The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (78 page)

After we introduce ourselves, he gets right to business.  Before I go any further, I ask him if he’s familiar with our story.  “Well, Juliette – I’m sorry, may I call you Juliette?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I want you to be completely honest with me, and I promise to be totally honest with you.  I am very familiar with the events of last spring.  My son and I are season ticket holders for the Sentinels.  He just graduated from Syracuse with a degree in Sports Management.  We’ve had many discussions at the dinner table about how well Big Mac’s crises have been handled by his manager.”

“I thought so.  It’s hard to find anyone who’s not familiar with our situation.  Whatever we discuss here will be completely confidential, right?”

“Yes, I assure you.  No one will ever know that you are one of my clients and I will certainly not be making any public or private statements about our sessions or anything you reveal to me.  Now, how can I help you?”

It takes me nearly twenty minutes to tell Dr. Falkowski about everything.  I try not to leave out any details, including my concerns about Adam’s over involvement.

“I have several concerns at this point, Juliette.  First, I think you’ve done the right thing by separating yourself from Mr. McGuire at this time.  His behavior is unpredictable and he’s shown a proclivity towards violence and aggression.  Until he is seen by a professional who can make assurances that he is not a danger towards you or others, I suggest you maintain this separation.”

“Thank you.  I agree.”

“Second, I know you’re looking for me to diagnose Evan and tell you why he’s behaving this way, but it would be unprofessional and inappropriate for me to even attempt to do so.  There could be lots of things causing his behavior.  Anxiety brought on by stress or trauma, a chemical imbalance, drug use, lots of possible explanations.  In order to properly diagnose him, I’d be inclined to start with a battery of tests in order to rule out medical or chemical causes.”

“I understand.”

“But while you’re here, I think it’s best we not dwell on those things we cannot control.  We need to concentrate on finding a way for you to continue a relationship with Mr. McGuire moving forward.  I get the impression that he will continue to be a business partner in your life and that you both maintain common friendships, am I correct?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“All right then, we have a plan for moving forward.  I’d like to see you in three or four day’s time, then once a week after that.  It’s a good idea for Mr. McGuire to seek counsel outside of his inner circle, Juliette.  In the world of professional athletes and celebrities, individuals will often sacrifice the best interest of the talent, in this case, Mr. McGuire, to further their own interests.  If keeping him in this state will benefit the team or the managers in some way, then there’s no incentive for them to push too hard.  It’s important that you both understand that.”

“Thank you.  I don’t know what good it will do, but I will certainly share your concerns with Evan.  It was nice meeting you.”

Before leaving, I make an appointment to return on Friday, and head straight home.  Auggie is coming home today, and I have to finish getting his room ready.

A
uggie’s first three days at home go by in a flash.  The restaurant’s not open during the week, so he gets all kinds of visitors, both day and night.  He still needs help moving around, getting out of bed, putting on shoes, and things like that, but it’s great to have him home.  During their visits, I get updates from Emmy, Marcus, Derek, and Reese, so I know that everything is moving along smoothly.  The menus are finished, the staff is prepped, and we’re ready to go.

Thursday morning arrives and I’m up at the crack of dawn.  I wish I could go for a beach run to calm my nerves, but I can’t leave Auggie unattended.  If he realizes I’m not here, he’ll try to get himself up and out of bed unaided.  He could wind up hurting himself and slowing down his own recovery.

At three o’clock, Auggie’s parents arrive to take over.  I look through my closet, trying to decide what to wear. Our uniforms are a chocolate brown with red embroidery, so I decide to slip on a sexy brown pencil skirt with a red belt and white button-down shirt open enough to show just the right amount of cleavage.  A nice pair of my favorite FMPs, and I think I’ve found the right combination of professional and sexy.  I dry my hair, leaving it down with just a hint of curly waves, and step into the living room for inspection.  Auggie insists on performing wardrobe checks before all major events.

“Oh, my God!  Jette, my Pet, you look friggin’ amazing.  I love the sexy secretary look.  You’re going to be fighting off the boys like crazy.  You’ll have Big Mac eating out of your hand tonight.”  I apply a little mascara, slip on my killer heels, and I’m all set.  I kiss Auggie good-bye, hop into my car, and head straight to Rush.  There are Grand Opening signs covering the front of the restaurant, and it looks like we’re ready.

Since there is no lunch service today, the entire staff is here tonight to help with dinner service.  I take a quick head count, and once I’m certain that everyone’s here, I call the entire staff into the dining room for a meeting.  I remind them that this is a well-publicized event that will probably garner lots of attention from the press.  We know that certain media outlets will be here, along with who-knows how many others.  I give very specific directives about how to answer personal questions about Evan, me, and our relationship.  We won’t know all the patrons, and it’s quite possible that some reporters might sneak in as customers in order to get a birds-eye view of what’s going in inside our restaurant.

Then the hard part – talking about my relationship with Evan.  “I know many of you have seen or heard about some of the fights Evan and I have been having lately.”  I pause to look around, and everyone is shifting around uncomfortably, not sure how to reply.  “We are currently living in separate residences.  Evan will be here tonight, and I don’t want anyone to feel awkward.  I promise that tonight, it will be just like old times.  Evan and I have come to an agreement, and we are looking forward to supporting one another and cooperating with each other in order to have an amazing Grand Opening.  And we’re both counting on all of you to help us make that happen.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the door opens, and in walks Evan, looking as gorgeous as ever.  Everyone turns to look at him, and mouths drop open.  He’s wearing a pair of dark wash jeans that hang low on his waist and hug his ass in just the right way, along with a white shirt, no tie, and a brown jacket.  There’s a red handkerchief in his pocket that match our colors perfectly.  He hasn’t shaved and the result is a rugged but handsome look that gives me butterflies in all the right places. 

The girls, clearly noticing his muscular biceps that stretch the fabric of his suit to its limits, along with the jeans that accent the sharp cut of his waist, sit mouths agape at this beautiful specimen of masculinity.

Our eyes lock, and I cannot look away.  He smiles at me, presenting me with the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen in my life.  He walks directly towards me, and I’m frozen to this exact spot, unable to will my feet to move.  As he gets closer, I notice in his hand is a tiny gift box wrapped with a big red bow.  Auggie was wrong, I will not have Evan feeding out of my hand tonight.  He’s already got me wrapped around his little finger and we haven’t even spoken a word yet.

Change of Heart

E
van walks directly towards me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.  “Juliette, I must say, you’ve outdone yourself tonight.  You are breathtaking.”  His eyes scan me from head to toe, making me feel like I’m standing here naked and alone. 

“Right back at you, Chief.”  I don’t even try to hide my smile.  It’s going to be way too easy for me to fall back into old habits with Evan tonight.  The difficulty will come later, when we both have to leave for separate beds.

Evan responds with a beautiful grin that shows off his perfect set of white teeth.  It’s been five days since I’ve seen him.  His cuts have healed, and his face is once again the chiseled perfection that I fell in love with.  “Here, Running Girl, these are yours.  I thought you’d like to have them tonight.”  He hands me the small box he’s been holding.

I walk over to the bar, lay the gift down, and try to decide what to do.  Do I accept his offering?  What message would that send.  “Evan, it’s a lovely thought, but I don’t think, considering that we, you know.”  He gets me so twisted sometimes that I cannot find the right words.

“It’s not a gift, exactly.  Just open it, you’ll see,” he tells me.

I look at him, puzzled, but reluctantly accept.  “Okay.”  I untie the bow, remove the simple wrapping paper, and find a familiar blue box hidden beneath.  After removing the lid, I slide out the black suede jewelry box.  I look up at Evan as he watches me, carefully gauging my reaction.  I flip open the box, and inside I find the diamond teardrop earrings Evan purchased for me during our trip to Atlantic City.  They are more beautiful than I remembered.

“Since you’re not going to be wearing them on the red carpet at the ESPYs, I thought you should have them tonight.  You left them on your dresser at home.  I hope you’ll wear them tonight, Juliette.  It would mean a lot to me if you would.”  He looks so hopeful. 

“Of course I will, Evan.  Thank you.  I really do love them.”  They are the last gift Evan bought for me, and because of that, they have a special meaning for me.  Carefully, I remove my small stud earrings, and replace them with Evan’s token. 

He affectionately sweeps my hair behind my ear so that everyone can see them, and whispers softly, “I would give my right arm to see you wearing nothing but these earrings and those shoes in our bed tonight, Juliette.”  And just like that, he walks away, greeting the rest of the staff and exchanging pleasantries with our friends.

The restaurant, bar, and kitchen are a flurry of activity as everyone finishes their last minute preparations.  The music is playing, the pictures are projecting, the surfaces are shining, and at last, I think we’re ready.  I pull together the people who worked just as hard as I did to make this day happen, and together, we get ready to step outside and greet the crowd.

Marcus, Emmy, Derek, Reese, and Natalie are all standing proudly, waiting for Evan and me to open the door.  Emmy shouts, “Wait!  Where’s Ryker?  He should be here, too.  Someone go find Ryker.  Hurry.”

Reese runs into the kitchen and comes out dragging Ryker by the arm.  “I found him!  Let’s get this show on the road, guys.”

Evan grabs my hand, weaves our fingers together, gives an affectionate squeeze, and opens the door.  The moment we step outside, cameras flash and the crowd cheers.  Wow!  The sidewalk is filled with people lining both sides of the street.

Adam is in control of the events outside tonight, and he expertly parts the crowd so that we can all get our picture taken in front of the restaurant.  Surrounding me are my dearest friends in the world who all worked harder than I ever imagined, helping to make this dream of ours become a reality.  Reporters and cameramen gather to take pictures, and just before the first flash goes off, Evan wraps his arms around me and kisses me passionately.  I am so lost in the moment, completely and utterly overwhelmed by all that is happening, that I greedily accept his kiss and demand more. 

Slowly, the fog clears as we break apart.  I can’t help but smile.  I don’t know what the right thing is to do anymore.  I don’t know why Evan has been acting the way he has.  I don’t know where tonight will lead.  All I know for sure is that I love this man with every ounce of my soul.  He wraps one hand around my waist, pulls me close, and I rest my head against him as we smile for our pictures.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight.  My name is Evan McGuire and the beautiful woman standing beside me is Juliette Fletcher.  We are the owners of Rush Dessert Bar.  Opening this restaurant together has been a labor of love in more ways than you can possibly imagine.”  Evan looks down at me, smiling. 

Now it’s my turn.  “We feel privileged to be standing here with an amazing team of people who helped make tonight possible.  There is not enough time in the day to thank you all individually, but Evan and I want to thank every one of you here and those who are not able to be here, for the incredible gift you have given us.    Each of us feels that the enjoyment of food and drink is one of God's greatest gifts in life.  It allows us to satisfy our hungers, quench our thirst, and awaken the senses.  When we sit together to enjoy a good meal with friends and family, we strengthen our bonds and build stronger relationships.  We hope that we have created a place where people will gather and enjoy the company of the people we all choose to share our lives with.”