The Perpetual Quest for the Perfect Life

by Pace, Michelle

  Nicole seemed to hang on her every word. When her phone buzzed again, she uttered an exasperated sigh and looked at Avery unhappily.

  “So I take it you’re not bringing Colin to Thanksgiving?”

  “Your mother would have a stroke.”

  Aaron guzzled coffee from his thermos as he backed the delivery truck up to the country club entrance. He’d brought two guys along to unload the 20 Christmas trees, 20 tree stands and 100 strings or greenery. His mom would have a fit if he was late for lunch on Thanksgiving and it was already 10:15. For the past several days, Chrystle, Paige’s friend, had been doing her damnedest to get into his pants. After ending things with Joy he figured, ‘What the hell? Jump right back up on that horse.’ Unfortunately, every time Chrystle came at him with that oh-so-talented mouth, his thoughts turned instantly to Nicole. He was sure he was sick—mentally deranged. At this rate, he was never going to get laid again.

  He hopped out of the truck and hurried around to the back. His two employees were already opening the truck and attaching the ramp. His under-caffeinated brain cloudy, he decided it would be a smart idea to head inside and see where Avery wanted each tree, so they had a plan of attack. Entering the restaurant, he walked past the water wall and was greeted with a view of the restaurant’s main dining area. He heard someone moving around behind the bar and was about to call Avery’s name, when he spotted Colin pouring himself a drink. Taken by surprise, he ducked back out of view.

  What the heck is Colin O’Connell doing behind the bar at Onyx?

  The caffeine kicked in all at once. Sean had told him Colin was seeing Nicole, his loyal buddy/loyal brother way of keeping the peace, trying to break the news to him before he saw them together. He assured Sean that it was none of his business. Colin’s presence could only mean one unfortunate thing: Nicole was here in Avery’s place. Aaron made a mental note to shake the hell out of Avery the next time he crossed her path.

  Feeling like a little bitch for hiding, he peeked around the corner. He rolled his eyes at himself.

  Cowboy up, dude.

  As he was about to reveal himself, he saw Nicole come out of the back room, her hands full of supplies. As he watched her join Colin behind the bar, Aaron’s jaw clenched as he admired her golden hair, which was up in a ponytail. She was dressed in clingy sweats. Her beauty nearly brought Aaron to his knees. Colin apparently felt the same, because he grabbed the toolbox she was carrying from her and placed it on the bar, pulling her into his arms.

  “So did you talk to Avery? Is she going to take the boy tomorrow night?” Colin hands slid down to Nicole’s perfect ass. Aaron hated that he’d called Ike the boy, and he hated the lecherous look Colin had on his face. Aaron had a terrible fantasy of breaking each of the fingers that were on Nic’s behind. It was freaky how much the vision pleased him.

  “Yeah,” he heard Nicole respond neutrally. Colin stopped nuzzling her neck, seeming as surprised by her tone as Aaron was. He wished he could see Nic’s face. He wanted to read her expression, but her back (and that fantastic ass) was to him.

  “Jesus, Nicole. You could at least pretend to be excited. Don’t you want this?” Colin wore a frustrated expression. Aaron grudgingly felt empathy for the guy. He knew all too well what it felt like to desire Nicole and for her response to be impassive. That night in Chicago was forever etched in his mind as near perfection, but she’d stopped him and the next morning acted detached. They’d both tried to brush it off like nothing had happened, and they’d never had a real conversation again until the one in her loft when he insisted they’d never be together. He watched her untangle herself from Colin’s embrace.

  “Colin, I’m sorry…” Aaron was familiar with her tone and figured the conversation was about to take an uncomfortable turn. He couldn’t stand to witness the poor guy get dumped, so he headed quietly back outside and told the guys to move the four largest trees first. He helped untie and move the smaller ones out of the truck, placing them aside. Unable to distract himself with the physical job, his mind whirled as he speculated about what was happening in the bar. Not five minutes after he’d come back outside, Colin stormed out the door, pausing for a moment when he saw the three of them and the delivery truck. He nodded a curt greeting at Aaron, but it was clear he was furious. As he hopped in his car and peeled out, Aaron rushed inside to check on Nicole with four Christmas tree stands tucked in his arms.

  Nicole had her back to him and seemed to be looking at the floor. He made as much noise as he could, coming into the restaurant. She spun around. The look of shock on her face when she saw him might have been amusing under other circumstances.

  “A-Aaron,” she stammered, his name sounding almost like a question. Her heart-shaped face looked like she had just walked in from the cold, and those dazzling eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears. He wondered if it was hard on her, crushing men under the toe of her tiny sneakers. He nodded at her casually and proceeded toward the windows on the far side of the room. He placed the tree stands against the wall under the windows. When he turned to make a second trip to the truck, she was right in his path. His heart rate tripled and he had the irrational urge to run from her as if she were an axe-wielding murderer; her power over him was terrifying. Feeling cowardly, he stopped in his tracks and waited. Her eyes searched his; it was the longest eye contact they’d had since he’d been to her house. Thankfully, her gaze shifted from him to the tree stands behind them, and she walked around him to reposition them. Amused that her designer instinct superseded any emotional fall out, he grinned.

  She proceeded to direct him and his employees, which helped speed up delivery considerably. She jumped in to help them, repositioning furniture and lugging in greenery. Aaron now understood her casual attire—she did not intend to sit around looking pretty while they did all the heavy lifting. She filled all the stands with water as they worked, and sooner than he expected, they were alone again. His employees had bailed to get their Thanksgiving on.

  Awkward silence hung between them like a curtain in a vaudeville show. Tired and frustrated by the tension, Aaron plunged into the overdo conversation he’d intended to have at O’Connell’s. She was washing her hands behind the bar and when he approached, she gave him a shy smile.

  “Oh! The check! Sorry, here you go. Thanks for coming out on Thanksgiving. I know it sucks.” She handed him the check, which was written for three hundred dollars more than he’d quoted Avery. In the memo line, she’d actually written “Sorry!” and had drawn a smiley face. That little shit…

  “Listen, Nicki…” he started and then remembered her aversion to the name. This time, however, she didn’t blink at his term of endearment. She seemed to wait, watching him with those drop dead eyes. “I’m sorry things were so crazy when you first got here. I was a jackass. Do you think we can figure out a way to be friends?”

  She leaned on the bar that stood between them and looked thoughtful. He saw one of her eyebrows twitch and had time to think, ‘Oh shit. What’s she gonna make me do?’ when she started to speak.

  “Are you busy tomorrow?” Her sweet soprano voice was like a dagger in his back and he knew he would do whatever she proposed.

  “I am not going Black Friday shopping for you. No way in hell.” She smirked as if he was mentally challenged, and he breathed and sigh of relief that this was not her request.

  “My plan is to decorate this place for Christmas tomorrow. I need someone to hold the ladder so I don’t fall and break my neck. Wanna help me? I’ll take you out for pizza and beer after.”

  Mmm … pizza, beer, and Nicole. He found himself nodding like a fool in agreement. Bewitching didn’t even begin to describe this woman. She graced him with a toothy grin and made a show of bouncing up and down, clapping.

  “Temptress. What time?” he heard himself ask. He had no intention of being anywhere near the farm tomorrow; working Black Friday gave him hives.

  “You tell me. Stone Valley’s closed tomorrow so we can start whenever. Unless
you had plans with your girlfriend.” A small voice in a distant corner of his mind reminded him about Colin and his Friday night plans. Aaron wondered if he’d be storming out in the same fashion this time tomorrow. It was a chance he was willing to take, evidently.

  “I’m fresh out of girlfriends. Is ten too early?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  As he climbed into the delivery truck, he felt thankful he’d agreed to come on this delivery himself.

  As they crested the ridge and began the descent toward her childhood home, Avery felt as if her stomach was trying to eat itself. For the first time in her life, she wished the pretentiously elongated driveway were longer. Her nerves jangled obnoxiously, like an unwelcome alarm on a weekend morning. She spared a sideways glance at Shilah, who flipped on the windshield wipers as it began to drizzle again. He hunched down a little in the driver's seat, as if straining to see the entire house at once.

  “That's a whale of a house,” he observed and she could feel his amusement tickling her. The conflicting emotions were unwelcome. She could tell it was going to be a long and interesting holiday. They pulled in, and Shilah parked by the carriage house. Relief warmed her when she noticed Nicole's Jeep parked to her right. As if on safari in hostile territory, she knew she could use all the allies she could get. Shilah had turned off the ignition and the hush in their temporary cocoon had her convinced they should stay put for as long as possible. Shilah was eyeing her expectantly, his hazel eyes virtually dancing with entertainment. Avery felt bile in the back of her throat suddenly. Foreboding that meeting her family would unlink their connection caused her chest to tighten.

  “Are you all right?” Shilah's brow creased in concern as nausea overtook her. She flung the passenger door open and vomited her entire breakfast onto the driveway. Amazingly, she'd managed to miss his car and her clothes completely. Her heart drummed under her breast, as if threatening to project out of her body like a parasitic alien.

  “Avery!” She heard Shilah exclaim. She heard his door slam and knew he was coming around the car to her aid. Humiliated and breathless, an embarrassed moan was all she could manage. Tears sprung from her eyes as she wiped her mouth with a wad of tissues he produced out of nowhere, as if he were a magician with scarves up his sleeve. She couldn't recall having been more miserable. She willed herself to her feet, deftly maneuvering around the pool of vomit the size of Lake Michigan and stumbled into his arms.

  “I’m sorry.” She practically sobbed at him.

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

  “Don't be so sure. It's early in the day.”

  He led her around the car to the driver’s side. He produced a bottle of water from the center compartment and a tin of mints. My hero on a white steed. She took a couple of moments to catch her breath and chug water.

  “How did you get to be so perfect?” she murmured sincerely, too exhausted to be anything other than soul-baringly honest.

  “Clean living.” His wit was as sharp and quick as a Chinese throwing star and Avery suddenly felt better, though she still felt clammy and sweaty. She ran an unsteady hand through the chestnut bangs that hung in her eyes distractingly.

  “Should I take you home?” His hand gripped her shoulder and his serious tone forced her to make eye contact. He wasn't joking any longer.

  “No. I think I'll live. I just need a bottle or two of wine.” He shot her a disapproving look.

  Mitch and Jo's Land Rover approached them and parked on the other side of Nic's Jeep. Their youngest jumped out of the car before it had come to a complete stop and zipped to Avery's side like a jackrabbit. She nearly bowled her over with a vice-like hug.

  “Aunt Avery!” Anna cried, her freckled face beaming. Her impish eyes shifted up to look at Shilah and the girl turned a deep shade of crimson. Avery didn't blame her a bit, recalling the first time she'd laid eyes on him with a sly smile. Mitch and Jo appeared carrying covered dishes, curious expressions amateurishly masked on their faces. Their eldest trailed far behind them, not failing in her role as the “Drama Queen of Teenage Angst.” Faith rebelled and dodged around Nicole's Jeep to avoid the puddles last night’s rain had left in its wake. It was a bad call; as she cut through the small path on the passenger side of Shilah's car, she stopped in her tracks, exclaiming in horror and indignation.

  “Eww! What the frig?” She made a large circle around the car, checking the bottoms of her Ugg boots as she joined them. Shilah covered a smile and Avery blushed profusely. “Somebody puked over here. I think I got it on my boot!”

  “Sorry.” Avery looked at her niece's reproachful face and tried not to snicker. Faith could be such a priss it was hard not to find her amusing.

  “You did this? Stay away from me, I can't get sick. I got the lead in the school play.” Her niece held her fingers up in a cross in front of her as if warding off Avery like a vampire.

  “I'm fine, but thanks for your concern,” she rebuked and Faith glanced at Shilah and blushed much in the same manner as her sister had.

  “You must be Mr. Nizhoni.” Jo tossed the picnic basket she was carrying to her husband and stuck out her hand to Shilah. For a split second, Mitch jostled the items he was carrying like a juggler who was about to drop six knives.

  “Please, call me Shilah.” He shook her hand and charmed her with his bright smile. Avery tried not to laugh when Jo's freckled face grew pink. Three out of three. Go Shilah! Mitch chatted with Shilah in typical Mitch fashion as the group made their way to the house. Jo caught Avery's eye and mouthed the word “damn” enthusiastically. With more Team Shilah members, she felt a bit more confident facing her mother. They all entered the foyer and could hear the general bedlam that accompanied a gathering of the Harpers. Suddenly Ike appeared in the foyer, grinning from ear to ear.

  He turned to someone out of their line of sight and shouted, “You can't get me!”

  He tore off across the foyer, ignoring the group at large and Jake shuffled after him, giving the group a wave. After they removed their coats, Avery grabbed Shilah's hand and led him into the great room. Angela sprawled on the sofa with her feet in her husband’s lap. Dean, attentive as always, massaged them for her. Andy sat opposite of them on a chaise lounge and appeared disgusted by his parents’ display of affection. Avery tried not to gape at Angela, who in the past 6 weeks appeared to have gained fifteen pounds all in her belly.

  “Holy crap, Ang!” Avery blurted. “You’re a house!”

  Angela’s face dropped and Shilah slowly turned to Avery and looked at her like she’d grown a second head.

  “Wow. Really?” He whispered in disbelief.

  Dean began to assist Angela who tried to stand, but Shilah spared her the effort. He crossed to her and sat down next to her offering his hand. She smiled at him, her face a visage of relief.

  “Hi. I’m Shilah.” Megawatt smile firmly in place, in no time flat he was engrossed in a conversation with the couple about their impending delivery.

  Avery made a beeline for the restroom and gargled three times with mouthwash. Her nerves jangled, and she briefly considered asking Nicole for a Xanax. She reminded herself that she couldn’t control anyone’s behavior but her own. Shilah had social graces, and if they were to be together for any length of time, he may as well see this aspect of her life sooner rather than later.

  Returning to the great room, Avery turned to her nephew, who was staring at his cell phone, fingers flying at the speed of light. He didn’t bother to look at her when she greeted him, so she snatched it from his hand and flung it onto the other couch.

  “Hey! What the crap?”

  “Get your face out of that phone and converse with people in the flesh!” She responded as she pulled him to his feet. “Come help me find something to drink.”

  “Since when don’t you know your way to the bar?” Andy gave her an incredulous eye roll and she gaped at him. This kid had been the sweetest of the bunch six weeks ago. Avery considered the impact of the pregnancy
on Andy. Not being the baby any longer was a drag, but at his age, Avery thought he needed his ass kicked.

  “Since when did you become such punk?” She shot back, glaring him down. His face fell and his shoulders slumped. He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology and shuffled off, snagging his phone on the way out the door. Avery let him go and moved behind the bar. She’d corner him later and grill him. The urge for a stiff drink was more of a pressing concern. Sadly, the ice bucket was empty. She scooped it up and made her way down the hall toward the kitchen. As she entered the kitchen, she could hear murmured sounds from the pantry and recognized her mother’s voice and heard her giggle. She poked her head into the pantry and spied her mother whispering into her cell phone. Sandra saw her and straightened up to her full height, an expression of surprise blooming on her face.

  “I have to go. Happy Thanksgiving.” Her tone was all business. She hit the disconnect button. “Some people just can’t leave you alone on the holidays.”

  “Who was bugging you on Thanksgiving?” Avery wasn’t sure what to make of her mother’s bizarre demeanor. She turned from the pantry and opened the freezer, filling the ice bucket with the speed on an expert. When it came to her parents’ wet bar, Avery was a Grade A mixologist.

  “Just a board member. Where’s your friend?” Her mother exited the pantry and slipped her phone into her pocket.

  “In the living room. Mom, I want you to be nice.” Her demand was firm and she turned to gauge her mother’s reaction.

  “Well, of course I’ll be nice, Avery. He’s our guest.” Scoffing, her mother picked up two trays of finger food.

  “Where’s Nicole?” Avery snagged a cucumber sandwich off one of the trays, as her mother tried to bat her hand away.

  “Changing.” Her mother’s tone was stilted and aloof at the mention of Nic. Avery shot her a look, and Sandra’s lips were pressed in a flat narrow line while she focused on rearranging her perfect party trays.