Entangled Love (2 page)

“What?!! Why would I need to discuss the details of my wedding, I haven’t even met this guy yet?” When her father wouldn’t even meet her eyes, Evelyn knew there was more going on that she had yet to learn about. “Spill it! What haven’t you told me?”

James looked at his daughter and then squared his shoulders. In a firm voice, he replied, “You and Henry Taylor will be getting married this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. in a small ceremony to be held at the Taylor estate. “

Evelyn sputtered, ”What?!!....This Saturday?!!!...Have you gone completely mad?!!”

“No I haven’t. The timing was a necessary part of the agreement.  Brad didn’t see any sense in wasting time. He has generously agreed to pay for a month-long honeymoon at their residence in Spain, so that you and Henry can get to know one another.  Judge Newman has agreed to perform the ceremony and …”

Evelyn felt close to bursting into tears. Her father and this Mr. Taylor had just taken over her life, without consulting her or even giving her a chance to make her own decision.  Taking a few calming breaths, she looked her father in the eye and asked, “And what happens when I don’t show up to marry Henry on Saturday, or even tonight for dinner?”

“Evelyn, I don’t think you fully grasp the situation we are in.”

“You mean the situation you are in, don’t you dad?”

“No, I mean the situation we are in. They only other way to settle the debt to Mr. Taylor would be to give him stock in the company. He already owns some stock in Davenport Shipping, and in order to clear the debt, I would have to sign over enough stock to give him a controlling interest. You know the board of directors would never go for that.”

“It would seem they are not going to have a choice.”

“Evelyn, think before you do something rash. If Brad Taylor gains a controlling interest in Davenport Shipping, our family is ruined. It will only be a matter of time before he turns the board against us and we lose everything.”

“Firstly, I think you’re not giving the board enough credit. Mr. Taylor might end up having a controlling interest in the stocks, but there are safeguards in place to prevent him from doing anything too drastic with those shares.”

“I don’t happen to share your confidence in the board, but ask yourself, are you willing to take the risk?”

“I think the better question is whether or not I’m willing to marry someone I don’t even know to help you save face with the board, that’s what’s really at stake here, isn’t it?”

James Davenport looked at Evelyn, “I guess you will do whatever you wish. I have given you the facts and if saving your family’s reputation and future is not important to you, then there’s nothing I can do about it.” Getting up from the table, James placed his napkin over his plate, removed several bills to cover their meal and nodded to her.  Without another word, he turned and calmly walked out of the restaurant, leaving Evelyn sitting there staring after him.

Evelyn sat in the restaurant for another half an hour, trying to come to terms with the information her father had just dumped on her.  Married?  And to someone she had never met? The concept was so foreign to her she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it.

At the age of 24, she was just starting to feel like her life was her own. She had recently moved into the other half of the duplex that Victor’s grandmother had left him upon her death. Victor lived in the other half, and had immediately suggested Evelyn move into the vacant side upon his grandmother’s passing.

Having grown up with her, Victor knew all too well how much strain living at h
er family home had put on her. Throughout the years, Victor had been her confident and go-to guy when she needed advice or had a decision to make. He was always level headed, and didn’t tell her pretty words just to appease her. He always told her the truth, even when it wasn’t what she wanted her to hear.

She thought back to the time she had needed to let the household staff go. Her father had insisted on a gardener, housekeeper, driver, and cook.  Evelyn had modified their hours down until she was forced to start letting them go; the funds to pay their salaries just wasn’t there. She had managed to keep the housekeeper around the longest, but having to use the last of her yearly trust fund allotment to pay her last semester’s tuition, had necessitated some spending cuts and Mrs. Grayson had graciously agreed to retire so that Evelyn wouldn’t have to fire her. She was almost in tears just thinking about the kind grandmotherly woman who had helped to raise her. She had been angry with her father for once again putting her in such a position, but at the time, he was paying off his recent losses at the track and hadn’t given her anger the slightest bit of attention.

Bringing her thoughts back the current situation, she felt her anger at her father begin to build.  His reputation was everything to him. He had managed to keep things together until Evelyn’s seventh grade year, and then his gambling had taken a downhill plunge.  He started spending more time at the track, making frequent “business trips” to places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas, and spending less time focused on the business and his family.

The board of directors had finally had enough and tried to vote him out of the CEO position, but he had managed to retain ownership of enough stock, along with Evelyn’s, to make that impossible.  The board had approached Evelyn when she was sixteen, asking if there was anything she could do, and she had promised to support them with her voting shares, as long as they protected her dad’s company and kept it from going under.  They had agreed to let him stay CEO in “name only” and had nominated an Operations Manager to oversee the running of the company from day-to-day. Evelyn always hoped for the best where her dad was concerned, and was sure that he would get it together and stop gambling.

Today was another shining example of the fallacy in that thinking. Her dad was not going to get better without professional help. He had a problem, and once again it was spilling over into her life. What a mess!

Nearing tears once again, Evelyn grabbed her purse and exited the restaurant.  Seeing that the restaurant was only a couple of blocks from her office, she walked back to her car, all the while trying to come up with a different option to her father’s dilemma.

*****

When Victor and Michael got back from the deli across the street, they found Evelyn gone. Michael thought it strange that she hadn’t left a note, but then again, neither had they. Michael had been hoping to return with lunch while she was on the phone with her father and save her the need to go out herself.  Shrugging his shoulders, he stowed her sandwich in the office fridge and joined Victor at the conference table.

Looking up as Michael came back in, Victor queried, “No Evelyn?”

Shaking his head, “I think she might have slipped out. Her car’s still downstairs though, so she should return fairly quickly.”

Victor finished chewing before stating, “It looks like you finally got her to agree to go out with you, huh?”

Michael’s shoulders slumped a little, ”Only after you came in. I’ve been trying to get her to go out with me alone for the last five months and she always has some excuse.”

Victor nodded, “I noticed. She practically jumped on the chance to have me go with you guys this evening.”

“Thanks for agreeing to do that. I don’t think she would have even considered it if you hadn’t walked in.”

Victor took a drink of his soda before replying, “Why is she avoiding spending alone time with you. I mean, it’s obvious that there’s chemistry between you to. There always has been. I don’t understand what’s standing in the way.”

Michael leaned back in his chair, “I’m not positive, but I think she’s scared.  She told me a few weeks ago that you and I were her only
true
friends, and she wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that.  I think she’s afraid that if she acts on her attraction to me, and things don’t work out, she’ll lose my friendship and then yours.”

Victor shook his head, “She knows better than that. We’ve been friends for long enough, she knows we would never abandon her like that.”

Michael nodded, “She
should
know that. But think about it, she’s never really had a romantic relationship that worked out. The last guy she dated treated her more like an older sister, and the minute another gal gave him any attention; he was gone with a thank you and a handshake.“

“I for one was glad when he bailed, he never treated Evelyn with the respect she deserves. He was definitely a user and a loser.”

Michael agreed whole-heartedly, “I enjoyed watching them together. His platonic distance kept me from having to act on the desire to rearrange his face for getting out of line.”

Victor smirked, “Jealous much?”

Michael laughed, “You know it.  I thought after her graduation party we were finally going to move beyond this friendship thing.” Ruefully shaking his head, Michael emptied his soda can.

“I saw the two of you in the parking lot you know, she was definitely participating in that kiss.”

Michael nodded his head and raised his shoulders, “I was there. She wasn’t avoiding me then, but ever since that night, she won’t
hang out with me unless you’re there. I know I didn’t imagine her response.”

Victor thought for a minute before he said, “So, have you tried talking to her about where things could end up?”

Michael crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, “I’ve tried. She usually shuts me down before we can have too deep of a conversation, though.”

“So why not take advantage of tonight? I’ll show up so that she loosens her guard, and then before dinner arrives, I’ll make my excuses and leave,” Victor offered.

“That could work,” Michael started running options through his mind. He would need to make sure she didn’t try to leave with Victor and then make every word count.

Victor stood up and tossed his trash in the nearest receptacle, “I’ll wait until she excuses herself to the ladies room and then make my escape.  Don’t waste this opportunity. You and Evelyn make a good team. Everyone around you can see it. You haven’t even asked the new clerk at the deli out and she would definitely say ‘Yes.’  You need to convince Evelyn that you two have a future together and get on with it. I’m tired of playing chaperone.” With that said, Victor left the conference room, Michael returned to his office and shut down his computer.  Heading home a few minutes later, he began making plans for the evening. He was going to knock Miss Evelyn Davenport off her feet.

*****

Evelyn didn’t even return to her office after arriving in front of the building. She had lost the battle with her tears a block and a half back; afraid she might run into either Victor or Michael, she got into her car and drove out of the parking lot. She would have loved to gain some friendly advice from Victor along with one of his hugs; they always seemed to make things better in her opinion.

Thinking about Victor brought thoughts of Michael as well.  That’s when the tears started in earnest. She cried for all of the months she had watched him and yearned to be the girl he was spending his personal time with. She cried for the dates she had turned down with him, afraid that she would lose his friendship when things didn’t work out. She cried for the fact that deep down, she really loved him and wanted nothing more than to see where a relationship with him could go.

After leaving the city, she found herself driving aimlessly towards Michael’s apartment. What she wouldn’t give for the privilege of sharing this burden with him, knowing he would help her find a solution. She knew he cared for her and since her graduation party, he had been trying to get her to go out with him. 

Her thoughts drifted back to the kiss he had given her in the parking lot. She had lost her balance trying to get her car door open, and Michael had been there to catch her. He had swooped down and kissed her so quickly, she hadn’t even seen it coming. That kiss had led to many more kisses and Evelyn had found herself backed up against the car, her arms around his shoulders, participating in the most delicious kisses of her life.

She had dated frequently, and had received kisses along the way, but none of them had curled her toes or had her stomach doing backflips. Michael had simply overwhelmed her with his smell, the feel of his lips against hers, the strength and hardness of his shoulders and chest as they pressed her against the car. When his tongue had sought entrance to her mouth, she had shyly given it to him and then been swept away by the feelings his touch created in her body.

Since that night, she had worked very hard at controlling her reactions to him, and shutting down the desire to throw herself into his arms whenever he walked into a room.  He had made things very difficult for her, taking every opportunity to touch her, giving her small hugs throughout the day, placing his hand on her shoulder when he escorted her anywhere… he was driving her crazy.

As she pulled into a parking spot in front of his upscale apartment, she wiped her tears away and looked around for his car. He was already home. Leaning back into the car seat, Evelyn tried to get control of her emotions and then figure out her next step.  Sometime during the car drive, she had already come to terms with her pending nuptials.  She didn’t stop to analyze why she was once again placing her life on hold in order to rescue her father from his addiction. It had become a way of life for her, and even though she didn’t like the future he had worked out for her, the
good
daughter part of her was doing what she always did. Following daddy’s directions and trying to make things better for him.

Getting out of her vehicle, she headed towards Michael’s door. She needed to cancel their dinner tonight and since she was here, she might as well do it in person. She would also need to call Victor and let him know that she probably wouldn’t be able to be part of the company. Taking a deep breath to stall any further tears, she knocked on the door and waited for Michael to answer.

Michael had just stepped out of the shower when he heard the knock on the door. Grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist, he grabbed another towel and rubbed it over his head and shoulders as he headed to the front door.

Throwing the door open, he was shocked to see Evelyn standing on his front step, looking like her world had just collapsed. Taking a closer look, he could see that she had been crying and was doing a poor job of containing the tears that were still needing out.

“Evelyn, honey, what’s wrong?” Michael reached out, pulled her into the apartment and closed the door.

“Michael, I’m sorry to interrupt you. I needed to talk to you and since I was already out here, I decided to stop. I’m sorry…I should have called first.” Evelyn dropped her eyes as she noticed all he was wearing was a bath towel.

Michael was puzzled by how upset she appeared to be and led her over to the couch, urging her to be seated. “Let me grab some clothes and then we can talk. Do you need anything?”

Evelyn shook her head wordlessly.

Michael watched her for another moment, and then hurried to his bedroom, throwing on gym shorts and a t-shirt. Re-entering the living area, he observed her sitting in the same position, hands wrapped around her body as if she was physically holding herself together.  Anger began to rise within him for whatever or whoever had caused her such grief. He would get to the bottom of this and make it better for her.