“Yes. Please send everything to me. Oh, Paige,” I added.
“Yes?”
“Will you be seeing Aria in the next day or so?”
“Yes, we’re supposed to be going out with the girls.”
“I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention speaking with me. I’d like to do some preparation of my own with regard to the space, and I’d like to surprise her. Would you do that for me?”
I didn’t want to be deceitful, but I needed time to prepare my case.
“Sure, Declan. Anything for a friend.”
Somehow, that remark made me feel like an enemy in a Trojan horse.
I had all of the information from Paige within the hour—every piece of ammunition that I wanted. It was seven o’clock at night when she sent it; eight o’clock in the morning in Tokyo, and I had a full day of work ahead of me. Hopefully, the photo session would end early. I had only looked at the building information for half an hour, and I was already getting the sinking feeling that I had underestimated Aria. I had a day of work and a head full of emotions to get rid of. I hated being this far away from her, I hated when we fought, and I hated that Marisol was on this photo session. Before I met Aria, I was able to tolerate Marisol much better. Being in her presence made me cringe, but as long as she kept her mouth closed and didn’t speak we were fine. It was getting to a point that I disliked doing any photo work with her, but I kept reminding myself that it was about the money. Whenever she was posed with me, she allowed her hands to roam and left her fingers to linger much too long after the photo was taken. She made suggestive remarks, regardless of my blatantly public relationship with Aria. The woman had absolutely no boundaries—she was becoming a nightmare.
These specifics on the building would have to wait until the end of the work day. The little I had looked at them, I had a sinking feeling that when I faced Aria I’d be eating my words, and was beginning to think I could have been seriously wrong in over reacting.
“Declan, please stand over here. Marisol, I want you right here,” our photographer, Jonatan, directed.
I was quite preoccupied with thoughts of the argument. Waiting for the e-mails to arrive from Paige would make this day seem endless. I could use the excuse that being so far away had me out of sorts, but that would have just validated it for what it was—an excuse.
Aria was right; there was a part of me that was excited about the idea of having my own business; however, when she told me that she purchased the building, reality smacked me in the face, and I did feel fear. It was a huge undertaking to make this business of mine a reality. Insinuating that her business was successful due to her father’s part in it, was hurtful to her and insulting. The truth was that Aria did have someone by her side that she trusted for advice when she started up her company. In my business, there were so many people that were waiting to undermine any effort you made for success that I didn’t know who to trust. I knew that my brother would listen to anything and everything I had to say, but he knew nothing of this business. I didn’t discuss much of my job with Carter, so the fault was my own that I didn’t have many trusted confidantes. I had a handful of people that I planned to depend on to work with me when the studio was up and running, but I needed to take that first step. I realized at that moment that I did have someone I could trust, confide in, depend on and ask advice of—Aria.
Knowing that I not only pissed her off royally, but hurt her, insulted her, and alienated her was distracting me. I couldn’t wait for this day to be over.
For this particular photo, Marisol was supposed to lean over to look as if she were whispering in my ear. Both of her wrists were crossed over each other, and she was pressing into me. Even though music was playing, I could hear her speaking very clearly.
“What’s wrong, lover? Little puta finally get on your last nerve?” she asked in a malicious tone.
She was baiting me and wanted to get a reaction, so I turned to her and tilted my head slightly to give Jonatan a better shot. It also allowed me to look her straight into her eyes and smile at her.
“No, Marisol. You’re the puta that gets on my last nerve.”
I then turned my head and waited for Jonatan’s next directive.
Needless to say, she was in a fit of temper for the remainder of the day.
Marisol kept it together long enough for the session to wrap up early. That should have been my first clue that she had an ulterior motive.
I had excused myself from speaking with Jonatan and gone to my room. Upon reviewing the e-mails from Paige at length, I realized to what degree I had underestimated Aria.
The photos of the building were awesome, as were the details of the square footage, etc. What I truly regretted was discounting how carefully my girl had listened to each and every detail as I described the way I wanted this project to appear. It was those sketches that caught my attention most of all.
Paige had scanned and e-mailed Aria’s roughly sketched vision of my description to her of the studio space. Every thought I had shared with her, she held as a mental note and had taken it into account. The drawings with those ideas were in front of me. I was looking at my future business as envisioned by her. They truly were incredible, and I could see her attention to detail reflected, as well as her skills. I felt like an ass that I didn’t trust her with this. The only hope I had was that I had something going for me that her clients didn’t—I loved her. Somehow, I had to make her realize that I was sorry and at the same time try to explain how overwhelmed I felt when she announced to me what she had done.
I closed the laptop and went downstairs to the restaurant bar to get a drink and think, knowing I could figure this out.
“Yes, Mr. Michaels. It sounds like it will be exactly what I’m looking for.” “Yes.” “Garnet.” “Thank you.” “Send the information to my e-mail address, and I will phone you to confirm.” “Thank you.”
I had concluded a telephone conversation with Harris Michaels, a business colleague of mine on the Eastern Shore. My headache had subsided once I had eaten some food, and I was sitting back to enjoy my drink. Overall, I was starting to feel that I could repair the damage I’d done in this situation with Aria. The hotel restaurant wasn’t quite busy, so I leaned back for a moment and just closed my eyes… TT
“Why do you act like you dislike me so?” I heard Marisol say.
I opened my eyes and saw that she had seated herself across from me.
“I neither like nor dislike you, Marisol. I merely work with you.”
I was certain to place my smile on my face to ensure that she had no idea to what extent she irritated me.
She purred like a sex kitten, “You used to like me so much, Declan, but now that you are with that little girl, you never have time to go to parties, events, or shows. No one ever sees us together anymore. It makes me sad—”
“Marisol, no one sees us together anymore because there was never an “us” for anyone to see. We were photographed together merely because we happened to share space at the same events at the same time.”
“No, lover. It was more than that. You liked when I came up to you and put my arm through yours, or you put your arm around my waist when we would go to parties or to clients’ homes. They would take our pictures. I would cut out those pictures for my book, and I saw the look on your face. You were happy with me. You liked me. I know you wanted to have sex with me the night of the party, and I know you were disappointed because you had to leave.” She began rubbing up and down my arm as she continued, “I’d be the best you ever had, baby. These lips were made for sucking, and this tongue was made for licking”—she licked her lips—“I’ve seen you at the sessions, and I know how big you are. I could take you all night long, baby…any way you want me,” Marisol said cunningly.
I know I was still smiling because I didn’t want to betray the thought that I was looking into the face of a completely delusional woman. It took me about sixty seconds; then I leaned forward to get closer to her face.
I was so disgusted with her that I pushed my chair out, threw the money on the table, and left the restaurant to go to my room. My intent was to wipe that smile off of her face.
Marisol knew it was just a matter of time before Declan grew tired with the beach trash. She also knew that the public persona of Declan and Marisol as a couple needed to remain current. His little outburst should have served to take the smile off of her face, but she maintained her outward appearance because she knew anyone could be watching.
…and while the photographer quietly left the restaurant, he was satisfied that he had captured the photos of Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Franzi that she requested of him…
T Right to be Wrong – Joss Stone
TT Fragile – Sting
“Carter, I screwed up royally,” I said.
“Now you have to decide what you’re going to do about it, Dec. There’s no middle ground here,” Carter told me, and he was right. “I’ve never seen you so twisted over a woman before. I guess that’s a good thing, you know? You’ve never let anyone get close; just me and Mom.”
My brother had hit the nail on the head. I never did let anyone get close. This “thing” with Aria wasn’t a “thing” at all. It was more—so much more. Carter knew that. He was the only person that knew me—really knew me. Aria was the next closest person I had to Carter. I was just starting to realize it, and Carter realized it too.
“Groveling and gifts are always good, Declan.” Carter laughed into the phone.
“Yeah, I’ve already thought of that. Aria still should have consulted me.”
“She said she tried to call you, Declan. Are you going to keep beating a ‘dead horse’ about that?”
I heard Lacey in the background. “Ok, guys, enough of this. Put this phone on FaceTime,” Lacey said, so we did.
It was good to see my family. I didn’t know why we didn’t FaceTime more. Lacey was sitting half on Carter’s lap, half on the sofa, and he had his arm draped casually around her. I could see Cody, their Bernese Mountain Dog, coming around to the front of them to lay right at their feet. She wanted in on the phone action as well. T
“Hi, everyone,” I said.
“Hi, sweetie,” Lacey said, taking over the conversation. “Declan, I know you don’t have much time, so I’m going to make this as brief, concise, and as clear for you as I can. You have to make this right. I heard everything that you said to Carter. I know all about the building for your studio, how Aria bought it, and how she should have waited for you, yadda, yadda, yadda…”—Lacey waved her hands in the air to make her point—“What you need to know is this—she did it because she loves you. No woman—and I mean no woman—would ever put that much on the line for someone she simply cares about; ever. You, baby brother, are behaving like a school boy. I should know; I teach enough of them. I can only tell you that I know how I’d feel if I were Aria—hurt and insulted. She stuck her neck out on the line for you and for your dream business. It most likely took her far out of her comfort zone to do that, and you hurt her deeply when you reacted in the way you did. That was on a “man to woman” level.”
“On a business level, we’re speaking of an entirely different matter. Think of how you would have felt to hear the words you directed at her. You completely devalued her as a businesswoman by underestimating her abilities as a negotiator to act accordingly on your behalf. You say you love her! You would have given a realtor, whom you barely knew, more consideration than you gave Aria?! You know how she feels about you. She’d only have your best interests at heart, and she’d never risk everything that she has invested into her business, financial and personal, for someone that she wasn’t seriously invested in; and you know what I mean by that. You also completely disregarded her natural, creative talent. When you first started dating her, I looked her up on the internet. Have you seen her work? It’s incredible! That woman is very gifted creatively. She has taken dung heaps and made them into palaces! Then you told her that the reason why she had her business and why it was profitable was because her dad helped her—again, insulting her. Do you see how childish, selfish, and petty you appeared to her?” Lacey had valid points.
“Yes…” I said. She was doing a good job at making me feel like an unappreciative child.
I was filled with anguish at the extent of the hurt I caused Aria at that moment. It made me feel miserable. Even Carter looked like he felt terrible. Lacey, in her “not-so-subtle” way, was insisting that we mere men needed to listen to her to feel “a woman’s heart” for insight in this situation. After the tongue lashing she dished out, she gave us all a moment to breathe.
“What I’m saying, Dec, is that you screwed up. We all know it. So does Aria. It may be the first time you have with her, but it won’t be the last. For this particular situation, I don’t know how you’re going to make it right. Only you know her heart. Carter’s right about groveling and gifts, but it’s about so much more than that. That building had to be one big, if not huge, chance for her to take—and she took it for you. Don’t you ever forget it. You’re right; her business is in residential. Houses don’t cost as much as commercial buildings, so think of just that fact alone. She probably put up most of the capital she has invested in her business for you to have a chance at yours.”
Every word that Lacey was saying was ringing true with me. Seeing things from a woman’s perspective can bring a man to his knees. My mom used to say that “women think with their hearts, and men think with their heads”.
I couldn’t think of a more appropriate application. I was only thinking of money, my pride, business, and what I wanted. Aria, however, was only thinking of me. In every action she took in this endeavor, her bottom line was about me. I could see that now. If I wanted to keep her in my life, I needed to attempt to repair the damage I had done. I could think of several ways to do that.
“You’re right, Lacey…and I’m an ass.”
That broke the silence as Carter, Lacey, and I began to laugh.
Still laughing, she said, “Yes, you are, baby brother!” Cody began to bark wildly in agreement and went around in circles. “Now, enough with this FaceTime. Nothing beats the real thing, so when you get back to the beach, and work this out with Aria—and you’d better work this out with her—we want you both to come up here for a long weekend. We’ve talked to her on the phone and FaceTimed her. She’s beautiful and sweet, Declan, and from what we know of her we genuinely adore her, but we want to meet her in person.”
Carter chimed in, “I second that!”
I promised that I’d pour on every ounce of sincerity and charm I had to do everything possible to work this out with Aria. Once I had that matter in hand, I also promised to do as Lacey ordered and bring Aria to the mountains. I knew that she’d love the lake. I couldn’t wait for Carter, Lacey, and Cody to meet her. It was the first time I could remember ever wanting them to meet someone important to me, and Aria was very important to me.
After a few more minutes of mindless chatter, we said our goodbyes, and I placed my cell phone in my pocket. It was going to be a long flight, but I had time to carry out my plan. Aria would forgive me. She’d have to. I’d continue relentlessly until she did. I had several things in mind to secure her forgiveness, and I had key people in place to help me in my endeavor. E-mail was a wonderful thing, but I had time to text a message: TT
Declan: Aria, I know that sorr
y isn’t enough, but I am.
Aria: They’re just words, Declan.
Declan: You know I’m not a man for words, but I’m truly sorry.
Aria: I don’t know what to say…
Declan: I’m on my way home. Let me send you and the girls to the spa; then let me take you to dinner.
Aria: I don’t know…
Declan: Please, Aria…h
Aria: You’re crazy.
Declan: Only for you, baby. A
Aria: Crazy man! This doesn’t get u off the hook. We need to talk.
Declan: Yes, we do. I’m sorry. h
Aria: The spa sounds nice. A
Declan: It’s all arranged. Just take the girls. How about dinner at Fresco’s afterward? We never had our dinner there yet.
Aria: The talk, Declan, we need to talk.
Declan: We can talk at dinner. Ok?
Aria: Ok…
Declan: We’ll make a celebration out of dinner. Make sure to really dress up. Again, I’m sorry…I love you.
Aria: Love you too, Declan…but u still aren’t off the hook. LOL!
Declan: You can punish me however you see fit. *wink, wink*
Aria: Crazy man… A
We were getting ready to take off. It eased my mind to know that the argument between Aria and I wasn’t beyond repair. Now I just needed to contact Harris Michaels and Katherine once more. My attempts at sincerest, heartfelt groveling had begun.
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