Love Undefeated (Unexpected #5) (22 page)

“Oh.” Her voice softened, she’d always liked Xavier. She’d met him a couple of times since we started dating, the first time around. “He’s such a nice guy. Tell him I said ‘hi’.” There weren’t a lot of women who didn’t like Xavier. My mom was one of his biggest fans.

“I will. Mom, I gotta go.” I missed her. Growing up she wasn’t the most conventional mom. She hardly baked cookies or cooked dinner. Geniah and I thrived on store-bought meals and TV dinners because Mom and Dad worked hard and late into the night. But my sister and I understood that we were loved. Love wasn’t measured by how much time they spent with us. We had revolving babysitters, but Mom would not even step out of the door if Geniah and I had fever. Dad tucked us in every night and read us stories of powerful Native American chiefs. Instead of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, or Goldilocks, my sister and I listened to the tales and legends of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse.

“I’ll call you during the weekend,” I said as I got out of the car. I could see Xavier through the glass windows. He was concentrating on his phone, sitting in a slouched position, his lazy pose. As if sensing I’d just arrived, he stood up to his full height.

There were so many attractive guys in San Francisco, and all over the world. In college my douche of an ex, Jerome, was often voted HOT on that popular college website, ChattyPepper. There could be a hundred handsome guys in the vicinity but even when I was with Jerome, I had always been partial to Xavier.

I could hear my mom talking on the phone, letting me know what her schedule was, but my eyes were solely focused on the man in front of me who was now reaching for the door to grant me entry into the spa.

I knew him when he was this crazy college kid, who won
and
lost a lot of silly bets.

I liked him when he offered me a taste of his
Haupia drink
during Sedona and Zander’s engagement trip in Hawaii.

The lights were dim on the sidewalk that separated the parking lot and Aquos. Our feet met and our bodies hugged. And while I couldn’t fully glimpse at his mesmerizing green eyes, I knew just how much he craved my presence.

I felt it in his embrace.

“Nales, I got worried…you weren’t answering your phone.” I heard the concern in his voice.

Momentarily removing myself from his arms, I spoke on the phone, “I love you, Mom. Tell Daddy I miss him.”

My mom instructed me to say hello to Xavier again before saying, “I love you, too. I miss you, boopy bear.” Boopy bear was her childhood nickname for me. Goopy bear was my sister.

In life, we grow out of things. We fall out of relationships. We lose what we hold precious.

But there are some that remain constant.

Basking in his masculine scent, I stood up on my heels so I could reach his jaw.

I would always be my mom’s boopy bear.

I saw the tension leave Xavier’s shoulders as we stepped inside the spa, his left hand never letting go of my right.

I loved him before my life fell apart.

Our situation would be completely different had he stood by me through my weakest moment.

We wouldn’t be in this wishy-washy state wherein he constantly walked on eggshells, feeling scared that I’d turn my tail when the going got tough and the tough got going.

I turned my body around to face him, my left hand reaching up to cup the side of his jaw.

“I love you,” he whispered, the green in his eyes more vivid, a stark contrast to the roughness of his cheeks smattered with what would be a full grown beard in a couple of weeks, and the absence of arrogance in his posture just heightening my feelings towards him.

I answered him with an unwavering voice, “I know.”

His eyes held the same question he’d been asking me, “Will you love me again?”

One day I would answer the way I used to.

But for now…

With Boonsri in the background welcoming us to Aquos, I shifted my glance to take in the relaxing atmosphere in the lounge with glass cabinets framed in dark brown wood and furnishings designed to create a serene feeling, and felt the weight of today and the added strain of tomorrow leave my body.

With my shoulders leaning on Xavier, I felt it again.

This constant, unchanging emotion.

He would always be mine as much as I was his.

Planning a birthday party for my girl wasn’t easy.

She was always busy.

I was busy.

Our friends were busy.

It was way easier to plan things when we were in college.

Buy drinks, bring plates of chips and salsa, invite our friends over, play some loud music, and call it a party.

Now coordinating everyone’s schedules was a nightmare. John was available but Dom wasn’t. Z could stop by but only for a few hours. The guys were my main contacts to Nalee’s girlfriends, and I was quite sure the women still harbored some not-so-friendly feelings towards me after I broke Nalee’s heart.

I couldn’t blame them, but it would be really nice if Tanya would stop glaring at me with pitchforks in her eyes every time I Facetimed with John. Redheads weren’t my cup of tea. I could only imagine what John went through when Tanya got pissed off at him. Yikes! The horror!

But I really wanted Nalee’s birthday to be extraordinary. Special. One of a kind.

Throughout the years, after graduation, we’d celebrated by going out of the country.

One year it was Norway. Another was in Mauritius. I took her to places where there was great biodiversity and pristine environmental policies because when your girl is fighting for the earth, the last place she’d want to be in on her special day is an area filled with garbage and tourists.

This year, I knew I wanted it local or at least a place where we could travel by car because of our hectic schedules.

Still, it had to be really special because she was worth everything to me.

Which was why this haughty, middle-aged woman was sitting across the table from me in my office.

She was San Francisco’s party consultant extraordinaire.

“Let me repeat this – you want Hello Kitty decorations for this party? And she’s not eight years old? And you want giant balloons and confetti everywhere?” Was that a shriek I heard in her voice? I think she was trying to raise her eyebrows too, but the plastic surgeries she’s had done to her face made her look like a mime, a mime who couldn’t raise her brows, or her lips, or maybe even wiggle her nose.

Why? Why would women want to do that to themselves? Or men. Just why?

With all the plastic on her face, she was lucky she lived in San Francisco where the sun’s rays weren’t as intense as say L.A., otherwise she’d melt right there on the sidewalk and people would be wondering why there was a body walking around without a face.

“I like Hello Kitty.” I shrugged, turning my attention to the portfolio book that she was showing me.

“But the birthday celebrant’s an adult,” plastic-faced lady reasoned. “The elegance of the place would be lost if we decorated it in pink and white.”

“Hello Kitty’s also available in black and red.” I’d seen Nalee’s collection. This lady didn’t know what she was talking about. “Just because you decorate it with Hello Kitty doesn’t make the place look cheap. It’s how you arrange the balloons, the flowers, all the decorations that give off the feeling of elegance.”

She huffed and let out a loud intake of air. “You’re asking me to change Club 1919, one of the city’s most private and elegant clubs, into a Pepto-Bismol color-themed party.”

“I don’t like Pepto-Bismol.” That crap was disgusting.

She let out another exasperated breath. “Mr. Lockheed.” Now she was being formal. “I don’t know how my team is going to pull this off.”

Looking up from the sample book she brought with her, I asked, “How much?”

“It’s not going to be cheap,” she stated, her face a shade of orange. Was there something wrong with my lights? Or was that her normal skin color? She should tell her tanner to lay off the bronzer or whatever crap she’d been using. I didn’t use anything on my skin that had more than five ingredients. My parents gave me good looks and great skin, it was my job to upkeep both.

“I don’t care about the cost.” I laid down the book. It didn’t matter what I thought of her, her high-and- mighty attitude or the extreme amount of cologne she used, she was my only hope.

Claire had already contacted two other party planners and they were already overbooked. Kendy Weister was our last option.

Last, because I really wanted to work with the other two before her.

I’d viewed her website and was put off by the coldness in the photos. I liked warmth, color. Her parties were great, I’m sure. I’d been to a friend’s wedding where her team was the planner, as the maid of honor boasted. I just didn’t like the super clean, robbed of color, just mainly black and white themes.

“I have to get the club owner’s approval on the decors,” she explained, her demeanor slightly more relaxed. I didn’t wave my money around like it was nothing. I worked hard for what I had. I might have grown up with no lack for material things, but I didn’t take anything for granted.

But the world didn’t function that way. To Kendy, it was the only thing that mattered. I could tell with her pricey bag and her expensive shoes that if I said money was not an issue, she’d do everything to make the party happen. She’d probably turn that club into an aquarium if I wanted her to.

I would love to say no to her and shop for another party service, but I was running out of time.

And truth be told, when it came to Nales, I would spend my money on her, down to the last dollar.

“I want Hello Kitty, pink and white confetti streaming from the ceiling to the floor. I want pink glasses and balloons in every color,” I said, my voice taking command. I had a video conference in five minutes.

“I’ll do my best,” she replied, her fingers tapping away on her phone. “What about the cake? Also Hello Kitty?”

“Yes,” I said, my thoughts envisioning Nalee’s smile when she saw the club converted into her own dreamland. “I’m going to text you what the cake should say, but it has to be chocolate and strawberry ganache. That’s her favorite.”

“Okay.” Without glancing at me, she asked, “The guest list, when can I have it? I just want to make sure that we have everyone covered.”

“Claire will be sending it by close of business tomorrow.” I was just waiting on five people, and once I had their answers, Claire would forward the list to Kendy.

“The birthday girl, does she like anything else aside from
colorful
things?” Although her emphasis on colorful was possibly meant to take a pass at Nalee, I chose to let it go. I just needed her skills to make my girl’s special day a day to remember and honestly, Nalee’s whims might be seen as unreasonable by other people because again, Hello Kitty?

“She loves shiny things.”

“You mean jewelry? Diamonds?” Her green eyes glittered. Now we’re on a topic she clearly liked.

I’d hate to disappoint her, but well… “Shiny as in glittery stuff. Sequined things. She doesn’t like jewelry.” Though I loved to shower her with those sparklers. “She also loves fireworks.”

“Oh. It sounds like I’m really planning for a seven year old’s birthday party.” Her back straightened and her eyes took in the view of downtown San Francisco, the sun was behind the clouds so Kendy ’s face was safe from accidental detonation.