“Am I keeping you from something more important?” Katherine said.
“I promised to take the office administrator a pie for her Friday-night poker game. Liz?” Felix raised his head. “What do you recommend for a whole pie?”
“The chocolate chess. Always,” Liz said. “Can I get you one?”
“I’ll let you know before I leave.”
Katherine hooked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “You’re full of surprises, Felix Fitzwilliam.”
“Meaning?”
“Still trying to figure that one out.”
Meaning?
Katherine turned and led him to the table in the window, the table he would have chosen since the adjacent one was empty. She picked the seat with the view of the café. His view would be of Katherine and a brick wall, which seemed highly appropriate. He removed his coat; she unwound her scarf and unzipped her leather jacket. Felix resumed his texting.
“Which pie did she choose?” Katherine said, watching the counter. Was she willing Liz to hurry up so she could do this and escape?
Felix pocketed his phone. “The chocolate chess.”
“Good choice. So tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I never thanked you properly for persuading Ella to see Harry. It made a huge difference to him.”
“And to Ella.”
He stared through the plate-glass window to the quiet street, to the empty concrete planters, to the cars jammed into the small parking lot beyond.
“I need to ask you a rather large favor.” He was on a path of no return. Felix Fitzwilliam was going over the top, crawling out of his trench to be pinned down by gunfire in No Man’s Land. He was issuing a formal invitation for help. Next he’d be opening his front door to salespeople. “I’m bringing Ella home tomorrow.”
“I know this.” Katherine leaned her elbows on the table, slotted her fingers together, and rested her chin on her hands. She wasn’t going to make this easy, was she?
“I’m about to hit crunch time with this Life Plan deal. D-day is one week and counting, and I have no idea how much care Ella will need. I do know, however, that she’s frightened of being alone. Eudora has offered to help out, and I was hoping you could fill in the gaps until the deal is done.”
“Reverting to form, are we? Work comes before Ella?”
He crossed his legs and started swinging his right foot back and forth like a pendulum. Above Katherine, there was an alcove in the brick wall with a small window and a vase of colorless dried flowers. Dead flowers. “No. I’ll take the night shift and continue to ferry Harry around.”
Liz appeared with the snack plate. “Can I bring you some forks?” she said.
“Just one, thank you.” Katherine smiled up at her.
Moments later, Liz returned with the cappuccinos, a fork, and napkins. Felix thanked her and then devoured the half biscuit smeared with pimento cheese.
“And what happens after this week?” Katherine dipped her finger into the cocoa swirl on top of her cappuccino and then sucked the foam off her finger.
“Once the Life Plan deal is done, I will be taking an off-ramp out of the partnership, which will allow me to stay with the firm, but in a less stressful role. After the transplant, I plan to set up on my own.”
Katherine scooted forward to the edge of her chair. “Taking clients with you?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way. I’ll be taking nothing but what’s left of my reputation.” Felix wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “And starting over as a corporate financial consultant.”
“Is that what you really want?”
“Of course not. I love my job, but as Eudora has pointed out, it’s time to adapt.” Felix speared a pickle. Katherine was right; he was starving. He chewed slowly, savoring the vinegary taste, then swallowed. “I don’t see an alternative, and this way I can be more in control of my working life. What I’m doing now, to get through this one deal? Cobbled together at best. And I have no idea what Ella’s diagnosis will mean for the family long-term.”