Love by Design

by Violette Grey

  That evening Laura sat in her living room, a red wine in hand, and thought about Emily. For some reason, Laura felt attracted to her, but it was all so confusing. Emily was a beautiful woman, but all this was something completely new to her, and she was not sure how to handle it.

  There was a good chance that she was imagining something that was not even there, or Emily might not even reciprocate the feelings. Maybe she was receiving messages much in the same way Sean had misread hers. Whatever the case, she wanted to be sure before making a complete fool of herself by saying or doing something she would regret later.

  “Laura,” she heard Polly say from the sitting room door. “There is a Ms. Franklin here to see you.”

  Laura had not even heard the doorbell ring. “Please, send her in.” She straightened her robe, completely embarrassed at looking like she was ready for bed while sitting in the living room. She looked at the clock; it was nine p.m.

  “Hi, Laura,” Emily said as she strolled into the room and took a seat at the other end of the couch. “I’m sorry for dropping by so late, but I found something in Terry’s office I thought you should know about.” She had a file in her hand and she gave it to Laura.

  Inside she found the original documents for the firm. “I have never seen these,” Laura said as she scanned the paperwork inside.

  “I haven’t either,” Emily said. “Since I’ve only been with the company for two years, I really never knew much about how it got started.”

  Laura chuckled. “Trust me, I worked there the first year as Terry’s secretary. I was hoping to use my office management skills there, but I became pregnant. Then I lost the baby…” She shook her head and laid the folder on her lap. “And now I’m considering taking Terry’s place there? What am I thinking?”

  Emily gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry to hear about the baby. I’m sure that had to be hard.”

  Laura did not say anything. What could she say?

  Emily shifted in her seat and then continued. “I think you’ll find that running things is much different than being a secretary. I know that I’ve learned a lot about being an architect working with your husband. He was allowing me to take on some of his smaller projects and I found that I really love the work. I think he was looking at bringing me on as an architect before he died, but because it hadn’t happened yet, Sean took Terry’s projects and gave them out, like I mentioned at coffee earlier.” Her eyes narrowed as her voice became bitter. “I wasn’t surprised. For whatever reason, Sean has never liked me. But to be honest, the feeling is mutual.”

  “Well, you already know my feelings about the man,” Laura said, a scowl on her face.

  Emily shifted over closer and put her hand on Laura’s bare leg. Laura felt a stirring inside her, but tried to ignore it as Emily spoke. “Sean’s just a fool.” She pulled a page from the file. “Do you remember these names?” she asked as she handed Laura the page.

  “Benjamin Galitz…yeah, he worked for Terry the first year.” Her eyes scanned the list. “So did Troy Lennon and Jerrie Plant. I had completely forgotten about them. Does it say where they went?”

  Emily nodded. “They were all partners in the company. Terry put up the most to start it off, that’s why he has the majority ownership. He was smart; he put up fifty-one percent right away so he would always have the majority. Then the other, Sean included, made up the other percentages.”

  “So…what happened to the others?”

  “According to the paperwork, Sean bought them out. I think he was hoping, even back then, that he could eventually become an equal partner. Or as close to as he could get anyway.”

  That made sense. Sean definitely came across to her as someone who would try to take over, especially after he approached Laura asking to buy her portion of the company.

  This was all good to know. It showed Sean’s drive to take over the company. Laura was not sure if Sean had purchased the other shares honestly or if he had strong-armed the others into selling, but she did not care. She would not be bullied into selling.

  “I appreciate you coming by so late to show me this,” Laura said. She looked at the clock, it was now ten-thirty. “It’s late; you are welcome to stay in the guest bedroom if you’d like.”

  Emily glanced at the clock and thought for a moment. “You know, I am tired and it is a long drive home. Maybe I will stay.”

  Something about her words excited Laura, but she was not willing to give those feelings any attention. She rang for Polly who came quickly.

  “Please set up the guest room for Ms. Franklin,” Laura said.

  Polly nodded and headed up to do her bidding.

  “Would you like a drink?” Laura asked.

  Emily nodded. “Sure. Do you have red wine?”

  “A girl after my own heart,” Laura said as she poured her a glass.

  They sat discussing how the meeting for the following day would go as they drank their wine. Fifteen minutes later, Polly returned to inform them that the guest room was ready.

  “Thank you, Polly. You may go now. I don’t think I’ll be needing you anymore tonight. I’m sorry I kept you so late.”

  Polly nodded and headed toward the kitchen. Laura imagined her grabbing her coat and car keys and heading out the back door to go home.

  “So, I guess we should head to bed,” Laura said as she set her glass on the liquor cart. She took Emily’s from her and placed it next to it, her finger brushing Laura’s. Again that spark went off inside her.

  Laura cleared her throat. There was an awkward silence before Emily said, “Yes, I’m getting pretty tired.”

  Laura led her to the guest bedroom and as Emily kissed her on the cheek, Laura knew it was more than just a fleeting feeling.

  She was falling for Emily Franklin.

  Chapter Nine

  Laura did not have time to reflect on her newfound feelings for Emily. Each day brought forth a new meeting with a client, and each evening consisted of a follow-up meeting with Emily in her home office. The one thing that Laura knew for sure, she looked forward to those evening meetings.

  It was Thursday, and Laura sat at her usual table at Rizzo’s with Emily at her side as they waited for Richard Costan. They had met a client every weekday since the previous Thursday and each meeting had ended with the client happily shaking Emily and Laura’s hands, renewed in his or her belief in Jensen and Barkley Architects.

  Today’s meeting, however, brought a feeling of dread. Sean had volunteered for the project, and Costan had been unhappy with how things were going for the plans for his three-story office building, even before Terry died. Emily said that the man spoke often of dropping Jensen and Barkley to search for a new architect.

  Laura and Emily had talked well into the night the night before, discussing strategies on how to keep Mr. Costan on their client list, so late that Emily stayed again in the guest room at Laura’s house more than once.

  Laying in bed, Laura’s thoughts had turned to Emily sleeping just down the hall, and she had lain awake late into the night trying to make sense of the feelings that continued to build inside her.

  Now, however, her thoughts were on the man who walked toward their table, his stomach pushing against the buttons on his suit jacket and his face hard.

  “Mr. Costan,” Laura said as she stood to shake his hand. He seemed impressed by this simple act as he shook first her hand and then Emily’s. As he sat, he unbuttoned his jacket, and Laura stifled a laugh imagining the button flying off if he had not done so.

  “Thank you for meeting with us,” Laura said after the waiter had taken their drink orders.

  “Well, I certainly hope you have something better for me than ‘it’s being handled’,” he said gruffly. He sounded like an asthmatic who was in need of an inhaler. “That Barkley doesn’t seem to have any answers when it comes to when my plans will be ready.”

  “I completely understand your concerns, and we’re here to discuss your account today.”

  Cos
tan snorted. “You sound just like Terry,” he said. “He always swore things were going well but still no plans, or even plans of plans, ever came forward. What can you do differently, Mrs. Jensen?”

  Laura gave Emily a sideways smile. “I’d like to introduce you to our newest member of our architectural staff, Ms. Emily Franklin.”

  A confused look crossed Costan’s face. “Aren’t you the…secretary?” he asked, stunned.

  “I have been Mr. Jensen’s assistant for the past two years, yes; however, I have been more than a secretary. I have a degree from Colorado University in Architecture and Planning, as well as a BA in Drafting Technology—a double major, you see. For the past two years, I have been studying under Mr. Jensen.”

  “An apprenticeship?” He gave Emily an appraised nod. But then his aggressive stance returned. “And how will this help me?” he asked.

  Hard man, this one, Laura said silently in just one look toward Emily.

  Emily pulled out a set of plans from her portfolio case. “This is an example of what I am capable of, Mr. Costan.” Laura moved the salt and peppers shakers and candle from the middle of the table, and Emily laid out the plans flat. “As you can see, I am able to give you everything you have been asking for, with a little more…”

  She pointed out the finer details she had included in the plans. Costan nodded, a small smile playing on his lips and his fingers tapping lightly on the table. Emily had told Laura to watch for these signs; they meant that he was definitely interested.

  “I have to say,” Costan said when Emily had completed her presentation, “you have certainly come through. I have been after that damned Barkley, sorry for the language…”

  Laura and Emily waved him off.

  “Anyway, I’ve been after that man for over two months and he has given me the brush-off. He has been using your husband’s death as an excuse, but now I can see the issue is his own incompetence.”

  “Oh, no, Mr. Costan,” Emily interrupted. “That has certainly been an issue for Mr. Barkley. He took Mr. Jensen’s death very hard. However, I followed every specification when Mr. Jensen gave me your project just before he died.”

  This surprised Costan. “Jensen,” — he turned to Laura with a nod — ”that is Mr. Jensen, did not tell me he was reassigning the project. Does Barkley know about this?”

  “I’m afraid he just found out about it,” Laura said. “With Terry’s death, I admit there has been some cross-communication. However, we are moving in the right direction now. Emily will be joining our team as a project staff member, and I will be taking over as CEO of the company.”

  “Do you have training in architecture, Mrs. Jensen?”

  “Laura, please, and no; however, I do have a BA in office management. I will leave the architecture and drafting to the architects, and my job will be to manage the office. So, in saying this, I will be taking my husband’s place in the company, but without the design part.”

  Costan grunted in appreciation just before the food arrived. Emily removed the plans and put them back in her portfolio case, and they ate their lunch with light discussion about blessedly mundane and boring topics.

  By the end of the meeting, Costan was shaking Laura and Emily’s hands, a smile on his face.

  “I look forward to working with you, Ms. Franklin…er…Emily,” he said as his eyes raked down her lithe body.

  Laura felt a pang of jealousy and quickly dismissed it.

  “And I you,” Emily replied.

  The man walked out of the restaurant, and Laura and Emily began jumping up and down like a couple of school girls. When they realized the other patrons in the restaurant were watching, they quickly took their seats, their exuberance still showing on their faces, but their bodies under control.

  “I can’t believe it!” Emily said. “It should be easy sailing from here!”

  Laura had to agree. Costan had been the one client they had stressed over the most.

  And on top of it all, as much as she hated to admit it, she looked forward to another evening with Emily.

  “I have an idea,” Laura said, the excitement still soaring through her body. “How about we go out for a celebration dinner; I think we’ve earned it. What do you think?”

  Emily leaned over and kissed Laura, passionately, her lips pressed firmly against Laura’s and her tongue forcing its way into Laura’s mouth. Laura felt her body respond, and then she realized they were sitting in the middle of a crowded restaurant and mortification fell upon her like a waterfall. She pushed Emily away, but her heavy breathing gave her away.

  “I’m sorry,” Laura said. “I just…”

  “No,” Emily said, her voice low and her look sad. “I’m sorry. I should have…” She grabbed her purse and got up from the table before Laura could say anything more.

  Laura felt as if a bubble had burst in her stomach, her insides deflating. Confusion plagued her as she paid the check and walked out the door.

  Chapter Ten

  Emily did not come by the house that evening. Laura paced back and forth, unsure if she should call her or not.

  On one hand, she knew their shared kiss at the restaurant had brought up feelings she had not had since she and Terry had been first married. On the other hand, she was shocked at herself for these feelings were now geared toward a woman. Shame washed over her, but she could not stop thinking about Emily and that kiss.

  Exhausted both physically and emotionally, Laura went to bed, but she lay awake, her mind swirling between the suddenness of moving into the workplace and a longing for a person she knew she should not have feelings for. She had no one to talk to, no one who could lend her an ear, no one who could understand her confusion, and tears rolled down her temples and into her ears as the ceiling blurred above her.

  It was dawn before she finally fell asleep, and she awoke to the sun well past its zenith.

  “Polly,” Laura called down. “Can you put on a pot of coffee, please?”

  “Yes, Laura,” Polly said from the bottom of the stairs.

  Laura took a shower and let the hot water wash over her body. She found her mind moving once again to Emily and she imagined Emily’s hands were the water, exploring her body, touching her breasts, her stomach, and all areas of her body. Then she opened her eyes in shock wondering where these thoughts were coming from. Sliding down the tile wall, the hot water cascading onto her head, she curled up into a ball and cried. A tumultuous storm was building within her, and she was not sure how to handle it.

  Thirty minutes later, she emerged from the bedroom, her face showing nothing of her recent breakdown. As she made her way downstairs, she still wondered about her feelings toward Emily. How could she even be thinking of another person so soon after Terry’s death? And a woman to boot?

  “Laura,” Polly’s kind voice said softly when Laura entered the kitchen. “Sit down, let me get you a cup of coffee. Would you like some breakfast?”

  Laura shook her head and sat at the table.

  “What’s the matter?” Polly asked. “Would you like to talk about it?”

  Laura looked at the woman’s kind face. Should she share her confusion with her feelings for Emily? How could anyone understand? If it were a man she was falling for, then maybe…but a woman?

  When Polly handed her the coffee cup, Laura placed it on the table in front of her and took a deep breath. “I…I think I might be in love,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Oh, my dear,” Polly said excitedly, “I’m so happy for you! Who’s the lucky young man?”

  Laura wanted to laugh. She was expecting Polly to drone on about how it was too soon after losing her husband and how she should wait. But this question is one that would be even harder to face.

  “Well…” She took a sip of her coffee, trying to figure out how she would say the words. “The thing is…it’s not a man,” she said into her cup and then readied herself for the barrage of contempt and accusations. She almost hoped Polly had not heard her.


  “I see,” the woman said. There was no hint of condemnation or judgment in her voice, which made Laura look up. “Let me tell you a story,” Polly said as she took a seat at the table next to Laura. “Many years ago, I fell in love with a young man.”

  Laura was right, Polly had not heard her when she said it was a woman she was falling for. “Yes, but…”

  Polly raised her hand to interrupt. “Let me finish. This young man was the most handsome man I had ever seen. He had dark hair and eyes you could fall into and never return.” Her face had the dreamy look of reminiscences. “We spent many lovely weekends together in a cabin in the mountains above Pueblo in a little town called Westcliffe. That time was one of the happiest of my life.”

  “So, what happened?” Laura asked.

  Polly sighed deeply. “My parents did not approve, you see.” She paused as tears brimmed her eyes.

  “Why didn’t you just run off and get married?”

  “This was back in another time. You see, my Thomas was a black man, as dark as the night sky.” She chuckled. “You would have thought that, being the seventies, things had changed. But when my father found out that we were dating, I thought he would pull out his rifle and shoot Thomas. I had the choice to either run away with him and be disowned by my family, or I could break up with him and make my family happy. I lacked courage back then, and I told Thomas that I would not be able to be with him. He was crestfallen. He left town and I never saw him again.”

  “I’m sorry, Polly,” Laura said softly.

  “Well, it is what it is. The man I did end up marrying, Anthony Van Kleave, was a kind man, but as you know, he died in a farming accident after we had only been married a year.” She looked up at Laura and placed her hand over hers. “The thing is, Laura, we all have loss, every one of us. Some just have it sooner in life than others. I had a lot of respect for my husband, but I let the dictates of society set my path for me. Thomas was my true love and I lost him because of my own fears of what others would think.”

  Laura felt tears run down her cheeks and wondered how she could have any more tears inside her for all the crying she had done over the past few months. A sadness hung over her as she thought about Polly and the man she left because of what others would think. Was this why she was struggling with her feelings for Emily? Would she be sitting here, listening to Polly’s story if Emily had been a man?