She’d tried to convince herself years ago that she was over him, but she knew that wasn’t true. Every man she dated, she compared to him. Of course, none could live up to the ghost of her first love. It didn’t help, though, that they were all players. Maybe she got involved with that type to keep from getting too close, to keep from falling too hard. What had Lizzy called them? Rotten apples? Well, she’d had more than her fair share, and was quite happy with her life now, absent a relationship. But that was before tonight. Thank goodness, Chase was married, because it would be all too easy for her to get swept up in his charm again. And there was no way she could survive another heartbreak. Once was more than enough.
When Emilia arrived home, it was to an empty house, and she was glad. She needed time to decompress before dealing with Lizzy’s multitude of questions regarding Naturally Delicious.
A long, hot shower helped her relax, as did the cup of hot tea she was sipping when her sister came in with an overly excited Newton. The boxer mix raced around the living room and then jumped onto the couch beside her, nearly spilling tea all over her favorite nightgown. “My goodness, what got him so wound up?”
“Ron. Turns out, he loves dogs. The problem is he’s like a kid and doesn’t know when to stop teasing.”
“Is he as good a cook as he led you to believe?”
“Better! He made a pasta primavera to die for. I told him he had to give me the recipe so you could make it for us.” Lizzy laughed as she plopped down on the other side of the couch. “Sooo, how did things go with the caterer? Don’t keep me in suspense. Did you get a signed contract?”
“Not exactly.”
“What? Why not? What happened?” Lizzy’s voice rose with each question.
“You neglected to tell him the wedding is three hours away.”
“Ahhh, shoot! I thought for sure you’d be able to work around that. I know how persuasive you can be.”
“Under most circumstances, maybe.”
Lizzy eyed her warily. “What was different about this one?”
“I know the caterer, and let’s just say we haven’t been friends for a long time.”
Lizzy gasped. “He’s one of your ex-boyfriends! Which one?”
Newton sprawled across Emilia’s lap, and she rubbed his head as she contemplated how to answer. “My first.”
Lizzy’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Your very first?”
“Yep.”
“Chase Christianson? I didn’t even know he was back in New York.”
“Neither did I.” Emilia’s tone went flat.
“That’s right. He was a chef, wasn’t he?”
“Was and is.”
“So, how did you leave things?”
“He’s going to Camille with me this weekend to see if Kinsley’s wedding is doable.”
“Well, that’s something, at least. I mean, he didn’t flat out say he couldn’t do it.”
“I don’t know, Lizzy. Part of me wishes he had.”
“You can’t mean that. We don’t have another caterer lined up. It could devastate our business.”
“It’s a no-win situation. Looks like it’s either the business or my heart,” Emilia replied sadly.
Lizzy reached over the dog to squeeze her hand. “You can’t possibly still have feelings for him, do you?”
“Guess they never really went away. I tried to use my anger as a way to forget, but that only made me miss him more.”
“I’m so sorry, sis. I had no idea.”
“I’m pretty good at hiding my feelings.”
“You’re a master if you can hide them from me. Are you going to be okay working with him?”
Emilia sighed. “I’ll have to be. What choice do I have? However, I plan on limiting my time with him. That means you get to handle the catering, and that includes going to Forever Wild on Saturday.”
Lizzy’s mouth dropped open. “I would if I could, but I have the Keebler’s wedding.”
“Then we’ll swap places like we used to do as kids.”
“I can’t. Dana is a stickler for details. If just one thing isn’t perfect, she’ll freak out. This has been my project from the start. There isn’t time to fill you in. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to Kinsley either. She’s closer to you than me.”
Emilia sucked in a deep breath and then blew it out slowly. “You’re right. I have to put on my big girl pants and do it.”
“Aw, hon. Maybe after this weekend, you’ll discover, you don’t have feelings for him, after all.”
Emilia made a face.
“Okay. Then maybe you’ll realize it’s fate, and you two are meant to be together.”
“That’s not going to happen. He’s married, thankfully, and I don’t believe in such things. Life is too short to waste any amount of time buying into that mumbo jumbo. Besides, I belong to the No Brides Club. I gave up on love a long time ago.”
“Then, keep your thoughts and feelings about work, and you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you, Dr. Lizzy. I plan on doing just that.” Despite her optimistic words, though, Emilia had a feeling her heart might not be so easily swayed. “I’m going to call it a night. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
As she headed down the hall toward her bedroom, Chase’s handsome face loomed large in her mind, and when she crawled into bed, painful memories came rushing back. Every detail of the night, they were supposed to run away together played out as if it had happened yesterday. Some things are never forgotten. Especially ones that alter your life, and not in the way intended. A large, hot tear rolled down her cheek.
She’d waited at Brooklyn Bridge Park for hours, and when Chase never showed, she texted her dad that she was at her friend Bonnie’s house and not to wait up. He’d never liked Chase, and not for any particular reason other than he came from the wrong side of the tracks. Chase didn’t grow up poor, but he wasn’t well off like they were. His parents divorced when he was six, and his mom struggled to support him, as his dad seemed unable to hold a job. It was because of her that he decided to move to Minnesota and go to culinary school there instead of in New York City. Ann Christianson had done so much for him, Chase couldn’t bear to think of his mom moving so far away alone, and Emilia admired him for that. Chase was honorable and compassionate, or so she’d thought, making it unbearably hard to fathom that he’d stand her up. But he had, and she was forced to face that conclusion. It hadn’t come easily, though. The entire time she sat in the dark on that cold park bench, she imagined many reasons why he might’ve left her waiting. But later that night, after wandering the streets in a fog, pulling her favorite designer suitcase behind her, she snuck into the house, thankful that neither of her parents woke, and confronted Lizzy, who had only just gotten home herself.
“I need my phone back,” she said, holding open her hand.
Lizzy sat up in bed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Chase on your way to Minnesota?”
“Obviously, that didn’t happen, and I need to check my phone for messages,” she hissed, immediately feeling bad for snapping at her sister. Emilia had given Lizzy her phone, as she didn’t want her parents to be able to track her whereabouts when they discovered her missing, but that was then, and this was now, and she wanted—no needed it. Chase might’ve been trying to contact her.
“You don’t have any messages,” Lizzy said, sheepishly, as her cheeks reddened.
“You checked my phone?”
“Technically, it wasn’t yours anymore. You gave it to me, remember? And I was worried about you. I never liked the idea of you going to a park alone at night. I wanted to make sure Chase found you. I figured if he hadn’t, he’d text or something, but he didn’t, so I thought you two lovebirds must have flown the coop.”
Emilia sank down onto the bed and covered her face with her hands, letting the tears she’d been holding back flow now, unchecked. “He never showed up,” she said between sobs. “And apparently never sent a message either.”
Lizzy m
oved across the bed to sit beside her and take her cold, shaking body into her arms. “I’m so, so sorry. I never imagined he would do that. I was one hundred percent certain he loved you as much as he claimed.”
“I was too,” she hiccupped, something that always happened when she was upset. “May (hic) I have (hic) my phone, please, (hic) so I can check for (hic) myself?”
Lizzy arms tensed, and her voice came out in a squeak. “I don’t have it. I was at Prospect Park Lake with the gang, and you know how I have this gigantic crush on Tommy Long, well, we were dancing, and it fell in the water, and then it was gone.”
Emilia sprang to her feet. “You lost my phone?” The shock seemed to cure her of the hiccups.
Lizzy’s face grew pale, and tears wet her eyes. “I’m so sorry. It was an accident.”
Emilia sat back down, and this time put her arms around her sister. “I know. It’s not your fault. You’re sure there weren’t any messages from Chase?”
“Positive. You had to have been gone a good three hours before I lost the phone.”
She experienced a gamut of perplexing emotions—confusion, sadness, and a new one: anger. “I guess we were both wrong about him. Proves you never really know someone. A mask is easily worn until it’s no longer needed. Seems Chase took the easy way out. Instead of telling me he didn’t love me, he simply disappeared. Well, I’ve learned my lesson. I’m never going to open myself up to a guy again. Nope. My heart will remain my own. Forever.”
And it had. Years might’ve gone by, but the ache remained as a reminder of the pledge she’d made to Lizzy and to herself.
Sleep didn’t come easily, and when it did, she was plagued by dreams of a dark, moonless night, where she wandered the streets of Brooklyn alone, looking for Chase. Every time she thought she’d found him, it turned out to be someone else—some faceless, nameless guy from her past.
When the alarm clock rang, she wrapped a pillow around her head, trying to shut out the noise, along with the world. However, as much as she might want to stay in bed, she had to get up. Too many things needed to get done if she was going to go to Camille tomorrow.
After taking a quick shower, she pinned her hair up in a bun, threw on a pair of khaki pants, a white scoop neck top, and a little make-up. She didn’t look too awful, all things considered. However, no amount of concealer would hide the purple shadows beneath her eyes. Sunglasses would have to do that, she thought, slipping on a pair of Ray-Ban Aviators.
There wasn’t time for breakfast, so she grabbed an orange from a bowl in the kitchen, filled a thermos with coffee, kissed Newt on the head, and then said a quick goodbye to Lizzy, who had her mouth full of cereal.
It was a splendid morning, sunny and warm, making her walk to work a nice one. As she strolled along North Moore Street, she mapped out the day. Appointments with prospective clients would take up most of it, along with following up with florists, venues, and caterers. Which reminded her, she’d promised to give Kinsley a call to let her know how things went with Naturally Delicious. The thought of Chase put her in a foul mood, so she decided to make that call at the end of the day, but less than an hour later, her assistant announced that Kinsley was on the phone. She had no choice. She had to pick up.
“Hi, Kins!” Emilia forced herself to sound upbeat. “Good news, I’m bringing the owner of Naturally Delicious with me to the sanctuary this weekend. It’ll be nice for you to meet him and be able to discuss the menu, don’t you think?”
“What a fabulous idea! I’m glad you thought of it. So everything’s a go then?”
Emilia bit her lip, not quite knowing how best to answer. “I’m sure it will be once he sees the property and your wonderful kitchen.”
“I’m sorry. Is there a problem you’re not telling me?”
Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. “He wants the job. He really does. It’s just that he’s a little unsure with Camille being three hours away.”
“He can name his price. Did you tell him that?” Kinsley’s words were clipped.
Emilia’s fingers tensed as she tightly gripped the phone. “I did. It’s not the money he’s worried about. It’s the time involved. He’s very particular about his dishes.”
“Another perfectionist. What is it about creative types?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, he should fit in quite well with us. What time can I expect you tomorrow?”
“I’m picking him up at 9 a.m., so noonish.”
“Perfect. I’ll have a nice lunch prepared.”
“Sounds great.”
“Emilia?”
“Yes?”
“I have faith in you. I know that whatever you set your mind to, you accomplish.”
The subtle warning was heard loud and clear. If Chase didn’t cater the wedding, it could be the end of her career.
4
It took Chase nearly all day to prep for tomorrow’s dinner party, and he was glad because it helped take his mind off of Emmy. He’d gotten little sleep last night because of her. He couldn’t let that happen again. What they’d had faded years ago. It was time to accept that. Easier said than done, though. His head was telling him one thing, while his heart something entirely different.
For all he knew, she might not be the same person she was ten years ago. People changed. Especially as they matured. She was a woman now… a successful business owner… with a history of things that he had no idea about, and that included men. She could be in a serious relationship. Could be contemplating marriage. Just because he couldn’t let go, didn’t mean she felt the same way. Probably didn’t. Except for that one flicker of something he couldn’t decipher in her eyes last night, her demeanor toward him had been cold, almost angry at times. That wasn’t an indicator of someone who’d been pining for him. It was more like she wished he’d never come back to New York, and certainly not back into her life. Maybe the best thing would be for him to walk right out of it. Not even consider doing Kinsley’s wedding. There had to be someone else in the city who could do the catering.
“Hey, boss? Wanna taste this?” Karen, his assistant chef, asked, handing him a bowl of lemon dill sauce. They used yogurt instead of mayo, and it had a tendency to be a little too tart if the combination of lemon and dill wasn’t just right.
Chase took a small sample, prepared for his mouth to pucker, but when it didn’t, he said, “Excellent. Almost as good as mine,” and gave the spoon an extra lick. “You know, I’ve been thinking. It’s a lot to ask of you to take over the running of the dinner party tomorrow night. I know you can do it. That’s not the issue. But it’s a lot of work, and it’s not fair to saddle you with it. I don’t have to go to Camille. Heck, I don’t have to do that wedding at all.”
“What?” Karen nearly dropped the bowl. “Why would you say that? Is that why you’ve been so distant all day, you’ve been considering turning down Kinsley King?”
“It’s a big job. Maybe I’m not ready for it. Later on, with more experience under my belt might be a better time to take on something like that.” He was stretching for excuses, and he knew they sounded lame, but he was hoping Karen would give him the way out he was looking for and agree with him.
A deep line between her brows creased her normally smooth skin. “I’m not buying it. There’s more to it than you’re letting on. Come on, talk to me. I’m all ears.” She set the bowl on the counter and sat down beside him.
“You know how I’m always preaching about the importance of forming a close bond with our clients. How we have to work one on one with them to bring our vision to life… Well, I’m not ready to do that this time.”
She studied him pensively. “You don’t like Kinsley? But you haven’t even met her yet.”
“Not Kinsley. One of the wedding planners. And it’s not that I don’t like her. Actually, it’s the complete opposite.”
Karen’s expression grew incredulous. “Am I understanding you correctly? Are you trying to tell me you’ve developed feelings for this w
oman? Wow! That was quick. You only met her last night. I guess love at first sight, isn’t a myth after all.”
“It’s no myth. It’s real, all right. Only it didn’t happen last night. It happened when I was a kid—at twelve years old, I saw the most perfect, beautiful girl in the world, and in high school, I had a shot with her. Only things didn’t work out.”
“So, the wedding planner is that girl.” Her voice had grown low and quiet.
He nodded in agreement.
“And now you’ve stumbled across her again. Don’t you think that means something? Maybe fate is trying to tell you to give things another shot.”
“Believe me, I’ve thought of that, but it’s pretty apparent she hasn’t.”
“How can you know?”
“Oh, I know. She made no attempt to hide the fact that she wasn’t happy to see me.”
Karen scowled. “It seems odd to me that after all this time that she’d still harbor bad feelings. Unless she’s trying to hide how she really feels, know what I mean?”
“I would love for you to be right, but if you’re not, I don’t ever want to experience that kind of pain again.”
“Love isn’t easy. Even I know that, and I’ve never had anything close to the all-encompassing kind that you read about in books. But it sounds like you have, and if that’s the case, then you should do everything in your power to grab it and never let go.”
He was surprised to hear those words coming from Karen. Maybe she was right. Maybe love was worth the risk. But that didn’t change the fact that Camille was three hours away and catering a wedding that far could be very difficult. “I hear what you’re saying, and she’s definitely worth fighting for, but do you think doing that wedding is worth the risk? Any number of things could go wrong, and the last thing I want is to tarnish our reputation.”
No Time for Romance Page 3