I did with the intention of disrespecting you in any way. I really hope you can understand that.’
They sat in silence for several long seconds, just staring at each other. Mary tried to imagine how many people, especially women, had tried getting closer to Quaddra just because of his fortune, or how influential he could be. She didn’t even get close to the real number.
Quaddra was the first to break the silence.
‘I guess that the fact you’re still sitting here after all I’ve said, means that you’re not so angry with me anymore and that you, at least in part, understand why I did what I did.’
‘I do,’ Mary nodded. ‘And I’m also not a liar, so I’ll admit that if I were in your position, I would’ve probably done the same.’
Quaddra’s smile was truthful… thankful… happy.
‘By the way,’ he said. ‘I didn’t really mean what I said earlier.’
Mary looked back at him with concern. ‘Which part?’
‘The part about me telling you who I really am, if you tell me who you really are.’ He shook his head. ‘You don’t have to. I’m usually a very good judge of character and like I mentioned before, you don’t come across like a hardened criminal, so I’m pretty confident that you’re not running away from the law.’
He watched as Mary took a deep breath, but stayed silent.
‘Whoever you’re hiding from,’ Quaddra continued, ‘that’s your business and I’m sure that there’s a very good reason for it. If one day you want to tell me about it, I’ll be all ears, but I’d like you to only do so if and when you’re good and ready to let me know. Trust is earned and it takes time. I know that very well. I’m not a hypocrite, Mary. I’m well aware that a universal truth about all of us is that we all have a past, and in that past, therewill undoubtedly be moments that we aren’t exactly proud of… moments that we’d rather forget… moments that terrified us down to our core… and moments that we’d certainly erase from our lives if we ever could. For some, those undesirable moments are much more than just moments in a timeline – they make up that person’s entire past… a past full of pain and scars that they are trying hard to leave behind and start anew… all they need is a chance.’
Mary also wasn’t a hypocrite. She knew that sooner or later that day would come – the day that she would have to tell someone about her past life. She just didn’t think that it would be this soon. She took another deep breath and began with the words – ‘my ex-husband’.
Forty-Four
Quaddra’s full attention reverted back to Mary as soon as he heard the words –my ex-husband. He clearly wasn’t expecting Mary to open up about her past right there and then.
Mary did open up, but she gave Quaddra a much more watered-down version of what had really happened, being very careful to never mention Nelson’s name, always referring to him as ‘my ex-husband’. She never told Quaddra about the beatings or the false imprisonment. She also never mentioned the trial, Nelson’s incarceration, or the fact that she had legally changed her name. All she said was that after their divorce, for her own safety, she had reverted back to her maiden name of Mary Smith.
Anyone sitting before Mary right then would’ve had a million questions that they would’ve liked to ask her. Maybe Quaddra did too, but like a true gentleman, he simply sat quietly, listening in almost total silence, allowing Mary to tell her story at her own pace and in her own words. When she was finally done he only asked one question.
‘If you don’t mind me asking?’ he said, his tone tender and sympathetic. ‘Where’s your ex-husband now?’
‘I don’t know,’ Mary lied. ‘East Coast, I presume.’ She never mentioned that they used to live in Massachusetts either. ‘That’s why I’ve been moving around like a nomad for over a year now.’
Quaddra nodded his understanding, clearly picking up on Mary being deliberately evasive. ‘Are you done moving?’
Mary’s eyes darted away from Quaddra for an instant before she could answer him. ‘I don’t know. My lease contract is coming up, and I’ll have to decide on it very soon.’ She shrugged. ‘I guess I was waiting and hoping that I’d feel safe somewhere before I tried settling down, but I don’t think that that will ever happen. I mean… none of us are ever one hundred percent safe, are we? No matter where we are.’ She paused, as if reflecting over her own words. ‘But I like San Francisco, so… I don’t know.’
Quaddra seemed to be sizing Mary up… taking in the pain in her words… the discomfort in her demeanor… the fear inside her eyes. He was about to say something, when she beat him to the punch.
‘Do you want to get out of here?’ There was a certain intensity in the way that she looked at him, as if she simply couldn’t deny the chemistry between them anymore. ‘Get some fresh air or something?’
‘Sure. I’d like that.’
Quaddra and Mary stepped out into a starry night that wasn’t exactly cold, but the wind-factor was starting to make it so.
‘Ocean Beach is just a couple of blocks that way,’ Quaddra said, pointing west. ‘If you prefer to walk by the beach and catch some of the sea breeze.’
Mary nodded, but said nothing in return.
They’d taken less than ten steps in the direction of the beach when Mary simply turned to face Quaddra, pushed him against the brick wall just past the restaurant that they were in, and kissed him like she’d never kissed anyone before.
Forty-Five