Entangled Love (7 page)

David watched the interplay between Michael and Victor Fernandez and immediately noticed the silent communication. There was definitely history between the people sitting at the table.  Time to end this meeting and find the underlying cause of it. If Michael had withheld information that was going to put this project in jeopardy, friend or not, the board would leave David no choice but to get rid of him.

Rising to his feet, he gathered his papers together, “Victor. Evelyn, I think that is enough for today.  I for one am looking forward to hitting the hotel and taking a nap. The overnight flight was fairly rough and I feel the hotel bed calling my name, even now.”

Evelyn smiled at David, amused that this high-powered CEO seemed so down to earth as he discussed taking an afternoon nap. He didn’t appear to be much older than Victor was, and she placed him in his early 30’s.

“Would you gentlemen be interested in joining Evelyn and I for drinks and dinner this evening?” Victor asked. He felt the sudden death-glare coming from Evelyn, but ignored her. That earned him a kick under the table, to which he barely managed to muffle his curse.  Scooting his chair out, he stood and took his legs out of harms way as he waited for David to respond.

David looked at Michael and could see that he was about to decline, rushing he said, “That sounds good. I hear our hotel has an excellent restaurant on the first level. Shall we meet there, say, around 7 p.m.?”

Victor nodded, “The Four Seasons had excellent food. We’ll meet you both in the hotel bar at 7 o’clock.”

As David and Victor exited the conference room, Evelyn saw Michael quickly gathering his own papers together. He looked like he couldn’t wait to get away from her. Her anger at his disappearance, and at having denied her the opportunity to make things right years ago came rushing to the surface. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had rounded the table and was standing a few feet away from him. “Michael, I was hoping we could talk for a minute, privately?”

Michael refused to look at her, “Miss Davenport, I can’t imagine what we would have to discuss that couldn’t have been discussed with the other gentlemen in the room.”

Reaching out, she placed her hand on his arm, and turned him towards her. Michael needed to hear her out and she needed to say what she hadn’t said three years ago, “Michael, I made a mistake. I tried to tell you that afternoon after you kicked me out of your apartment, but when I got back there, you had already left for the airport…”

Michael raised an eyebrow at her, clearly showing that he didn’t believe her. “So you say. Why would you have come back? You had already made up your mind and nothing I had to say mattered.”

Evelyn shook her head, “That’s not true. After I left you, I came home and talked to Victor and…”

Michael held up a hand to stop her, “I really don’t care to hear anymore. What’s done is done. I’ve moved on and it looks like you need to do the same. If you really feel the need to share, please find someone who wants to hear it. Maybe Harry is a good listener?...”

Evelyn stuttered at how rude Michael was being, and who was Harry?...

“If you’ll excuse me. I believe my boss is waiting on me.” Michael grabbed his jacket and briefcase and left her standing in the conference room with her mouth open in shock.

Victor entered a few moments later, to find Evelyn still standing in the conference room, with tears running down her cheeks and her arms wrapped around herself. Going to her, he pulled her into his arms once again, and tried to calm her down by murmuring meaningless words.

“He was so rude. I tried to tell him what happened the day he left and he said I needed to find someone else to share with, and…”

Victor gritted his teeth as anger at his former friend surfaced. Michael had been hurt by Evelyn’s actions, but had run away instead of dealing with them.  Evelyn had spent the last three years, trying to make the company some place Michael could return to.  And for what? To have him callously brush her off the first time she spoke with him. Evelyn needed closure on this chapter of her life, even if it meant finally giving up on her dreams of Michael and her building a relationship. Victor would provide the shoulder for her to cry on, and help her move on and find someone that would appreciate her for who she is. Michael owed her the opportunity to apologize.

“Shush, Michael’s just letting his hurt feelings direct his actions. That’s all. Let’s go grab some lunch and then I’ll pull the team together and we’ll come up with a game plan for collecting the new data, okay?”

Evelyn pushed herself away from Victor and wiped her eyes. She hoped her mascara’s claim to be waterproof held up; otherwise, she was going to look like a raccoon. Mandy poked her head inside the conference room and immediately walked over and gave Evelyn another hug.

Looking to Victor, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Victor shrugged, “Michael’s what’s wrong. Evelyn tried to talk to him about what happened three years ago, and he shut her down. Rudely, I might add.”

“That snake! What gives him the…..”

Evelyn started laughing as Mandy continued her tirade. Mandy was such a sweetheart and felt it was her duty to defend everyone around her. She hoped that one day Victor would act upon his attraction to her and ask her out.

“…she’s the best thing…”

Reaching out and placing his finger over her lips, Victor stopped Mandy’s tirade mid-sentence. “Believe me, we get it. Michael’s feelings were hurt and he evidently hasn’t gotten over it yet. Evelyn will have more opportunities to speak with him. He’s going to be here for at least two weeks.”

Mandy looked at Evelyn and just nodded, “You give it to him next time. He needs to listen…”

“Enough,” Victor said. He loved the way Mandy came to everyone’s defense, but once she got going, it was hard to shut her off. “We were about to go grab some lunch, want to join us?” Mandy often joined them, so the request was not unusual.

“Sure. Let me forward the calls to the answering service and I should be good to go.” Mandy left the conference room, leaving Victor and Evelyn alone once more.

“Are you going to be okay?” Victor asked, concern evident on his features.

Evelyn nodded, “ I think so. Sometime during the next two weeks, Michael needs to hear me out. I need him to know how sorry I am and that I still care for him.”

Victor nodded, “It’ll happen. Wait for the right time. He’s not ready to hear anything from you right now. Give it a few days.”

Michael was quiet on the trip back to the hotel. David waited for him to bring up whatever was bothering him, and when Michael remained silent, he took matters into his own hands, “So, you want to tell me what the history is between you, Victor and Evelyn?”

“Not really.”

David counted to ten before he spoke again, “Let me rephrase my question s
o there’s no misunderstanding. Oh, and I’m asking as your boss this time. What kind of history do you, Victor Fernandez and Evelyn Davenport have?”

Michael knew that David’s patience was almost gone. Looking out the window at the scenery passing by, he tried to figure out how to tell David politely to go jump in a lake. Coming up with nothing, he said, “Victor and Evelyn and I grew up together. We were best friends at one time. “

When Michael didn’t immediately continue, David pushed, “And, what happened to that friendship to destroy it?”

Michael turned his head and met David’s stare, “I wouldn’t necessarily call it destroyed…” He hated the thought of Victor and Evelyn’s friendship not existing anymore. Even though he hadn’t spoken to Evelyn for over three years, he thought of her often. And keeping in touch with Victor had helped him keep the fantasy alive in his mind one day Evelyn would be his.

“So’d you and Victor have a falling out over a girl?”

“No.”

“Did Evelyn marry Victor instead of you?”

“No, she married a man she didn’t even know to bail her bastard father out of his gambling debts.” Michael made the statement with so much anger attached to it that David was taken aback. In the years he had known Michael, he rarely saw him lose his temper, and had never heard such venom in his voice.

“What? That doesn’t even make sense. She married a man she didn’t even know?”

Michael nodded and looked out the window again, “Yeah. I couldn’t convince her to let her father handle his own problems for once. She threw away our friendship to rescue her father and for what? Last I heard, he was still gambling and had lost it all anyway.”

David heard the bitterness in Michael’s voice and something didn’t add up. “So, was Evelyn more than a friend?”

Michael shook his head, “Not yet. We were just starting to explore what else we might have together when this happened. I tried to get her to give us a chance, and she threw it back in my face to go marry some stranger. I thought she cared for me more than that.”

“You still care for her.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. David could hear it in Michael’s voice.

“No, I don’t. In fact, I haven’t spoken to her since I left for Venezuela and I could have lived the rest of my life without seeing her again.” Michael’s eyes had turned cold and David decided to back off for now.

“Time will tell,” David murmured under his breath.

Michael’s thoughts turned back to his recent encounter with Evelyn. He felt horrible for having hurt her with his actions, but he wasn’t ready to hear her lame excuses for why she ran off and married a stranger. He honestly didn’t think his heart could handle hearing the details of that event. Yes, he did still care for her, a lot. But those feelings needed to find a hole and stay there.

*****

Three days later…

“Michael, you want to grab a beer and catch up? Now that the residential figures are finished up we both could probably use a night off.”

Michael looked at Victor, trying to determine if there was an ulterior motive behind the invitation, or just a request from an old friend who wanted to grab a beer. Seeing nothing to indicate a trap, he nodded his agreement, “Sure. Is Jake’s still open?”

“Yeah, Jake’s still behind the bar on most nights too.”

“Great. I’m just about finished up here, you want to go now?”

Victor had already cleared his desk for the day. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was 4:30 pm already, and nodded, “Sure. I’ll drive and then drop you back at the hotel afterwards. Let me tell David and Evelyn and I’ll meet you out front.”

Michael closed his eyes for a moment at the thought of David and Evelyn spending so much time together. He knew that David was a happily married man and had nothing to worry about, but the thought of any other man spending some much time near Evelyn, smelling her unique scent, and hearing her laughter, irritated him. 

Grabbing his stuff, he joined Victor and together they headed to one of the favorite hangouts.

After giving the waitress their order, Victor stretched his legs out and perused the other occupants of the bar. While still early, young business people were starting to filter in, on their way home from work. Jake’s was a popular place and Victor was glad that they had arrived early enough to secure a booth, rather than hanging out at the bar.

“So, did you and Evelyn have a chance to talk yet?” Victor could see that his question had caught Michael by surprise, but he had watched Michael avoid her all week and it was beginning to piss him off.

“We’ve talked.”

“You know what I mean. Have you let her explain about the day you left yet?”

“Why would I want to rehash that sorry day? Nothing good can come of it. She made her decision and I made mine. I’ve moved on and she needs to do the same.” Michael was tired of seeing the censure in his old friend’s eyes. “Furthermore, what’s it to you. Everything worked out for you and Evelyn. The company seems to be doing great and things look like they’re going well.”

Victor looked at Michael, trying to gauge how far he could push, “The Company is doing well. Evelyn worked really hard to make sure you would have a great company to come back to after your internship was over…”

“I never asked her, or you, to do that. No one asked me if I wanted to come back. I didn’t and I don’t.”

“Then you need to tell her that.”

“No, I really don’t. I don’t owe Evelyn Davenport any explanation, I don’t answer to her or to you.”

This was not going the way Victor had hoped when he had issued the invitation. “Man, why can’t you just admit you still have feelings for her and give her a chance to explain?”

“I never said I have feelings for her. Where did you come up with that nonsense?”

“Look at your life, Michael. You’re thirty years old, and by your own admission, haven’t dated the same woman more than a few times over the last three years. I might also point out that the pictures you’ve sent me over the years of your dates all bear a striking resemblance to Evelyn. Same coloring, same height, same body shape…Need I go on?”

“You’re crazy. So I like a certain type of woman, sue me. And why would I want to tie myself down to just one woman. I might ask you the same questions, you being thirty-two and all. Why haven’t you settled down?”

Victor lifted one eyebrow, “We weren’t talking about me…”

“Well, now we are. So what’s up? You aiming to be single for life?”

“No, and I’m not letting you change the subject.  I know for a fact that Evelyn still has feelings for you. You still have feelings for her. It’s my civic duty as a friend to both of you, to knock some sense into you.”

Michael shook his head as he drained his beer, “Take my advice. Leave well enough alone. It’s taken me three years to get over that day and the last thing I need right now is to relive it. Just let it go. I’m only here another week and then we can all go back to living our lives.”

“Michael, you really need to let her explain things. She needs the opportunity to explain things. If after that you two can’t work things out, then so be it. But Evelyn needs to find some closure on that day, one way or another.”

“Victor, I know you mean well. And I’m glad that Evelyn still has your friendship, but I really don’t see how rehashing that day is going to help anyone. I’m ready to call it a night. Give me a lift back to the hotel?”

“No, I want you to hear me out. Evelyn made a mistake, but then she came to her senses and tried to fix it, the only problem is you ran away before she had that chance.”

“I’m not following you here. How did she try to fix it? Was she going to introduce me to Harry, or whatever his name is, and hope that we could become best buddies?”

Victor sighed, Michael could be hardheaded at times, “His name is Henry, and I don’t think she ever gave any thought to you and he becoming friends.”

“Well, then what? How did she think she could fix the situation? I all but told her I loved her and she decided to marry someone else. I don’t see how that situation could possibly be fixed.”

Victor smiled, it all made sense now, “Michael… she didn’t marry Henry. I was there when her father stormed into her house and demanded her compliance. She told him off and then immediately left to find you, but you had already left.”

Michael wasn’t prepared for that news. All these years he had assumed she was married to Henry.
Well, it didn’t make any difference. She had trampled on his feelings and had made it very clear that they had not been reciprocated. He wouldn’t make the same mistake of trusting her with his heart again.
  “Well, I’m glad she finally stood up to her dad.”

“That’s it. That’s all you have to say. What about the fact that she came looking for you?”

Michael shrugged as if it didn’t matter, when it fact it mattered a lot. “She just wanted to make sure my friendship was still intact. If she had felt anything for me, she would have called her dad when I asked her to at my place. But she didn’t and that’s that.”

Victor finished his beer and grabbed his jacket, “Just for the record, I think you’re making a huge mistake. You two have a chance to make things right, but you’re being stubborn and it’s going to end up hurting you both.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine. Let’s go.” Michael turned and headed out of the bar.

Victor followed, sorrow for his two friends eating at him. He had hoped to convince Michael to at least listen to Evelyn’s explanation, but had ended up just dredging up old memories. This evening had been a total failure.