by Dana Mason
“You know I will. Bye, Rachel.”
I let Adam lead me out of the bar, and once we’re out in the quiet, I say, “Thanks for the rescue and the drinks.”
“So, can I get your number?” he asks, tapping on his phone.
I’m surprised, but not opposed to giving him my number. “Sure.”
We swap numbers and then I call for an Uber. Adam waits with me. “Sure you don’t want company for the ride home?”
I can’t help it, but I laugh at that, then lay a hand over my mouth and say, “Wow, smooth. You’ve learned a few things since college.”
“Oh, ouch.” He chuckles and says, “Sorry… but you can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“Thank you.” I give him a sincere look and then a big hug. “You’re so sweet, but you always were.”
He holds onto me a little too long. “Too bad it didn’t keep you from breaking up with me.”
I try to pull away, but he doesn’t release me and that makes me extremely uncomfortable. “Adam… I’m sorry, but…”
“I’d be willing to give it another go. What do you think?” He grips my rear with both hands and says, “Round two?”
I break free from his grip and push him an arm’s length away. “No, I don’t think so.”
“What? Are you too good now, Rachel?”
“Yeah, no. Sorry. I’m not interested. Too bad, though, I really was having a good time, until now.” I step away from him to get a little more space and when the Uber stops at the curb, I’m so thankful I could cry.
He waves dismissively and says, “Whatever, no hard feelings… You have my number if you change your mind.”
Once I’m safely inside the car, I quickly go through my phone and block his number. Jesus! What is it with men these days? It’s no wonder I’ve been single for so long.
Thirteen
Michael
Just as I’m locking up the gym, I hear someone behind me. I turn quickly, and Raegan nearly runs me over with her bike. “Hey, Raegan, can’t hang out. I’m running late for an appointment.”
“But I brought my signed permission form and the questionnaire. So, I can join now, right?”
I take the papers from her and scan the release form for a signature. Then I take the questionnaire. “I’ll have to look at this later. Can you stop by this evening or tomorrow morning?”
“I can tomorrow… probably.”
“Good deal.” I wink at her, glad she was able to work it out with her mom. I slip the forms into the mail slot and say, “I have to get going. Need a ride?”
She grins at me. “Thanks for asking but you’re still kind of a stranger.”
“Aha! Good girl. I’ll see you tomorrow. Be prepared to work out.”
She waves as she rides away on her bike. I rush to my truck, now late for meeting Kelley at the wedding venue.
When I get to the hotel, Kelley’s at the entrance waiting for me.
“I’m so sorry. Am I too late?”
She brushes a hand at me and says, “No, you’re fine. I just got here too. I thought I’d wait for you. I really don’t want to do this by myself.”
“Let’s do it then.”
We enter, and the older gentleman at the check-in counter says, “Checking in?”
Kelley approaches and says, “I actually have an appointment with the wedding planner. Her name is Isla.”
He looks down, then back up with a smile. “Yes. Mr. & Mrs. Thomas. Let me show you to the conference room.”
I leave it to Kelley to correct him, but she doesn’t bother. As we’re walking, he turns and says, “It’s not often we get couples planning a wedding after they’ve already gotten married. I bet there’s a story there.”
We both laugh, and she says, “Oh, yeah. A fascinating story, I’m sure, I just don’t remember it because I was drunk. And this isn’t my husband. He’s my… what are we calling it, Mike? Man of honor?”
This makes me laugh. “You can call it whatever makes you comfortable.”
The man looks over at me then back to Kelley. “We’re seeing that sort of thing more and more these days. It’s a nice change from tradition.”
He steps to the left and into a hall of double doors. “You probably already know, but the ballroom is at the end. This here is our conference room. Miss Isla will be with you in a few minutes. We have refreshments set up for you. Please help yourselves.” He places a hand over his heart and says, “I’m Howard. Feel free to let me know if you need anything at all.”
Kelley gives him a big smile and says, “Howard, thank you so much.”
He does a slight bow and we both nod at him as he leaves us alone.
Once he’s gone, Kelley turns to me. “Thanks again, Mike.”
“So, what’s the deal? Have you decided on this place for sure? Have you paid a deposit? What upsells are you worried about?”
Kelley ticks a list off on her fingers. “Deposit is paid. Smallish wedding in the garden. Reception in the ballroom. I don’t want to up my guest count. I’m mostly worried about security. I want to do my own invitations, and I don’t need the little extras. Like… chocolate-dipped strawberries on all the tables.” She rolls her eyes when she says this. “I don’t want to upgrade to a full bar—especially since there will be several AA members coming. We only want the beer and wine bar.” Her gaze wanders, as if trying to think of something else. “Oh, and I do not want to serve any kind of seafood. At all.”
“Okay, you seem pretty sure… so, why am I here?”
“I give in too easily. Seriously. It’s a problem. Oh, and I don’t need more than ten guest rooms. They want me to buy out the hotel at sixteen rooms.”
“That could be fun, though. Renting out the entire space. It would also be better for security.”
She gives me a thoughtful look. “That’s what they said.”
“Makes sense,” I say. “I’d definitely take a room. That way I wouldn’t need to worry about drinking too much and getting my ass home—and it is only six more rooms. Also, aren’t you planning an entire weekend of events? Why not buy the place out?”
“All right,” she says, “I guess I’ll give it more thought.”
Before I can say anything else, the door opens and a petite woman steps inside. She’s smiling widely, her blonde wavy hair dancing around her head, and teetering on the highest and spikiest heels I’ve ever seen. Balancing on those shoes is a talent and nothing less. “Kelley, so good to see you again, and—” She freezes when she faces me. “Sorry! You’re not the groom, are you?”
“Mac couldn’t make it,” Kelley says.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I’m used to the disappointment when people see me instead of Mac.” My joke gets a chuckle from the pretty blonde, so I say, “It’s a hard image to live up to.”
“I don’t think a man your size has much trouble in that area,” the wedding planner quips as she looks up at me like I’m the Tower Bridge. “If you don’t mind me saying.”
That gets a hearty laugh out of Kelley. She grips my arm and says, “This is Mike. He’s my best friend and my man of honor—and he’s single. Mike, this is Isla. She’s the planner.” I see the look in her conspiring green eyes and quirk my mouth into a crooked grin.
“Oh, awesome,” Isla says. “So, no maid of honor, but a man. I like it. We’ve seen a lot more of that recently.”
I smile and say, “And the best man is a woman, so we’re a pretty confused group.”
“Mac’s partner is the best man… er or woman,” Kelley stutters.
“I have a feeling this wedding is going to be a lot of fun. Let’s have a seat and get started.” She waves to the conference table. Kelley and I sit with our backs to the door, facing a wall of windows that looks out over a patio and beautiful garden. I can see why she waved us to this side of the table. We can see the area where the wedding will take place. It’s a great sales tactic even though Kelley and Mac have already decided to use this venue.
“It’s so beautiful, i
sn’t it, Mike?”
“Yeah, I see why you picked it.” Wisteria lines the pergola above the patio, framing the scene perfectly. The sun is bright outside, making the green lawn pop with the lining of colorful flowers.
Isla opens the file and says, “It’s time to finalize some of the arrangements: we need to set a schedule, decide on the start times and start talking about the dinner menu. That doesn’t need to be finalized today, I just need some ideas for the tasting with Gerard.” She hands us both a set of menus. “He’s our chef, and he’s fabulous! We can also sample cakes and maybe even talk about signature cocktails.”
“We actually don’t want a full bar,” Kelley says.
“Oh, okay. Are you sure? It’s not much more and—”
“Mac is a recovering alcoholic,” I say, trying to interrupt her in the kindest way possible. Kelley glances over with a thankful expression. “They both feel it’s not appropriate. They also expect to have a few other AA members at the wedding, and so they don’t want to highlight the alcohol. Just beer and wine,” I emphasize.
Isla smiles politely and agrees. “Okay. That’s settled. What about hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour? You have a choice of one to four circulating. I always feel that one is too little, but four is too many.”
Kelley nods in agreement. “I think at least two, but I would like to wait to decide until the tasting.”
“Great,” Isla says, and a knock sounds on the door behind us. “My manager said she’d stop by to say hello and talk about security.”
I hear her footsteps as they drift across the carpet, but I don’t turn. It’s her scent that gets my attention. It’s a citrusy orange fragrance I’m so familiar with but haven’t smelled in so long. My mind immediately drifts to my high school days. I look up, and the first thing that catches my attention is her raven hair, falling in waves over her shoulders and down her back. When she turns to say hello, her smile falters slightly.
I’m stunned. Completely speechless. I can tell she is too. We stare at each other for a long time. I look her up and down to find an hourglass figure hiding behind her fitted suit jacket, but the cleavage above the buttons stands out as a blush of pink sweeps up her chest and into her cheeks. Her eyes are the brightest blue, and they’re locked on me. Her hand is frozen on the back of the chair she was about to pull out. Instead, it looks as if she’s using it for support.
“Rachel?” I say, still not totally sure I believe what I’m seeing. A tingle spreads through me, heat, anger, confusion… and something akin to anticipation. I feel it all… all at once.
“Oh,” Isla says. “You two know each other.”
The blush drains from Rachel’s face as she stares at me. Her eyes turn glassy, and she says, “Wow, Michael. I… wasn’t… I’m so surprised to…” She stops trying to talk and glances over at Isla. At the same time, Kelley looks at me and whatever she sees on my face makes her own grow paler too.
“Yeah, I’m surprised too,” I say, and it comes out gruff. Not on purpose, but the one emotion I’m having trouble containing is the anger. I look her over again, catching every detail. Her full, pink lips, the glint of blue from the earrings she’s wearing. The slight shake of her perfectly manicured hand. She’s incredible, and as this thought crosses my mind, I realize she’s more than incredible. She’s fucking stunning to the point of pissing me off. “I had no idea you were in Sacramento—California even—but then how would I know?”
She nods, and the raven waves bounce around her face. She frowns a little as she stutters, “Yes. I, um, live here.” She turns toward Isla again. “It looks like you have things well under control so come get me if you need me.”
Then she retreats from the room. Fast. I stand up to follow her but don’t. My heart is pounding out of my chest. So much so that I need to sit back down. I can’t fucking believe she’s here. Right fucking here. I lean forward and rest my head in my hands, taking several deep breaths. I feel Kelley’s cool hand grip my arm, so I turn my head to look at her.
“You okay?” The expression on her face shows her concern.
“Yeah.” Nodding, I say, “Just taken by surprise. I’m fine.”
The meeting is a complete blur after this and I know it’s not just me. Isla and Kelley seem off too. In the end, Kelley makes another appointment and adds a date for menu tasting to her calendar. I can’t fucking concentrate, and I really want to go hunt down Rachel, but I’m second-guessing that instinct too. I’m pissed at her, but fuck, I want to touch her so bad. Every pent-up emotion I’ve been holding onto for the last fourteen years is wanting to break free.
We say our goodbyes to Isla and leave the conference room. We wave to Howard before stepping out into the parking lot. I walk over and lean against my truck. Kelley is watching me, and I finally look at her.
“What’s happening, Mike? Who was that?”
“You don’t remember Rachel?”
Her head tilts as she considers that, and it’s as if I see the realization hit her. “The girl you were with in high school. The one who left town the summer before your senior year?”
“Yep. The one who left without a word.” I run my hands through my hair and say, “Her mom told me she went to Boston to boarding school.”
Kelley gives me an intense calculating look. “Michael… is that why you moved to the East Coast after college? Did you go there looking for her?”
“No, not really.” I shrug, fighting to seem indifferent. “But I sought her out when I spent some time in Boston… I didn’t have any luck.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah… but here she is.” I snap my fingers. “Just like that, Kelley.”
“What are you going to do?”
I shake my head, defeated. “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
“No, no, no. I don’t need a ride. Don’t you need to go talk to her? She owes you an explanation.”
“I’m not so sure I’m ready for that.” I drop my hands to my sides and say, “I’m too angry. I’m not sure I can be objective.”
“You have every right to be angry with her—and you obviously need closure. Go get it.”
I shake my head, unable to talk.
“Either you talk to her or I will, dammit.” Kelley reminds me of an angry kitten when she’s mad. It almost makes me laugh. “Are you going back in there?”
I think about that for a minute, then say, “No. I don’t want to cause her trouble at work. I’ll wait until she comes out, then I’ll approach her.”
Kelley watches me for a moment and then says, “Okay, but don’t be all stalker-ish. Waiting for a woman in a parking lot is not always the best idea, so if you decide to hang around, you need to be… very non-aggressive when she comes out. Do you understand that?”
“Right. Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be cool. I promise.”
“Okay, all right. I’m going to take off—mostly because I don’t want to intrude. Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m fine. Go home. I’ll call you later and tell you what happens.”
She reaches out on her tiptoes to give me a hug, squeezing tight. “I’m here when you need me, okay? Maybe stop by the house when you’re done talking to her?”
“Thank you,” I mumble in her ear.
When she’s gone, I settle in to wait. I’m not leaving until I talk to Rachel. I don’t care if it looks bad that I’m waiting for her in the parking lot. I refuse to let her get away this time.
Fourteen
Rachel
Dear Michael,
My dad has cancer.
Whew. It feels good to tell someone and get it off my chest. I’ve been keeping it in, and it was starting to tear me apart. I miss having a best friend. I miss you. I need you. I need a friend and a shoulder. Sorry. This wasn’t meant to be about me… I’m just so drained… empty, really.
My dad has cancer, Mike!
He’s dying, and I can’t do anything about it. All I can do is stand by and let it eat him up from the inside out. I hate t
hat Raegan has to watch him die slowly. It can’t be healthy for kids to see this sort of thing, but then again, it’s the circle of life, so I’m even torn about that. At six, Raegan is a smart kid, too quick sometimes. Trust me when I say nothing gets past her.
Dad’s been sick for a few months, but now that we have an actual diagnosis, we can move forward with treatment. He’s a fighter, and I’m trying to fight as well, but all I can do is be here for him. Since the diagnosis, my mom has been living here. I know she brings my dad comfort, but she’s making me insane. She seems to constantly need my companionship. I think she’s doing it on purpose.
She criticizes everything about me, and she does it in front of Raegan. My mother has zero respect for me, and I’m utterly incapable of pleasing her. She hates my hair, the clothes I wear, she hates my job, and she’s always telling me I wear too much makeup. She tells me I’m fat—and how I’d better hurry and find a husband before I become so ugly no one will want me. I’m trying really hard not to fight with her, but she continually baits me. Fortunately, she’s very kind to Raegan. If it wasn’t for Raegan and my dad’s illness, I’d tell her to go straight to hell.
Seriously, though, I’m trying to be a grown-up and set an example for Rae. I don’t want her to see me fight and argue with my mom—but Mom is making it so hard!
Mom’s not strong enough to really help Dad, so I have to be there all the time. It makes me feel terrible that I don’t want to be with him during this; I’m afraid of losing him, but I can’t even enjoy time with him because of her. Why does she make it so hard to love her? I hope and pray that Raegan and I never have such a contentious relationship.
Raegan is playing soccer. She seems to really like it. Did you play soccer as a kid? I don’t remember. I didn’t. My mom said sports weren’t for girls. Ugh.
Here’s a fun fact: Raegan fell off her skateboard and chipped a tooth. Crazy, right? I told her the story about you breaking your tooth. This was probably a bad idea because now she’s full of questions.