“Wow, that’s pretty incredible.” His eyes were wide and I could tell he was genuinely interested.
“Thanks. What about you? I know you’re in the family business, but what, pray tell, is the family business?”
“We own shopping malls.”
“Really? That’s super cool. Are they all in Chicago?”
“No. They are all across the country. Recently, we branched out to the south. Florida is our latest venture.”
“That’s really interesting.”
“Yeah. I love it and I like working for my family,” he said with a smile, and it made my own lips turn up.
“Working with your family must be great.”
“It is.” He tilted his head to the side. “So, what about siblings?”
“What about them?” I smiled back in a teasing manner.
“You obviously know I have a brother. Are you an only child?”
“I’m one of four.” His eyes grew wide at my words.
“Wow.”
I laughed at his response.
“Well, technically one of two, but then my father remarried and had two more kids with my stepmom.”
“Are you close with them?”
“They’re my life.”
“That’s amazing.”
I smiled at that. “Yeah, I think so, too. It’s not often you have that many kids who all get along so well. I’m very lucky. I only wished we lived closer to one another. They’re off in college, and my older sister is married and lives in Boston.” I took the last bite of my breakfast and thought how amazing it would be to all live in the same city; hell, even the same state.
“And your parents?”
“My mom is on Long Island, and my dad and his wife live in DC.”
“So you’re alone in the city?” I nodded. “That’s got to be hard.”
“Yeah, it is. It’s always been difficult. I was young when my father and his family moved away, so in the beginning I switched houses, but as I got older I saw them less and less. But enough about me. Tell me about you.” I bit my lip. It was hard, and often made me sad as I missed them tremendously.
“We’re basically the Partridge family. Work together. Hang out together. Get drunk together.” He winked and I laughed. It sounded perfect. Amazing and wonderful. Everything I always hoped for my own future. Hearing that was when I started to fall.
He continued to laugh and then he tilted his head to the side and a small line creased his brow. “Emma, this might be presumptuous, but I have no plans today and my flight to Miami isn’t until ten p.m. Would you . . .” He paused. “Would you like to spend the day with me?”
“Yes.” Undeniably, yes.
* * *
I sat at my desk the next day, lost in my thoughts. Owen and I had a wonderful time. We went to Magnolia Cupcakes, which he loved. We split a box of cupcakes, sampling each of the different flavors. Then we fought over who got to finish the red velvet, as it was both of our favorite. Ultimately we decided to go bite for bite, until his lips found mine and he licked the remainder of the icing off my lip.
After that I wanted to go back to his hotel and ravish him, but instead decided against making a move and took him to my favorite place on earth, The Museum of Natural History. He loved it—which made me like him even more. Anyone who was as fascinated by the amazing structure as well as all the history housed within was someone I wanted to know better. When we approached his hotel after walking through the park from the museum, we parted with a kiss and promises to speak again, but I wasn’t sure if we would. This was only supposed to be for one night, so I left feeling lucky I spent the day with him. No matter what happened in the future, I was thankful I met him, because meeting a man like him showed me that maybe there was someone out there for me.
“What’s going on with you?” I heard from my side and looked up to find my coworker Michelle staring down at me with her big blue eyes. Her hand rested on her narrow cocked hip.
“I met a guy,” I said, turning my attention back to my computer so she wouldn’t notice the blush spreading across my cheeks.
“You met a guy? Um, hello, details.” From the corner of my eye, I saw her lower herself to my desk to take a seat. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the desktop, indicating she was still waiting, and I knew I wasn’t getting out of answering.
I let out a loud sigh. “Oh, fine. Remember how I said I had that wedding this past weekend?” Her eyes narrowed as she tried to recall. “You know, the one where my date stood me up,” I groaned out, and with that she nodded. “There was one other single guest, so they sat us next to each other.”
“There were only two single people at this wedding? Wow. Really? Aren’t weddings supposed to be drunken meat markets?” She winked and her lips broke into a large smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh because she was right, and apparently, even though there were only two of us, it still was a drunken meat market. I did get drunk . . . and I did go home with him.
Just at that moment, Madison turned the corner and we abruptly stopped talking. Madison narrowed her eyes but I could see the smirk hiding beneath her glare.
“What are you guys gossiping about? Please don’t stop on my account,” she teased. Even though she was our boss, she wasn’t much older than us, and regarded us both as little sisters. It actually was hard to take her seriously sometimes. She looked younger than us with her flawless skin and tall, lithe model frame that she dressed in the best cutting-edge styles.
“Emma met a guy,” Michelle giggled out and I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, was it the hot guy at the wedding who made me forget my name when he smiled?” I had forgotten about that. During one of our numerous trips to the bar for a round of shots, we had bumped into Madison with her own date at the bar.
“Um, yeah, that would be him.”
“You met him, too, Madison?” Michelle piped in.
“Met him, not so much. Drooled when he passed me? Yep.”
“Interesting. What do you know about this hot guy, Mad? What’s the gossip?” Michelle inquired. I buried my head in my hands and groaned—loudly, eliciting a round of laughs.
“From what I hear from Mia, he’s quite the catch. Close-knit family, from Chicago. Has a shit ton of money.”
“Damn girl,” Michelle’s voice echoed through the room. “You do know a lot. Like how much money are we talking about? Private plane money?”
“Yes, private plane money.”
My eyes widened at Madison’s assessment of Owen. I knew he was well off, but never imagined he was that wealthy. He was so down to earth, and often the people I met through work with that much money were not.
“Do you have plans to see him again?” Michelle asked.
“No,” I sighed
“Do you think you will?” she continued, and I wished she would drop the subject. I didn’t know and that thought made my heart hurt.
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“So, how did you leave it?”
“A kiss good-bye.”
“Good-bye?”
“Yeah . . . Good-bye.”
And even though we had only known each other one day, the thought brought a tear to my eye.
* * *
The day dragged on.
He didn’t call. I shouldn’t be upset but I couldn’t help it. There was something there: a connection; an instant spark. Call it crazy, but I felt as if I had known him before I felt the comfort in his arms.
The ease.
The happiness.
Maybe I misread the time we spent together, but I really thought he’d get in touch.
Then on Tuesday my phone rang, and butterflies took flight in my belly. The screen read unknown number, but it was him. I knew it.
“Hello,” I squeaked out, my heart rattling in my chest.
“Emma.”
His voice. God, his voice. In the time apart, I had forgotten what his voice did to me.
“Owen.”
“I got
your number from Mia. I have a meeting in the city that I’m flying in for, and I wasn’t planning on staying, but if you say you’ll go out with me again, I will.”
He was coming here. He wanted to take me out.
“I will,” I squeaked out. I wanted to control the excitement pouring out of me, but I didn’t think anything could hide the emotion in my voice.
“Great, I’ll pick you up after work on Friday.”
* * *
The day had finally come. Owen was arriving today.
I spent my morning staring at my phone and pacing aimlessly. Even though we had that perfect wedding night, it was still just that: a “wedding-night” stand.
This time was different.
This time was real life.
I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with oxygen. As I expelled all I had inhaled, one word lingered in my brain and helped me breathe again.
Fate.
Meeting him felt like fate.
* * *
I picked up my steps as I shuffled across the lobby floor, but when I spotted him I noticed his brow was creased with a fine line and his jaw was tight.
“How was your flight in?” I leaned forward and placed my lips on his cheek.
“Fine,” he replied but didn’t kiss me back. His eyes seemed tired, and dark circles shadowed them.
“Are you okay?”
“Tired.”
His one-word answers were starting to aggravate me. I stepped back and bit my lip. He must have noticed my annoyance because he stepped toward me and placed his hand on my arm.
“I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that. I’m just tired and I have a headache.”
“No, I didn’t, but I understand. I sometimes get migraines. Let me get you some Motrin.”
“I just took two, so it should hopefully kick in soon.”
“Okay, good. Until you’re feeling better, what do you want to do?”
His hand was warm on mine as he gave me a tender squeeze. “Would you mind terribly if we went up to my room?” I gave him a sideways look, but his lips pulled into a pained smile. “No, not for that. I don’t even think I could do that right now. My head hurts so badly I just want to lie down.”
“I can leave,” I whispered, unsure of everything now, but he gave his head a gentle shake.
“No, please don’t. I know I’m not the best of company, but I have to leave here in a few days for business again and I don’t want to miss a second I can spend with you.” His dark eyes were warm as they peered into mine, erasing all the bad feelings I had only a second ago. They reminded me why I was here and how much I already cared for him.
“Let’s go up to your room. We can order a coffee and lie in bed. The caffeine should help your headache.”
He smiled again, and together, hand in hand we made our way to his hotel room.
* * *
His arms reached over his head as he woke, stretching the last bit of sleep out of his body. I wanted so badly to touch him, to curl up in his arms and never leave. But since I was sitting at the desk across the room checking emails on my phone, that was impossible at the moment. He raised his brow in amusement and it became apparent I was caught ogling him. Raising himself to sitting, he tilted his head.
“Now that I’m up, what do you want to do tonight?” I was silent for a moment; I had just received an email from my boss saying she was getting a group of people together to go out for her birthday the next day. Her birthday wasn’t actually until next week, so I was taken aback by the request. Now that Owen was in town, I wasn’t sure what to do. I guessed the only thing was to ask, and if worse came to worst and he said no, I would have to break the news to Madison. She’d understand.
“I guess we can grab dinner. Do you mind going with me tomorrow to my boss’s party?”
“Not at all.”
We spent the rest of the night eating dinner instead of going out. Once again we ordered in room service. We spoke of everything; we spoke of nothing. He told me his favorite movies and, surprisingly, we had many of the same.
We laughed. We smiled. And I knew, without a shred of doubt, even from the limited time I had spent with him, that he was different from all the other guys I had dated. That this was different.
After dinner, and after the dishes were cleared, he lay me down on the great big bed and lavished me with soft kisses and gentle touches all through the night.
* * *
When the time came to get ready for the party, I went home to shower and slip into a little black dress. Owen said he would pick me up on the way. Even though I was away from him for only a short time, I missed his presence. I missed finding him staring at me, and the comfortable silence we had settled into in such a short time. Only a week had passed since the horse carriage ride, but it felt as if I had known him my whole life.
When seven p.m. hit, I walked outside my apartment to find him standing beside a car. The view in front of me took my breath away. He was dressed in a navy sport coat and matching slacks. His brown locks were tousled, and his dark eyes met mine as he openly took in my appearance. Sweeping me into his arms, he kissed the side of my neck.
“You look gorgeous.” His voice was husky and I knew if I told him it was okay to not go, he wouldn’t hesitate to whisk me away to his hotel and have his way with me.
“Thank you,” I giggled out as his lips tickled my skin.
* * *
We arrived at The Stand a little past seven thirty. The Stand was a trendy little lounge that Madison’s friend owned in the Meatpacking District. It was extremely exclusive, and Madison had reserved the corner bar for her private party. Black crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and mirrored walls made the light burst across the space like a meteor shower. It was exquisite. Taking a few steps closer to the bar, we found Madison. I introduced Owen to her, and then to Michelle. We did a celebratory round or three of shots, and then I watched as Michelle took a few more. It was a good thing we didn’t have work the next day, as she would surely be too hung over to function at all.
Before long I found myself needing to go to the bathroom. I headed down the stairs and after I was done, found Michelle standing at the sink adjacent to mine.
“So . . . Your guy with the plane.” I started to get uncomfortable. I waved my hand to try to stop her ranting. “He’s super hot, and better yet . . . He’s got a plane!” Her words were loud as she was drunk, and she continued on and on about his money. I tried to silence her as I looked around the room. When I realized she was too wasted to stop her teasing, I brushed it off and walked outside. I expected to find Owen there, but he wasn’t. He was gone. I ran up the stairs and looked around. He wasn’t at the bar. A sinking feeling wove its way through my stomach. Did he hear what Michelle said? I scanned the room again, but still he was gone. He must have heard her. He must have thought I was using him. That I cared about the money. I felt crushed. Hollow. A part of me wondered if I was overreacting, but as the seconds passed, I started to think maybe I was right. Maybe he did leave.
I lost him before I even found him.
My heart seized in my chest. The mere thought of never seeing him again, of not laughing and kissing made my body shake. I couldn’t lose him. Frantically, I continued to search.
Nothing.
I stepped up on my tiptoes and tried to make out his face amongst the restaurant crowd.
Nothing.
Nothing.
Nothing.
I felt the little control I had remaining snap and break into a million pieces.
As my heart thumped in my chest, I looked down the stairs one more time and toward the bathroom that must have sealed my fate.
He heard. He heard all her comments and decided I wasn’t worth it. That I was using him. That he didn’t want me.
This was just like Dustin, my original date for the wedding. We were supposed to meet and then he stood me up and dumped me via text. I yanked my phone out. Would I find a text from Owen? Nothing. I kept staring at my phone,
knowing soon it would ring, that like last time, I would be dumped. Tears welled in my eyes and I blinked to let one tear drop. As it rolled down my cheek, I reopened them and was greeted by the most beautiful brown eyes. The space between us might have been vast, but it was as if nothing separated us. It was as if he was not standing at the bottom of the steps and I was not at the top. It was as if we were only a mere inch apart and the only two people in the world.
He studied me with his intent gaze. I wondered if he saw the desperation of emotions swirling inside me. A beat passed. Then he took the steps two at a time until he was in front of me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling me into his body.
“I thought you left.” Another tear dripped down my face and he swiped at it.
“Why would I leave?” His eyebrows drew down in confusion and I shook my head and smiled. I couldn’t tell him what happened.
“I don’t know,” I finally answered.
“I’m not going anywhere.” His lips met mine, teasing my mouth until I opened to him. I lost myself in his kiss, and when I thought I couldn’t take much more he pulled back and looked down at me with hungry, desperate eyes.
“Back to the hotel,” he declared.
“Back to the hotel,” I agreed.
Together we stepped out into the city air. It sweltered around us but it didn’t matter. All I could think about was the feel of my hand in his and the touch of his skin against mine. Everything else around us faded into the distance as we made our way back.
When we arrived, no words were spoken. We were beyond speech. This was his last night before he returned home, before he went back to his life. When he pushed me against the foyer wall and devoured my mouth, I said nothing. I asked no questions, each kiss breaking my heart, because I couldn’t let him go.
But I couldn’t keep him.