by Parker, Ali
“Obviously, this will be a test of your planning skills and how well you take direction.”
I was already thinking of ways I could intentionally fail the test. I didn’t think they were the kind of people I wanted to work for on a daily basis. Working with them did not appeal to me. “All right, I am looking forward to seeing what we can create together.”
The phone began to vibrate again. The father looked up from his phone, raising an irritated eyebrow. I silenced it again. “You must be very popular,” he commented.
I offered a nervous smile. “I am.”
“I told you she was the best,” Carla said with a satisfied smile. “I know these things. I have a lot of friends and we talk about things like this.”
“I’m happy to know my reputation precedes me,” I said.
“Oh, it definitely does,” Carla said. “Now, do you have any connections with any of the big names in the industry?”
“What industry would that be?” I questioned.
“Music. I want Justin Bieber at my party.”
I almost choked. “I do not have those connections. I can put out some requests and see if I can get a manager to call me back, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
She popped out her lower lip. “But I wanted Justin.”
“I’ll make some calls, sweetie,” Carla said, shooting me a dirty look.
I took control of the meeting. “I’m going to put together some color ideas and send you over some sketches. We’ll talk about menus and music. If we can’t secure your first choice, there are plenty of local bands and singers I work with on a regular basis. I can send you links to their websites and you can listen to their music.”
The girl curled her lip. “I really don’t want a nobody.”
“I think you will be impressed with our local artists. Many of them are on the rise in the industry. You’ll get to be a little part of their climb to the top.”
“I suppose,” she mumbled.
“We need to get going,” the father announced. “I’ve got a board meeting. Send whatever and I will review it and make the necessary adjustments.”
I held my smile in place. “I will do that.”
They left my office. I shouldn’t have taken them on as clients but I couldn’t stop now. The contracts were signed, and unless they fired me, I was on the hook. I was used to working with difficult clients. I could do it.
The phone began to vibrate across my desk again. I flipped it over and saw it was Xander again. He was persistent. The guy hadn’t talked to me in over a week and now he was suddenly in dire need to speak to me? I declined the call again and called Nelle.
“Hey,” she said, sounding out of breath.
“Where are you at?” I asked.
“Just climbing off the treadmill. What’s up?”
“Ugh, I just got done with a very difficult client meeting,” I complained. “It’s a sweet sixteen for what is probably the most spoiled kid in America.”
“Don’t do it.”
“I have to do it and it could lead to a lot of future work if I don’t kill them before I get it done.”
“Eek, that bad, huh?”
“Worse. And then, to make matters worse, Xander decides to call nonstop during the meeting.”
“Really? What did he want?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I didn’t take the call. I was in a meeting. And it wasn’t the kind of meeting that allowed me to answer my phone.”
“Did he leave a voicemail?”
“Nope.”
“I hate that,” she groaned.
“Me too. If it was important, he could leave a message. The guy has fallen off the face of the earth again. He hasn’t called or texted and now he blows up my phone? I’m not interested.”
“Liar,” she shot back.
“Okay, I am interested but I don’t want to make it too easy.”
“You know you’re never going to be able to think of anything else if you don’t call him back and find out what he wants.”
“Won’t that make me sound like I’m desperate for his attention?” I asked.
“No. The man called you. Calling him back is just polite.”
Truly, I was looking for her approval. She had given it to me and now I was anxious to call him and find out. “I’m going to do it.”
“Let me know,” she said and hung up.
I held the phone in my hand, tapping it against my forehead. I needed to mentally brace myself to hear his voice. It was going to sting a little. I hit the button to return his call.
“Hey,” he answered.
“Hi. You called?”
“I did. A few times.”
“I was in a meeting,” I answered. “Did you need something?”
“I’m in town.”
I sat forward. “Town, as in San Diego?”
His soft laughter filled my heart with warmth. I missed him. God, how I missed him.
“Yes, San Diego.”
“Oh,” I said.
“Are you busy?”
“I’m at work.” I couldn’t bring myself to be friendly. I needed to keep my emotional distance from him.
“Evie, I get that you are angry. I want to talk to you. Can we talk?”
“Xander, what is there to talk about?”
“When will you be off work?” he asked instead of answering my question.
I didn’t want to see him. If I saw him, it would be impossible to resist him. I would be right back to square one with him again. We’d hook up, spend a great night together, and then he would dump me. I wasn’t the fastest learner, but after a few times, I figured it out.
“Xander, I think it’s best we leave things alone. I can’t take the up and down. It’s too much.”
“I get it. Can we please talk? I would like to try and explain some things.”
I wanted to tell him no. I wanted him to leave me alone. Well, not really. “I’ll be off work in about an hour. I think we should meet somewhere public. I don’t want to be alone with you.”
“Ouch,” he teased. “I get it. Meet me at our spot.”
I was confused. “Our spot?”
“Yes, the first place you took me. Our spot.”
I smiled. “At the park?”
“That’s the place. I’ll see you in an hour.”
I hung up, taking a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. The man could turn me inside out. Would he always have that kind of power over me? I couldn’t imagine what he wanted to talk about. If he thought he was going to talk me back into bed, he was so wrong. Bed led to feelings and I didn’t want to feel like shit again.
I called Nelle back. “He wants to talk,” I blurted out when she answered.
“That’s generally why people call people,” she said with a laugh.
“Stop. I’m serious. He’s in town. He wants to meet up and talk.”
“What do you think he wants to talk about?”
“I have no idea. I don’t think I’m strong enough to resist him. He’s going to look at me with those soulful eyes and I’m going to be lost. I’m going to want to touch him and then I’m screwed. Literally. Sex is confusing the issue. He doesn’t want to be with me. I can’t be his booty call. I can’t be the woman he calls when he is passing through town.”
“Then don’t be,” she answered.
“That is easier said than done. I’m drawn to him. I cannot resist him. I see him and I want him.”
“Meet him somewhere public,” she suggested.
“We kind of are. I’m supposed to meet him at the park. It’s where we went on our first outing after meeting at that party. He calls it our spot. Isn’t that so cute?”
She loudly groaned. “Cute is one word. I think it’s romantic. Maybe he wants to try and work things out.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.”
“Be strong. You can do this.”
“I think I’m going to cut out of here early. I want to go home and change before I me
et him.”
She laughed. “Of course, you do. You can’t meet him without primping a little.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
“Yes, you are and that’s okay. I think you should. Show him what he is missing. Let him see what he is going to be walking away from. Sometimes, you have to be a little bit of a tease to get a man’s attention.”
“Thanks, I will keep that in mind.”
“You’re welcome. Call me and tell me what happens.”
“I will,” I told her and hung up the phone again.
I needed to get some work done, but I was suddenly very anxious to see him. I quickly created the new file for the sweet-sixteen party and emailed it to myself. I would work on it later. For now, I was going home and changing into something more appropriate for the walk up to my favorite spot in the park.
Now that he’d dubbed it our spot, I knew I would never be able to think of it any other way. It would always be our spot.
Chapter 67
Xander
I was so close to losing her. I sensed it in her voice. I wasn’t expecting her to jump at the chance to see me, but I wasn’t expecting such resistance either.
The sense of urgency I felt was making me anxious. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. It had taken me way too long to realize how I felt about her. Anytime I thought about my life in a month or a year or in ten years, she was there. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but I knew she was a person I wanted in my life. It wasn’t even a want. It was a need. I needed the woman like I needed air.
I was prepared to chase her down if I had to. I would do whatever it took to make her hear me out. I knew there was still a chance she would kick me to the curb. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. I had fucked up. A lot. I would spend the next year trying to convince her to give me a chance. I couldn’t explain when things clicked but they had.
It was like the light went on. I hated that I was so ignorant for so damn long. I hated to think of the pain I caused her. I hated myself for not treating her right. I didn’t deserve her, but I was sure as hell going to do what I could to be the man she deserved.
I paced the area, checking the time. The sun was beginning to set. Streaks of orange stretched across the sky, creating the most perfect backdrop. It was all perfect. Now, I just needed her to show up. She texted and let me know she was running late. That was a first. I had to believe it was intentional. I was late all the time.
I checked behind me. She still wasn’t there. My little picnic basket was sitting on the bench. Fortunately, it was a weekday, and no one seemed to be around. Most people preferred not to hike at night. A horrible thought crossed my mind. I was putting the woman on a path in the fading light all by herself. Maybe not the best idea. I thought about meeting her at the bottom of the trail.
I heard footsteps and hoped it was her. I spun around to see her making her way up the trail “Hi,” I said and walked toward her.
She was wearing a pair of shorts and a light jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. There was a vulnerability about her that pulled at my heartstrings.
She smiled. “Hi.”
“You look beautiful,” I told her. “Damn, you are so fucking gorgeous. I swear you grow prettier by the day.”
“You are being very charming,” she said with a forced laugh. “I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.”
“I brought some snacks,” I blurted out and immediately felt like a jackass. “I mean, I brought a picnic. Of sorts.”
“Snacks? I thought you said you wanted to talk. Why did you want to talk here?”
“Because this spot is special to us. I brought a picnic because I wanted to create a whole thing. I wanted us to enjoy a picnic with the sunset in our special place.”
“You keep calling it our special place,” she said warily.
“It is special. I will always remember the first time we came here. It was really the first time I got to see you for the woman you are.”
“I appreciate that, but I feel like this is a lot of pomp and circumstance.”
I shrugged. “I wanted to show you I can treat you right.”
“So you brought a picnic?”
“I did.”
“How long do you anticipate this conversation going?” she asked with a great deal of skepticism.
“I figured I would hope for the best, and maybe if things went well, there would be some star gazing.”
She was being standoffish. “I’m not sure what you expect to happen here. I don’t want to keep doing this. I keep showing up and you keep walking away.”
She was killing me. “I know.”
“Then I’m asking you to please, just tell me what’s going on.”
“I want to talk. Sit please. Can I pour you some wine?”
“You brought wine?”
I grinned and opened the basket. I pulled out the little bottle and poured two glasses, emptying the bottle. “I did.”
“Why do I feel like I’m being seduced?”
“I’m not trying to seduce you.”
She was still holding back. I could feel her trying to distance herself from me. “This definitely feels like a seduction.”
I sat on the bench beside her. “I might be seducing you a little but not in that way. I want you to be willing to talk to me and I suppose that takes some seduction.”
“You could have texted.”
“Definitely not,” I told her. I looked out over the park and remembered the first time she showed me her favorite viewpoint. “It is such a nice night.”
“It is. What’s going on Xander?”
“I’m coming back,” I told her.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m moving back home. Into my house. I’m staying.”
“For how long? You were home a couple of weeks ago and you left.”
“Good point. But this time, I’m staying.”
“What about the ghosts you didn’t want to deal with?”
I shrugged. “I think ghosts can be a good thing.”
“How so?” she asked softly.
“The memories I have of him here are good. They are some of the best memories I have of him. Running away from them was wrong. I need to be here. I need those memories to keep him near me.”
“I think that is a very good idea,” she said, a real smile spreading over her face. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“I’m sorry I ditched you. Repeatedly. I’m the world’s biggest asshole. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m hoping you will give it to me anyway.”
“Xander, I want to believe you, but I’m hesitant.”
“I know. I expect that. It isn’t just the memories of Kade that brought me back. You. Memories of being with you. Thinking about this place and our time together. Those are all really good memories. I want more memories like that.”
“You are saying all the right things,” she said with a smile. “You know I can’t resist you.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“I’m glad you are back,” she said.
“Me too. Does this mean you will entertain the idea of having a relationship with me?”
“I could be convinced,” she said.
“I am going to work very hard to convince you,” I vowed.
She sipped her wine. “How are you doing? Like really doing?”
“I’m doing a lot better thanks to you.”
“Thanks to me?”
“You are a sneaky little lady,” I told her.
She raised her eyebrows. “Me? Sneaky?”
“I got a call yesterday.”
“Congratulations.”
“Oh, you’re cheeky too.” I laughed. I opened the picnic basket and pulled out the small cheese tray and peeled back the plastic. “You hold that.” I reached back in and grabbed another tray of an assortment of nuts and fruits and peeled the plastic back.
“Wow, you come prepared.”
“It’s not exactly a meal, but I wan
ted to wine and dine you while we watched the sunset in our special spot.”
“I think I like this romantic side of you.”
“Good.”
“Tell me about your phone call.”
I popped a grape into my mouth. “It was my dad.”
The look on her face was one I would never forget. It was surprise, guilt, and dread. “Your dad called you?”
“Yes, he did. He told me you paid him a visit.”
She looked sick. “I’m so sorry. It was a total spur of the moment thing. I’ve been worrying about it for a week. I shouldn’t have stuck my nose into your business. I was wrong and I apologize. I made it very clear you didn’t know I was there. I told him I was acting of my own volition and you didn’t put me up to anything.”
“Are you done?” I asked with amusement.
“Um, I don’t know. Am I?”
“My dad and I talked yesterday. Actually talked.”
“You did?”
I nodded, grabbing a few cashews. “We did. We are going to go fishing soon. I’m going to hire a charter and we are going to do the one thing Kade worked so hard to make happen.”
I thought I saw a tear slide down her cheek. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Me too. He apologized. He told me he was proud of me. I think that is probably the first time he has ever said those words to me.”
“I’m going to turn into a hot, blubbering mess any second,” she said as she laughed through her tears. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. I owe it all to you. I don’t know if we would have ever been able to work things out without a little encouragement from you. We can be pretty stubborn. You showed us the way.”
She let out a long breath. “I’m so relieved. I have been absolutely stressing out about the situation. I thought for sure I royally fucked up. I kept thinking I pissed him off and he was going to hate you forever because I butted my big old nose into your very private family business.”
“Just the opposite. I mean, it did take him almost a week to finally call me, but he did it. He told me he thought you were special. He approves.”
“Wow, that’s some high praise.”