Done With Love (26 page)

“No. Everything is not all right. I made Gen stay on the phone with me until Leo got there, just in case some psycho decided to carjack me, and she casually mentioned your little rendezvous with Jeremy. The one you had without me.”

“She told you?” I’d been hoping to keep the event quiet, especially since it ended in disaster.

She set her purse on the counter. “Yes. How the hell do these crappy things keep happening to you?”

I sighed. “I am the queen of bad decisions, I guess.”

“And Richard? Are you dating him?”

“What? No.” I shook my head hard. “Gen sent him for backup.”

“Just thought I’d ask. You’ve been spending a lot of time on your own lately, thought maybe you had a boyfriend.” Her gaze belied her casual tone.

“I’ve just been busy. You know. Everything’s a little crazy.”

She frowned and put her hand over mine on top of the granite counter. “I’m sorry it’s been so hard. I know things didn’t go the way you’d hoped at the restaurant. Have you heard from Jeremy?”

“No.” I rounded the counter to stand beside the stroller. “I haven’t been holding my breath for his phone call, either.”

Catherine’s smile was tired. “God, I wish I could have seen him squirm.”

I raised my brows. “Are you really mad you didn’t get to go along? You would’ve been stuck out in the vehicle with Roxanna. She gave us all ridiculous undercover names.”

She looked down to the stroller she rocked back and forth with the twins sound asleep inside. “My life is about dirty diapers and baby puke now, so yeah, I could really use some excitement in my life.”

“It was definitely something.” I pictured Richard in his top hat.

“He deserves it, you know. Thinking you’d go back to him after what he did?” She shook her head and bumped her shoulder against mine. “You’ll be okay. You’re stronger than you know.”

“Sometimes you’re a really amazing big sister, you know that?”

“I’m
always
an amazing big sister,” she corrected, and I laughed.

“Anyway, I decided to give up on the Jeremy-being-a-savior route.” I cringed at the memory of his tongue in my mouth.

“Jeremy isn’t strong enough to be anyone’s savior. He’s too busy hiding from his mom,” Catherine said.

“That’s about right. Anyway, I’ve got a bridal expo to prepare for. I don’t have time to worry about the Buchanans.” I knelt before the stroller. The identical chubby cheeks and tiny little noses peeked out from under the fuzzy baby blankets. “Why don’t you bring the twins over to my house next week? Schedule a spa date. Grab dinner with some girlfriends. Anything that doesn’t involve dirty diapers and baby puke. Baby sister’s orders.”

Catherine’s eyes welled with tears, and her lips quivered. “Really?”

I stood and took her hands in mine. “I should have offered months ago, but I was too caught up with my own problems to notice how much you need a break.” I hugged her. “You schedule your massage, and Gen and I will take care of the twins.”

She wiped away her tears. “You have no idea how amazing that sounds.” She glanced around the boutique. “It looks great in here. Did you rearrange?”

“Rearranged, new décor, new inventory. I shouldn’t have spent the money, but it’s worth it. Remind your friends with teenagers that I have dresses for school formals. Prom is coming up.”

“I will. And you’ll do great at the expo.” She put her purse strap over her shoulder. “I better go. I have grocery shopping to do, and the twins need diapers. All they do is poop.”

“I’ll see you on Saturday at dinner.” I followed her and the stroller to the door.

“Come a little early to help, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll just close a little early. What’s Mom making?”

“She’ll probably make her lasagna since I invited Leo.”

“You did? Why?”

She pinned me with one of her piercing sister gazes, the kind meant to bore into my soul until I cracked under the pressure. Gen and I had done our best to avoid it our entire lives.

“Why are you being weird about it?”

I shrugged. “I’m not.”

“You’re being weird. Is something going on between you two?”

“What? No.” I sounded shrill and definitely guilty of something. “Of course not.”

“I think you’re lying.” She crossed her arms. “I know you must see him a lot since he lives with Roxanna.”

“Quit being so paranoid.”
And completely right.

“You better not be weird at dinner. He did a really nice thing for me and a really nice thing
for you.
” She bent to adjust the blankets around the babies. “He didn’t have to fly
all the way to the Caribbean
to make sure you were okay since none of us could go with you.”

“I know, Cat,” I said, feeling like a bottom dweller germ.

“He wouldn’t even take any money, you know.” She leaned into the stroller to kiss both of the twins, then looked up at me. “You two may have some rocky history, but he’s definitely not a teenager anymore. And maybe he had a reason for what he did. You should forgive him.”

Forgive him.
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was true, I was no longer mad at him. Six years was a long time to hold a grudge over a teenager’s broken heart. But had I forgiven him?
No
. How could I when he still hadn’t explained himself. How could I forgive something I didn’t understand? Our relationship would never be more than physical, because I couldn’t trust him.

“I promise to be on my best behavior at dinner.” I pushed the door open for her. “See you later. Kiss those babies for me when they wake up.”

I spent the next hour scrolling through the photos I’d taken of the dresses on display. Michelle and I had worked really hard to plan a spectacular runway show, and the excitement of it had me eager to finalize everything. I picked up the phone and dialed the event coordinator for the bridal expo.

My smile didn’t fade until the event coordinator said, “I have some bad news.”

Though she assured me the only reason
Once Upon A Dream
didn’t make the itinerary for the expo was due to overbooking, I knew the real reason—I’d been blackballed. The expo was largely funded by donations, and I had a hunch Deborah Buchanan had donated this year. It must have been a very big chunk of money for the event coordinator to ban me from the expo. Call me paranoid, but I had no doubt this was another lesson delivered by the vindictive bitch.

I was heated. When would this stop? When would she get enough of ruining my life, dragging my name through the mud—torturing me? I wanted to throw things, to throw things at
her.
I stood up, sucked in a deep breath, and screamed so loud I had to cover my ears with my hands until I finished.

I felt a little better afterward. But it didn’t change the fact the expo I’d been banking on to help me get back in the bridal fashion game had been stolen from me. The next number I dialed was Deborah’s. I drummed my fingertips on the countertop as the phone rang.

When she answered, I said, “You are an evil, spiteful bitch.”

“Lexie, dear. So good to hear your voice.” She sounded like I imagined a venomous snake might if one could talk.

“Yes, well, you didn’t much leave me a choice, did you?” I clenched my fist together, fighting the urge to scream belligerently. “You got me kicked out of the expo.”

“You can blame that on yourself.” She
tsk-tsked.
“I was ready to leave well enough alone, but then you went ahead and embarrassed us all over again. His girlfriend broke up with him over your little meeting, and Jeremy’s…pathetic display of weakness.”

“You’re a monster,” I breathed.

“You should have let things go, dear. You really did deserve this one.”

“Right. Just like I deserved the contract you forced on me.” I imagined her gloating—I could hear it in her voice.

“I must admit I do enjoy taking it out every now and then to look at your signature.” Her tinkling laughter grated on my nerves and set my blood boiling.

“You are a psychopath.” Or the devil. I couldn’t decide which one fit her best. Both, really. She was a psycho devil.

“It gives me great pleasure to know I broke you.” Her voice grew hard. “You ruined Gerard’s election, you little twit.”

“Did you ever stop to think your interview is the reason Gerard lost the election?” I asked, and she sucked in an indignant breath. “I bet you think about it all the time, don’t you? How pathetic you must have looked to all those people watching, bad mouthing me like some sad little victim.”

I was on a
roll.
I felt
amazing.
I snickered as I paced before the register counter. “Maybe you succeeded in turning all your rich friends away from my boutique, but it just made Gerard look like a poor judge of character. Why the hell would anyone want to vote for him after that interview? I mean, really, what were you thinking?”

“You little bitch,” she growled. “If you think you had it bad before, you have no idea what I’m capable of. You should go apologize to your dad now, because I’m going to make sure his business is ruined, just like I’ve ruined yours.”

And then she hung up on me.

I’m not sure how long I sat in my office staring at the phone, but the anger ebbed until my insides were hollow. I stood and walked to the front door. I turned the sign to Closed and flipped off the lights. I walked the alley to Decadence, and entered the bar through the back door, hanging my coat on the wooden coat tree in the alcove by the women’s bathroom door. When I sat down at the bar across from the bartender, it was only five in the afternoon.

“Hey Ted, could you get me one of those chocolate drinks of yours?” I set my purse on the empty stool beside me.

“Where are your sidekicks?” He set an empty glass in front of me.

“Just me tonight. Closed the boutique early.”

“Ah, one of those days, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Make it a big glass, will you?”

He raised his brows, but exchanged the smaller glass with a larger one. “You got it.”

“And keep them coming,” I added.

A couple of martinis later, I finally felt better. Across the room, the fireplace was lit. The dancing flames coupled with the candles lit on top of the mantle were hypnotizing. The brilliant, fierce colors of the fire coaxed my mind to disconnect from my body, and I looked down at myself, with my broken, empty eyes.

How stupid was I? Losing my temper, calling Deborah—taunting the devil. I’d finally had it, with everyone and everything. I’d wanted to fix things and made things worse.

“You know, my drinks are meant to be savored. Would you just like a bottle of vodka?” Ted asked after I knocked back the rest of my drink. He set a vodka bottle before me, the clear liquid looking much less appetizing than the frothy chocolate flavored drink I’d just finished. I plucked out the chocolate covered coffee bean from the bottom of the empty martini glass and popped it into my mouth.

“No, thanks. The taste of pure vodka makes me sick. I like these.” I pointed to my empty glass. “Barely know I’m drinking.” I chewed the coffee bean. “How about one more?”

He shook his head. “I think you’ve had your limit.”

“I’ll leave after this one, I swear.” I stuck out my lower lip and gave him what I hoped to be puppy dog eyes. “I’m staying at the boutique tonight, so you don’t have to worry about me driving around the city drunk.”

“Okay, one more. But since we both know you’re a puker, that’s it.”

I crossed my eyes at him. “
Jeez
. Fine.”

“
Mm-hm,”
he said. The door opened at my back with a rush of cold air. If it weren’t for the amount of vodka in my system, I might have shivered. Ted nodded his head. “Hey man, how’s it going?”

“Good. How’ve you been,” said an annoyed, familiar voice from behind me. I whirled in my seat, and when my eyes locked on Leo’s, he gave me a short nod.

“I thought I told you I’m not hungry,” I said.

“Yeah, I got that message. I also got the one where you said you were drinking by yourself.” He sat on the stool beside me.

“Yes.
By myself,
” I said.

“Would you like a beer while she finishes her drink?” Ted asked.

“Sure, thanks.” He glanced over at me. “This one’s cut off?”

“Yeah. She talked me into one more, but this is the last one.” Ted popped the top of the beer bottle and set it in front of Leo on the bar top. “She got pouty on me.”

“She does that.” Leo took a pull of beer, officially ignoring me. “So how’s it going? Busy night?”

“Not too bad. She’s been here since five, throwing money at me, so I guess it’s been a good night,” Ted teased, but I didn’t find him funny.

“Bad day at the office, Princess?” Leo didn’t look amused either.

I sighed. “Leo, I don’t need a babysitter. Go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Leo said, and then they ignored me to talk sports.

Leo’s discipline annoyed me. Nothing ever fazed him. I’d never seen him lose his cool, drink too much, make an ass of himself in public. He was always in control. Right now, I didn’t need the lecture. I sure as hell didn’t need one from a guy I felt too much for, one I couldn’t trust my heart with. What I needed was another drink so I could pass out. Except, Ted had cut me off. Yeah, I was definitely pouty.