by Evie Monroe
“And you’re going to be what she’s moving on to? Are you sure you’re ready for that? I mean, considering your life as it stands? Is she okay with that? You’ve talked?” I didn’t need him telling me how to go about my relationships, and I felt the conversation had gone on long enough.
“We’ve talked. Believe it or not, we’ve been very close lately. Closer than you and her, even.” That earned a silky laugh from him.
“I’m not competing with you for her so, let’s not make this about that. Have fun on your trip, friend and be safe.”
“Thanks, friend. I also wanted to congratulate you on a job well done yesterday. You’re a miracle worker.”
“Well, Liss deserves the most credit, so you be sure and tell her.”
We ended the call, and I headed upstairs to wake Liss. As I entered the bedroom, she sat up. “Where have you been? I was just about to come down and find you. I want coffee.” I had left my tea downstairs in my office.
“We can go down and get you something, but I wanted to tell you that, I’ve got a surprise for you.” I filled with pride as her eyes widened.
“What it is?”
“Well, you’ll find out, but I want you to pack a bag and be ready to leave at noon. I’m taking you on a trip.”
She grabbed my arm and then leaned in close to kiss my cheek. “You’re too good to me. I guess you’re not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“You’ll see soon enough, besides, I love giving you a surprise.” She gave me a leery look.
“I’m not big on surprises, but I’ll trust you.” She got up and went to the bathroom, talking over her shoulder. “What should I pack? Are we going to be gone one night? Two?”
“Bring enough for a couple of days, and pack a nice dress for dinner.” I hoped she’d leave her ugly shoes, but knew I couldn’t break her heart by telling her. She’d brought her things into my room over the past week, and so I looked over to her luggage and spotted the shoes. Thankfully, they weren’t the only pair she’d brought. She’d only worn them the day she’d arrived, so I hoped she wouldn’t miss them.
As she turned on the shower and stepped inside, I grabbed the shoes and headed into my closet with them. I tucked them into my shoe rack, cramming them back into the corner behind a pair of loafers. If I had to, I could blame Jack for moving the shoes, but at least she’d not try and wear them.
With that done and the little bit of guilt I had for hiding them, I decided it was time to get dressed. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt from my favorite collection and put them on the bed. By the time I was headed to the shower, she was finishing up and stepping out with steam billowing out from behind her. “I’m taking you to breakfast and then we’ll come back to get our luggage.”
“I’ll be ready!” She lifted on her tiptoes a little and kissed me as I took off my robe. Then she left me alone to my shower.
After my shower, we went to breakfast, and I noticed her in a strange mood.
“Is something wrong?”
She picked at her pancake with her fork, stabbing blueberries and dragging the juice across her plate to make wild patterns. “No, it’s nothing. I just misplaced something, but I am sure I’ll find them when I get back.”
I had a feeling she was missing her shoes, and I’d hoped that she wouldn’t miss them until after we had gone. “Them?
“I know it’s silly, but I keep a pair of my mother’s shoes for when I am feeling anxious. They give me strength. And since I’ve only flown once on the way down here, I was hoping to wear them on the plane.”
I felt two inches tall. To think that the shoes had meant something important to her, that they’d have been her mother’s, I’d never have expected. And knowing her relationship with her father was so important to her after losing her mother, it made me see her for how vulnerable she was. Once again, I’d done something mean, however unintentional. “I’ll look in my closet; sometimes Jack moves things around.”
“Yeah, they couldn’t have gone far.” She shrugged and popped a bite of pancake into her mouth.
“I’m certain they’ll turn up.”
When we got back to the house, while she searched her room, thinking they might’ve slipped under the bed in there, I went into the closet and took out the ugly, dark navy shoes, which were so scuffed and outdated, their clunky heels and big strap making them look like a pair of witch shoes and brought them out into the hall.
Liss came out of the Queen's suite, and when she saw the shoes, she screamed for joy. “Oh, Johnny, where’d you find them?”
“They were inside my closet; I might’ve kicked them in there, inadvertently.” I figured the shortest explanation the better.
“I know they’re hideous, but I’ve never cared what people think about my fashion choices, and well, unfortunately, it was the one pair of shoes I remember her wearing.” She looked down at her shoes and smiled. “If they were only basic blacks.” She smiled, and I pulled her closer.
“You make them beautiful. I like that you have a good story to go with them.”
“Well, it’s not like I wanted to wear the conversation pieces every day, but it makes me feel like my mom is with me. Sometimes a girl needs her mother.” She gave a little shrug and then went to my room to change her shoes and grab her luggage.
We had just boarded my private plane when she took out her phone. “I’m going to text my dad and tell him I’m traveling to another show. I don’t want him to worry and this way, if he knows I’m working, he won’t call me every five minutes.” She didn’t want her old man to know she was traveling for pleasure with her boss.
“You might want to wait on that.” I reached over and placed my hand on her arm.
“Why?”
“Because I’m taking you home.” Her mouth popped open, and it wasn’t happiness that filled her eyes. As the plane took off, there was no going back. We were on our way to Lewistown, and she was pissed off.
I should have listened to Weed.
Chapter 18
Liss
“You’re taking me where?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here I thought the two of us were going somewhere romantic, and he was taking me back home. The excitement that had been building all morning was now gone in an instant and replaced with irritation. “Why would you bring me home without saying something?”
“I thought you could talk to your dad in person and I knew you wouldn’t have been able to fly home with me working you to death. I thought you’d be happy I wanted to be a part of your life.” I had a hard time arguing that point, but I hadn’t told my dad about the money because I’d been scared of his reaction, and now the money had grown to epic proportions, and I hadn’t told him still, and now Johnny wanted me to spring our relationship on him too. Part of me wanted to be happy, with Johnny and me going to my father, perhaps it would mean the relationship would be much stronger, and I didn’t have much to worry about when it came to wondering about his commitment, but at the same time, I’d let all of this happen without so much as a word to my father who trusted me to confide in him. We’d always been a team and made decisions together. Not to mention, he wasn’t going to want me to leave home.
“Fine, Johnny. It looks like there isn’t much turning back now. But I go in alone. I’d like for my dad to get used to the idea of me leaving home before I spring it on him that I’ve been shacked up with you and will be living with you.” I suddenly wondered if that was the plan. I’d just assumed I’d live with him because that’s where I’d been staying. “I would be living with you, right?”
“Do you want to?” He took my hand and kissed my knuckles.
“Of course. I don’t know where else I’d stay.”
“I want you with me. It’s why I’m doing this.” He gripped my hand tight, and I knew he was sincere.
“Good, because that’s where I want to be. I just don’t want to slap my father in the face with that information.” He held up his hand as if to calm me down.
&n
bsp; “I’ll get a hotel room when we get to town. You can go back and forth as needed and I’ll give you space. I’m not here to get in the way, Liss. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to talk face to face and to tie up any loose ends with your shop.”
“I don’t know if closing down is the answer. I wish I could run it too, but I can’t do custom orders. There’s just no way.”
“Especially since you’re under contract with me at the moment and I need you.” He kissed my hand again. His affections were intense at times.
I let out a sigh that was tinged with laughter. “I’m aware how much you need me.”
His eyes smoldered. “I don’t think you are.” He leaned in and kissed my neck, warming me in all the right places.
“Johnny, we’re on an airplane.” Surely, he didn’t think I’d be in the mood to mess around. But he continued assaulting me with kisses, strategically placed to entice.
Soon, I was panting, and my hands were roaming his body. We had desperately kissed and petted, and he undid my seatbelt and walked me back to the private executive suite where there was a bed.
“Johnny, what if something happens?” I asked from my back after he’d laid me down on the small leather sofa.
“Then we’ll die happy. Besides, I intend to make you forget you even need to wear those shoes.”’ He reached down, and his cool fingers brushed my ankles as he pulled them off. I heard the thud as the heavy heels hit the floor.
He lay across me, kissing down my breasts until he disappeared down between my thighs. I spent the next half hour lost in a rapture of ecstasy and passion. He’d edged me until my thighs quivered and I ached deep inside my core, longing for him to fill me up. Finally, he inserted his fingers and stroked my spot so thoroughly that I came hard and screamed his name begging him not to stop.
I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of him. In me, with me, besides me. I wanted it all, and suddenly I grew more excited about the trip and his declaration of his feelings. We were going to be together, and that’s all that mattered to me.
We were both situated safely in our seats when we touched down at the small airport a mile out from my hometown. As we exited the plane, he tucked me into his side. “I’m going to have the car take you home while I go to the hotel. Will you be okay on your own? It’s not too late for me to go along.”
“I’ll be fine.” I could tell he was having a hard time letting me go. “This is my stomping ground. I’ll go right home and then once I’ve had a talk with my father, I’ll have you come over.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting.” He kissed my cheek, and we waited as the Ubers we’d ordered showed up, and we parted ways after a long goodbye kiss.
I was excited about being in my hometown again, and though it had only been a few weeks, it felt like forever. Everything seemed so small and so few, and far between that, I found myself a little bored with the scenery. I’d loved the hustle and energy of the city. I called my dad as I got closer to my house.
He seemed a little strange but was surprised that I’d come home. “You’re just around the corner? That’s great, honey. I’m looking forward to seeing you.” He hung up the phone, and my driver continued to my house, and when we turned on the street, I looked up ahead and saw a car backing out of our drive. I couldn’t see who was in the car, but I figured dad had one of his golfing buddies over.
“Daddy!” I said as I jumped out of the car. I gave him a hug and then paid my driver as he grabbed my bags.
“I can’t believe you didn’t let me meet you at the airport.” Dad’s hair was slicked back and a bit wet on the tips.
“I didn’t want to disturb you and thought this would be a nice surprise. Besides, it looks like you hit the links today, right?” I gestured to his wet hair, and he quickly agreed.
“Yes. It was a nice day on the course. You look amazing; I see your mother’s shoes made it.” I looked down to my feet and smiled. Strangely I hadn’t needed them. My cheeks burned with a blush as I thought about what happened on that plane and I quickly wiped it out of my mind because of my father’s presence.
We walked inside, and the familiar smell of home welcomed me. “I’ve missed that smell. I will have to get a cookie dough candle to take back with me.”
“You’re not back for good?” Dad’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were a bit early.” He sat down in his recliner, and I took the couch beside him.
“Yeah, that’s kind of something I came to talk to you about. Johnny Hatter has offered me a full-time position.”
“In Los Angeles?” Dad scratched his stubbly chin and looked to the floor. “That sounds like a great opportunity. I mean, I know you just got the shop opened, but the lease was only three months, and I’m sure we can work something out.”
“That’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Turns out, Johnny Hatter really liked my collection, so he bought it. As per the deal, I’m on board as his top designer.”
“You sold your line? That was a big decision to make. I hope you made yourself a healthy deal. Those designs meant the world to you, Liss.” Daddy had seen me slave away over the collection and knew more than anyone how I’d poured my heart and soul into having my own shop.
“I think you’ll be pleased. It’s quite a lot, Daddy.” He gave me a blank stare and waited as I took a deep breath. “One-million plus royalties on future sales of all of my designs.” Dad’s face suddenly didn’t know if it wanted to be flesh and bone or Jell-O as he made a face I couldn’t quite believe was possible.
“One million?” He held his heart. “Honey, that’s amazing. And he gave you a job to boot? I’m so proud of you. I always knew your hard work would pay off and I knew this trip would be good for you.”
“So, you mean you’re not upset that I want to go stay in L.A. and work for Mad Mode?”
“Why would I be upset? Honey, your whole life is ahead. It’s about time you got out of here and see what the world has to offer. It’s not like I have to figure out a way to support you now, you’re all grown and wealthier beyond comprehension.” He suddenly got another strange look on his face. “You know, you should probably get an accountant with all of that money.”
“I will, Daddy. I’m sure I’ll need a lot of help from you too. Things are happening so fast, and I didn’t want to just call and tell you.” I didn’t have to tell him that the trip home was actually Johnny’s doing.
“Well, I couldn’t be prouder of you.” He stood, and I got to my feet and gave him a big hug.
“Oh, I’m so relieved. I thought for sure you’d be upset with me because I didn’t tell you sooner, or because I’d made the decision without you.”
“You did good, kid. I’m proud of you. Let’s go have something for lunch. I’ve worked up a big appetite.”
I followed him into the kitchen and sat at the table where I found two glasses of lemonade that had been left to melt on the table. There was lipstick on one of the glasses, and I realized the person I’d seen driving away was a woman.
I thought for a moment about how anxious he’d sounded on the phone and the still damp hair and realized that I might’ve interrupted my father’s afternoon date.
“Daddy, what will you do when I’m gone? I mean, I know you work some and well, play a lot of golf, but will you date?”
He took the glasses away and put them in the sink. “I don’t know. How would you feel about it if I did? You know I wouldn’t be replacing your mother.” He was already seeing someone, and he wanted me to be okay with it. I could totally relate.
“I think I’d be good with it, as long as she makes you happy, Daddy. That’s all that matters to me. Besides, it isn’t like I won’t fall in love someday. I mean, I kind of already am.”
His head whipped around, and his eyes were full of questions. “You are? Have you met someone?”
“Yes, Daddy. I have. I really want you to meet him.”
“Well, maybe someday I can.” He turned and opened the fridge and pulled out some lunch
meat. Then he started loading his arms with a jar of mayonnaise, a head of lettuce, and a loaf of bread from the counter. He brought them to the table and dumped them and, after fetching a butter knife, we both fixed our own sandwiches.
Minutes later we had our lunch in front of us, and the silence had turned awkward. My phone pinged, and it was Johnny asking me how I was and if I’d made it okay. I told him all was fine and I’d talked to my father.
“Are you going to tell me about this young man, or leave me guessing?” My father had already downed half of his sandwich.
I let out a deep breath knowing I had to get it over with. “Actually, he came with me, Daddy. It’s Johnny Hatter.”
“Johnny, your boss, Hatter?” Dad’s eyes hardened. “The Johnny who paid you a million dollars for your designs, Hatter?” He was clearly not amused.
My phone pinged, and Johnny sent his response. He wanted to know if he could come over and meet him.
“He wants to meet you.” I looked up, and my dad’s expression wasn’t pleasant.
“I think that’s a good idea. I don’t want to go making snap judgments on the guy. I’m sure if you like him, he’s a nice young man.” Dad didn’t know anything about Johnny Hatter or Mad Mode, other than the basics, and that was pretty much common knowledge.
“Great, I’ll have him stop over, and we can chat.” Dad had been reasonable so far, and I knew he’d love Johnny as much as I did once they met. As long as he was happy for me, that was all that mattered.
I texted him the address, and he came back with: I’m already in the Uber. Be there in ten.
Knowing that Johnny was about to meet my father, had me worried and I needed a moment to myself. “I’ll be right back.” I headed upstairs and traded my mother’s ugly shoes, which I’d learned I didn’t need after all and slipped on a pair of comfortable sandals that would better complete my outfit, which was a short summer dress.
I stayed in my room and texted Sabrina that I’d be in town for a few days and that I wanted to get together if we could. I wanted Johnny to meet her, and I hoped that she’d have time. I wanted to share my big news of my job and my relationship, the million wasn’t anyone’s business, but it was good knowing if I ever needed to help my father or my best friend.