by Vivi Holt
He tore the envelope open, then pulled a card free. Black typeface jumped boldly off the page, and his eyes skimmed over the words:
High school reunion.
Ten years.
His heart thudded. Had it really been ten years? It didn’t feel like it. It seemed like only yesterday he’d walked out of the school yard in New York City, glanced once over his shoulder, and set off down the street for the last time with his messenger bag slung over one shoulder, a group of friends chatting and laughing around him as he silently dwelled on what was to come.
He sighed and ran a hand over his face. Then set the invitation down on the desk and crossed one long leg over the other. He wouldn’t go. There wasn’t anyone he wanted to see from that time in his life. He’d moved on, moved away. He didn’t have time to visit New York right now, not with everything they had going on.
“Would you like me to get you anything?” Lacy’s voice crackled over the intercom on his desk. “A coffee? Muffin?”
He spun back in his chair and set his elbows on the desk. “Yes please. A coffee, and a protein bar. That’d be great, thanks Lacy.”
His gaze landed on the invitation again, big bold letters. In the background, behind the words, the faint outline of a class photograph—everyone dressed in black gowns, graduation caps angled on top of young heads, faces filled with smiles and anticipation of the wide-open world that lay ahead of each of them.
He squeezed his eyes shut. What if she came?
She’d have to come. She was the homecoming queen after all, and he’d been homecoming king. They were voted most likely to get married. And now look at them. She was married to his former best friend, and he was alone. The last time he’d heard from them was two years ago when he’d received an announcement card on the arrival of their second child.
With a sharp intake of breath, he stood and turned away from the desk again, crossing his arms over his chest. His heart pounded, and his nostrils flared. No, he wouldn’t go. Seeing them again, even five years later, he wasn’t sure he could hold back the anger that’d burned so hot in his gut for so long. He’d managed to temper it, to dampen it in recent years, but seeing them might bring all those old feelings back to the surface. They could spill out, in front of everyone, and he’d be powerless to stop it.
He couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t risk feeling so lost, alone, and angry all over again. He’d buried it all in the past, and that was where it should stay. Besides, how could he show up at his ten-year high school reunion alone? He could only imagine the pitying looks he’d get. He couldn’t stand to see it on her face. The look that said, “Poor John, still alone after all this time.”
Never mind the fact that he’d taken his grandfather’s multi-million-dollar company and turned it into a billion-dollar enterprise in five years. That wouldn’t matter. He was single, and that’s what they’d focus on. Just like his parents did.
It wasn’t as though he wanted to be single. His romantic life just wasn’t something he was focused on. He had work to do, buildings to plan, shopping centers to construct, stadiums to dream into being. None of that happened on its own—it took determination, focus and time. Finding someone to spend his meager free time with hadn’t been a priority. He could do that later, once he’d finished conquering the world.
Still, what kind of man hid from his past? He wasn’t afraid of much. Maybe it was time to face-off with this particular fear.
Lacy pushed through his office door and set a coffee and protein bar on his desk, followed closely by an apple.
He arched an eyebrow.
She chuckled. “You need fruit. These bars are full of artificial stuff.”
He cocked his head to one side. “Thank you. What would I do without you to take care of me Lacy?”
She laughed. “You’d do just fine. But I’m happy to help.”
Once she was gone, he reached for the coffee and took a slow sip. Perhaps he should go to the reunion, though he couldn’t go alone. He’d have to find someone to take, and it couldn’t be a first date. To face her, he’d need to be able to convince her he was happy, and that meant being in a serious relationship. He knew her well enough to know that she’d see through anything else. She wouldn’t believe he was happy if he was only casually dating. Did she still feel guilty about what she’d done? How she’d treated him? Had she ever?
In his mind, she remembered him the way he was—young, naïve, and romantic. His gut clenched. He wasn’t that man anymore. She’d made sure of that.
Why did he even care what she thought? He couldn’t let her be the reason he stayed away. With a shake of his head, he bit into the apple, letting the juice drip down his chin. He reached for the napkin Lacy had left on his desk and wiped the trail of juice away even as a plan began to form in his head. He would go home, visit his folks, and attend the reunion. But he’d take someone with him, someone who wouldn’t give him away. Someone who could pretend what they had was serious.
He pressed the intercom button, and Lacy hurried back into the office.
“Yes?” She studied him through round, blue eyes. Her curvy figure was accentuated by the charcoal A-line skirt and cornflower-blue, silk blouse she wore.
“Lacy, I was wondering if you’re busy on the seventh of March?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Um…I’ll have to check my schedule. I have a dinner that evening, I think…Do we have something planned?”
“I’ve got my high school reunion and I need a date,” John said.
“I guess I could look through your contact list,” she responded.
He chuckled. “No, I meant to ask you—would you be my date?”
Her eyebrows arched high in surprise. “Me? Um…I’m sorry, John. I guess I didn’t tell you.” She pushed her left hand toward him, and a telltale sparkle lit up her ring finger. “Sam proposed last week. We’re engaged!” Her eyes glimmered and a smile parted her full lips.
He strode around the desk to kiss her on the cheek. “Wow, that’s amazing. Congratulations Lacy.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, it’s just that you’d only flown in from the UK right after, and then you had the board meeting, and then this week has been crazy. I was going to tell you as soon as I had a moment…”
“Forget it, I’m just really happy for you. I wish you and Sam all the best.”
She smiled. “Thanks. But I’m sorry I can’t be your date. We’re having a small family dinner to celebrate that evening, so everyone can get to know each other.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll find someone else. Congratulations again.”
As she left the room, still staring down at her ring finger with a smile lingering around her lips, John’s own smile faded. He was happy for her and Sam, they’d make a wonderful couple. But he had to find someone to take to the reunion with him, someone who could pull off the ruse that they were in a serious relationship and was free next weekend. Suddenly, the list of potential dates was looking a whole lot smaller.
John scanned the menu then glanced at the restaurant door and back down again. His younger brother Chris was always late. It was one of John’s biggest frustrations working with family. He knew he couldn’t say much about it, given the fact that he had his own quirks for Chris to put up with, and he knew that Chris worked hard and lost track of the time. It was Chris’s focus and determination that were a big part of why the company was doing so well.
Chris burst through the swinging doors, his energy lighting up the room as his gaze traveled over a row of faces until it landed on John. His lips widened into a grin, and he marched to the table, gripping John’s hand in a firm shake before sitting across from him.
“Hey, brother, how’re you doin’?” he asked.
“I’m fine, man. How are you?”
“I’m late, I know. Sorry.” Chris shook his head, his eyes sparkling with laughter. He knew how much it bothered John, but somehow, his infectious good humor always made John forget about it the moment his brother ar
rived.
“Don’t worry about it, I was just looking over the menu. Gave me some valuable thinking time too.” He chuckled. “You know what happens when I have thinking time.”
Chris groaned. “Heaven help me, what country are we taking over now?”
John laughed. “You know it—that’ll teach you to run late. Every time you give me space to think, I come up with more work for you to do, so you just remember that.”
They ordered, then exchanged pleasantries, enjoying each other’s company. No matter how much time passed, no matter what happened in their lives, John loved getting to spend time with his little brother. They’d always gotten along well, though John was the more serious, studious type, and Chris the fun-loving prankster. Somehow, they’d made it through their childhood years with barely an argument, and now they ran a large corporation together with very little discord.
John was the CEO of Russo Enterprises, Chris his Chief Operating Officer. Even though John was the boss, he usually discussed things openly with his brother as equals, giving him room to make decisions and have input on the direction they’d take. It was a good arrangement, and eating meals together whenever they were both in town was something they made a priority.
“So, I’m thinking of visiting New York for a few days.” John set his fork down beside the plate.
Chris sliced a piece of steak, his quirked eyebrow the only sign he’d heard his brother.
“I know it’s been a while.”
“A while? You haven’t been back to New York, other than for business meetings, in three years. Mom and Dad are starting to wonder if you still exist.” Chris chuckled, but there was a sting to his words John couldn’t ignore.
He knew he’d upset his parents by staying away, staying so busy he didn’t have time to visit. But he also knew they’d done the same when he was a boy, leaving him to be raised by a string of nannies, most of whom he barely got to know before his mother replaced them with someone “more suitable”.
“Has it been that long?” John pushed a forkful of salad into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
“Yes, it has. And I get to hear about it every time I’m home. So, thanks for that.”
“Well, you’re the good son.” John winked.
Chris laughed. “Yes, I am, and don’t you forget it.”
They ate in silence for a few moments. The steak was delicious as it always was at Kudos, a trendy eatery close to the office where John often met with friends. It melted in his mouth, and his eyes drifted shut as he relished the flavor.
“So, why now? Why are you visiting home now?” Chris asked.
John swallowed. “There’s a high school reunion. Ten years. I thought I might go.”
Chris stopped mid-chew and stared at his brother with wide eyes. “You’re going to your high school reunion? I never thought I’d see that day.”
John huffed and pushed his steak knife down through the meat. “Why not?”
“You know why not,” Chris insisted. “You’ll have to face Shonda and Tony, that’s why not. I mean, maybe they won’t go. But considering they still live in New York, there’s a good chance they’ll be there.”
John shrugged. “I guess that’s true.”
“So, you’re fine with seeing them after all this time, after what they did to you?”
John nodded. “I’m fine with it.”
Chris finished chewing and swallowed, then steepled his hands over his plate. “I know that’s not true. I saw you fall apart when she left you for him. It wasn’t pretty, and I don’t think you’ve ever dealt with it, not really. If you go back there now and see them…it might unravel you.”
John’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really think I’m so fragile?”
Chris shrugged. “I don’t know. You won’t talk about it. You’re wound so tight these days.”
“Here we go again.” Anger pulsed through John’s gut. What was it with everyone in his life telling him he needed to relax and loosen up? Not everyone was like that. He wasn’t like that.
“Relax.” Chris raised both hands in surrender. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything. It’s just that I’ve known you your whole life, and you seem to me as though you’re on the verge of…well, I don’t know what. On the verge of something. I know you’re strong enough to handle everything you’ve got going on, but maybe if one more thing happened, it might tip you over the edge until you become a complete workaholic with no personal life whatsoever. I just don’t want to see that happen to you, man. I love you, I want you to be happy, to have a life outside of work.”
John sighed. “What’s so wrong with being dedicated to my work? Everyone’s so against it, but actually, it’s pretty fulfilling to achieve, to succeed. I love it. I thrive on it.”
The words rang hollow even as they fell from his mouth, but he was sick of everyone judging him for working hard. The last he’d heard, dedication was supposed to be a virtue, but everyone in his life acted as though it was a flaw. Something he should overcome.
“There’s a difference between being committed to your work and living for your work.” Chris’s voice softened, and he pushed salad around on his plate as he spoke.
“I know that.” John sighed. “Anyway, I’m trying to put the past behind me. That’s why I’m going to the reunion. To move on. Start over. I’m ready to let go of everything that happened. And anyway, I might not be going to the reunion at all…there’s still one thing I have to work out first.”
“What is it?” asked Chris around a mouthful of steak.
“I need a date.”
“That’s easy enough to arrange. You’ve always got a flock of girls following you around vying for your attention.” Chris laughed, his eyes twinkling.
“Not true.”
“Oh yes, it is.”
John shook his head. “Even if that were true, I don’t want to take just anyone. I think the only way I can really face Shonda and Tony is if they believe I’m in a serious relationship, engaged, married, something like that. Otherwise, they’ll give me that look. You know the look—the one that says, ‘Oh, you poor thing, you’ll find our kind of happiness someday, bless your heart.’”
Chris laughed. “Well, I can’t imagine Shonda saying, ‘bless your heart.’ She is from New York after all. Still, I get what you’re saying. You want to take a date who can pull off the idea that you’re in a long-term relationship. That you’re happy, on your way to wedded bliss. That kind of thing.”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe you should hire a professional.”
John’s eyes narrowed. “You mean like an escort?”
“Yeah.”
“No, thank you,” John said, rolling his eyes. “Can you imagine if anyone found that out? I’d be the laughing stock of the whole reunion. Besides, I’d actually like to find someone…I don’t know.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“You want to find a real date?” Chris cocked his head to one side.
“Yeah. I guess. I suppose that’s impossible at such late notice. It’s just, lately, I’ve been feeling lonely. You know?”
Chris nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. All the late nights working at the office, the travel. Sometimes you get home, finally, and it’s so quiet.”
“Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need the complication of a relationship in my life. I’ve stayed away from romance for just that reason, after everything that happened with Shonda,” John said. “But still, it would be nice to have someone to come home to.”
“You know, I saw this thing online the other day. An article about this new email-order date service. I mean, I think they do weddings and everything as well, it was called Email-Order Dates. It looked legit.”
“Weddings, are you serious?” He arched an eyebrow. Surely his brother was teasing him.
“You know, like in the Old West, they had email-order brides for the pioneers? There were no women out on the frontier, so they sent East for brides to join them.”
John pushed his plate away, his appetite gone as his stomach churned. “They still do that kind of thing?”
“I guess so.” Chris grinned, biting down on a piece of tomato.
“An email-order bride…So, we’d actually be married, but it’d be like a business arrangement?”
“Yeah, you’d have a companion, a date for the reunion, someone to come home to at night, but you could probably set it up to be however you want it. If you don’t want romance, just say that up front. I was thinking of doing it myself.”
John mulled over their conversation throughout the rest of the meal and again as he wandered out to where a long, black limousine waited to take him home. Could he really do something like that? It certainly appealed to him, the idea of finding someone to spend his free time with, but in a way that suited his needs and without the romantic entanglements and drama that went along with a typical relationship. But what kind of woman would agree to an arrangement like that?
Keep reading…
Excerpt: Home is Where the Heart Is
A Christmas Romance
Chapter One
Isabella Proctor balanced the tray of coffees on one arm and turned the door handle with her other hand. She spun around and pushed the door open with her rear, careful not to drop the bag of pastries she held between her teeth. Once she was through, she hurried past the security desk toward the closest elevator and pressed the up button. The senior leadership meeting was already underway, and Simon had sent her out for more coffee and pastries.
She thought she’d gotten enough of everything they needed when she’d come into the office at seven to prepare for the meeting, but then Mr. Hampton the chairman had shown up with more people than expected and she’d had to rush out again. She was pretty sure why she’d been sent, even though she was an associate director and the room was full of associate directors. She’d learned over the years that being the only female manager had its downside.