by Lexy Timms
“What just happened?” she muttered to herself. Her first instinct was to text Cayden and ask him what to do, but Cayden was with Katharina right now. Just wait a little while, she decided, and picked her laptop back up. Send your emails and wait until you know he’s gone from her house.
She did just that. After her inbox was cleared, she pulled up her thread with Cayden. Hey. Are you still at K’s?
He didn’t respond immediately. She got up to fix some tea, worrying about whether he would reply. He hadn’t even sent her his flight details for coming home. He’d said he’d be home on Friday, right? She wasn’t sure this time.
Maybe he wants to stay in Los Angeles. She knew she shouldn’t be thinking about it, but the thought just came. How is he supposed to tell me that he doesn’t want to be back in Hanneston, especially when we’ve only just gotten back together? The thought of being long distance again brought tears to her eyes.
Her phone buzzed, scaring her. It was him. Nope, I left. Getting a burrito until my next thing.
What’s your next thing? She hoped she wasn’t sounding possessive or controlling.
Long story. Are you free?
Yes, she replied instantly.
The ellipses at the bottom of the screen that showed he was typing stayed there for a few minutes. She kept her phone open, glancing every couple of seconds. Finally, he was responding. She wasn’t hoping for something positive, but maybe whatever he was spending so much time explaining would clear things up.
From across the room, she glanced over and saw that he had finally sent his message. She scrambled over and gripped the phone as she read.
I would call but I’m in a yuppier part of town and you never know who’s who. I wouldn’t want any of the other people here to overhear anything. Whatever. Anyway, it hasn’t been a good week. One of my clients called Monday night. She was furious. The replacement I found last week is a total asshole, it turns out. He charmed me during the interview and played it cool. She liked him the first time they worked together. On Monday he started hitting on her and being way too forward for someone who is only supposed to have a business relationship with her.
“Crap, that sucks,” Lillian murmured, and typed back, Cayden, I’m so sorry.
I’ve been trying to fix it this week. Had to confront him about it. Big blowout. I lost my temper. She’s married, which makes it even more unprofessional.
Lillian felt herself getting irritated, knowing Cayden’s week had also been stressful and she couldn’t help him at all. That really sucks. Did your client hire you to find another one?
Yeah, she did. That’s where I’m going after this burrito. She still respects me, and was impressed that I told the guy off. Funny, huh?
She felt a sense of relief sweep over her. So, your reputation isn’t tarnished?
Not at all. I’m so ticked. I should’ve listened to my gut with that guy. He was just as good as the guy I found for Janine, but something about him made me second-guess myself.
That convincing, huh? Lillian replied.
Yeah, he was absolutely convincing. Just goes to show, always go with your gut.
Funny you should say that, she typed back. I had a little flare-up this morning.
You okay? Cayden’s response came immediately.
Yeah, I’m fine. It was a little one. It’s okay now.
Please rest.
I took a nap and am eating a snack now. Don’t worry about me.
He started typing and then stopped. She waited for his reply to come through, but nothing did for a few minutes. Finally, her phone beeped again. Hey, Lil. I lost my charger. Phone’s almost dead. I’ll grab one of your extras.
When are you coming home? Send me your flight info so I can pick you up! she replied, but the dreaded red exclamation point popped up. The text didn’t go through.
Unsure of what to do, she walked outside. Andrew sounded like he was ending his conversation, so Lillian sat there and played with Gray Cat in the meantime.
“Thank you, everyone. I’ll email you the documents after lunch. Great. Thanks again.” Andrew hung up and let out a groan that echoed to the edge of the woods.
“How was that?” Lillian asked, poking the cat’s ear.
“Wasn’t expecting to be in a conference call this morning,” he replied, rubbing his face. “It went fine. If I was still unconscious they would have seriously messed up some of our operations, but it’s fine now. I really need to hire an assistant who’s on the same wavelength as I am.”
“Is it hard to hire one?”
“Just have to get approval and then do a bunch of interviews, I guess. I could pick an insider and just move them up. I don’t know. I need lunch first.” He looked at her. “What have you been up to?”
“Well, I’ve had a phone call from Katharina.”
“The Los Angeles girl?”
She nodded. “Yeah. She bought a guest house, had it moved on a truck into her backyard, and wants me to decorate it.”
Andrew clapped. “Hey, that’s awesome!”
“In theory, yes. But she wants me to come this weekend.”
“What’s the problem?”
“The problem is you being here alone.”
“Oh, come on. It has nothing to do with Cayden coming back?”
“Maybe a little of that,” she admitted.
“Is Katharina hot?”
Reluctantly, Lillian nodded, and pulled up the photo of Cayden and her working out last week. Holding the phone up, she watched Andrew’s jaw drop.
“Dude,” he said.
“I know.”
He shook his head back to normal. “Does you not wanting to go have anything to do with her and Cayden working out together every week?”
Lillian scowled. “Maybe. I mean, she loves my work. Which is cool, I guess. She said she wouldn’t hire anyone else to fix up her place, so it makes me feel good.”
“It should make you feel good! She’s a sexy, rich woman who has the world at her fingertips, and she wants you to organize and decorate her place.”
“I’m not a decorator.”
“You always say that, but you really are. You can do both; it’s just natural for you.” He gave her a little push. “Come on, Lillian. You have to go. Why not? None of your excuses are good enough to not go to Los Angeles, on a paid trip, to do something you love and are good at.”
“Last time I wanted to go,” she pointed out, “you thought it was a mistake.”
Andrew got solemn. “I was more cautious then.”
“Then? That was less than a month ago.”
“You and Cayden were having a hard time, and I was worried you would drive yourself crazy being in the same place as him.”
“Did you think Cayden was a mistake?”
“I didn’t know him. Now that I’m getting to, I don’t think it’s a mistake. That’s the past, and we don’t need to bring it back up. Things are good with you two?”
She nodded.
“That’s all I need to know.”
“He had a bad week.”
“He did?”
“Yeah.” Lillian draped her legs over the side of the chair. “One of the replacements he hired for a client ended up being an ass. Hit on the woman, who happens to be married.”
“Ouch.”
“That’s why we haven’t heard from him much.”
“Did he tell you when he’s coming back?”
“His phone died. He said he would get one of my extra chargers.”
“Because he can’t get one in Los Angeles?” Andrew chuckled.
“Right?” She smiled. “Well, maybe the airport will have a charging station he can use. I guess I’ll just be ready tomorrow night to go pick him up when he calls.”
They sat there, looking out at the trees, until Lillian heard Andrew’s stomach growl. “Hungry?”
“Getting there. Let’s grab some grub.” He stood up with his crutches no problem.
“You’re a pro now!” she whistled.
“In all the years I’ve known you I have literally never heard anyone call you the magic maker.”
“That’s because you’ve never slept with me.”
“Oh, did you have to go there?” Lillian moaned loudly.
“You and Cayden make jokes about it all the time! Why can’t I?”
“You’re the one making those jokes for us, dumbass! Why would I ever want you to know about Cayden’s and my sex life?”
“Fetish?”
She hit him harder than just a playful slap. “You are so weird. Please stop talking about this. Let’s just have a nice lunch and carry on with our day.”
“Fine, then,” he said, “but when nighttime comes...”
“No way!” She held her finger up to his lips. “Stop that.”
The familiar, mischievous glimmer that danced in his eyes since he was a kid came back full force. “Okay, I’m done.”
“For real?”
“Yeah. I’m done. Let’s just eat.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll save the jokes for when Cayden’s back.”
“You can joke with him in private.”
“Are you giving me permission?”
“I decline to answer that question.”
Andrew tsked and got out a loaf of bread. “Smart one, you are. Almost as smart as me.”
“Thank you for lunch, Andrew!” Lillian called as she walked back to her room.
“Wait, aren’t you eating?”
“Call me when it’s done!”
“Where are you going?” he yelled.
“Back here until you’re ready to stop talking about sex!” She took refuge in her room, trying to focus on herself for a few minutes. Sitting on the floor, she opened her lingerie drawer again.
“Now,” she murmured to herself as she searched through everything, “what will Cayden want to get his hands on this weekend?”
SHE POURED THE SECOND cup of coffee, taking extra care to make it less coffee and more milk. After yesterday’s flare-up, she was on high alert to avoid her trigger foods at all costs.
Andrew was using her laptop in the living room. Jazz music was floating through the house, giving the particularly cold air some sense of intangible warmth. She joined him, plopping down in her reading chair and pulling a blanket over her legs. “Why is it so cold today?”
“Ask Jack Frost,” he said, not paying her much attention.
“What are you working on?”
He kept his eyes glued to the laptop screen, craning his neck over it intently. “Yesterday, when I sent my colleagues those documents they needed, they made some suggestions that would be more suitable for this thing we’re working on.”
“That’s so vague.”
“I’m distracted.”
“Sorry.” She shut her mouth and looked out the window. The only place she was planning on going today was the airport to pick up Cayden. Until then, she was making time to look through all the pages of Claire’s infamous “idea binder.” Most of the storage and space-efficient ideas weren’t usable in her house, but some of them would work very nicely. Lillian had already scribbled notes in the margins of the good ideas.
“It’s almost one,” she said at last. “Are you hungry?”
“I’ll be in a little while,” he replied, still focusing on the laptop.
“I’m going to eat something.” She got up, but before she could take a step the doorbell rang, accompanied by rapid knocking.
She and Andrew looked at each other suddenly. “What the heck?” he remarked, leaning to the side to look at the door.
“It’s locked,” Lillian said. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
“Do you know anyone who would try to get in the front door?”
“No.”
“Are you going to answer it?”
The bell rang again, and there was more knocking. She looked at Andrew. “I guess I have to, right?”
“I’ll be here. It’s broad daylight; I can’t imagine anything horrible happening.”
“Thanks for the comforting thought,” she said, walking on her tiptoes to the door. Cautiously, she unlocked it and opened it.
There, on her front porch, stood Cayden and Katharina.
“What the...” She stared, her mouth agape.
“Darling!” Katharina embraced her, and kissed her on both cheeks. “Surprise!”
Shocked, Lillian looked at Cayden. He stood there, an unreadable expression on his face. “I don’t know,” he mouthed, shrugging, and gave her a kiss. “I wanted to let you know, but my phone died.”
Katharina stepped into the house. “It’s charming!”
“It’s a mess,” Lillian countered. “So, uh, welcome, I guess.”
Katharina laughed her tinkling laugh. “I suppose you are curious why I’m here in Hanneston.”
“You suppose right.”
“I surprised even Cayden!”
Cayden nodded. “I had no idea she was on the same flight until we got off.”
“I was first class,” Katharina informed them. “So, he didn’t see me when he boarded.”
“Didn’t you book Cayden’s flight home?” Lillian asked.
“Yes. That’s how I knew which plane he was taking. When you said you were unsure about coming back to Los Angeles, I knew I would have to come here myself to convince you.”
The sound of uneven footsteps approached, and they all looked to see Andrew coming toward them on his crutches. “Was I not invited to this party?” he asked, beaming at Cayden and Lillian. Then he saw Katharina and his demeanor totally changed. “You must be Katharina.”
“I am.”
Andrew extended his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. All good things, of course.”
Katharina smiled, studying Andrew for a moment. “I heard you were unwell recently. You don’t look so bad now.”
“I don’t feel so bad now,” he replied. Lillian saw that twinkle in his eyes.
“Andrew,” she jumped in, “Katharina came with Cayden to convince me to go to Los Angeles again.”
“Oh,” he said, looking at Katharina, “she was going to come anyway.”
“Really?” Katharina showed her perfectly straight teeth. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“I, uh, I was about to.”
“Well, now that we have that settled, we can prepare to leave. I don’t know how long I am going to need you. Maybe four days, maybe five, maybe a year.”
“You’re too funny, Katharina.” Lillian tried to sound cheerful, but the guys knew she was uncomfortable with all of this.
“Shall we sit and talk about the plan?” Katharina set her designer purse on a small table and swayed into the living room, observing every detail of the house. Andrew was lost for a minute, staring at the way she walked.
“Holy shit,” he whispered, and Lillian hit his shoulder.
She ran ahead to the living room, folding up a couple of blankets. “My house is very, um, lived in,” she said. “It doesn’t look picture-perfect all the time.”
“It is truly lovely. I am very glad I have seen it now. I understand you and your work so much better!” Katharina held out her hand for Black Cat to sniff before rubbing his head against her fingers.
“You understand better?”
“Yes, dear. Seeing where you live tells me a lot about the kind of person you are. It helps me see the back-story.”
“Oh. Interesting.”
“Anyone want water?” Cayden asked, standing in the kitchen doorway.
“No, thank you, handsome,” Katharina called back without looking. Her gaze caught on a collection of random trinkets on the wall unit. “Lillian, these are adorable. Where did you get them?”
“I just collected them at thrift stores a long time ago. With Andrew’s sister, actually.” She looked at Andrew, who very obviously was not interested in Lillian at the moment. He
was trying so hard not to stare at Katharina, but she kept catching him looking.
“Beautiful. Where’s your sister now, Andrew?”
“She, uh...”
“She passed,” Lillian said.
Katharina frowned. “I’m terribly sorry to hear that.”
“Thank you.”
“Well,” she announced as she gracefully lowered herself onto Lillian’s chair, “let’s talk about the plan, shall we? We can fly tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Lillian gasped. “I’m not prepared to leave that soon, Katharina.”
“Because he’s unable to take care of himself?” Katharina looked at Andrew. “You’re a child, yes? You can’t take care of yourself?”
Knowing he was at risk of getting himself into a sticky situation, he replied, “I think Lillian should go with you. I would be fine here for a few days. There are no appointments scheduled for the next week, and—”
“There’s still a lot you need help with, though,” Lillian objected.
“You sound like my parents, debating to go to Europe or not.”
“They wouldn’t have if I wasn’t here.”
“I can move around and do basic things by myself, Lillian.”
“If you could drive to the grocery store, I would feel better about leaving you behind for several days.”
“This is not worth arguing about,” Katharina said coolly, looking at her manicured fingernails. “Andrew will come with us. That way he can be cared for, and you can work your magic on my new guest house.”
Andrew’s gaze glassed over. “Wait, you want to take me to Los Angeles?”
“Yes, is it a problem? Do you have something keeping you here?”
“Um, no...”
“Then, why not?”
“I don’t have a reason,” he confessed. “I mean, can a leg brace even fit on a plane?”
“Anything can fit when I book a plane.” She raised an eyebrow, and Lillian saw a strange twinkle in her eye. Andrew saw it, too.
He looked at Lillian. “So, what do you think?”
She sighed. “I have to call my clients.”
“How many meetings do you have next week?” Katharina demanded.
“Two.”
“Bah!” she scoffed. “Reschedule them. Meet with them on video chat or something. You won’t be gone forever.”
“Claire seems to think I’ve abandoned her,” Lillian muttered.