“It would make Georgie happy. I’m not sure about walking around in heels on the grass though, and what about the noise and the neighbors?”
“First off, I’ll have a proper dance floor built and with the extra room you can invite some of the neighbors. Anyway, it’s something for you and Georgie Porgie to talk about.”
“Thanks Lori,” she offered, looking pleased. Walking back around her desk, she checked her online schedule. “I’ve just one more thing to do before lunch. I hope you and Zoe have your plans squared away. I don’t know who’s been a bigger pain in my backside, Fener or Marnie. Why don’t you go on up and check on how she’s doing? Helen’s been up there all morning.”
“Will do but first…Ty, please sit down, I have something else of a personal nature to discuss.”
Looking uncomfortable, she sat down, ramrod straight.
Lori had decided on the way back from John’s tailor shop that she would come clean with Georgie and Tyler before she did anything stupid.
Tyler waved a hand. “Tell her I don’t need a grand gesture but,” she added with a wry smile, “I’ll take the diamond earrings. Just make sure the jeweler comes here to see her. No more traipsing all over the Greater Buffalo Area, understood?”
Smiling, Lori had to wonder what the reaction would be when she finally said her piece. Maybe this was a sign to keep her stupid mouth shut. Or maybe not. “This is kind of about…well…see, the thing is…what I want to say is…oh crap, Ty. I feel like a friggin’ teenager! You see there’s this girl, uh woman, and I want to ask her out…actually I kind of want to, I dunno, court her, but, well…you see, she works here and I…”
“Oh my God, you’re interested in Aydan!”
Lori sat with her mouth hanging open. Why she thought she had to go through this whole song and dance with Tyler was a complete mystery. The woman could interpret absolutely anything that tumbled from Georgie’s mouth. It only made sense she would be as intuitive with her. “Please, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I really like her, but I know she works for you guys. I promise, if she tells me to take a hike, I will, and respectfully. And no, she hasn’t said or done anything to make me think she’s interested. I just…she’s really different than most of the girls who go for me. Is it too soon? Maybe I should wait till she’s found her footing, you know?”
She watched as Tyler leaned back in the ergonomic executive chair. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew Georgie would have personally selected it for her. All the other furniture in the room, on the entire floor, had come from the machine shop or the basement storeroom which was usually packed to the rafters.
“You want my advice, Lori?” When she nodded, Tyler said plainly, “Don’t waste any time. Be patient, and be kind. Those are two things I know you can do, but do not wait. I have a very strong feeling other parties may not be as patient as you.”
That struck Lori like a gut punch. Zoe! Well she wouldn’t let her niece and her juvenile games impede her hopes. She intended to be a rock for Aydan, be her friend, and if she wanted more, well she’d figure that out too. “Thanks. I half expected you to rip my head off.”
Tyler simply shook her head. “I know you, Lori Ann,” she teased. There had been a lot of ribbing when it was discovered they shared the same middle name. “You’re like Georgie on the outside, all cocksure and tough as rocks, but she’s a marshmallow on the inside and so are you.”
She had to admit Tyler had pegged them both right. “I’m not sure how Georgie would take the ‘cock’ part. You know what a prude she is.” Thankfully Tyler seemed to take that well, you never quite knew if you were crossing a line with her. At least she could count on the woman telling it like it is. Suddenly she fully understood how easy it must have been for Georgie to fall for her. “I think you’re the best thing to ever happen to Georgie. Thanks, Tiger. Thanks for being who you are. She needed that, and,” she waved an encompassing arm to include the office and its occupants, “so did we.”
Harrumphing, Tyler got to her feet. “Unless I figure out how to steer some of Georgie’s projects and soon, none of us will be welcome here. Come on,” she added, grabbing her phone. “Let’s head upstairs. Georgie wants to have a quick look at the new plans. I think it’s important to keep her involved and I know she’s eager to get back to work.”
Lori followed her from the corner office, past the engineers, whom Tyler greeted by name, finally waving for Aydan to join them. Spotting Zoe with a chair pulled alongside Aydan, working closely with their heads together, she tried not to openly react as a green streak ripped through her like none she’d ever known. The last time she had bristled like this was the first time she saw Marnie kissing Jack Pulaski. It was at that moment she knew their special bond had changed forever. They had been the center of each other’s universe from the first day they shared a crib, until Marnie fell in love. Accepting that Jack could make her happy was easy, stepping aside so he could take that honored place had been heartbreaking, but she’d done it. That’s what you did for the people you loved. Would she have to do that for Aydan and Zoe too?
“Let’s go, you two,” Tyler called to the cozy pair. “Henry’s already upstairs and Georgie needs to see everything before Marnie arrives.”
It was difficult, watching them. Aydan gathered up a stack of devices and several rolls of architectural drawings, Zoe, of course, was oblivious to her need for assistance, blabbering on, using every excuse in the book to get closer, taking liberties, reaching out to touch her arm or pat her back. It was all Lori could do not to smack her. She grabbed up all the drawings from Aydan.
“Forget something?” she snarled at Zoe.
Turning on her, Zoe looked ready for a fight, only then seeing the rolls of their own plans back on the worktable. Gathering all the materials they had lugged from the boatyard, she was quickly back, boarding the elevator with them.
Lori leaned against the back of the car, chastising herself. What the hell am I doing? This stupid bet with Zoe is going to backfire. I’ll lose my chance to get to know Aydan. Or worse, she might actually choose Zoe. Then what’ll I do?
Chapter Fifteen
The dog’s paws clicked from the elevator all the way to Tyler’s side in the kitchen. Scratching Maggie’s head, she ordered her up to her dog bed. “Mommy’s upstairs—go.” Without a glance back, the dog lumbered over to the stairs, climbing up without much effort.
After a month of assuming dog duty, Aydan could easily admit how much she was enjoying taking her out for this last walk of the evening. Pushing the heavy steel door to the foyer closed, she set the lock, very much expecting this was the last day they would leave it open. With the cast off Georgie’s arm, and allowed to begin weight bearing with the air cast on her leg, Georgie could finally toss the crutches.
The apartment was made to impress, the dramatic view from the ninth-floor gallery designed to overwhelm the visual senses. With Georgie’s limited mobility, Tyler had bypassed the necessity of the stairs, unlocking the big steel door separating the kitchen from the eighth-floor lobby so Georgie could access the elevator to move more easily between the upper floor bedroom and the main floor library and living area.
In the four weeks Georgie had been home she had progressed without complication and with a resilience even the doctors had admired. She always gave Tyler first credit for her stellar recovery but she never forgot the effort everyone was making. She was working too, from the apartment. And the team, especially Aydan and Skip, were up and down with work and ideas all day long. The police had come and gone, briskly taking Georgie’s statement about the hit-and-run. After being presented with the high quality traffic cam footage, the driver had pleaded guilty. There was still a case pending against the trucking company owner for accessory to a felony, hinged on testimony from other employees witness to the arrival of the bloodied truck. It was a good bet now that no further stress would be placed upon Georgie.
“So,” Aydan began, looking to Tyler who was making her late n
ight coffee. She couldn’t believe how much the woman consumed on a daily basis. She finally understood the term “caffeine thin.”
Grabbing Aydan’s favorite and loading it in the machine, Tyler said, “She’s upstairs reading your plans right now. I have no idea what she thinks, but she is impressed with the initiative, both from you and Skip.”
Aydan beamed at the compliment. “It’s just, well, the Sea Rescue Rover is such an amazing tool, it only makes sense to add functionality.”
Handing her a hot chocolate, Tyler motioned for her to follow. In the months she had been living with the couple, she treasured most her late night talks with the big boss. Georgie too. Aydan was thriving under her leadership, a fact that startled her when she realized just how much her life had changed at the hands of that complicated woman.
She’d found the company complicated as well, and challenging. In the reorganization, the engineering and design departments had been divided three ways. Georgie chose fifteen engineers for her core team, offering them the chance to come aboard the fledgling division; twelve had accepted the offer and were immediately labeled Georgie’s apostles. Those reluctant to join were either heavily invested in current projects or worried for the longevity of the startup. Most of the engineers stayed with DME except for those working on patents, and they were transferred to the new investment and holding division run by Lou Phipps. There were some complaints and plain old bellyaching. Whenever Aydan had to visit the DME guys on the fifth floor or the DPP engineers on seven, she was always stressed. There was definitely an attitude about them, with remarks about how lucky she was to be placed with Georgie and her apostles. She was working hard but more than that, she knew exactly how lucky she was and didn’t need creepy pissy guys cornering her in the lunchroom to tell her as much.
“Oh no, please tell me Mal Devers didn’t corner you again?”
“No, well yes. He wanted to know what I was hiding beneath my habit! I had no idea what he was talking about. Until he offered to save me from the nunnery. I just don’t understand why Georgie would hire a guy like that.”
Tyler visibly bristled. “She didn’t. He was a leftover from her father’s time as VP. Yes, he’s been here that long. But he’s Lou’s problem now. Still, I won’t put up with his crap.”
“That’s what Zoe said to him, but not as nicely as you just did.” Smiling, she recalled Zoe mouthing off to the old bastard. Not that she needed her to step in. In all the months she had been working here, she was learning to stand up for herself. Devers wasn’t so much a creep as he was a guy who had never learned to see women in a professional role. He would address his female coworkers with terms like honey or doll, never for a minute understanding the disrespect of his casualness. “Zoe was saying he’s always like that. I guess some guys never get it.”
She watched as Tyler sipped at her coffee. She knew this was her time to unwind, and watching her take a few minutes for herself, she wondered how late Georgie would read. Her injuries and rehab schedule were proving to be a test, but she never complained and neither did Tyler. If anything she seemed purely relieved to see her partner healing both physically and emotionally. After the details of Georgie’s father’s betrayal were brought to light, they were healing together. That impressed her most. Even after the heart attack fiasco, which was what Tyler called it, even after all that they were stronger and more devoted to each other.
“It’s none of my business,” Tyler said, “but how are things going on the dating front?”
She didn’t blush anymore when Tyler asked these kinds of questions. Well, not as much as she used to. “Zoe’s fun. Did I tell you about the dance club she took me to? It was…interesting.” She watched Tyler as she finished her coffee, setting the empty mug next to her on the hearth. “I had fun,” she added, feeling her answer was more than lame. She did have fun, but dancing all night wasn’t her thing. Zoe had been understanding, even charming, and it set off all kinds of bells. “We had an interesting chat. She said you two used to date?”
“Date?” Clearly not happy with the description, Tyler said dismissively, “Dating, as in one date, is the history of me and Zoe. Does one date count in your book as dating?”
She had to think about that. “I guess not, but I’m not exactly an expert. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to bring it up.”
“Aydan, you’re our friend, mine, and Georgie’s. If you have concerns, talk. You know that.”
She nodded, knowing she was right. She had been a friend, they both had been friends to her, but like Georgie’s need for an interpreter, Tyler had become a sort of cultural counselor to her. “She’s very pretty, but she’s very young. I know she’s trying hard to acclimate me to the real world, I just…I guess I’m not sure why.” When she realized Tyler wasn’t going to comment, she pushed herself to answer her own question. “It’s not that I don’t think she’s attracted to me, she’s made that point clear. Still…can I ask, when you were dating, sorry, went on your one date, why didn’t you go out again?”
“Good question,” Tyler said, sitting up a little straighter. “I’m not sure how Zoe’s been behaving with you, but she can be a little aggressive. Then, of course, there was Georgie. I had no idea she was interested in me, but the Monday morning after that one date brought proof positive in so many ways. Zoe and I spent most of the night dancing at the club. What we didn’t know was Georgie and Lori were there too. I found out on Monday after we learned Georgie had been up the rest of the weekend working on a new project just to keep her mind off what she thought was going on between Zoe and me. It wasn’t until I told her I had no intention of dating Zoe that I realized how much she cared. There was this aura of relief that seemed to pour from her.”
“You are the center of her universe,” Aydan commented; then felt suddenly shy for saying as much.
“And she’s mine,” she admitted gently. “She changed my life, not that it was bad or anything. It just missed that special thing that happens when you find someone who fits you.” Tyler’s smile telegraphed her conviction. “The thing is, I never really noticed Georgie until that moment. I was sitting in the library there…” She pointed casually. “I was a mess. I’m embarrassed to admit I’d been crying. She sat down with me, thinking she needed to explain company policy to me on relationships with coworkers, but I had thought she was giving me a warning or maybe worse, letting me go.”
“Oh my God!”
“I know. I laugh now, but it was really upsetting. The thing is she just sat with me, no pressure at all, but it was more than that. It was really a defining moment for me. Right up to then I had felt I was fighting everything, work, the university, the whole world in a way, and here was this amazing woman, sitting quietly, patiently, as if I was the most important thing to her.”
She stood, stretching her back. Turning for the kitchen, empty mugs in hand, she stopped, looking over carefully at Aydan. “At the time I had no idea what I had just put her through. She had seen Zoe and me together and was instantly confronted with her feelings, and trust me Georgie can act out with the best of them. She’d worked without rest, day and night, until she sat down with me. I know it’s her emotional stress tell, but being there listening to her reassurances I felt like I had someone in my corner. Setting our one little hiccup aside, I know she will always fight for me, in every sense. So here’s my suggestion when it comes to women. Ask yourself, will she fight for me? Not just to protect you or stand up for you, but will she put her needs and wants behind yours or will she expect you to do that for her first? Expectations are like karma, if you don’t acknowledge they exist, they often come back to kick you in the pants.” With that said she loaded the last stray items into the dishwasher and headed upstairs.
Aydan sat with her book, the warmth of the fireplace to keep her company. What a strange chat. How could just a few minutes of personal conversation with either one of her bosses open doors of thought she never considered examining? Or have I just avoided exploring myself?
&n
bsp; * * *
Tyler walked into the bedroom to find their bed empty. What she did find was a gift box. It was savagely wrapped and she grinned knowing Georgie must have done it herself. She had learned long ago that her wife-to-be had zero talent or patience when it came to things she called frilly details. It would be tempting to just open whatever it was, but this wasn’t just a simple gift, this had become a daily activity. Georgie was still desperate to earn her forgiveness and had taken to barraging her with presents.
Telling her—more than once—that it wasn’t necessary hadn’t slowed her effort, nor was it really helping. What she needed, longed for, was not this anxious creature but Georgie’s solidity. She wanted the heroine back, the fearless warrior, however broken. Shaking the box, she felt something inside slide soundlessly. Probably a sweater, she decided, and was about to leave it and go find Georgie when she spotted the card that had been sitting underneath the box. She opened it and read directions to wear whatever the gift was and head to the foyer. “Okay…so you want to play?”
Pulling off the paper, she opened a shoebox to find the most exquisite pair of handmade moccasins. Not a fan of animal furs, she was pleased to see the traditional rabbit pelt used to make the lining and cuff were of a deep pile fleece. The split moose hide exterior was fully beaded and beautifully detailed but it was the vamp design that caught her attention. It took a moment to put it all together and when she did she almost cried. Blue flag irises stood in gorgeous glass beads. They were the first flowers Georgie had ever sent her and she knew she must have had the moccasins made for her. That was just like Georgie. Instead of just dropping by the Seneca Trading post and grabbing a nice pair, she had ordered exactly what she knew Tyler would want. Without a second thought she slipped them on her bare feet, noting the perfect fit. These were made just for me. It was an idea she still had trouble wrapping her head around. Of course Georgie had a handsome income, not so much from her salary, most of which she often rolled into her special project budget and department R&D, but from her extensive investment and real estate portfolio. She herself would always say she had been very lucky, and Tyler was always relieved to see her heart was in the right place when it came to her wealth. She donated extravagantly, spent only on what she needed or what she believed Tyler wanted, and never really imagined needing more. Her only departure from this had been these last four weeks since their breakup fiasco. Thank God Marnie and Lori had reined her in on that front. Who knows how far she would have gone, although it did please that little-girl place in the back of her mind where her princess would shower her with gifts and fine horse-drawn carriages in a storybook effort to prove her love.
Stay with Me Page 24