Lizzie wanted to allow herself plenty of time to arrive. She made it with time to spare and found the appropriate gate to await Rex’s arrival. According to the schedule posted above her head, his flight was running on schedule, so he should be arriving any minute now. A few minutes later she saw him coming toward her with a smile on his face. That was a good sign. They kissed hello and headed to collect his baggage.
After they were settled in the rental car and back on the expressway, he finally spoke. “So what made you decide to do this ad all by yourself, Lizzie?”
She took a deep breath and responded, “It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. We were talking, and Chloe, one of the owners, mentioned that they were looking for an interior designer and that they needed to find a new ad agency. How ironic that Katy was planning to start up a design business and we own an ad agency. I offered to bring her some ideas the next day when Katy met with her to show her some designs. Katy and I both stayed up all night working, while Marianne and Angie made coffee and offered opinions. Then when I met with the O’Gradys, they liked my general concept, and working together, we came up with something that we were all pleased with. It all just sort of happened rather quickly.”
“I have to admit I was more than a little surprised and skeptical when you called. I’m anxious to see your ideas. Not that I don’t believe for a minute that they are good. I just wasn’t expecting you to do something like that. You really are amazing, you know, Kid.”
“Thank you, Rex. I worried about what you would think, but it all seems to be working out. I will be on pins and needles until you see my ideas.”
“If the O’Gradys are satisfied, that’s all that really matters. They’re the client, not me.”
“I still want your opinion of my work. If I’m going to be working in the agency, you need to see what I can do just like you would any prospective employee. By the way, I booked you a room at the Prava. Michael has a room there and so does Jon.”
“Jon? Doesn’t he live near Dallas?”
“It’s a long story, which I’ll explain to you before we get to the hotel. He booked the room last night. Today is his day off, so I’m sure he will go back home after dinner tonight. Remember when you called yesterday and I had to cut you short?”
“Yes, you said something was going on.”
Lizzie proceeded to fill Rex in on all that was happening in the lives of her three friends as he listened in awe.
“I just want you to be in the loop before you see the girls, or any of the guys, for that matter.”
“It sounds like it has been an eventful week for all of you. But I would expect no less from the ‘Fab Four.’ Some things never change.” Rex laughed as he leaned over and gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek. “Any chance we can sneak into that room of mine for an hour or so before you go back to the girls? I have missed you, Lizzie girl.”
“I think that can be arranged.” She laughed as she reached over and touched his hand. It seemed like they had had so little time together in recent months, she welcomed a chance to steal away for an hour with him, even if it meant taking some time away from her friends. They were all busy and probably would not even notice what time she got back from the airport anyway. Katy was worrying about tonight. Marianne was lost in her thoughts about Jon. And Angie had her head in the clouds thinking about a wedding in the not-so-distant future. They would never miss her. And she and Rex so needed this time together.
They returned to the hotel, got Rex checked in and snuck up the stairs so the girls would not see that they had returned already.
“This is just like in college, sneaking around the dorms,” Lizzie remembered fondly.
“Sneaking always did make it more exciting.” Rex winked at Lizzie.
He unlocked the door of his suite, set his bags on the floor and took his wife in his arms.
A few hours later, as Lizzie was preparing to return to her friends, Rex surprised her, “I have a surprise for you. I arranged to take a few days off from the agency. I figured while we’re both out here, we should make a mini vacation out of it, after the other girls head back home. Finish your visit with them and then we’ll take a little detour on the way home and stop somewhere for a few days. We haven’t had time for a vacation in a while. It will be good for us. Don’t you agree?”
Lizzie was touched. “Rex, I think it’s a great idea. Are you sure you can be gone from the agency?”
“I worked long hours while you’ve been gone to get caught up. I’m ready for the break. I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. Especially if you’re going to start working after we get back home. There will be trips back and forth to Dallas involved in this new account of yours, you know. We’re going to be very busy.”
“It’s settled then. Mini vacation it is. I really better get back to the girls so I can get ready for dinner. Meet us in the lobby at seven.” Lizzie went into the bathroom to make herself presentable to meet the girls, and left Rex with a long and lingering kiss.
“To remember me by until you see me again,” she laughed.
“As if I could forget you after this afternoon. See you at seven, Sexy.” He smiled as she let herself out of the suite. What a woman my wife is. Taking the bull by the horns and doing the ads for the O’Gradys like that. She is wonderful, in every way.
Lizzie smiled to herself as she headed back to the suite to get ready for the evening’s festivities. The time alone with her husband had been just what they both needed. Perhaps her going to work in the agency would free up some time for him and they could spend more time together like the past few hours.
When Lizzie entered the suite, Angie was sitting on the couch. “Hi, I’m waiting for my turn in the bathroom. How did it go with Rex?”
Lizzie blushed slightly as she said, “It went well. Unless he just absolutely hates my work after he sees my ideas and we meet with the O’Gradys, I’m officially on the payroll. And he suggested that after you all go back home, we take a little mini vacation on our way home. That was music to my ears, since he’s been working so much lately.”
“Sounds like things are working out, then. Gone for quite a while, weren’t you, Lizzie?” Angie teased.
“Hush now, Angie,” Lizzie teased back with a smile.
Katy and Marianne entered the room. “Got the man off the plane ok, I guess?” Marianne asked.
“Yes, got him off the plane and settled into his room. I told him to meet us in the lobby at seven. I also filled him in on all that has been happening around here this week.”
“Wow, I bet that took a little time.” Katy laughed.
“You notice she was gone for quite a while,” Angie teased wickedly.
Lizzie blushed as the others just shook their heads.
“You both look fantastic. I guess we had better be getting ready too. Come on, Angie. You can have the shower first.” Lizzie laughed, happy to change the subject.
The two of them headed into the other room to take turns getting ready. Soon, the four friends were ready to go. They all looked stunning once again as they prepared to leave for the restaurant.
They were all looking forward to the evening except Katy. Oh, she was looking forward to the dinner and spending time with Ryan and her friends, but she was not looking forward to what would happen after dinner when she had to tell Ryan the truth about her identity. She hoped she could make it through dinner without appearing as nervous as she felt.
Heading into the lobby, they noticed that Michael, Jon, and Rex were all together seated in the lobby talking. It was good to see the three of them catching up and smiling.
As the girls walked up to them, Michael let out a slow whistle. “What do you think, men? Are we escorting the four most gorgeous women in Dallas tonight, or what?”
The other two men heartily agreed.
“You flirt!” Angie teasingly smacked Michael on the arm.
Jon looked at Marianne and smiled. “You look good, Baby. May I take your arm and esco
rt you to your waiting chariot?”
She took his arm and smiled back at him. “You certainly may, kind sir.”
Rex looked at Katy and Lizzie and remarked, “Looking at them now, you would never know that those four have had a bad week, would you?” He linked arms with his wife.
“I’m anxious for you to meet Ryan. I want to know what you think of him, Rex,” Katy said as she took Rex’s other arm.
“I’m looking forward to it, Katy, my dear,” he answered her with a kindly smile.
The men had decided that Jon would drive the Lincoln, since all seven of them could ride in it comfortably.
The ride to the restaurant was pleasant and enjoyable. The evening is starting well, Katy thought. But how will it end?
CHAPTER 22
The group arrived at ‘Chloe’s Place’ in high spirits, anticipating a merry evening with their new friends.
As they entered the restaurant, Ryan stood in the front foyer, ready to greet them. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And how are we all doing tonight?” he asked with a grin and a wink in Katy’s direction.
“We are doing just fine, sir.” Katy’s eyes sparkled as she answered the handsome man standing before her. She felt a slight twinge as she remembered what she had to tell him later this evening. I hope he will be able to deal with the news. In the few short days she had known him, he had become a very important new part of her life. For the next few hours, he is still mine and I intend to make the best of it. Resigned to putting the unpleasantness out of her mind, she took her place at his side as his date for the evening.
“Ryan O’Grady, I would like for you to meet my husband, Rex Hart,” Lizzie proudly introduced the two men.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Rex. You have a very talented wife here. We’re anxious to meet with the two of you tomorrow to sign the contract for the new ads.” Ryan extended his hand to Rex.
As the two men shook hands, Rex replied, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ryan. I have heard nothing but good things about you from the ‘Fab Four.’ Oh, by the way, you’ll have to get used to these four gals. They are quite a handful.”
Ryan laughed and said, “It will be a pleasure to get to know all of you better. And I’m looking forward to the chance to do just that.” He reached for Katy’s hand, smiling down at her.
“I’m very happy to be working with you and your family on this project. I wasn’t expecting to be branching out to Texas, but am excited to be doing so.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. We’d better get inside. Chloe has been working hard all day to make this dinner special for our new friends and associates. Shall we?”
The group made their way inside the restaurant and followed Ryan to a large, round table in the private dining room. The girls had not been in this room and were all very much in awe at the beauty of it. A large stone fireplace covered the rear wall of the room, larger than the one in the main dining room. A crackling fire had been lit and it was just the thing to take the chill off the cool autumn night. The room was decorated in soft shades of clay and turquoise depicting an appropriate Southwestern atmosphere. Candlelight glowed from the center of a beautiful floral arrangement placed in the center of the large round table, which had been set perfectly. The creamy-colored tablecloth was accented with clay and turquoise napkins, and the china was an exquisite southwestern design. Crystal water goblets and intricately-designed flatware completed the picture. The artwork on the walls was perfectly matched to the color scheme, while various southwestern-style trinkets were scattered about the room for effect.
“Ryan, this room is wonderful,” Katy remarked as he seated her, drinking in the atmosphere with pure delight.
“Thank you, but I can’t take any of the credit for it. This room was all Chloe’s doing, too.”
“Did I hear my name taken in vain?” Chloe laughed as she entered the room.
“Chloe, I love what you’ve done with this room.” Katy smiled as she spoke to her new friend. Chloe certainly had a flair for design, another thing they had in common, besides an eye for the O’Grady brothers.
“Thank you. Coming from our new designer, that is quite a compliment.” Chloe blushed slightly as she returned Katy’s smile. Their eyes locked for a second, Chloe wondering if Katy would reveal her identity to Ryan tonight. Katy turned to Liz and Rex and introduced Rex to Chloe and to Shane, who had entered the room shortly after his wife.
Jon introduced himself to the O’Gradys and the group proceeded to the table.
“I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of preparing our meal tonight myself.” Chloe began as they were all seated and comfortable. “The waiter will be bringing in our appetizer soon.”
“I can’t wait to see what you’ve prepared for us, Chloe. I’m sure it will be absolutely scrumptious,” Angie spoke for the first time since arriving to the restaurant.
“I hear you’re a marvelous cook,” Marianne added. “I’ve read that’s how the restaurant came to be, because of your love for cooking.”
“Basically, yes, that is how we first came up with the idea. I always loved trying new recipes and had worked in other establishments. Shane had the business background, so we decided to combine the two and start ‘Chloe’s Place.’ We needed a partner and that is how Ryan became involved. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that we would be such a success and that we would be embarking on the adventure of expanding to other cities. It’s been a whirlwind,” Chloe answered with a smile.
The waiter arrived with lobster-stuffed pasta shells and a large bread bowl with spinach dip. The guests began to eat and were not disappointed.
“This is wonderful, Chloe,” Lizzie said as she finished her first bite.
“I can’t wait to try the rest of the meal,” Marianne said.
They all agreed. They spent the next several minutes enjoying the appetizers, drinking champagne and indulging in light conversation. It was beginning as a wonderful evening. But how will it end? Katy thought again as she looked around the room at all her friends, old and new, together. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could go on like this forever?
She noticed that Michael and Angie were beginning to feel comfortable in each other’s presence again and spent a good deal of time gazing into each other’s eyes. It felt good to be out with them as a couple again. Marianne and Jon were a little less tense with each other, and Jon was noticeably making an effort to woo his wife. Marianne had lost the bitterness from the night before and seemed to be making a real effort to enjoy the evening. Rex and Lizzie were discussing the ad campaign with Shane. They had set a time to meet tomorrow afternoon to finalize the paperwork and discuss schedules. It looked like Katy’s friends were all finally getting their happy endings.
Katy sighed. Ryan was being very attentive. He had not kept his eyes off her for more than a few seconds all evening. How in the world can I break this wonderful man’s heart? But she knew she had to, just as she knew now that they were never meant to be lovers. And maybe when she told him the truth, he would see that too. I wish I never had to tell him.
The group was served salad next. The vinaigrette dressing was superb and Shane proudly admitted that his wife had perfected the recipe herself.
Rex and Jon teased Michael about coming back into the ‘Fab Four’ fold. They also proceeded to give Ryan pointers on being one of the ‘Fab Four’ men. The girls laughed as the men carried on their hilarious conversation. Katy silently wished he really could be one of them.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking,” Katy said, “we may have to change our name from the ‘Fab Four’ to the ‘Fab Five.’ We may just have to vote Chloe in as an honorary member.” Katy touched her new friend’s hand.
“What an excellent idea, Katy,” Angie agreed instantly.
“Yes, let’s take a vote right now,” Lizzie said very seriously, then collapsed into giggles.
“All in favor raise your right hand.” Marianne said in her most serious tone.
As
four right hands instantly went into the air, Chloe was speechless. “I don’t know what to say. Y’all have been together for so long. It is quite an honor to be included in your group. Thank you so much.” Chloe wiped away a tear as she smiled at her new friends.
“It’s official, now, buddy, get used to it,” Michael warned Shane as he slapped him on the back. “You are now a ‘Fab Five’ man, just like the rest of us.”
“Oh, boy, not quite sure what that means, but I’m in if y’all have this much fun every time you get together.” Shane laughed.
The group of friends were all still laughing together as the main course of prime rib was brought to the table. The meal was delicious. The meat tender and succulent, accompanied by tiny red potatoes cooked to perfection with just a hint of seasoning, and the vegetables were steamed perfectly. They all agreed that Chloe was the most fabulous chef they knew. They topped off the meal with her famous cheesecake for dessert. As they sat around the table enjoying dessert and coffee, they were all very content.
Their week would soon come to an end, but there would be many more ‘Fab Four’ get-togethers, and now there would be a fifth member to the group. How lucky they had been to have met such a wonderful person as Chloe O’Grady. The trip to Dallas had certainly been a fateful one in more ways than one. Katy thought sadly, I wish Ryan could really be one of us forever.
“Ryan, could we go someplace quiet after dinner? There are some things I need to discuss with you,” Katy said quietly so the others would not hear.
Crossroad To Love (Fab Five Series) Page 16