What Was Lost

Chapter 11

"Jesus, Grace, that's fucking hot," Tori exclaimed as they sat over brunch a few days later.

Grace shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unsure of herself. "You don't think I'm being a little unhinged, am I?" she asked, fiddling with her fork.

Tori paused mid-bite, her eyes flickering with confusion. "How is having a fuck buddy unhinged?" she blinked at Grace, "I have them," she added before taking a sip of her mimosa, buying herself some time to gather her thoughts. "Are you not supposed to move on?" she asks softly, genuinely curious about Grace's perspective.

Grace's eyes flicker with something unreadable before she answers, "There's a difference between moving on and avoiding grief." Her fingers absentmindedly twirl her mimosa glass as she continues, "I don't want to be avoiding it."

Tori nods slowly, understanding dawning on her. She takes a moment to think before asking the question that has been weighing on her mind, "What advice would you give a client facing this situation?"

Grace's expression changes, becoming more serious. "I'd be concerned," she admits. "It's a vulnerable time to be starting anything new when you're still dealing with such a loss."

Tori nods in understanding. "I get that." Her tone is sympathetic, but also curious. "But this guy you're seeing is just for fun, right?"

"Yeah," Grace confirms with a shrug.

"Well, it sounds like he values honesty and open communication," Tori concludes. "As long as you keep those lines of communication open, things should be ok." She takes a bite of her eggs, "You're lucky though. I can't even get my last date to respond to a simple text, and the second time we hooked up, he was already trying to do anal. It's like guys these days are all porn-sick and treat dating apps like an endless buffet." She pauses, shaking her head in frustration. "But Logan seems different. At least he has some sense."

"Ugh, that sounds horrible," Grace sighs in agreement, feeling relieved that she doesn't have to deal with that kind of behavior from Logan yet.

"It's not great, Bob." Tori agrees.

As they continue catching up, Grace's phone suddenly lights up. The screen glows brightly with an incoming call from Adnan, Ryan's former chief of staff. She furrows her brow in confusion and quickly silences the ringing, making a mental note to return the call after they finish brunch.

It's been over six months since the funeral, and Grace hasn't had any communication with Adnan or most of Ryan's colleagues since then. In the beginning, everyone was there for her, offering support and condolences. But as the days turned into weeks and then months, their visits and calls became less frequent until they stopped altogether. Adnan was one of those people who drifted away, so Grace is taken aback by his sudden attempt at contact now. She can't imagine why he would be reaching out after all this time and it only adds to the strange unease that has been lingering inside her since Ryan's passing.

"Grace?" he greets, his voice wafting through the phone as she makes her way home from the restaurant.

"Hey," she greets, trying to maintain a casual tone despite the worry that starts to gnaw at her gut.

"Are you—where are you?" he asks, his tone laced with concern.

Her frown deepens. "Walking home. Why?"

He hesitates before answering. "Can you call me back once you get there? I need to talk to you."

"Adnan, what's going on?" She can feel her heart starting to race, knowing that this is the familiar prelude to a life-changing moment.

He lets out a heavy sigh. "There's a story that's about to break."

As her heart comes to a sudden halt, she braces herself for the imminent chaos that is sure to follow. Stepping away from the busy sidewalk, she leans against a nearby building for support as she waits for him to continue.