Falling for Aiden

by Allie Everhart

  I hadn't thought about that, but it's not like anyone would've ever known if it hadn't been for Celine tattling on me. The event is over. Nobody got sick. I didn't need to be fired for this.

  "Go pack up your things," Beverly says, shooing me out the door.

  I storm out of her office, furious at her and Celine and this whole stupid job. I never should've worked here. I knew I didn't fit in from the first day I started, and I knew Bianca was just using me to do all the stuff she didn't want to do. She never wanted me to get promoted. That's why she kept putting off giving me my own event.

  "Here." I shove my laptop at her, along with a stack of files. "Good luck."

  "Sophie, wait!" She follows me back to my office. "What happened?"

  I whip around to face her. "You're really going to pretend you don't know?"

  She bites her lip, not able to hide the guilt on her face.

  "Did you even try to get her to change her mind?"

  "She's my boss. What was I going to say?"

  "You stick up for me! You tell her how hard I've worked the past year. How much I've done to make sure every event we have goes off without a flaw. You tell her how I've brought in new business, including Celine's, which is apparently what got me fired. That's what a friend would do. But I guess we never were friends, were we?"

  I go around to my desk and start gathering up the few personal items I brought, tossing them in a box. When I look up, I notice Bianca is no longer there. I take my box and leave. As I'm heading to the door, I pass by Bianca's office. She's sitting at her desk, working on her laptop. None of what I said matters to her. She used me and now she's done with me. She can be the star again. Her competition is gone.

  Back at my apartment, I call up Tom.

  "Maple Farm Inn, this is Tom. How can I help you?"

  "Hey, Tom, it's Sophie. Do you have a minute? I need to ask you a favor."

  "Let me go back to the office where it's quieter." I hear him go back there. "Okay, go ahead."

  I tell him what happened and how I need a place to stay. I tell him I'll sleep in a closet if that's all he has, and I'll only stay until I'm done with my community service.

  "Of course you can stay," he says. "There's a room near the kitchen we give employees if they have to stay over because of a storm. It's much smaller than the one you're used to but it's available if you want it."

  "I'll take it! I won't be able to pay you until I get my check on Friday but—"

  "How about we forget about payment and you help out in the kitchen instead? With Lois out, we could use an extra set of hands. It wouldn't be much. Just a few hours a day helping the chef with some prep work. And all your meals would be free."

  "Yes! Absolutely! I'll take it! I can't thank you enough for this, Tom."

  "Glad I could help. When can we expect you?"

  "I'll drive up tomorrow morning. See you then."

  I toss the phone on my bed and think about what to do next. Do I start looking for jobs in New York, or just forget it and go back home? I never thought I'd even consider moving back to Kansas but after everything that's happened, my dream to live in New York doesn't seem like a dream anymore. Aiden lied to me. I lost my job. And I'm being evicted from my apartment.

  Maybe I could just go home for a year and use the time to reassess what to do with my life. I don't have to stay in Kansas. I could move somewhere else, some place that isn't New York.

  After an hour of going back and forth between staying and going, I decide Kansas is the better option, or more likely, the only one. I'm out of money. Even if I got a job in New York, I'd need over a month of income before I could afford rent, or more than that with the deposit.

  I call up the owner of the catering business Macie told me about, the woman looking to hire an event planner. If she gives me the job, I'll take it as a sign that it's time to leave New York, and move back home.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Aiden

  "This is NOT what we agreed to!" I slam the contract on Roger's desk, glaring down at him, anger coursing through my veins.

  Roger changed the deal. He put in a lowball offer and took out all the language saying how we'd preserve the inn and only upgrade what was absolutely necessary. It's what I promised Tom, and I don't go back on a promise.

  "I can do as I please," Roger says, rising up from behind his desk and looking me in the eye. "It's my company, and I'm not in the business of making deals that lose money."

  "We're not losing money. You saw my projections."

  He laughs. "Profits of two to three percent? That's not even in the ballpark of deals we'd consider. You know that, Aiden."

  "This isn't like one of our deals in New York. It isn't just about profits. It's about expanding into a new market. You said you wanted a property in New England and that's what I got you. And then you go and change the terms?" I turn and walk away from him before I explode. I can't believe he went behind my back like this. It reminds me of something Celine would do. I guess now I know where she gets it from.

  "I didn't ask for a run-down country inn. I asked for a place New Yorkers would want to go for a quick weekend escape. A place with charm, yes, but also modern amenities and a full service spa. World class cuisine. Nobody wants to go to some hundred year old building that serves diner food and doesn't even have televisions in the rooms, or plugins for a phone."

  I walk back to him. "That's exactly what they want. If they wanted a spa and world class cuisine, they'd stay in New York. People go to a place like The Maple Farm Inn to relax, not spend all day on the phone or working on a laptop."

  "I respectfully disagree," he says, sitting back down and waking up his computer. "And since it's my company, it's my decision."

  "You can't be serious." I point to the contract. "That offer is completely unreasonable. You're lowballing him, hoping he's too stupid to know the offer isn't even half what the inn is worth."

  "Of course he knows what it's worth," Roger says as he types on his keyboard. "Any real estate agent could tell him, and the value is listed on his property tax assessment."

  "Then why would you even try to give him an offer like that?"

  "Because I know he's desperate to sell. Desperate men take desperate offers. And we profit from that." He glances at me. "I really should commend you for finding us this deal. It was perfect timing. The place hadn't even been listed yet. We're going to get the place for a steal."

  I'm fuming, my hands forming fists as I work to control my anger.

  "A man is forced to sell his dream because his wife has cancer,” I say. "And you're happy about that?"

  Roger looks up from his computer. "People find themselves in unfortunate situations all the time. I agree this man's situation is sad, to say the least, but if I weren't buying the place, someone else would. And they'd be doing exactly what I am—offering lower than market price to someone desperate to sell. It's no different than someone putting a low offer on a house knowing the homeowner's in a hurry to get rid of it. It's business, Aiden. It's not personal." He looks back at his computer.

  "And it's not what we talked about," I say, my jaw tightening. "You lied to me, Roger. You lied so I'd keep meeting with Tom, and become friends with him so he'd take the deal." I rub my face, hating myself for doing that to Tom, but I didn't know I was doing it. I had no idea what Roger was up to. "What about our plans to restore the place? Was that a lie too?"

  "Aiden, you can't honestly think we'd spend money on that place. It's beyond saving. It needs to be torn down."

  I slam my hands on his desk and lean down to him. "That's your plan? To tear the place down?" I practically yell it, I'm so damn angry.

  "Why are you getting so upset about this?" he asks as he checks his phone. "It's a building. Buildings get torn down and rebuilt all the time."

  "This isn't just any building." I push off his desk and stand up straight. "It's an inn. A historic inn, with memories. Memories people want to come back and revisit over generations."<
br />
  He ignores me and swipes through his phone.

  "I can't believe you think this is right," I say, shaking my head.

  "Go back to your office, Aiden. I have things to do."

  "I'm going to tell Tom not to take it. I'm going to tell him not to take the deal."

  Roger stops messing with his phone and looks me in the eye. "You do and you're fired."

  "Don't bother. I quit. I don't want to work for a place like this." I storm out of there, not the least bit regretful of what I just did. Roger knows how important that inn was to me. He knows it wasn't just about business, but about saving a piece of history—an inn like the one my grandfather had. He knows how infuriated I was when the new owners tore down my grandfather's inn after telling him they wouldn't.

  I've told Roger that story many times. So to hear that he plans to tear down the inn makes quitting this job one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.

  After stopping by my office to pick up my things, I leave to go deal with another decision I made. It, too, was easy, but it took me forever to make it. I just hope I'm not too late. And I hope she hasn't left for work.

  It's just after eight and she typically doesn't start work until nine. I was going to go talk to her tonight but now that I'm not stuck in the office, I'm going over there now.

  I've never been to Sophie's apartment but I've been to the building. Celine's friend, Anna, lives there and had us over for dinner last summer. I hope I don't run into Anna. She hates me for ending things with Celine, at least that's what Celine said, but it's probably true given that Anna is one of Celine's closest friends.

  When I get to Sophie's apartment, I stand at the door and hear her inside. It sounds like she's walking really fast. She's probably hurrying to get ready for work. I'll just say what I have to say and then leave, hopefully with plans to see her later tonight.

  I knock on her door.

  "I'll be out in a few minutes!" she yells, sounding angry. "You said I had all day!"

  What is she talking about?

  "Sophie?" I knock again. "Sophie, it's me. Aiden."

  The sound of her footsteps immediately stops, replaced by silence.

  "Sophie?"

  She doesn't answer.

  "Sophie, I know you're in there. Open the door. I just want to talk."

  I think I heard her swear but I'm not sure.

  "Okay, well, I'm just going to hang out here until you open the door."

  I'm pretty sure I hear her sigh, followed by footsteps.

  She opens the door, looking exhausted but just as beautiful as ever. She's not wearing makeup and her hair is up in a messy ponytail with loose strands around her face. I want to pull her in my arms and kiss her but I don't think she'd like that. From the look on her face I can tell she's still mad at me. In fact, she looks even angrier than the last time I saw her.

  "What are you doing here, Aiden?" she asks, leaning against the door frame.

  "I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

  "No. I'm leaving soon and the place is a mess."

  I peek behind her and see boxes stacked up and garbage bags everywhere.

  "What happened to your place?" I ask. "Why is everything boxed up?"

  "I'm moving."

  "You got a new apartment?"

  She looks down, then back up. "Aiden, I really need you to go. I need to be out of here soon."

  "Where are you going?" I notice she's not wearing work clothes. She has on jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie over it.

  "Aiden, please don't do this," she says, sounding exasperated with me.

  "Do what?"

  "Come here pretending this is real. I know it's not. Whatever game you were playing is over."

  "Game? What are you talking about?"

  "Just go." She steps back to shut the door, but I hold it open.

  "Sophie, please just let me explain. I don't know what any of what you just said means but there's obviously been some kind of misunderstanding."

  "Really?" She folds her arms over her chest. "Because it seemed pretty clear to me." Her eyes narrow as she looks at me. "I saw the ring, Aiden. And I saw the offer you gave Tom."

  "Wait—what ring? What are you talking about?"

  "The one you gave Celine. The engagement ring?" She rolls her eyes. "I can't believe you're trying to deny this when there's actual proof that you're engaged."

  "I'm not engaged. I haven't talked to Celine in over a week. I broke up with her. How many times do I have to keep saying that before you'll believe me?"

  "Celine showed up at the inn last weekend. She showed me the ring."

  I pause to think. "It was from college."

  "What?"

  "College. Celine got engaged her senior year of college. They were supposed to get married a year later but she called it off and kept the ring. That must be the ring you're talking about."

  Sophie eyes me like she doesn't believe me. "You're saying she made it up?"

  "Yes, which means she somehow found out about us." I sigh. "Sophie, I had no idea she would do something like that. She's obviously jealous of you and wanted us to break up."

  "She'd really do that? Fake an engagement?"

  "Unfortunately, yes. I wish you'd called me when this happened. I could've told you it was all fake."

  Her eyes narrow again. "What about the offer for Tom? I saw the amount, Aiden. It's not even close to what that place is worth. How could you do that to him?"

  "I didn't. I—"

  "He told me about his wife. Is that why you did it? Because you know he's desperate to sell?" Her voice cracks, her kind, sweet heart breaking at the thought of Tom being taken advantage of. My heart breaks for him too, which is why I'm going to stop this deal before it goes through.

  "It wasn't my deal," I say. "What you saw wasn't the deal I made. Roger took the contract I did and changed it. He sent it to Tom before showing it to me. I didn't know until I got to work this morning and saw it on my desk."

  She doesn't say anything, but I see her mind working, like she's trying to figure out if I'm telling the truth.

  "I can show you the original offer. I have a copy of it on my laptop and a printout at my apartment." I put my hand on her shoulder, leaning down to look in her eyes. "I promise you, what you saw was not my offer. I offered Tom twice that amount."

  "Celine said they're tearing the place down," she says, tears in her eyes. "How could you let that happen?"

  "I didn't. The original offer listed out exactly what renovations we'd be making. The contract specifically said we'd do everything possible to maintain the original structure so that it remained a historic building. I went over the plan with Roger and he agreed to it. He made me believe we were restoring the inn, not tearing it down. He lied to me."

  She doesn't respond. I don't think she believes me.

  "Sophie, you know how much I loved all those summers at my grandfather's inn. You know how upset I was when they tore it down. I was trying to prevent the same thing from happening to Tom's inn. The last thing I'd want is to see it destroyed."

  "How could you not know about this? About the contract being changed?"

  "Roger did it behind my back. He knew I wouldn't go along with it so he changed it without telling me."

  She shakes her head. "I don't know how you can work for someone like that."

  "I can't. And I don't. I quit."

  Her brows draw together. "You what?"

  "I quit. As soon as I found out about the contract I went to Roger's office to try to change his mind but he wouldn't even listen. When he told me he was planning to tear the place down, I quit."

  "So what are you going to do?"

  "I'm still figuring that out. For now, I'm going to call Tom as soon as we're done here and tell him not to take the deal."

  "But he has to sell the inn. He needs the money."

  "I know. I'll figure something out. I just need some time to think." I look past her at the boxes. "Sophie, seriously, what is going on? W
hy is all your stuff packed?"

  She lets out a long sigh. "I got evicted. I have to be out today."

  "And you didn't tell me?"

  She shrugs. "I thought you were with Celine."

  I go past her into the apartment, noticing it's even tinier than I imagined. It really is the size of a closet.

  "Aiden, we can't stay," she says, closing the door. "I need to pack this stuff up and go."

  "Go where?"

  "To Vermont. I made a deal with Tom. He's letting me stay in the room they give employees if they need to stay overnight because of a storm. He said I could stay there in exchange for helping out in the kitchen. It'll just be for a few weeks, until my community service is done."

  "And then what?"

  She looks down.

  "Sophie, what is it? What are you not telling me?"

  Her eyes lift to mine. "If I'd known Celine was lying, I might've stayed but..." She takes a breath.

  "But what?"

  "I'm going back home."

  "To Kansas?"

  "Yes."

  "For how long?"

  "For good. I'm moving there."

  "Sophie, no." I race up to her, gripping her shoulders. "You can't leave."

  "I have to. I'm out of money. I don't have a job. I don't have an apartment. And honestly?" She pauses, glancing around the tiny room. "I'm kind of done with New York. It's crowded. It's expensive. And I don't really like it here. I wanted to prove I could make it in the big city and I did. I made it a whole year here, and I don't regret it. But it's time to move on."

  "Sophie, please don't do this. Give us some time to figure this out."

  "Aiden, I don't want to live here anymore. I've given it a lot of thought and it's just not what I want. Spending all that time in Vermont, I realized that's the type of place I need to be. That town felt like home the first day I was there."

  "So let's move there."

  "What?" She laughs. "We're not moving there."

  "Why not?"

  "Because you live in New York and I'm moving to Kansas."