by D. F. Jones
His footsteps neared her as she heard him sniff. “I think they will. It’s our biggest project yet, and you’ve really done an impeccable job with the planning. It looks amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said and turned to face him. She could see the deep-set wrinkles in his face as he squinted out toward the finished estate, his tanned skin red from a hard day’s labor. “Can I stick around when you show it to them?”
He smiled, more to himself than her. “Are you nervous?”
“No, but I want to see the clients reactions. You know it’s my favorite part.”
“Your confidence scares me, girl.”
“They agreed to the plan,” Audrey told him, placing her hands on her hips. “They’d be crazy not to love it! We put so much work into this project, too. Personally, I just think you’ve put in way too many hours.”
He brought his green eyes to hers and raised his eyebrows. “You can stay. Just go and help Jenine and Robert with the cleanup. I’ll text them to let them know we’ve finished.” He paused and started taking off his thick gloves. “They said they’d swing by earlier should we finish. They’re also bringing an acquaintance that might give us a new contract if they like what they see.”
Audrey couldn’t help but beam at the thought. “Seriously?”
“Go clean up, and throw your apron in the back of the truck. We’ll see if it happens.”
Miss Mary was easily recognizable. The woman was the opposite of anyone she’d ever been around, and it put Audrey on edge. The woman wasn’t nouveau riche. It was clear she came from old money. She wore a perfectly tailored black dress with a matching hat and red pumps. Her hair was a pristine white, reminding her of freshly fallen snow — despite the fact that it was perfectly coiffed.
Audrey stood behind her father as the lady opened the door to her newly finished estate. It had taken them weeks to get to this point, and Audrey could barely hold in her nerves. She breathed deeply, unable to tell the woman’s expression beneath her thick black sunglasses.
When she saw Miss Mary’s smile, Audrey felt a hint of relief. The woman lifted her sunglasses and peered around her perfectly manicured garden. “My goodness, will you look at that? Incredible! You’ve outdone yourself.”
Audrey wanted to jump for joy. She wanted to run off into the sunset with her apron lifted above her head. She couldn’t believe it.
“Damien! You just have to come out here and see this.”
Audrey could see the tension rising in her father. He began presenting telltale signs that he was getting nervous. This must be the person he’d spoken of earlier.
She saw his dark leather shoe first, followed by his finely made navy blue pants and white dress shirt. It was only when she saw the rest of him that her heart fell.
It was Damien. That Damien.
Chapter 2
Audrey
He still had his signature dark hair and strong cheekbones. Even if the lower half of his face was masked by a close-shaven beard, she could instantly tell it was him. It was those green eyes and that signature smirk that gave him away. Audrey brought her hands to her side, wishing that she wasn’t wearing her baggy and stained work clothes.
He stepped out towards the woman, his bright green eyes barely grazing over Audrey. If he recognized her, he wasn’t giving it away. “You’re right, Mary. It’s gorgeous out here,” he said, his voice monotone. Audrey could tell he clearly hadn’t gotten any better at showing his emotions over the years. “And your company did all this? My aunt said great things about your work.”
Her father was stoic, despite his nervousness. She wanted to cheer him on, but all she could do was stand back. He was too proud to let her take over — yet. “Yes, this was all of us. I work with a team of landscapers, and Audrey, my daughter, does the landscape design — of which she went to a university in London for.”
Damien still wouldn’t so much as glance at her. Audrey could feel her temper flaring as she brought her hand into a fist. “I really like the work you’ve done here. These patio stones,” he started, lowering his eyes towards his feet. “Did you do them?”
Audrey could see her father shifting from one foot to the other. It was his nervous tick. “Yes. We have someone who’s been hired specifically for that purpose.”
“And someone to even out the ground?”
Audrey had to take a step back. She wanted to stop whatever stupid interrogation she saw happening. She clenched her teeth as she brought her eyes to Damien. Of course he would grill her father right in front of her.
“Yes, we always have contractors on standby.”
“Didn’t they do a fantastic job? I think you should hire them for your project,” Mary told him, grazing his arm. “I think they would be a terrific fit for what you’re trying to do.”
Her father crossed his arms, as though trying to bring himself up to Damien’s level. “What’s this job you’ve got?”
“It’s quite complicated,” he said, his tone cold. “I’m sure you’ve seen the new natural history museum towards the downtown core? Just off Adelaide? Well, we need to create a common area on the grounds that can attract visitors interested in nature. It’s a new green project I’ve been put in charge of. We’re thinking native species and conservation for local wildlife.”
“So, basically a forest?” Audrey blurted out, her face growing red as everyone looked to her. It was clear her joke didn’t land.
Damien kept his same cold composure. “Not a forest but somewhere that feels like a retreat. Not only for people, of course, but also for the animals.”
“Sounds like one hell of a job you have there. Isn’t it just grass right now?”
“Yes,” he said and gave a faint smile. “The extension is already there. We have the space to create something, but we don’t have anyone hired for it yet. We need a top-notch landscape architect and horticulturist.”
Audrey considered him a huge asshole. He knew very well that she had studied both. They went hand in hand, and her father had already explained it to him. She couldn’t help but think back to all those nights working on her horticulture homework while she went to classes during the day for her landscape design degree. It made her feel sick that someone would be proud enough to undermine all of her hard work like that.
“Well, I think our work speaks for itself. My daughter is one of the best in the city, and we work very hard once we get started because we focus on only one project at a time,” her father told him, placing his hands in his pockets. “I’m not going to try to sell you on our services. I’ll just let the estate speak for itself. You like what you see, we can talk. If not, we’ll be on our way.”
Audrey smiled to herself. That’s right! Her father was no layman to be kicked down by someone with wealth. She stood taller, unable to hide how proud she was. Her work, after all, was immaculate. They never delivered anything less than perfection to their clients.
“I’m pleased with the work you’ve done here,” Damien said, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. “Here’s my card. Can you have your landscape designer send me a portfolio of their work? I’d like to see a few more before I present your company as an option to the board.”
Audrey’s father turned to face her. “Will you take his card?”
She grudgingly walked up and pulled it from his hand without saying a word. She could only think of how she’d once held that hand. How that hand had been filled with so much promise, pulling her out of her own life and into one that seemed too good to be true. Well, it obviously had been.
Audrey placed the card in the front pocket of her stained mom jeans and walked away without looking back. She’d send him the portfolio. She couldn’t wait to blow his mind with all the work they’d done since she’d returned from school. She knew there was no way another competitor would beat her designs.
Chapter 3
Damien
It was as he expected. She hadn’t changed. She was still that same girl he’d known all those years ago. His lip
s formed into a smile as he watched her walk away. He knew exactly how to push her buttons still; that was the biggest surprise.
“That was strange. Was it something we said?” Mary asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Audrey storm off.
“She probably has some more work to do,” the landscaper lied, not even bothering to look back to see where she’d went. “I’ll have her email you first thing tomorrow morning, and we’ll get to talking. How long do you think until we start talking about a contract? My company only takes on one big project at a time, and this sounds like it’ll take up quite a bit of our time.”
“I should say within the next few days. I won’t lie,” Damien said, lowering his voice. He always did when he tried to sound more serious. “We have a few prospects that we’re looking into right now. So be sure to send in your best work.”
The landscaper placed his hand in the space between them. “The name’s George Roberts. I’ll be sure to let Audrey know to send in our best work. She documents all of it, including her designs. It’ll all be attached in the email.”
“That’s great. I’m Damien Sanford. I look forward to it.”
George had a strong handshake, which indicated to Damien right away that he was an honest kind of businessman. He was sure that George was still apprehensive of him, which he couldn’t blame him for. After all, Audrey had made a spectacle, as she always did. And he hadn’t been overly friendly to the two of them.
Damien glanced to his aunt, who was smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you so much for all of this. I will definitely refer you to anyone who asks.”
“We appreciate that, ma’am. We can always use the work,” George said, bringing his hand back to his side. “We’ll speak soon.”
Damien watched as George gathered the last of his things and headed towards the edge of the estate, being sure to keep on the trail that was laid out with patio stones. He clearly had a respect for his work, which he could appreciate. Damien brought his eyes toward the truck where Audrey had gone, barely visible through the trees.
So their paths crossed again. This was definitely an interesting turn of events.
Chapter 4
Audrey
The next morning, Audrey found herself staring at the card that she’d slammed on her desk. It was black with white lettering, and his name was in italics above the museum’s name. So he was working at the museum now. That was a surprise. She’d always assumed he didn’t give a shit about anything but himself, let alone a natural history museum. It seemed out of character for someone like him.
She leaned back in her computer chair and stared at the plants surrounding her. Most of them were tropical and not native to North America. She had propagated most of them during her years in university and gradually had them grow into their own, strong plants. Her mother had always told her that there was a green thumb passed down in the family, and when she looked at the plants in her studio apartment, she couldn’t help but agree. It was slowly turning into a jungle, which Audrey always called her little jungalow.
Her heart began to sink as she stared at the computer screen. Morning had just started, and the sun was descending into the room in thick golden stripes through the blinds. She could see the number of pictures she’d taken over the years working for her father’s company. They took on several dozens of small projects throughout the year, which they’d try to knock out as quickly as they could, while also maintaining a balance of perfection that was unusual for a landscaping company. She was proud of the work they did, which was why it was so hard for her to click send on the stupid email.
He was the last person she should be sending it to.
There was the phantom hint of his cologne, which always reminded her of him. Then there were the lonely nights where she’d stayed up crying at his sudden departure from her life, as though she was an airport and was never his final destination. He was only biding his time.
“Jerk,” she whispered as tears threatened her eyes.
It was only after he’d left that she’d realized she deserved better. Finding better, though, was another story altogether. It was almost impossible to find someone decent. She’d tried everything — online dating, being set up by her friends, even trying to approach guys at the bar. None of it worked out. And none of them made her feel the way Damien had.
She sighed as she brought the mouse to her hand and clicked send on the email. It was a good business contract, and she could only imagine how much money it would bring in. It might even make it so that the company could afford more employees. She thought of her father, who always toiled away for too many hours, not realizing how much it hurts him at the end of the day. She couldn’t wait to take over and have him retire.
Audrey leaned back in her chair and picked up the business card. It was smooth to the touch. She wanted to do nothing more than tear it in half. She knew they always needed the work, but working with him was something she’d never imagined. Now, there was the possibility of it happening.
She’d prove him wrong. About leaving. About breaking her heart. About everything. She’d prove to Damien that she’d been doing fine without him.
Chapter 5
Damien
He wanted to say it was for selfish reasons. He wanted to tell them that it was important to him on more than one level. He didn’t say anything. Damien stood at the front of the boardroom and let the slides play, one photo after another. The board members were silent as the rain pattered at the massive windows to the right side of the room. The museum was quiet most days, and the rain had driven most of the business away for the day. Summer always came and went, the crowds changing from large to small.
He took a seat in the leather chair and stared across the cold, granite table at the board members, who were waiting for him to speak. He liked being in control in this way; it made him feel as though he really had a voice in how things were run. Damien brought his hands to the top of the table and crossed them. “I believe this is the company we should hire. As you can see, they do outstanding work. They’re a small company, but if they have a larger contract, they’ll hire their own contractors so we won’t have to. They work primarily with local species, and I believe that if we budget this properly, we’ll get the most for our money.”
“What makes you so sure?” Mr. Skaratovsky said, squinting his eyes at the photos as they passed above Damien’s head. “It’s clear they’ve only done small projects. I’m not sure they could handle one of this magnitude.”
Damien felt the urge to stand up and point at the pictures. Couldn’t they see how great their work was? But none of that mattered. Mr. Skaratovsky had come up with a good point that couldn’t be overlooked. “I think they’ll be able to handle it. They hire contractors if they fall behind on work. Every time.”
He could see a few nods from the board members, which sparked some hope. His heart felt as though it would leap onto the table. It wasn’t that he was desperate to spend time with her again, but he was sure that she could do an amazing job. When he’d received the email, he’d thought back to all those dates she couldn’t make because of how busy she was. She always took on too much and, despite that, always did her best. He knew she’d deliver an amazing product, regardless of whether or not the landscaping company could handle it.
“What have we quoted them?”
Damien shook his head. “We haven’t quoted them a price yet. I wanted to get the okay from the board first.”
“That’s just bad practice,” Mrs. Stinson said, leaning forward to meet Damien’s eyes. “We should know what kind of price they’re expecting.”
“I’ll remember that for next time. But they are a smaller company, so I think they’ll be willing to negotiate.”
This caused a stillness in the room that set him at ease. He had them. It always came down to price — the board always wanted the best results from the lowest bidder. He was just hoping his lie would prove to be true. He wasn’t sure if Audrey was one to budge on such things, but mayb
e her father was.
“We’ll consider them, but only if they’re willing to negotiate a price that works for our budget,” Mr. Skaratovsky said firmly. “Otherwise, we’ll go with our other choice, Daybreak Landscaping.”
Damien’s lips formed into a smile as his eyes scanned over each face in the room. “Thank you. I’ll negotiate with them right away.”
Negotiation seemed easier when he was in the boardroom. He sat in front of his computer, his heart drumming in his chest. He rarely felt uneasy but this was causing his stomach to churn. What would she say about him lowballing them? Their budget was set in stone, as their grant was only so much. They couldn’t go over, and there were a multitude of companies that were vying for the position to work on the museum grounds. None of the other companies had work that was as breathtaking as their company, but that kind of perfect work always costs more.
He bit his lip as he lowered his fingers to the keyboard and started typing the email that would cause them to drop out, or keep them onboard. He knew he’d have to CC everyone on the board, so was sure to use his best professional tone throughout the email.
The sun was beginning to set behind him as he rolled back and forth in his computer chair. He wondered if it was enough. Would they accept? He wasn’t sure if he should feel nervous or excited. He was glad to have a chance to be around her again, but this could be the last time if it didn’t go well.
Damien exhaled deeply and hit enter, confirming the option to send the email. It was done. Whatever it was that she and her father chose to do now was their prerogative. He glanced up towards the ceiling and unbuttoned the top button of his black dress shirt. He truly hoped they would agree to the terms.