The Interview: New York & Los Angeles Part 2

by Sandi Lynn

  “I can’t change the fact that I have a brain tumor and need surgery, so what’s the point of worrying about it or making myself sick over it?”

  “I understand completely what you’re saying, and I agree. I’m just saying that some people can’t take the news very well. But you’ve always been so strong, and you’re right. When all is said and done, and that damn tumor is out of your head, you’ll be as good as new.” He walked over and kissed my forehead. “I have a meeting with the design department. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Have fun.” I smiled.

  I sat there, staring at the wall in deep thought, when my phone dinged with a text message from Hannah.

  “Just confirming that we’re still on for tonight at six o’clock.”

  Shit. I’d forgotten. It was a good thing she confirmed.

  “Yes. Wyatt and I will see you at the penthouse at six.”

  ****

  I left the office and arrived home around three o’clock. I felt exhausted, and I was having a hard time concentrating. The moment I stepped off the elevator, Coco Chanel came flying down the stairs and started rubbing against me.

  “There’s my baby.” I smiled as I picked her up and held her.

  I headed to the kitchen to make some tea and set her on the counter.

  “Now don’t be telling your daddy that I put you up here. It’s our little secret.” I smiled as I ran my hand down her back.

  After prepping my tea, I took it over to the couch and sat down. The house phone rang, and I sighed. Setting down my tea, I got up and answered it.

  “Hey, Roger.”

  “Hello, Miss Holloway. There’s someone down here to see you.”

  “Who?”

  “Your brother, Alfie.”

  A sick feeling settled into the pit of my belly.

  “Send him up.”

  Why the hell would Alfie be here?

  I walked over to the table, picked up my tea, and took a sip. I heard the elevator ding, so I walked to the foyer. When the doors opened, Alfie stepped out with his hands tucked in his pockets while he stood there and stared at me.

  “Alfie, what are you doing here?” I asked.

  He walked over to where I was standing and threw his arms around me, hugging me tight.

  “I’m so sorry, Laurel. I’m sorry for everything.”

  “It’s okay, Alfie.”

  “No. No it’s not.”

  His voice was desperate and sad as he broke our embrace.

  “I never should have left the building when you came to talk to Dad. I’m sorry.”

  “Come in the living room and sit down. Can I make you a drink?”

  “Yeah. Sure. I’ll have a scotch.”

  I walked over to the bar and poured him a glass.

  “When Mom and Dad told me about your brain tumor, I instantly felt sick to my stomach. It took me a while to get over here because I felt like I couldn’t face you after the things I’ve said.”

  “Alfie,” I handed him his drink, “you don’t have to explain.”

  “Yes. Yes, I do. I was so angry at you because you were right. It was easier to blame you for my life being in the shithole than to own up to the truth that I was the one responsible for it. It’s too easy to blame others for our mistakes and I want you to know that I’m sorry and that I do love you, sis. What if something happened and I didn’t get to tell you any of this?” Tears filled his eyes.

  “Nothing is going to happen to me,” I spoke as I took a seat on the couch next to him and grabbed hold of his hand.

  Out of nowhere, Coco came running into the room and jumped on Alfie’s lap.

  “Who’s this?” He smiled as he held her up.

  “This is Coco Chanel. She was an impulse buy, so to speak, but a good one.” I grinned. “I love her so much.”

  “And Wyatt?” His brow raised.

  “Let’s just say he’s becoming more tolerant of her as long as she doesn’t get too close to him.”

  Alfie chuckled. “I think she’s adorable. Hey, I’m going to be at the hospital during your surgery with Mom, Dad, and Bella.”

  “Thanks, little brother. You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to, Laurel. You’re my sister and I need to be there. Are we good?” he asked.

  “We’re good.” A smile crossed my lips.

  I heard the elevator doors open and Coco flew off Alfie’s lap to go and greet Wyatt.

  “Alfie?” he spoke as he walked into the living room, shooing Coco away.

  “Hi, Wyatt.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to apologize to Laurel and make things right,” he replied.

  “Good. I’m happy to hear that. Hello, sweetheart.” He walked over and kissed my lips.

  “Hi.”

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going upstairs to change,” Wyatt spoke.

  Coco chased after him, and when Wyatt realized this, he stopped mid-stairs.

  “Stay!” His voice was firm and commanding as he pointed at her.

  “She’s not a dog, Wyatt.” I laughed.

  Coco didn’t listen and made it to the top of the stairs before he did.

  “I need to get going. I’m meeting someone.” Alfie got up from the couch.

  When I walked him over to the elevator, he turned and wrapped his arms around me.

  “I love you, Laurel, and I’ll see you Friday.”

  “I love you too, Alfie. Thanks for coming over.”

  His lips curved upwards into a smile as he stepped onto the elevator and the doors shut.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Laurel

  Our time with Hannah lasted approximately three hours. Three hours of picking out save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, and discussing what type of cake we wanted to have at the wedding. My head started to hurt, but I finished our meeting, hugged Hannah goodbye, and told her that Wyatt and I would be seeing her tomorrow for the bakery tours she had set up for us.

  I picked up the plate of cookies I had on the table, and as I was carrying it over to the counter, it fell from my hands and dropped to the floor, scaring Coco as she tore out of the kitchen.

  “I’ve got it, sweetheart,” Wyatt spoke as he came running over.

  “I’m sorry.” I sighed as I bent down and started to pick up the cookies that were on the floor.

  Wyatt grabbed my hand.

  “I’ll clean this up. Go upstairs and get some rest. I’ll be up after.” He kissed my forehead.

  “No. I dropped it and I’m going to help clean it up,” I voiced loudly.

  “Stop being stubborn, Laurel. I got this.”

  “Stop fucking babying me, Wyatt!” I shouted. “I’m so sick of it already!”

  His eyes stared into mine as we both were knelt down on the floor facing each other. The sadness that resided in them had become a permanent fixture since the day I told him about the tumor. I hated it. I couldn’t stand it.

  “Fine. Clean it up,” he spoke in a calm voice as he stood up and walked out of the kitchen.

  I could feel myself crumbling as a tear had the nerve to fall from my eye. Quickly wiping it away and forcing the rest of them back, I cleaned up the broken plate and cookies and threw them in the garbage. Taking in a deep breath, I walked up the stairs and into the bathroom, where I started the water for a bath. As I twisted up my hair in the mirror, I could see Wyatt lying on the bed with his laptop. I thought about how he didn’t ask for this. Then I thought about why? Why were we thrown together, two people who were so anti-relationship, by fate, only to have this thrown into our path? Everything was perfect and now this. Other thoughts invaded my mind since I found out about the tumor. Thoughts I pushed deep down into the depth of my soul, unwilling to face what could be.

  I climbed into the bathtub and sank down into the water. Coco sat proudly on the toilet and watched me. I would have this surgery and I’d be fine. Back to my old self. Back to who I was before the tumor. But that was the number one qu
estion. Who was I really?

  After my bath, I slipped into my night shirt and walked into the bedroom. Wyatt wasn’t there. He must have gone downstairs for something. I climbed into bed with Coco and glanced over at Wyatt’s computer, where he had an article pulled up: How to Cope with Your Loved One’s Brain Tumor. A sickness rose up inside me and I could feel the trembling beneath my skin. Wyatt walked back into the room with a bottle of water.

  “Why are you reading that?” I asked as I pointed to his computer.

  He stood at the end of the bed and stared at me.

  “I didn’t think you’d be out of the tub so soon.”

  “I asked you a question,” I firmly spoke.

  “Because I’m trying to understand, Laurel. I’m trying to understand you.”

  “What’s there to understand? I have a brain tumor and I’m getting it taken care of. Why the fuck does everyone have to make such a big deal about it?” I shouted.

  “Because it is a big fucking deal! You’re in denial of how serious this is!” he shouted back. “Ever since you found out, you’ve shown no emotion about it whatsoever. You never even cried a tear! For fuck sakes, Laurel, it’s okay to be angry about it. It’s okay to cry. But instead, you joke about it as if you were performing in some kind of comedy act. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?” He pressed his finger into his chest. “Do you have any idea how I want nothing more than to comfort you and take away your pain, but you won’t let me? We’re in this together!”

  “My pain? What the fuck do you know about my pain?” I lashed out.

  “Nothing! Because you won’t talk to me. You won’t open up!” His voice angered. “I know you’re trying to be strong, but even the strongest sometimes break. We never talked about it. Sometimes I think you won’t talk about it because if you do, then you’ll realize it’s real.”

  I stood there, trembling from head to toe, my head throbbing with pain from the heightened anger.

  “You know nothing!” I shouted as I pointed at him.

  “Then fill me in, sweetheart!” He spoke in a smug tone as he threw his arms out to the sides. “I feel like I’m left in the dark here.”

  “I need to stay strong because it’s the only thing keeping me from crumbling into tiny pieces,” I shouted as tears fell down my face.

  “Crumble, Laurel! Fall to pieces. Because when you do, I’ll be right here to pick you up and put you back together again!”

  “You don’t understand!”

  “Then make me!” he shouted in such a tone that I’d never heard from him before.

  “You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t ask for a fiancée with a brain tumor. It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s you!” I yelled.

  “Me? Why the fuck are you worried about me?”

  “Because when I come out of all this, I may not be the same person you fell in love with.” I dropped to my knees and sobbed. “After all these years, you finally let your guard down and fell in love. This tumor has been growing inside my head for the past ten years. You fell in love with me while I had this thing inside me. And I’m scared to death that when it’s gone, I won’t be that same person you fell in love with anymore.” I stared up at him.

  His face paled and the sadness in his eyes grew. He walked over to me, dropped to his knees, and held my face in his hands.

  “I will always love you. I fell in love with your soul, Laurel.” Tears fell down his face. “Your soul. I’ve always heard people talk about their soulmates and I never believed in any of it until I met you, and no brain tumor is going to change that. Our souls are connected for eternity no matter what. I love you. I’m in love with you and I always will be. What do I need to do to make you see that?” He brushed away the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs. “You will be the same person you always have been, and you will certainly be the same woman I fell so deep in love with because souls don’t change, sweetheart.”

  I sat there, a sobbing mess, releasing all the fears I’d kept buried inside.

  “I’m scared to have the surgery.” My voice quivered. “I’m so scared that I feel like it’s killing me inside.”

  “I know you are.” He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

  “You don’t deserve to have to go through this,” I cried. “I know how bad you’re hurting because of this, and I can’t stand to see you that way.”

  “I deserve you, all of you, no matter what. What you go through, I go through with you.” He held my head tight against his chest. “Be quiet and listen. Just for a moment. Do you hear my heart beating?”

  I slowly nodded my head.

  “My heart beats for you, Laurel, and it always will, no matter what.”

  I lifted my head and stared into his watery eyes. I was calm, and suddenly, my fears didn’t seem so big anymore.

  “It’s perfectly okay to be strong, baby, but you don’t have to be strong all by yourself.” He lightly smiled. “Use me as your strength. Let me give that to you.”

  “I love you so much,” I whispered.

  “And I love you to the moon and back a thousand times over.” His lips brushed against mine.

  Suddenly, out of nowhere, Coco wedged her way in between us and started meowing. Wyatt and I both let out a subtle laugh. He helped me up and held me tight in his arms.

  “We’re going to get through this together,” he spoke. “We’re a team and nothing is ever going to change that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Laurel

  Wyatt took a couple hours off work and met Hannah and me at the bakery for some cake testing. Bakery number one, done. Now we were off to bakery number two.

  “Wyatt Coleman?” An older woman walked over and kissed his cheek.

  “Adele. How are you? My gosh, I barely recognized you,” he spoke. “You look great!”

  “Thank you. Down forty-five pounds from the last time you saw me.”

  “Adele, I’ll like you to meet my fiancée, Laurel Holloway. Laurel, this is Adele. She was a good friend of my mother’s and the family.”

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” I smiled as I lightly shook her hand. “This is our wedding planner, Hannah.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Well, Wyatt, I thought I’d never see the day.” She grinned. “Your mother would be so happy right now.”

  “Thanks. She would be, wouldn’t she?”

  “Sorry, I’m late.” A girl who was about my age strolled into the bakery.

  “Marcella, you remember Wyatt Coleman.”

  “Of course. It’s nice to see you, Wyatt.”

  “Nice to see you too, Marcella. This is my fiancée, Laurel Holloway.”

  “As in Everything Laurel?” she asked with a smile.

  “The one and only.” I grinned.

  “Wow. I love your column. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Thank you. That’s so sweet.”

  Wyatt’s phone rang, and he excused himself and took the call outside.

  “What a beautiful ring,” I spoke as I looked at Marcella’s hand.

  “Thank you.”

  “When’s the big day?” I asked.

  “August 28th of next year.” She grinned.

  “Wyatt and I are getting married June 8th.”

  “Remi’s birthday.” Adele smiled. “What a wonderful day. Actually, Marcella’s wedding planner should be here any moment.”

  “Who is your wedding planner?” I asked Marcella.

  “Rori LeMay. She’s the best. In fact, I’m surprised that you and Wyatt didn’t snag her up,” she whispered so Hannah wouldn’t hear.

  This was too damn good to be true. Time to work my magic.

  “Actually, we turned her down,” I spoke. “She really isn’t that great. Word on the street is that she’s shady and doesn’t have a creative idea in her head. From what I’ve heard, she stole all her ideas from her assistant. I also heard that she likes to sabotage other wedding planners so she can remain on top. I didn’t want
anyone like that planning my wedding.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked as a shocked expression took over her face.

  “Dead serious. Now Hannah, on the other hand, is an absolute gem. You know Wyatt wouldn’t just hire anyone. In fact, I’m going to feature her in our magazine to let everyone know how great she is. She’s going to give Rori LeMay a run for her money after my article. It’s so hard to find good honest people these days. In fact, I’d love to feature your name and wedding in the article. That is, if you’re interested in hiring Hannah.”

  “Wow. That would be great. Do you think she has our date available? I mean, if you and Wyatt are using her, she must be awesome.”

  “Why don’t you ask her?” I smiled.

  I took a seat at the table and Wyatt walked in and took the seat next to mine.

  “Why is Marcella talking to Hannah?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure.”

  The little bell above the door rang and Rori stepped inside. Hannah took one look at her and stepped away.

  “So sorry I’m late,” she spoke to Marcella.

  Rori glanced our way, and suddenly, the friendly look on her face turned sour.

  “Actually, there’s been a change of plans and my fiancé and I no longer need your services,” Marcella spoke to Rori.

  “Excuse me?” she spoke in a hostile tone. “What the hell is going on, Marcella?”

  “You’re fired, Rori. That’s what’s going on. We’ve decided to go with someone else.”

  Rori looked at me as her eyes narrowed and anger filled them.

  “You may leave now, Miss LeMay,” Marcella spoke. “And you may keep the deposit I put down to book you.”

  Rori huffed, turned on her heels, and stomped out of the bakery.

  “What did you do?” Wyatt asked.

  “Nothing. Why do you always assume I’ve done something?” I smirked.

  “Because Marcella just fired Rori LeMay and you were just talking to her.”

  “It’s what I like to call karma, darling.” I smiled as I planted a kiss on his cheek.

  After touring the third bakery, we decided we liked the cake way better at the second one. Hannah needed to leave to meet with Marcella and Adele, and Wyatt needed to head back to the office.