Forbidden Love

by Freda Ann

  Opening her mouth to speak, she hesitated because she still hadn’t talked to Brandon since last night and didn’t want any awkwardness if she took the job. Realizing he was waiting for her to say something, she did. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. It sounds really nice. Are you sure you don’t want to hire someone local? It would be much cheaper for you.”

  “I want the best and that’s you Mindy. Don’t think I haven’t done my homework because I have. - And I’m not just offering it to you because of Brandon. I’ve looked at some of your work on your website and it’s quite impressive. You have a certain flare to your design style and I like it - a lot. I want something a bit different than everyone in California has and I think you can give me that.”

  She felt extremely flattered and part of her was excited to do it so she could add an actor’s home to her bio. She is a professional and should be able to separate business from her personal life. Looking up at Faith, she could see the excitement in her eyes and an ear to ear grin because she knew Mindy too well. “Alright Stephen, I’ll do it. How soon would you like me there?”

  “Thank you Mindy! I really appreciate it. Could you fly out by Wednesday?” He sounded so pleased with her decision.

  “That should be fine. I have a few things I need to take care of before I can leave but I should be able to finish up by then. I’ll e-mail you the standard contract later today but won’t be able to give you any cost estimates until I get there and have time to look over your house and take some measurements. - Thanks for your faith in me Stephen. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome but you don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking you. Your work speaks for itself. And as far as the estimates, I’m not worried about them. We can work out the details once you get here. I’ll have my assistant arrange your flight and e-mail you the details. Oh, and I’m hoping Faith will come out and join us while you’re here. I’m kind of missing her. She’s going to do her best to get coverage at work for at least a week. - Well, I look forward to seeing you again Mindy and I’m sure Brandon will be just as excited. We’ll talk soon.”

  She smiled. “OK, goodbye.”

  Chapter 16

  Mindy and Faith talked for almost an hour about the job and the trip to Cali which Faith knew about since last night after she left Mindy’s house. Stephen had called her to get her opinion on the offer which she was excited about for both of them. Since Faith had to try to get coverage for the yoga studio while she was away as well as a few side jobs she’d booked and Mindy wanted to work on the contract for Stephen so she could send it out this afternoon, Faith hugged her friend with excitement then headed home.

  Mindy would talk to Daniel and Sophia when they dropped the kids off later about them staying at their house part of the time and her mom and dad’s the rest of the time. She’d wait to talk to her parents once she knew what dates were good for Daniel and Sophia. Mom told her the kids are welcome to stay with them any time for business or pleasure and this trip, hopefully, would be a little of both.

  She worked on the contract and e-mail for an hour and a half before proofing them twice and sending it to Stephen. Most of it was her standard contract which she modifies for each job depending on needs and special requests. She included in the e-mail that they could add addendums once she gets there and determines exactly what will be needed.

  After going to the kitchen to get some iced green tea, she sat at the bar with her laptop and a snack finally checking her private e-mail. While it was loading, she thought about how much she likes traveling as part of her job because it usually involved something out of the ordinary. It also shows her potential clients that she’ll go wherever they need her to if the job calls for it.

  Grinning as her e-mails were loading she noticed there were eight pages of them. She shouldn’t have been surprised since she hasn’t checked them for two days. Sipping her tea she started marking the ones she could delete without needing to read them. At the bottom of the first page she saw one from Chase and two from Brandon. She knew she needed to talk to Brandon today so they could clear the air before she flew there on Wednesday. She was really hoping it was all one big misunderstanding like Faith mentioned it could be.

  Curious why he’d contact her again, she opened the one from Chase before going through the rest. Luckily it was brief. He thanked her for having coffee with him and told her he’d really like for them to become friends eventually. He told her what a beautiful and special woman she was and reminded her what a fool he had been when he left two years ago. He also said if he wasn’t hopeful about his present relationship, he’d do whatever it took to win her back. Though it brought a smile to her face, she knew she’d never let that happen. She sent him a quick reply telling him thanks for the kind words then deleted his e-mail.

  She continued deleting the junk e-mails then brought up the first one from Brandon. It was a reply to a brief teaser e-mail she sent him before he went to his father’s house for dinner. All she’d written was ‘I look forward to more SexTiming’ with a smiling heart emoji and a wink face. She wanted to put a smile on his face and give him something to think about while he drove to and from his dad’s since he said the trip was kind of long. Figuring he’d have something funny to say, she read his reply. ‘I did a lot of thinking on the drive home and realized after spending time with Tabu at my dad’s, there are still deep feelings between us that I can’t ignore. I’m sorry if this hurts you. I hope you can understand.’ It was signed ‘Brandon’.

  Her heart started thumping in her chest and her breathing sped up, so much so that she had to try calming herself so she didn’t hyperventilate. Was this really happening or had she fallen asleep and having a nightmare? She had to pinch her arm to make sure she was awake. He told her they would never get back together and she believed him. Tears started rolling down her cheeks while she tried to slow her breathing and heart rate. She had all but convinced herself everything would be fine. She felt like such a fool.

  Mindy wasn’t sure if she even wanted to open the second e-mail. What more could he have to say? He made himself very clear. She grabbed a napkin from the bar and dabbed her eyes even though the tears kept flowing. - Wait, maybe he changed his mind? She had to open the second one. But as soon as she did, she regretted it. ‘I forgot to say I think it’s best if we don’t talk or communicate any more. It will just make things harder. Again, I’m sorry.’

  He didn’t even bother signing that one. Did she mean so little to him? She thought for sure he was different. They had this deep connection. She felt it and he said he did too. Lies - just more lies from another man she had convinced herself she could trust. Mindy had all but convinced herself she found that one special guy that comes along once in a lifetime. She knew she could no longer trust her own instincts where men were concerned.

  She took several more deep breaths, dried the last of her tears, logged out of her e-mail and closed her computer. With her glass of tea in hand she went out to the patio to try and clear her head. She refused to let another man put her in a two year funk. She’s a successful business woman with a bright career ahead of her. She has three of the best kids, her parents and some great friends to keep her occupied. Mindy decided to go back to her original plan of not dating until her kids were grown. There was no way she was going to let her bad choices in men affect her children’s lives. And this time, she’s going to stick to her decision no matter what.

  Once she was sure she’d regained her composure and inner strength, she went to get her laptop bringing it outside so she could tackle the rest of her personal e-mails. After that was done, she logged back into her work e-mail to let her team know about the knew contract and that she’d be flying to California on Wednesday. She gave them a run down of the current workload and delegated to the appropriate people. When she was satisfied that all work bases were covered, she logged off the computer and closed it.

  * * * * *

  Brandon kept busy the rest of the weekend frequently distract
ed by thoughts of Mindy and trying to figure out why he hadn’t heard from her. Was it because she decided to get back together with her ex after they spent time together or Tabu’s actions while he was on the phone with Mindy the other night? Whatever it was, he kept getting a bad feeling and it worried the hell out of him.

  Stephen called him yesterday to let him know Mindy accepted the job offer and will be flying in Wednesday. Brandon was excited about seeing her. - That was until Stephen called him back last night and let it slip that Mindy’s ex contacted her again and said he’d do whatever it took to win her back. He had a sudden feeling of defeat as his heart starting beating faster with regret and frustration. That’s why he’s been feeling like something was wrong. He knew that he’d lost her. They were so good together, too good to be true. She was so hurt by Chase so how could she take that chance again? He was getting angry at the thought of him hurting her like he did. Brandon just realized this woman had already gotten into his heart.

  He had a restless night waking up more times than he could count. He was flat out miserable and he knew it would only get worse once Mindy came to town. Knowing how close she will be and he couldn’t touch her was going to be the death of him. But he didn’t want to make her life harder by trying to get her back. She’d obviously made her decision and as much as it hurt him, he was determined to respect it. He wouldn’t be like Tabu and try to break them up. She made her choice and he had to live with it no matter how painful it was.

  He was thankful Alex was willing to take the kids while he was filming, though he was going to miss them tremendously. He swam five laps in the pool to help pull him out of his sleep fog then took a cold shower to keep him from getting too relaxed. He had to be as alert as possible when filming began. Three cups of coffee later he got in his car and headed to the set with a fourth cup to go.

  The week started out with unexpected problems as it usually did but they were resolved without much delay. Brandon was determined to keep things on schedule even if they had to stay a little longer each day. He was already looking forward to the little break after the first week so he could spend some quality time with Zoe and Jonah. He was missing the kids already. They kept him grounded and he needed that, especially now.

  He’d briefly text Stephen a few times but they didn’t get into anything deep as both of them knew it would only distract Brandon more and this wasn’t the time for that. Stephen was worried about him and tried sending encouraging words when they did text to boost his mood a bit. By the end of the first week of filming he knew he had more work to do since they changed some of the scenes but he should still be able to have some fun with the kids and do the work while they were playing or asleep.

  * * * * *

  Wednesday came quicker than Mindy anticipated and the likelihood of running into Brandon while in California was weighing heavy on her mind. Her feelings for him scared her, especially since she’ll never be able to tell him just how deep her feelings have grown. It hurt - and no matter how hard she tried to put it out of her head, the more she thought of him. She felt robbed of the chance to finally have true happiness.

  Despite doing some work at home and going in early the past few days, she still had to delegate the work she wasn’t able to complete before flying to Cali. After she took the kids to Daniel, Mindy dropped her car off at her house, grabbed her luggage and got a ride from Faith to the airport.

  Faith told her she was able to get someone to teach her yoga classes at the studio next week and also the private ones she’d booked at a few businesses that used her twice a week for their employees. She wouldn’t be able to fly out until Saturday though. At least it will give Mindy and Stephen time to work on designs for his home without being distracted by her.

  She couldn’t help feeling tickled when she thought of spending more time with Stephen and getting to know him better in his home town. But she also felt bad for Mindy. She knew it would be more of a reminder of what she was missing out on. Mindy hadn’t heard from Brandon since the e-mails about trying again with Tabu and Stephen hasn’t mentioned him which was probably best. She didn’t want to get in an argument with him over his best friend being an asshole with her best friend’s heart.

  The two of them talked about the trip and where they’d be staying, which wasn’t too far from Stephen’s house but was within walking distance to some restaurants and shops in the heart of Pacific Palisades so she didn’t have to drive everywhere. Stephen rented a car for her to get around since she’d be searching for things to make his home what he wanted it to be.

  Once they got to the airport, Faith pulled to the curb and helped Mindy unload her luggage. Mindy hugged Faith goodbye, checked her bags at the curb and headed for the gate to relax while waiting to board the plane. Sitting there looking out the window at the sunny blue skies reminded her of the memories she made with Brandon in Hawaii. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of their first day together riding the Harley and rubbing up against him every time he changed gears, went around a curve or stopped. And when they looked at each other they both seemed to look deeper than the surface. And that’s when she realized there was this deep connection between them. She hasn’t ever felt this type connection with anyone which made his decision hurt even deeper. He said he felt it too so how could he give that up?

  Arriving twenty minutes late in Los Angeles, Mindy waited for her luggage then picked up her rental car. Stephen made sure it had GPS so she could get wherever she needed to without getting lost. A nice man working the car rental lot came over and helped her load her luggage in the trunk. She put the hotel address in the GPS, waited for it to calculate the location and pulled the convertible onto the main road.

  Mindy called Stephen once she checked into her hotel and unpacked her luggage. She told him she would come over to look around, take pictures and get measurements of his house. Driving there she thought about Brandon and was glad he was filming long hours all week. It gave her some relief from her anxiety knowing she didn’t have to worry about him being there or showing up while she was working at Stephen’s. She’d be able to stay focused on the task at hand.

  She knew when she entered Pacific Palisades it was going to be nice. The area was meticulously manicured with an abundance of trees, shrubs and flowers everywhere she looked. Many of the homes had private gates with intercoms, some with brick walls for privacy. Some houses had long driveways and were set back off the road while others were closer to the curb with little front yard.

  Mindy turned onto Stephens street and saw his house ahead in the middle of the large cul-de-sac. As it came into view, she marveled at the outside. It was a traditional two story house with multi-colored brown and green bricks covering the outside with a carriage style three car garage off to the left. Tall pillars framed the step up to the double dark brown front doors. Shrubs lined the front of the house with plants and flowers along the short sidewalk leading from the driveway to the front door. It was a gorgeous home.

  She parked in the driveway, grabbed her bags and walked up to the front door. Windows framed the sides and top of the door which made the entryway pop. She smiled as she rang the doorbell. She felt lucky to be able to design this house for Stephen, her new friend. She knew it would be different than any she’s done before.

  The door opened and Stephen stood there with a dimpled smile as he stepped forward opening his arms to welcome her. “Welcome to California Mindy. It’s really good to see you again.”

  “Thanks Stephen and it’s good to see you as well.” They hugged briefly and he waived his hand for her to walk inside.

  She walked past the foyer taking in the staircase in the center of the right wall with a nice, slightly rustic brick fireplace beyond the stairs with built-ins halfway up the wall on both sides that complimented it well. The floors were wood tile in a medium tone. There was a black leather tufted couch and two chairs in the living room that looked new. She figured he bought them to have something to sit on until it was properly f
urnished.

  “You have a very nice home. I appreciate you offering me the job to design it for you. It’s going to be fun.” She smiled at him.

  Walking into the kitchen, which was on the opposite wall across the room from the fireplace, Stephen opened the refrigerator looking inside. “Thanks. As I said on the phone, you’re doing me a favor. I’m looking forward to what you can do with this place. I’ll show you around in a minute. What can I get you to drink? - Water, juice, wine, beer?”

  “Water would be great. - I can’t wait to get started.” She sat her bags on the island in the middle of the spacious kitchen and took her iPad out along with a measuring tape.

  Stephen handed her a bottle of water and grabbed one for himself and started walking. “Well lets get going then.” He walked past the island in the kitchen and she noticed a built-in desk on the center wall where the kitchen ended and the living room began. Walking back towards the front door there was a decent sized formal dining room off to the left she hadn’t noticed. To the right of the door was a half bath and access to the garage. Next they went up the stairs that went into a wide hallway with two bedrooms on the left split by a bathroom and a large media room at the far end of the hall that seated ten comfortably. On the right side of the hallway was the master suite which took up the entire back portion of the upper level with a decent sized balcony off the back overlooking the pool and the backyard.