“She’s right, Mal,” Addie chimed in. “Maybe you should just meet up with him this week to hear him out? See what he has to say? Or at the very least, you have to go to the restaurant on Saturday. If you don’t go, you’ll always wonder about it. Or if you do go, it could be a beautiful love story.”
I rolled my eyes at them and we finished our manicures. I really hoped they wouldn’t talk me into anything crazy over the next few days. I knew they had my best interests at heart, but I was sure I wanted to stay firm on keeping my distance from Greyson.
The next morning, I was awoken yet again by Megan right before she left for work.
“Another delivery,” she mused, setting a box down next to me. “I’ve got to get going, but I can’t stand not knowing. What’s in there?” she asked curiously.
“Oh my gosh, who knows,” I said, opening up the lid. This time it was an off-white knit sweater. Once again, there was a small handwritten note in the box.
I’m still working on the rest.
“What the hell is that for? Why can’t he just get you flowers like any other normal guy who screws up? It’s still summer. You can’t even wear that right now,” Megan asked, shaking her head. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright today? I can’t miss any more time from work, otherwise I would stay home with you.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about me. Don’t forget, Addie doesn’t have anything to do now either since the bakery is gone. I promised I would help her with some wedding stuff today, so I’ll keep busy. Dinner later?” I asked, and Megan nodded her head.
As promised, I spent the day at Addie’s apartment. We went through wedding magazines, cutting out things she liked and drawing up a budget and some plans. She wanted a summer wedding on the beach. Addie and I had different tastes for sure, but we had fun together looking at flowers and bridesmaid dresses, and I was happy I now had some disposable time to help her while she was so excited about all of the wedding plans. We went out to dinner that night with Megan, and time passed easily.
“So any word from the insurance company yet Mal?” Megan asked as we sipped on margaritas at a small cantina near her apartment.
“I don’t have any final numbers yet. I don’t know what to do. The building was so damaged and it was so old anyway. It may cost more to clean it all up and start from the ground up, rather than just getting a new place. But it meant a lot to me, you know? My grandparents gave that building to me for a reason. And I really loved living right above it, that was nice. I just don’t think there are any other spaces like that downtown. I don’t know, my head starts to spin when I think about it,” I said, shaking my head.
“You know Johnny and Steve offered to help out, if you need it,” Megan stated. They had helped so much when I remodeled the bakery the first time. They built shelves, did all of the molding, and built the counters. So much work already went into that place, but yet here they all were, ready to pitch in all over again.
“You guys have been great, really. Everyone has. I think I just need a little time to figure out what exactly I want,” I said hesitantly.
“On that note, any word from Greyson?” Addie asked.
I shook my head no.
“That’s not true, he keeps sending her packages in the morning. They’re weird, but at least the guy is doing something,” Megan chimed in. I explained the sweater I got that morning to Addie, even though I didn’t expect her to understand it either.
“I don’t know. I know he’s trying to get through to me. But it’s just bad timing, you know? I have so much else on my plate right now.” I wanted my friends to commiserate with me on that, and although they did to some degree, they kept bringing up Greyson anyway. “Actually Addie, can you do me a favor tomorrow? I imagine the Chamber has heard about the fire, but I haven’t actually talked to them since then. Can you let them know we’re out of the art festival? There is no way we can make all of those desserts without a big kitchen, and it’s only a few weeks away. Whatever I decide to do, I’ll never have a real kitchen up and running by then. Just apologize and let them know I hope to be up and running again before their next big event. I suppose Greyson can have the entire bid now,” I muttered.
“Sure, Mal. I’ll head over there tomorrow afternoon,” Addie replied.
Chapter 24
The next morning felt like Groundhog Day. I was awoken again by Megan with a brown box in her hands.
“Another one,” she said, shoving the small box at me. “I can’t wait to see this. This guy is crazy.”
“Yeah, he is a little crazy,” I answered in agreement. I lifted up the box, surprised there wasn’t an actual item in it. Instead there was only a scroll of paper, tied with a ribbon. I untied the ribbon and unrolled the scroll.
It said the word RANSOM at the top, and below that there was a picture of my keychain bird with a piece of string tied around its eyes and a small piece of duct tape around its beak. Below the picture read: If you ever want to see your bird again, meet me at 3411 Seventh Avenue at 6:00pm. Come alone and the bird won’t get hurt.
I snickered for a moment, then set the paper down.
“What the hell is all that about?” Megan said. "I don't understand any of this."
“Damn him. He’s actually trying. Like really trying. But I just can’t do it, Meg,” I said, laying back down. “He wants me to meet him tonight. But what’s the point?”
My phone rang at that exact moment, and Megan gave me a brief apologetic wave as she hurried off to work.
The number took me by surprise. I initially thought it would be Greyson, but instead another name flashed on the screen.
“Hello?” I answered suspiciously, assuming it was an accidental pocket dial.
“Mallory, how are you? I heard about the bakery,” Dillon said on the other end. “I was really sorry to hear that.” There was silence for a moment.
“Yeah, it was pretty terrible,” I replied, not really knowing what else to say to him.
“Well I just wanted to call and give you my condolences. I’m sure you’re bombarded with a lot going on right now. But I was just worried about you. I thought maybe we could go grab some lunch or dinner if you had any time this week?” he asked casually.
I didn’t really have time to mull it over in my head before blurting out “sure.” We made plans to meet up at five o'clock for an early dinner. At least these plans would ensure there was no chance of me breaking down and meeting up with Greyson. I moseyed around the rest of the morning and early afternoon, not really doing much. I watched some horrible daytime TV, wondering how people could survive on that filth if they didn’t have a day job. Come to think of it, I hadn’t watched much TV at all over the past year with how busy as I was. I finally showered and curled my hair, carefully selecting an outfit to wear for dinner. I settled on a striped a-line dress and some strappy sandals. I really had no idea why I was meeting Dillon for dinner anyway, but the vengeful side of me wanted to look as good as possible. I felt like I still needed some closure. Perhaps one final moment where I could make him wish he’d made a different decision when he walked out on me just a few weeks ago. It was strange to me to think about what life would be like if he hadn't done that. It would've been better if this whole Greyson saga never began, that's for sure.
We met at a café on Dillon’s side of town. He looked as handsome as ever in his business slacks and button down shirt.
“So how’s business?” I asked as we sat down. He worked with his father at a realtor agency and I suspected he just came from the office.
“Things are great, actually. Thanks for asking. Look, just to clear the air here,” he said as the waitress set down two glasses of water, “I do want to apologize for that day at your apartment. The things I said to you. I never should have said you were unlovable,” he said politely.
The waitress raised an eyebrow at me and I was embarrassed all over again. I’m pretty sure my cheeks were turning pink as he spoke.
“Oh, you said that? Gosh, I do
n’t really remember all that,” I said, trying to glaze over the event.
“Well I’m sorry, I was just emotional about my grandma dying and all that. And then I saw you at Mack’s Tavern and I wanted to say something then. But it didn’t really seem like the appropriate time,” he said, likely hinting at the fact that I was with Greyson at the time for that awkward run in. “I wanted to reach out to you since then, but I just wasn’t sure where you were at. You know, what you had going on and all that.” He eyed me curiously, and all I could think to do was be vague.
“Oh right, well I’ve been pretty busy. As usual, right? Things were going well, the bakery was really busy. I had some big orders. I guess I finally have some downtime, right?” I said sarcastically.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually." He paused, staring at me with a serious expression.
Oh no, was this the moment? Maybe he actually did change his mind and he wanted to give our relationship another shot? Is that something I even wanted?
"Dillon, I'm not sure about all this," I began. I really didn't know what I felt at the moment. He did look rather handsome in his work clothes, but I had so much going on in my life.
"What? I was just going to talk to you about your bakery. Have you decided whether or not you're rebuilding versus just buying a new property?” he continued as he opened the menu. Right away I felt so mortified by the direction of his conversation. How did I completely misread what was happening? We both ordered chicken salads and I studied his face.
“Right, the bakery. I’m not sure yet. I’m conflicted about what to do. That was my home too, so I feel like I have twice the decision to make,” I said honestly, trying to play it off like I knew that's what he was getting at from the beginning.
“Well I have this really great property downtown I wanted to talk to you about,” he said eagerly.
Great. This meeting is a sales pitch.
“I don’t really feel ready to make that decision right now,” I said skeptically.
“Just hear me out. Eight hundred square feet of frontage space, with another seven-fifty in the back for your kitchen. There’s a nice big lobby area, great natural light.” Dillon continued talking, but I started tuning him out. It’s not that I wanted to get back together with him or anything, that was definitely not why I agreed to meet him out. But still, I thought there would at least be something there, even if it was only a little more remorse for having left me in the first place. Instead I appeared to just be a prospective buyer.
We finished our salads as Dillon continued to talk the entire time about some other options he knew about that could possibly be coming on the market soon. I nodded politely, feigning interest. I was relieved this dinner was almost over. As the waitress brought us our check, the door chimed for a new customer walking into the café. The guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him right off. He had thick dark hair, a handsome jaw line, and a decent physique. I was certain I had seen him before. Maybe with less clothes on?
Oh no. It was Ben.
We regrettably made eye contact, and I knew right away he saw Dillon sitting across from me at the table. Not that he would know who Dillon was. But still, Ben would say something to Greyson about seeing me out with another guy, right? Not that it mattered since Greyson and I were officially done. But it was inopportune timing though, and I didn’t feel good about it.
Ben nodded at me, and I gave him a pathetic smile. I wanted to somehow signal to him that my situation was not what he probably thought it was, but I wasn’t sure how to get that message across without saying it outright.
Dillon picked up the check and we headed up to the front register as Ben headed the opposite direction to the restroom in the back of the restaurant. I guess there wouldn’t be time to explain this after all.
I thanked Dillon for dinner and promised I would call him when I was ready to look at some of the properties he mentioned. We hugged awkwardly in the parking lot, and I was thankful the evening had ended.
On my drive home, I thought briefly about swinging by Greyson’s condo to explain my dinner. I wondered if he was even home though. What if he went to the restaurant he mentioned on his note, hoping I would show up? Although we weren't together anymore so he wasn't that delusional, right? It's not like I contacted him after I got the note to confirm I would be there. Although maybe I should see if he was still at the restaurant? Maybe I still owed him an explanation about tonight. But what was the point of that? I didn’t have to explain an awkward ex-boyfriend dinner to a guy I just dumped, right? That would just make things even more weird. Still, I wondered what Ben would say to him. I wondered if Greyson would even figure out the guy I was with was Dillon. I wondered if Greyson would even care at this point. I wondered if Greyson would be disappointed. But more importantly, I wondered if I would ever stop thinking about Greyson at all.
Chapter 25
“What should I wear to go officially break up with my pseudo-boyfriend that I already previously broke up with?” I asked Megan as I thumbed through her closet.
“Something short and tight, so the way he looks at you makes you want to change your mind about all this,” Megan answered sarcastically. “Are you really sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course I know what I’m doing, Meg. This whole thing has been driving me crazy. In fact, that boy has been driving me crazy since the second we met. I just need to get past all of this.”
“I know he cares about you, Mal,” Megan said, sitting down on her bed while I still tried to piece together an outfit.
“I just want a fresh start, you know? A cleansing,” I said, settling on a grey skirt with a white fitted shirt.
“Can’t we just go get coffee enemas and call it good?” Megan said mockingly.
“You know what I mean. This whole thing with the bakery and my apartment. I feel like I’m starting over. I just think it would be easier to do without Greyson trying to fix my life. I did a pretty good job before he came along. I can do it again,” I said as I put on the clothes I selected.
Twenty minutes later my hair was pulled back and my soft make-up was applied.
“Well?” I asked Megan for approval.
“You look ready to dump Mr. Right. Have at it,” Megan said, still unsupportive of what I was trying to do.
“You do think he’ll be there, right? Oh shit, what if I show up and he’s not even there?” I suddenly felt panic rise up in my throat.
“Then you can shoot him a text from the restaurant and break his heart that way,” Megan responded. “I’m sure he’ll be there, Mal. Despite your anger, you know he’s crazy about you.”
“I’m only showing up so I can say I officially held up my end of the deal, you know?” I explained, trying to justify my position to Megan. “I mean, the whole point was to not show up to end things, but I feel like that’s a cop-out at this point. I think I need to show up to at least end this properly, right? I don't want him to think I'm not showing up because I'm back together with Dillon or something. He should really know the truth about that, in case Ben relayed some bad information, which is likely."
Megan looked at me and shrugged, probably confused by what I was even saying. “He is really cute, Mal. I’m just saying.”
“Enough, Meg. Don’t you dare change my mind about this. Believe it or not, sometimes 'cute' isn't enough. I’ll call you later.”
In that moment, Megan’s front door flew open and Addie ran inside, breathing heavily.
“Wait, don’t go…” Addie said, trying to catch her breath. “I was at the Chamber of Commerce today. I went to talk to them about our situation like you asked me to, now that we don’t have a place to bake for the art festival. They told me about Greyson. I came here as fast as I could.” Addie continued panting.
“What about Greyson?” I asked curiously.
“He didn’t do it. He never placed a dessert bid for the festival. He was telling the truth, Mal,” Addie said, still struggling to catch her
breath. “This woman was there the day he brought in a whole bunch of pies and cookies and stuff. I guess he just dropped a bunch of stuff off one day. It was stuff he said he couldn’t use or something.”
“The day I met him,” I muttered quietly, thinking back to what he was trying to explain to me when we first argued about this.
“So the lady in charge just thought he already had his own dessert line. She pushed the committee into dividing up the bid because she thought she was helping him out. She thought they just misplaced his bid. And because he was doing so much for the main course portion of the festival, they didn't want to offend him by leaving him out of the desserts. It was an honest error, Mal. It had nothing to do with Greyson.”
I sat down on Megan’s couch, trying to process what Addie was saying. “Are you sure?” I asked, still not wanting to believe it.
“Mal, he already went to the Chamber. He pulled it. He told them he didn’t want it and that the entire thing should go to you. They changed the whole bid. I have the papers right here,” Addie said, holding up an envelope. “It really was just a misunderstanding. The Chamber couldn't reach you at the bakery, and they didn't know how else to get a hold of you.”
“Shit. Well what am I supposed to do now?” I said frantically, looking at both of my friends.
“Go!” they both responded in unison, urging me out the door.
I ran out of Megan’s apartment building and climbed into my car. It felt weird driving to La Luna when I used to be able to just walk from my apartment.
What if he doesn’t show? Surely that wasn’t a possibility, right? I mean just a week ago he promised he would be there no matter what. But that was before so many things had happened. I never even gave him a chance to explain his side of the story. I wouldn’t even listen to a word he was trying to say. And he was respectful enough to just let me rant without forcing me to listen to him. I shook my head, wondering to myself if I had made too much of a mess of all this to fix it.
Six Rules: Book Two in the SIX Series Page 15