My Saving Grace

I pursed my lips, giving my undivided attention to the current task at hand of putting on my husband's tie for him. Sporting a charcoal colored suit and crisp white dress shirt, he looked every bit the distinguished professor that he was. And oh so breathtaking.

"There, all done," I said with a smile, stepping back to take in his entire 6'2" frame.

He grinned in appreciation.

"I'm gonna miss you." I sighed heavily.

"Me too, mia bella." He tenderly stroked my cheek with the backs of his knuckles, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Send me lots of pictures. And remember to eat good food. It'd be such a waste to be in Europe and eat bad food."

"Duly noted. Anything else?" His eyes gleamed with mirth.

"No Swiss strippers, please."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"Darling, I'm gonna be stuck with middle-aged to eighty year old professors for a week."

I scoffed.

"Like their age matters. Men love that stuff, no matter how old they are."

"Trust me, these guys get turned on more by the Carnot cycle than naked women."

"Hmm, I can imagine that. And God damn, I haven't heard about the Carnot cycle since my junior year thermodynamics class."

"Good. It's purely theoretical and never observed in industry."

"Yes. But anyway, no strippers for you, Mister." I poked at his hard, suit-clad chest.

"Only if you promise to put on a strip tease for me when I return," he murmured huskily, the corner of his mouth lifting in a sly smile as he traced my lower lip.

My breathing hitched.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good."

He stepped away from me, retrieving his suitcase from the doorway and throwing it in the trunk of his car. Then his arms were around me in a tight embrace.

"Kill it at your guest lecture, hon. And have a safe flight afterwards. Text me when you reach, okay?"

He planted a kiss on the top of my head.

"I will. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone, alright?" He gazed down at me lovingly.

"Can't make any promises."

He growled, capturing my lips in a drugging kiss, and then he got in his car and left, taking a piece of my heart with him. God, I was gonna miss him. We hadn't been apart a single night since our wedding.

I was unbelievably proud of him, though, for being selected to attend this year's International Conference and Exhibition on Materials Science and Chemistry in Switzerland. Most of the attendees were recognized in both the National Academies of Science and Engineering and well beyond Antonio's years, like he'd said. But his accomplishments and contributions to his department spoke volumes and made him a deserving candidate.

I went back into our house and tidied up around the kitchen before jumping into the shower. Next weekend was Halloween, and to get into the spirit, I'd decorated the front lawn with jack-o-lanterns and adorned our trees with cobwebs.

The houses on either side of us hadn't put anything up, but hey, there wasn't anything wrong with standing out.

At seven, I met Ella and Peter for our weekly half-apps date at Applebee's. As usual, the hours passed with hilarious stories courtesy of Peter. I learned the two of them were planning a weekend trip to Aspen, Colorado in early November. It'd be a perfect way for them to further their relationship. After all, you learned a lot about a person when traveling with them.

Later that night, I was lying in bed reading when my phone rang. The caller ID indicated that it was Chase—we'd exchanged numbers after my third visit to the café in Santa Monica.

"Hello?", I answered.

"Hey, Sophia. Is this a bad time to call?"

"No, not at all. I was just reading a book."

"Oh, nice. Is it any good?"

"So far, yes. What's up?"

"Well, I just got back from filming in Canada yesterday and was just wondering if you wanted to hang out. They're showing The Shawshank Redemption at Griffith Park tomorrow evening."

"Oh my gosh, I love that movie. It's, like, one of my top three favorite movies of all time."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that back when we first met."

"I did?"

"Yes, princess. You also told me your mom loved Pearl Harbor."

I smiled wistfully.

"Your good memory still scares me."

He chuckled into the phone.

"You should invite your husband. I'd love to meet him. Gwen is out of town for the weekend, otherwise she'd come, too. She'll be back on Monday, though."

"That's really nice of you to invite Antonio. But he's actually on a flight to Switzerland as we speak. He has a week-long academic conference there."

"No worries. It can just be us two then." I could hear the smile in his tone.

"Perfect! We can maybe grab dinner beforehand?"

"I'd like that."

We made plans to meet up at a Mexican restaurant near Griffith Park then bid each other good-night. Years ago, I never thought Chase Lincoln and I would see each other again, let alone live in the same city. Now, we got to hang out like old friends, and I was so thankful for that. Like my husband, I didn't have a ton of friends, but the few I had meant the world to me.

Speaking of friends, my mother's best friend, Charlotte Decker, whom I'd always referred to as "Aunt Char" growing up, had moved to Ohio for her husband's work ever since I was sixteen. As a result, I hadn't seen her in ages. She hadn't been able to attend my wedding because the day before it, her husband had gotten into a car accident. Thankfully, he'd just suffered a minor concussion and sported a couple bruises.

However, my dad had called last week to inform that she would be coming to California for her mother's eightieth birthday next month. The both of them still kept in touch over the years.

I couldn't wait to finally see her again. After my mom's passing, she'd been the shoulder I'd cried on apart from my dad's. He'd also claimed she made an amazing marriage counselor.

Too bad she lived in Ohio now, not like Antonio and I would ever need counseling.

When my lids started to grow heavy, I put my book aside and turned off the bedside lamp, snuggling under the warm comforter. The king-sized bed felt like a vast ocean without the man I loved lying next to me. I grabbed his pillow and buried my face in it, inhaling the familiar traces of his cologne from this morning and soon, I was fast asleep.

***

I kept glancing at my clock, making sure I had ample time as I ran the curler through my hair. The evenings tended to get slightly cooler in October so I'd decided to wear a denim jacket over my white summer dress. To say I was excited to spend the next couple of hours with Chase was an understatement.

Hell, I was over the moon.

But I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Chase was an undeniably attractive guy, and I'd harbored feelings for him in the months after our brief encounter. I was happily married now, nonetheless, I told myself it was perfectly normal for these thoughts to be present.

At six-thirty, I arrived at La Villita Cantina, and as I got out of my car, I saw Chase driving by out of the corner of my eye with his windows down. Being the celebrity that he was, I'd expected him to drive some fancy sports car, but to my surprise, he drove the latest Honda Accord in black.

That was definitely one of my favorite traits about him—his humbleness.

He parked a couple of spots away from me, and I waited outside the entrance for him. I watched him get out of his car, and not even five steps in, he was stopped by two young girls, who looked to be in their early twenties.

I could hear their excited squeals as they asked for his autograph and smiled to myself, remembering the time my dad had surprised Nick and I with a meet and greet for the Pirates of the Caribbean anniversary in LA. Jack Sparrow was my favorite fictional character growing up and getting to see him in person had been a dream come true.

Life sure was full of surprises. Who knew I'd ever become friends with a Hollywood actor?

After the girls each took pictures with Chase, they left as he made his way to the entrance. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and I waved. Wearing a gray V-neck tee and jeans, he looked every bit the casual guy I'd come to know.

"Quite the celebrity are you?", I said teasingly.

"You saw that?" He grinned.

"Yep."

We briefly hugged, and I stepped back, taking in his bare arms.

"Aren't you cold?", I asked.

"I'm from Minnesota, princess. Cold is not in my vocabulary when I'm here."

"Valid point."

"You look beautiful." He smiled, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

"Thanks. Should we go inside?" I looked towards the door to hide my blush.

"Yeah." He opened it, ushering me in.

The place was packed with patrons, luckily, I'd made reservations beforehand. The hostess led us to our table, and as we followed her, I could feel people's eyes on us. After all, Live or Die had been a box office hit when it first came out, and Chase had had a significant role.

To my relief, our table was situated near the back of the restaurant, which afforded a moderate level of privacy. No doubt some fans would still come flocking to us, though.

"So, what's good here?", Chase asked after we'd ordered our drinks—a margarita for me and bottle of Corona for him.

"I've never been here before, actually. But from my research, the fish tacos are supposed to be amazing."

He raised a brow.

"You did research?" His tone was laced with amusement.

"I always do research before eating at a place. Otherwise we'd be here for hours waiting for me to make up my mind."

He laughed, shaking his head.

"You're too damn cute, princess."

"It's not cute! It's called being efficient," I protested.

"Whatever you say. I'll do the fish tacos then." He set his menu to the side.

"Same here. You like chips and guac?"

"They're my weakness."

"Mine, too." I beamed.

"Perfect. We'll order that, too, then."

The waitress came back with our drinks and took our order before conversing with Chase for a good five minutes. During that time, I admired the restaurant interior and decorations, my stomach growling as I inhaled the delicious scents of corn tortillas and carnitas.

"Is this your girlfriend?", I heard the waitress ask.

"No," Chase and I blurted at the same time. He gave me a goofy grin, and I giggled.

"She's a good friend of mine. We go way back," he clarified.

"Oh, my apologies." She blushed.

"It's alright."

"Well, enjoy your meal, you two. My husband will be so jealous when he hears that I talked to his current favorite actor."

Chase and I both laughed.

While we munched on our chips and guac, he filled me in on his stays in Vancouver and Toronto during his filming. In his free time, he'd gone hiking and explored the famous tourist attractions. In fact, the weekend Gwen flew up to visit him, the two of them had taken a trip to Niagara Falls.

His next movie, he hinted, would be just as action-packed as Live or Die but with more elements of romance. When he showed me a picture of his female co-star, my jaw literally dropped. She was beautiful beyond words, with sharp features and an alluring smile.

"Holy Christ almighty...if my husband were an actor and his co-star looked like that....Ugh, I'd go blind from jealousy."

"Okay, let's not cast your husband for the fourth 50 Shades movie then," Chase quipped.

"There's a fourth one? The fuck, I could barely stand the first three."

"No, there isn't. I was joking." He laughed.

I sighed with relief.

"Does she ever get jealous?"

"My girlfriend? No, she doesn't. She understands it's all part of my job."

"That's good to hear."

"She knows she's the only woman I'm crazy about," he added with a longing expression.

"That's sad you two are always apart from each other."

He shrugged, feigning a smile.

"You know what they say. Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

I couldn't help but grow nostalgic as I thought about the immediate months after Chase's disappearance, when focusing in class had been nearly impossible. How my feelings for him had intensified before slowing fading when I'd finally accepted that I'd never cross paths with him again.

At that moment, our tacos arrived, breaking my reverie. Chase furrowed his brows as the waitress set our plates down, his probing eyes never leaving me.

"What's on your mind, princess?", he asked after she'd left.

"Nothing! Let's eat. I'm starving."

He stroked his jaw.

"Hmm. Okay."

During our meal, the subject of our conversation shifted to my job and new house, both of which seemed to pale in comparison to Chase's stories about his travels for his movie. But like always, he loved hearing about my life.

The tacos were absolutely to die for, and lucky for me, he couldn't finish his last one, so I happily ate it for him. We shared a bowl of fried ice cream for dessert, and Chase insisted on covering the bill, so I let him.

It was around nine when we reached Griffith Park for the outdoor movie. Chase had taken some time to talk to fans before we'd left the restaurant, which I thought was really sweet. They'd ranged from as young as about twelve years old to sixty years old. Of course, we'd had to clarify our friendship more than once.

There were about fifty people present at the park for the movie, mostly college students and older couples. Chase found a spot near the front with a clear view of the screen and laid out his blanket for us to share.

I kicked off my wedge sandals, stretching out my legs in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chase's gaze linger on them for the briefest of seconds before redirecting his attention to the screen.

I refrained from making a witty comment, not wanting things to get awkward, but inside, I couldn't help but smile.

The stars were twinkling in the night sky as the cool breeze tickled my cheek. Next to me sat the guy I thought I'd lost forever. I couldn't be more content.

"When's the last time you watched this movie?", he asked.

"Like two years ago. You?"

"I haven't seen it since I was, like, twelve. So, I don't remember much."

"You're in for a treat then."

He grinned.

A couple asked if they could sit in the space between Chase and the man next to him, so he scooted his body closer to me to make room for them. Our arms were practically touching, and he quickly glanced down at them before looking at me.

"Is this okay?", he asked.

"I won't complain if you won't."

"Fair enough." We exchanged a smile.

The familiar opening scene started of Andy Dufresne—the main character—battling his thoughts as he sat in his car and for the next two and a half hours, I was drawn into the captivating world of Shawshank State Penitentiary.

As like the other times I'd watched this movie, tears were rolling down my cheeks at the end, and I wiped them away with my sleeve. Only this time, I wasn't just crying over the wholesomeness of the final scene, but for the man beside me, who'd been given his own chance at redemption.