by L. P. Dover
“Jenna is staying with Korinne tonight. Do you mind if I crash at your place? I really don’t want to stay at Mom’s,” he begged.
I shook my head, exasperated. “Please tell me you’ve thought about this. If she finds out you’re in town and you didn’t stay with her she’s never going to let you live that down.”
Brady groaned and nodded. “I know, it’s just that she drives me crazy sometimes.”
The past year had been a rough one for my family. My father passed away five months ago, and we all took it pretty hard, especially my mother. Luckily, she seemed to be on the mend. I, however, had inherited the family business, and with that came a lot of responsibilities. Taking the keys from the desk drawer, I handed Brady the key to my house. He snatched it up excitedly and looked at it as if it was a treasure. “Don’t mess with anything while you’re there, you hear me? I don’t want it to be like last time when you cost me hundreds of dollars to get my things fixed,” I ordered in a serious tone.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he promised. Yeah right, I thought.
Once my brother had gone, I was left to the silence of my office while thoughts of Korinne and our last night together replayed repeatedly in my mind. Tomorrow I was holding the quarterly cocktail party for my employees, and for once I was actually looking forward to it. The question was … would Korinne be looking forward to it, too?
Chapter Three
The boxes in the room surrounded me, and there was hardly any place to walk, or even see the floor for that matter. The desire to unpack or decorate anything was not something I wanted to do. What is ironic about that, is decorating had been what I loved most before Carson died. Being hired to decorate for a living had earned me a name in these parts of the state. Magazines had featured me, and newspapers had run articles on my talents. However, all of that felt like a dream now. I didn’t feel like that person anymore. When Carson died, my ambition to do anything died along with him. I thought coming back home was what would hopefully help me find my way to that spark again. I wanted to have my life back, a life where I could be happy. It was just the fear that held me captive.
I rented a furnished condo in the south-east district of Charlotte, NC. It was one of the smaller condos in this development, but I had no need for the extra space. I preferred the close quarters because anything larger would’ve made the loneliness seem greater. My phone buzzed, rescuing me from my thoughts. Looking down at the screen, I saw that it was my life-long friend, Jenna Perry, now Matthews, since she got married. The name on the screen read ‘Twink’ which was the nickname she had gotten in college. A few drunken nights had left us with some pretty ridiculous nicknames. Mine happened to be ‘Ducky’ and Jenna loved to use it. We met in college and had become instant friends. We kept in touch after I transferred, and saw each other often. Once she got married to Brady, they packed up and moved a couple of hours away. I missed her greatly, and wished every day that she could be here with me.
Hearing her voice was exactly what I needed. “Hey, Twink.”
“Where are you?” she demanded, sounding impatient and concerned. “I called your parents a few hours ago and they said you decided to come home. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I sighed. “Because I didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“Well, it is a big deal when I drive all the way to your house and it looks like a ghost town. You’re not here, so where are you?” she ordered again with more force in her tone. “What’s going on?”
“Wait!” I exclaimed. “You’re in town? I didn’t know you were coming down.”
“Yes, I came to see you, silly. Now stop dodging the question. Where are you?”
I had hoped to keep my living situation a secret, but again it’s a secret that couldn’t be kept for too long. Sinking down into the cold leather of my stiff couch, I decided it was best to try and explain to my friend how weak I had been, and how I couldn’t handle walking into the house I shared with Carson.
“I couldn’t do it, Twink. I thought I could go home, but I don’t think I can face it alone. I’m just not ready. I rented a condo not far from the house, so I’m going to stay here for a few months until I get back on my feet.”
If there’s anyone I could admit my weaknesses to, it would be Jenna, but it killed me to sound so weak. I had always been the strong and stubborn female out of my friends. Always the leader, the one who took charge and wouldn’t take shit from anyone. Where was that woman, the one who was strong and fearless? How can I get her back, and how long was it going to take to feel normal again?
“Give me your address and I’ll be right there. And just so you know, I’m staying the night because tomorrow we have big plans.” She screamed the last part in my ear, so obviously she was excited about something.
I groaned. “What kind of plans are you talking about?” Knowing her, it could be anything.
“I’ll tell you later, but for now we’re going to have some girl time. I’m bringing the cookie dough ice cream!” she squealed. I could just picture her now, jumping up and down with a goofy grin on that face of hers. It made it hard for me not to smile, and if anyone could get me to smile it would be her. After giving her my address, she said she would be right there and hung up. Now I wondered what those plans were for tomorrow night.
Chapter Four
“What kind of party are we going to that requires me to dress like this?” I asked skeptically. Obviously amused, Jenna smiled at me, winking for emphasis.
“Ducky, stop worrying. You look fantastic.” She grinned sweetly. I watched her as she put on the finishing touches of her makeup and fluffed her brown curls until they were perfect.
The dress Jenna made me wear was very beautiful and worked perfectly for the weather, since it was a chilly night in March. The black sweater dress fit snugly over my slight curves, but had somewhat of an itchy feel to it that was kind of annoying. Luckily I knew I would get used to it. Jenna came behind me and placed a thick silver belt across my midsection and fastened it in the back. Groaning at her persistence, I knew it was no use to argue with her. I had argued with her for an hour while she did my hair and makeup. When Jenna gets into one of her determined mood swings there’s nothing that anyone can do to stop her.
Once Carson died there was no reason for me to get dressed up and go out. It felt pointless because I knew I would be spending the whole time depressed while other couples were together and having fun. ‘Date nights’ were what I looked forward to most with Carson. We would eat at one of our favorite restaurants, take long walks in the park, and then we would go back home and talk for hours on the little pier behind our house overlooking the lake. Afterwards, we would go inside and make love to each other until the sun came up the next morning. I missed the way his hands felt when he touched my body, and the way he tasted when he would kiss me. Knowing I would never feel those things again with my husband sent the pain shooting straight through my heart. Why did memories have to hurt? They were good memories, but the pain of them still left an aching in my chest. I didn’t want to feel that way anymore. All I wanted was to be happy.
“Korinne! Kori!” Jenna yelled.
Jerking to attention, I looked at Jenna wide-eyed and snapped, “Why are you yelling at me? I’m standing right here!”
“I know, but I’ve been talking to you for the past five minutes. When I looked at you it was like you were in another world. Are you okay?” Her voice took on the motherly tone she always had when she was worried. Placing her hands on my shoulders, Jenna turned me to face her. Her soft, brown eyes raked over me with concern and sympathy, and it reminded me of my mother because she had spent the last six months looking at me the same way.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her, holding back the tears as best I could. “I just got caught up in some memories. I haven’t been out since my last date night with Carson, so it kind of hurts knowing this will be my first time without him.”
She nodded and said
softly, “It’s understandable. I know that it’ll be hard to get back on track, but I have faith in you. You can do this. Brady texted and said he’ll be here in five minutes.”
Brady and Jenna met in college and now they were happily married. We used to have some fun times in college together before I relocated to a different school. Not long after I transferred, I met Carson. It was at a little coffee shop near Duke where he was attending med school. He happened to be standing too close to me at the counter, so when I turned around I bumped into him and my coffee splattered all over his clothes. Needless to say, it wasn’t love at first sight, but it soon grew to love and then to marriage.
Jenna’s phone buzzed, signaling that Brady was there and I needed to get my mind focused on trying to have fun. Straightening my shoulders, I put on a smile and grabbed for my clutch. “Let’s go,” I urged with forced enthusiasm. That night was going to be my first giant step to achieving somewhat of a normal life.
Brady was waiting for us by his car, and of course his eyes lit up the moment he saw Jenna. Whose wouldn’t? She was beautiful and smart, and stunning in her form-fitting red dress. Brady’s reddish-brown hair had grown since the last time I saw him, but his midnight blue eyes were still the same. He was a twenty-seven year old pro-football player that had a career ending injury during his first year. Now he coached his local high school’s football team, and Jenna said he absolutely loved it.
“It’s good to see you again, Korinne,” he stated warmly, opening the car door for me. “I hope you’re excited about tonight.” The undertone to his voice had me curious, like he was up to something. Most likely he was, because he would act the same way when we were in college when he was cooking up trouble.
“Thank you. It’s good to see you, too,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. I slid into the backseat and he gave me a wolfish grin before shutting the door. Oh yeah, something was up. He kissed Jenna on the cheek before opening the door for her to climb in the front. He may be a complete jokester, but I’d only ever seen him treat Jenna with the utmost care and respect. Their personalities complemented each other perfectly.
“You two look amazing together,” I whispered softly.
“He has his moments,” Jenna admitted, staring at her husband as he made his way to his side of the car. “But I know without a doubt that one of these days someone will come into your life and heal that heart of yours.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” I mumbled.
“We’ll see.” She smiled.
Once Brady was in the car and we were headed on our way, I decided to try and figure out what was going on. “Brady?” I began.
He quickly acknowledged me, but then turned his face back to the road. “Yeah,” he replied.
“Jenna here wouldn’t tell me where we’re going. Would you be so kind as to tell me?” I said, giving Jenna a sideways glance. He and Jenna looked at each other and it seemed like a silent conversation took place between them. When Jenna gave the final glare, Brady threw his hands up and sighed.
“I guess we can’t keep it a secret for long,” he announced. “Why do you always leave the hard parts for me?” he asked Jenna, giving her a glare. Directing the conversation to me, he casually explained, “My brother invited us to a cocktail party that his company has every so often in appreciation to the employees. Ever since he took over, he does this for everyone. It’s his way of giving back to them for working so hard.”
“You can’t be serious,” I shrieked, astounded and scared all in one. “Did I just hear you right? We are talking about Galen, am I correct?”
“Yes.” Brady grinned sheepishly.
My heart began beating rapidly and my jittery nerves had me shaking. I hadn’t seen Galen since Jenna and Brady’s wedding, and I remembered being nervous about it because he was going to be seeing me with Carson. He had moved on to another woman, who I met at the wedding. She was a snooty looking brunette who gave me the evil eye the whole time, and I couldn’t stop wondering why Galen would’ve gotten mixed up with a bitch like that.
“Does he know I’m coming?” I asked nervously.
Brady nodded. “Yes, he does. I talked to him about it yesterday. I think he’s happy he gets to see you again.”
What the hell am I going to say to him when I see him? I thought to myself. I slowly sat back against the seat as we approached downtown Charlotte. When I got my degree in interior design, I had always thought I would one day work for this area’s lead architectural firm. It just so happened that it’s Galen’s family business. His dad had brought it up from nothing to the giant success it is now. I always anticipated a call from them, but it never happened.
We pulled up outside of the huge high-rise building of M&M Architectural Building and Design. The valet attendants were in abundance that night, and were eagerly awaiting the guests. Every time I see valets, I have a Ferris Bueller moment. Like for instance, the part in the movie where the two men took the nice, red sports car out for a ride while Ferris and his friends enjoyed a day downtown. Sometimes I wondered if that stuff actually happened in real life.
“All right, ladies, let’s go!” Brady called out.
The lobby we entered had me frozen in place the moment we walked in. If there was a heaven in the designing world, it would be here. I had never seen anything so immaculate in all my years of decorating, but what caught my attention were the various paintings. Jenna’s artwork was splayed everywhere, and I knew it was hers because I had seen her work on many occasions. How come she never told me about any of this? I wondered.
“Kori, stop gawking and come on,” Jenna snapped playfully.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
“I know, and I’ll tell you all about it later, but we’re already running late.”
Pointing my eyes in Brady’s direction, I stated adamantly, “Yeah, and we all know why we’re running late.”
Jenna laughed as I followed them to the elevators. It didn’t surprise me when I saw Brady push the top level button. When the doors shut, we made our way up the dozens of floors until the elevator finally opened. I was amazed to see that there were hundreds of people milling about in the wide open expanse of the room beyond. It was an open-style room with tables lined up everywhere, drinks and food decorating every single surface. It almost looked too good to eat. All sides of the room were nothing but glass windows, and I bet if I were to go to them I would see all of downtown and then some. I bet I could see my condo development from there as well.
“Ladies, have fun and mingle. I’m going to find my brother,” Brady said before snagging a glass of champagne from the table. Jenna and I both grabbed one as well, and I welcomed it. I was probably going to need more than one to cool my anxious nerves.
“Let’s get something to eat. The food looks amazing!” Jenna exclaimed.
We ate a few bites of food from the many tables, and I had to say the party was impressive. I’d been to a few designing conventions, but never to anything as grand. It had to be hard to find employers that would do this kind of thing for their employees. I bet they all loved Galen. I know I did years ago.
Gazing at the beautiful lights of downtown, Jenna and I stood there with our wine and admired the view.
“Are you nervous about seeing him again?” Jenna asked.
I laughed. “You have no idea. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him.”
Jenna rubbed my shoulder and smiled. “I’m sure you two will be just fine.”
“You’re not trying to set me up with him again, are you?” I wondered.
Jenna avoided any and all eye contact with me, and that was answer enough. Before I was able to protest, I saw Brady’s reflection in the window. Walking alongside of him was his brother, Galen. A chill ran down my spine, making me shiver, and it wasn’t the temperature in the room. Galen’s gaze never left mine as he moved closer and closer. The world began to move in slow motion as I stood there frozen and locked in his powerful trance.
Jenna broke me out of the daze by grabbing my arm and pulling me around to face the man I had left years ago. The same man I had loved and hated to leave. “Kori, look who it is!” Jenna let me go and gave Galen an excited hug. “It’s so good to see you again, Galen!”
“Same to you Jenna,” he replied, although his focus was purely on me. Galen looked the same as he did before; only now more rugged, yet sophisticated. His spiky, ash-blond hair glistened in the soft, serene light of the room, and his eyes were the same majestic blue that would make anyone melt at first glance. They were so clear they looked almost magical, and for a moment there I was beginning to think that magic was swaying me in. Galen smiled, probably because I was staring, but for some reason I couldn’t seem to move much less think.
“Thank you for letting me come, Galen,” I stammered awkwardly. I didn’t know whether to hug him or hold out my hand, so I did the latter. He took my hand and instead of shaking it he just held it tenderly in his. For a moment there I forgot to breathe, and I basked in the pleasure of his touch.
“No thanks necessary. I’m glad you could come.” Still holding my hand, he looked over at his brother. “Can you believe it’s actually the first time I could get my brother to come to one of my parties?”
“You know, I couldn’t care less about these types of things,” Brady mocked while looking around the room, feigning boredom. I could tell he was lying by the glint in his eye. Brady was never one to not enjoy a good party.
“Brady, honey, why don’t we get something to eat,” Jenna insisted. She winked at me behind Galen’s back, and I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what she was trying to do.
Glaring at Jenna, I pulled my hand gently from Galen’s clasp. I did not sign up for Jenna to play matchmaker with me. Even though Galen and I had a past, I didn’t think I was ready for anything like that yet. My hands went clammy and my heart felt like it was in my throat.