I heaved out a sigh, but I knew I didn’t have much of a choice. My brother was the one person in the world I had trouble saying no to.
“Fine.”
How hard could it really be? I’d designed one of the best security systems in the world. Surely, the intricacies of wedding planning wouldn’t thwart me.
Besides, the grin that broke out on Peter’s face when I agreed was worth it. “Good. That’s settled then. I’m going to go hit the bathroom. Then we’ll order food.”
“Yeah, okay.” I watched him walk away, a cold pit forming in my stomach as I thought about what I’d just agreed to. Getting roped into planning my brother’s wedding was not how I’d expected this day to pan out. “Fuck.”
Chapter 3
Luna
I’ve been paying off nothing but interest for a year. How is that possible?
Blinking at the numbers in front of me, I pulled the books closer and squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again. Surely, I couldn’t have read that right.
Unfortunately, the numbers in front of me remained the same. The capital amount on the debt I owed had hardly shrunk despite the extra money I’d been paying into the loan whenever I had it.
It was ridiculous. At this rate, with the way the interest kept piling on, it would take me years to pay the bank back.
Disbelief and shock coursed through me, making my legs numb and my mouth dry. I licked my lips, half surprised they didn’t feel cracked.
The bell above the door tinkled, but the sound didn’t fill me with hope the way it once had. It was spring again, but the last two had given me none of the same reasons I used to have to feel optimistic.
Landon had walked out on me when all the blossoms were just about to show their color, and last year, I hadn’t been able to stay in the black either. People didn’t buy flowers just because anymore, and most who did ordered them off the internet. Since I didn’t have the resources to deliver and couldn’t afford to close the shop while I made the deliveries myself, people could order my flowers online but had to pick them up themselves.
A knock at my office door reminded me of the bell ringing. I turned around, about to apologize to the customer, when my gaze landed on Adi’s pretty face. “Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here? Where’s your mom?”
“Right here,” April’s voice called just before she appeared behind her daughter. “How are you?”
“I’ve been better, but it’s always good to see you guys.” I opened my arms and Adi bounded right into them, her backpack from school bouncing on her shoulders just before it whacked me in the chest when she turned on my lap. “Whoa there, baby girl. What’s got you so excited?”
“I have a new teacher,” she said, turning to look at me over her shoulder. Her soft brown eyes shone and she flashed me a gap-toothed smile. “She’s so great, but I’m happy it’s the weekend. We should eat ice cream on Sunday.”
“That’s a good idea.” God knew I could use some ice cream myself. “Let’s see if you still feel like it on Sunday. Then we can talk. Tell me about this new teacher of yours.”
Adi went on and on about her. April sat down in the threadbare chair I kept in my office for the odd occasion when I actually had someone in here, animatedly adding to her daughter’s tales.
“She’s a real old-school teacher,” April said. “She said she’s working on a book filled with phrases she says on a daily basis that most people won’t even say once in their lives.”
“Such as?” I asked.
“Don’t lick the playground,” she replied, her eyes crinkling with silent laughter. “There are more. I’m totally buying that book if it ever comes out.”
“It sounds like a winner.” I could have used a book like that to go with my ice-cream binge this weekend. Just thinking about the loan repayments was threatening to tip me over the edge, right into Sulks-ville.
Adi managed to cheer me up a bit, which I was grateful for. At least, she did until she asked her next question. “What are you going to do this weekend?”
“Me?” I did my very best not to grimace. “I need to work. I’m thinking about extending my store hours. Might as well give it a try this weekend to see what happens.”
April pulled a face before sitting up straighter, flashing me a smile. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you come have dinner with us tonight? You can try the extended shop hours tomorrow.”
“I...” I trailed off when I noticed the look in her eyes, practically begging for my help with Adi. At six years old now, she was a handful. A sweet, adorable but ridiculously busy handful.
April hardly ever asked for my help, so the fact she was looking at me like that meant she really needed me. “I’d love to.”
Saying no to her would have been too cruel, even if that was what I had been about to say.
Besides, it wasn’t like people had been tripping over themselves to get into the shop today. Maybe as the days kept growing longer and the season came into full swing, people would be more inclined to spend money on flowers as opposed to warm drinks on their way home.
April brightened, mouthing “thank you” before holding a hand out to Adi. “Come on, baby. Let’s let Luna lock up and wait for her outside.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I said. “I just need to put the books away before I can go anywhere.”
I slammed them shut as April and Adi made their way out of my office, burying them under a stack of papers in my bottom drawer. If I hid them from view, maybe I’d be able to forget about the potentially devastating consequences the numbers in them hinted at.
There was no more of the winter chill in the air when I stepped onto the sidewalk to join my friend. A breeze ruffled my hair, carrying on it whiffs of meat grilling from trucks parked nearby and the sharp stench of garbage.
Spring was the season of new beginnings, of fresh buds blooming, and both people and animals coming alive again. As we walked to their apartment, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the days when I still believed in the magic of springtime, in what the new beginning would hold for me. These days, even springtime felt more like the smell of garbage suited it and not the sweet scent of flowers.
No. Snap out of it. You’re not this person.
Darn straight, I wasn’t this person. I’d be darned if I was going to spend the entire weekend sulking. I straightened my spine instead and pulled back my shoulders. Everything will work out in the end. It has to.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t know how it would work out. It only mattered that I had to believe it would.
“I saw Landon on the cover of some or other business magazine earlier this week,” April said as we walked into their kitchen, making me wonder if she had read my mind. At least I knew the situation with Landon had worked out right in the end. Dodged a bullet with that one.
“I’m going to say hi to my dollies,” Adi announced, seemingly oblivious to her mother’s statement or how sick I felt just from hearing his name. She didn’t wait for an answer before she dumped her backpack by the door and took off down the short corridor to her room. The sound of her greeting her dolls in a quiet voice filtered back to us a minute later.
Settling on a chair in the breakfast nook, I propped my elbow on the table and rested my chin in my open palm. “I don’t understand why they’re still doing so many features on him. Surely, his site has to be old news by now.”
April shrugged as she walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of cheap wine. She twisted the lid off, then reached for two glasses from the cabinet above her head and filled them.
“I think it’s his way of trying to stay relevant,” she said, taking a seat across from me and handing over my glass. “He was such a dick. I wish they would just stop paying attention to him.”
I took a long sip of my crisp white wine, my taste buds shrinking back as the acidity hit my tongue. The spots beneath my ears ached for a moment. Then I swallowed and figured the next sip would be better.
“That relationship was, hands down, the biggest mistake of my life.” Taking another swig, I was happy to find I’d been right. This one went down better, even if it did still burn my throat. I kept the glass in my hand, leaning my cheek against it. “But I will find someone eventually. I know I will.”
“You still planning on getting married?” She arched an eyebrow as she tossed half her glass down in one go. “I really thought you’d have learned your lesson on that one.”
I shook my head. “I won’t let Landon take that away from me. I might not have any idea when it’s going to happen or to whom, but I do want to get married. I just need to find the one, you know?”
“That one can be pretty elusive.” She refilled both of our glasses, then carried hers with her to the fridge to start getting ingredients for dinner out. “Better idea. Just marry me. We already know we get along well. All we’ll need to get ourselves are a couple of super-strength vibrators and we’ll be good to go. Who needs a man? You can take care of Adi and we’ll change your name to Leo.”
I laughed. “Thanks for the offer, but I enjoy a good man. I’ll keep it in mind, though. If I can’t find a good husband, maybe I’ll change my mind and we can grow old together.”
“You’ll find a good husband,” Adi said as she drifted into the kitchen, hopping up on the seat beside me before turning to look at her mother. “What are we having for dinner? Can I help?”
“Thanks for your support, sweetheart,” I said and ruffled her hair. “At least someone has faith.”
April chuckled, spreading out fresh ingredients on the counter. “Well then, maybe while we’re waiting for this great husband of yours to show up, you and Adi can make a salad while I cook the chicken.”
I stood up and carried my wine over to her. “I’m sure he’ll be right here.”
Ha. I wish. I peeked at the door, but there was no knock from a handsome, mysterious new neighbor who needed to borrow a cup of sugar. Too bad. It would have been a pretty decent story if my future husband had knocked on the door right then.
In real life, the man of your dreams didn’t just appear out of the blue like some knight in shining armor. Still, how cool would it have been if he had?
Chapter 4
Cyrus
“Good to see you again, Cyrus,” Billy said, standing up as I walked into the conference room. He was a fellow investor in an educational technology company and we’d been called to their headquarters downtown. “Do you know what Mike wants to discuss with us?”
I shrugged after shaking his hand, taking a seat across from him at the polished boardroom table. “All the email I got said was to come in to talk about the upcoming year.”
“I got the same one,” Daniel said.
The three of us had bought into EduTech around the same time, and while I didn’t see them very often, Daniel and Billy had invested in a couple of other companies together. They were friendly with one another, which suited me just fine since it usually meant they entertained each other and I could just sit back.
Billy glanced down at the gold watch on his wrist. “Mike’s assistant said he’ll be here on time. He’s just finishing up a conference call down the hall.”
I nodded and pulled out my phone to reply to a few emails while we waited. Daniel and Billy speculated about what Mike had asked us down here for before moving on to discussing some of their other investments.
Mike, the owner of EduTech and the man who had convinced all three of us that he was worth investing in, came through the door a few minutes later. He was big and boisterous, his meaty hand coming out to shake all of ours as he flashed us a white-toothed grin.
“Gentlemen, thank you for coming in today,” he said as he clasped my hand first, then moved on to Billy’s. “Did Barb offer you something to drink? I’ve arranged for snacks and—”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said. We weren’t here for a party or a mixer. “What did you want to talk to us about?
His grin faltered, his shoulders coming down a notch. I narrowed my eyes as I watched him take the seat at the head of the table, the steely fingers of suspicion tightening around my gut.
“I wanted to speak to you about the new fiscal year. I have some figures to present to you. Then we can have a discussion.” He lifted the old brown leather briefcase he’d had for as long as I’d known him onto the table and snapped it open.
Extracting four identical folders, he handed one to each of us and kept the final one for himself. After setting the briefcase back on the floor, he opened his folder and cleared his throat.
“As you’ll see from the summary on the first page, our numbers are down from last year,” he started. “It’s been a struggle with the economy being what it is and so many educational institutions making cuts instead of acquiring new technology. In fact—”
“How are you going to fix it?” I interrupted his little speech to get to the only part that really mattered. “I’m not interested in hearing about the economy and cuts. All I need to know is what your plans are to boost the numbers in the coming year.”
Mike’s cheeks became mottled with red blotches, a heavy sigh parting his lips before he licked them. His brown eyes flicked from mine, to Daniel’s, to Billy’s, and then came back to mine. “I think it’s important to understand the context of—”
“I think we all understand the context. Competition is tough, the economy isn’t booming the way we might want it to, and a lot of companies are being forced to make budget cuts.” I glanced toward the other two. “Do you guys need this explained or can we move on?”
“Move on,” Billy said in a low voice. He’d crossed his arms over his chest and was leaning back in his chair, steely blue gaze locked on Mike.
He cleared his throat again, a tremor in his hand making the paper ripple as he turned a page. “We have a new product in mind that should boost our sales going into the next financial year, but we’re going to need additional investment to develop it.”
Daniel clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything. Billy simply raised a brow, obviously waiting to be told how much they needed.
I sat forward and braced my forearms on the table, leveling Mike with a no-bullshit look. “Do you have a plan for any of this? Because it seems like you should have come in here prepared and you’re not.”
I rifled through my folder, pushing it away from me as I snapped it closed. “All I see in here are excuses and statements proving the knock you already told us you took this year.”
He opened his mouth but closed it again without saying anything. The column of his throat moved up and down as he swallowed. “Yes, well, we need more money to be able to develop a prototype of the new product. Then we can plan for it.”
My brows rose slowly as I glanced at both of the other investors in the room. Neither of them said anything.
I released a short puff of air. “Fine, it’s obvious the others aren’t going to speak up, so I will. If you’re expecting me to give you another dime without being able to present me with a solid plan for it, then you’ve lost it. Why would you even ask for more money without having the proper presentations with you to back it up?”
“I just thought…” He trailed off, tiny droplets of sweat appearing on the brow. “If we can’t get our numbers up, you’ll lose everything you’ve invested so far.”
“So you thought you had us by the balls, that we wouldn’t have a choice but to give you more money?” A humorless smile kicked up the corners of my lips as I shook my head. “Here’s the thing, Mike. I know you’ve been having issues with the software on your devices. I know you’ve lost big clients because of it, so perhaps the economy and budget cuts have contributed to your losses, but they’re not the reason for the significant drop in profits.”
His face paled, but he didn’t deny it. Daniel and Billy’s gazes both snapped to me, shock evident in their tight postures and furrowed brows.
“If we were to throw good money after bad returns and invest in this new product of yo
urs, are you planning on using different software?”
“Our software is what you invested in to begin with,” he muttered, his eyes wide. “Of course, we’re not going to use different software.”
“Then what are you going to do to fix the problems it’s been having?” I cocked my head as I waited for his answer.
“We don’t know yet,” he admitted after pausing for a minute. “We’re banking on the new development division to pull us through while we try to sort it out.”
I pushed my chair back, having heard enough. “Until you can present me with a plan about how you’re going to fix the issues with the software, you’re not getting another cent from me. Next time you call me in, you’d better be prepared, Mike. I don’t appreciate having my time wasted and I don’t appreciate being lied to. I’ll expect a plan for the software in my inbox soon.”
Giving each of the men in the room a curt nod, I stood up and walked out of the meeting early. I didn’t mind having to be a hard ass in meetings, but it was fucking annoying that Mike had called us down here while knowing he wasn’t prepared for it.
I was also livid about the fact he hadn’t been upfront with us about the problems before trying to wheedle more money out of us. One of my contacts in the tech world had given me the heads-up about EduTech’s software malfunction, and it had been obvious Mike hadn’t been planning on admitting it to us.
I didn’t want to cash out just yet because the company had some real potential, but I’d have to watch him closer in the future. There were other companies like his I could invest in if he tried to pull this shit again.
Scratching the back of my neck as I waited for the elevator, I pulled my phone out again and discovered a message from Peter waiting for me. A string of curses left my lips when I read it and remembered what I had promised him.
Say You Do Page 3