Chapter 3

A Bittersweet Goodbye

Roger Davidson gave Lenora a look of half exasperation and half curiosity. He knew all about Lenora's moods and how they could change so abruptly. He sighed and ran a big hand through his unruly blond hair. "My boat?" he asked her.

"Anywhere but here," Lenora grumbled. She got the attention of a passing waiter and asked him to deliver a message to Genie, telling her that she'd left and apologizing for the abrupt departure, saying that she would talk to Genie tomorrow. Once done, she dragged Roger from the room and shepherded him through the back door. Lenora grabbed her broom on the way out, as did Roger, for the witches and wizards who had flown in had stored them in a broom closet for the evening. Wordlessly, they mounted and took off into the sky, heading for the marina where Roger's boat was docked.

He helped Lenora aboard and then led her to his cabin below deck. It was a blistering cold January night, but the cabin was warm, due to the blazing fire in the fireplace and heating charms placed about the room. Lenora began to pace and swear under her breath while Roger waited for her to calm down. When she finally sat, he asked simply, "Well?"

"You're friend, Adam Diggory," Lenora fired back. "He's obnoxious."

"Adam is many things but I've never heard him called obnoxious before," Roger replied gently.

"Oh, he was fine until he mentioned her. That was one name I didn't want to hear tonight."

Roger looked down at the floor, studying his polished but old shoes. "Lenora, you've got to try to get this vendetta thing out of your head. If you'd just—"

Lenora put up her hands to ward him off. "Roger, please don't give me any advice. I didn't ask for it and I don't want to hear it. What possessed you to bring him anyway?'

Roger didn't respond to the first part of Lenora's words. He wanted to tell her she wouldn't have any peace of mind until she found out what the story – the true story – was, and that it wasn't Adam she was really angry at, but the situation instead. Keeping the conversation in relatively safe waters, he explained, "I've known Adam for a while now and he needed somewhere to hang out tonight. I told him of the party and invited him. I figured that with as many people there, you wouldn't notice one more. Of course, I had to sneak us both in because--" He trailed off and ran a finger over his leg, tracing the seam of his pants and feeling rather uncomfortable.

"Because of my folks," Lenora said knowingly. "You and I both know they think your'e beneath me. You're a bad boy from the other side of the pond, so to speak."

"Yeah," Roger sighed. "Listen, it doesn't bother me, not really, but we need to have a talk."

Lenora nodded, dreading what was coming next. She knew what it would entail, but she hated the idea of it nonetheless. "I know."

Roger got up, looking as though he were carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He poured them both glasses of wine and sat back down in his chair after handing one to Lenora. He reached for her free hand with his.

"You don't have to give me any long speeches, Roger. We were never that type, you know. We were just having a good time, we both know that. We never dated exclusively, and it was more a physical thing, what we had going."

"Straight and to the point as always, Lenora," Roger said sadly. "We had some good times, but we both know it can't go anywhere. We have no deep seated feelings toward each other – not in that way. I-I do want us to still be friends if we can."

Lenora nodded and squeezed his hand. "Roger, you don't have to look like that. You're not breaking my, ah, wherever it is you find the heart. I don't have one of those." She was half joking a little, and so she gave him a small smile. "Look, nothing can and will never come of us for many reasons. I think we've reached our limit and we're both board out of our senses. I think it's time we both move on."

"You took the words out of my mouth," Roger stated simply.

"I suppose you had a big speech planned. So did I, really. Roger, you don't have to feel guilty. I don't. We had a great time, we played, we romped, we misbehaved, but that's all it can ever be. I want us to still be friends, I do, but I think we should just stay clear of each other for a while until we gain some perspective. OK?"

"Yeah," Roger replied. "I still have to explain though. My mum always pounded it into my head that girls needed to be treated with respect and gentleness. They wanted someone to watch out for them and to treat them like ladies. But it was different with you, Lenora. You looked like a sweet delicate thing, but in reality, you were far from that. I could be myself with you and pull out all the stops. You were always the no-bullshit type. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Funnily enough, I do, Roger. My arranged dates would always do those sorts of things, and it was so goddamned unpredictable. But you and I, we could abandon what was expected and do it the way we wanted. You were really the first bloke who didn't' treat me like some fragile trophy and for that, I'll always have tremendous respect for you."

Roger reached up to touch Lenora's cheek and to brush away a few errant strands of hair. He thought he saw a hint of tears in her big, beautiful eyes, but just as quickly it was gone. Perhaps he'd just imagined it. After all, Lenora didn't cry, ever. Leaning over to kiss her brow gently, he murmured, "Thank you."

"It's not necessary," Lenora said. "What I said, it wasn't about the sex, you know that. That was an added bonus, but—"

"I never expected to be your first and I know I wasn't. I don't care. We both have had others. I think we kept things going because we never demanded anything from each other. We just rolled with it and threw caution to the wind, really. We both needed the excitement, but it's worn off for both of us. Merlin, that sounds awful." Roger took a huge gulp of his wine and groaned.

"Don't be a martyr, Roger. Just take it for what it was, a good time, and go from there. You need to find someone who can offer you something of more significance, for lack of a better word. Find a nice girl who wants to settle down and have a family. You deserve that." Lenora had finished her glass of wine and had refilled both of their glasses. "At the end of the day and after all the fun is over, real life eventually calls."

"Yeah," Roger said, finding that there was nothing more he could think of to say. He turned his green eyes toward the fire and watched the flames dancing while he held Lenora's hand and his wine. After a pregnant silence, he spoke again but didn't look at Lenora. "There was another reason I brought Adam to your party."

"Oh?" Lenora's curiosity was peaked.

Roger nodded and blushed. "Adam likes a challenge, and I thought maybe he would like you."

Lenora gaped at him and then started to laugh uproariously. "I don't believe you! Your'e playing matchmaker before you even broke up with me. Roger Davidson, I always said you were a nut and I stand by that. You are mental!"

"I know," Roger said, laughing a bit uneasily. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," Lenora laughed. "You're just as quirky as me sometimes. Maybe that was why we hit it off." After her laughter died, she looked at him pointedly. "I'm not in the market for a steady boyfriend, Roger. Adam is good looking and he seems nice, probably too nice for the likes of me, but nothing is going to come of it. I have things I need to do before I think of seriously getting involved with anyone. Besides, I don't have the emotional capability to be someone's loving wife or anything resembling that."

Roger shook his head. "Don't sell yourself short, Lenora. You never know what can happen in time."

"Yeah, right," Lenora said, unwilling to continue this topic. Roger sensed it and was silent again.

They sat by the fire for a while longer, neither of them wanting to move. Lenora was glad the "breakup" such as it was, had been amicable. She had sensed that Roger felt as she did, but she hadn't been a hundred per cent sure. She'd seen Roger's temper and he'd seen hers, but she wasn't sure she could have coped very well if he'd blown up at her as a result of the needed and dreaded talk. It was a relief to her that it had gone so well.

"Come on. I'll take you home." Roger's voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality.

"No, it's alright. I can go myself," Lenora said, gently disengaging her hand from Roger's. "It's OK."

Roger was hesitant to let her go alone, but finally, he nodded. Lenora was one to not need coddling, and now that they'd said their bittersweet goodbye, it was not the time to start treating her differently. "OK." They got up and he kissed her cheek. "If you ever need anything, Lenora—"

"I know," she said gratefully. "You're a doll, Roger." She patted his hand and set down her wine glass. "Thanks…for everything."

Roger nodded and sighed as he walked with her up to the top deck. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," she said, mounting her broom. "Goodbye, Roger."