Mixed Emotions

by MIA HEINTZELMAN

  She hugged her brother a little tighter then. She didn’t want to be alone for the wrong reasons.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Mike

  Mike walked off the elevator into the lobby of Monroe Properties that Friday with a plan. Yesterday he’d drafted most of the lease agreements and the deeds for the two higher priced downtown purchases. On the way to work today, he’d even stopped at the county building to file them. Pretty much everything he needed to get done for the week was complete, save for a few documents to review, but that wouldn’t take long. He needed the free time and clear head space. Big gestures required big chunks of time to plan them.

  “Morning, Kendra.” Mike slipped past her without meeting her inevitably pity-filled eyes and quickly closed the door to his office behind him.

  He dropped is messenger bag on the desk, took off his blazer, and pushed up his sleeves before fishing his phone out of his pocket. Safari was still open on the Hollywood Theatre homepage which listed its upcoming events. Slowly, he scrolled down and found Saturday, May 16th.

  A tidal wave of relief washed over him at the words “closed for private event.”

  “Yes,” he whispered and pumped his fist into the air. He pressed the phone to his chest and closed his eyes and let his head fall back. “Thank you, J. Yes.”

  Having the location checked off of his to-do list set the rest of the plan in motion. Now, he just needed to get to the details. Then, the hard part—getting Zora to show up. He spent the next half hour flipping between Amazon and The Movie Store, filling his carts with everything he needed to take his surprise over the top.

  He’d barely pressed “purchase” when his door flew open, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

  “Shit! Dammit, Kendra. Are you trying to give me a fuc…freaking heart attack?” he exclaimed.

  “Why are you so jumpy?” Kendra asked. “Are you doing something you’re not supposed to be?”

  Mike scrubbed his hand over his face and blew out a breath. “No. Now what can I help you with?” He hadn’t meant to sound so edgy.

  Kendra studied him for a second—too perceptive, as usual. “Uh-huh. Just so you know, I don’t believe you for one second.” Her right hand immediately found its home on her hip. A scowl twisted her face.

  I prefer the pity face.

  “Thank you, Sherlock. Did you come in here for a reason, or is interrogating me going to be part of your daily agenda?”

  Just to extend his discomfort, she let the silence linger before she spoke again.

  Mike shifted in his chair, tapping his fingers together and flashing her an “any day now” look.

  “Everett wants to see you in his office,” she said, finally. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed.

  Shit. The man hasn’t even looked at me, and now he wants to see me in his office?

  “He does? About what? I already emailed him the filed deed confirmations.”

  Kendra shrugged, which didn’t ring true. There wasn’t a thing going on in this company, or the office, she didn’t make it her business to know.

  “Okay, well if you aren’t going to tell me, can you please go mad-dog someone else?” Mike got to his feet. He locked his monitor and checked his desk as Kendra backed out of the door, still glaring. He shook his head, but he couldn’t bite back his grin. He loved her crazy ass. She reminded him of women in his own family, and Babs, too.

  As he stepped out of the office, he peeked over to Kendra’s desk, but she wasn’t there.

  Hmm. Maybe she went to the restroom.

  He shrugged it off and ambled toward Everett’s corner office. As the glassed-in room came into view, Mike slowed his pace. He’d expected to see his best friend sitting pensively behind his computer, but Everett wasn’t alone. Sneaky Kendra had joined him. Sophia, Olivia, and Jason were also standing behind Everett. They were all huddled close together.

  Mike’s first thought was that it was some kind of bogus attempt at an intervention. One person was missing from the bunch, though. Has something happened to Zora?

  Mike’s heartbeat sped up, and his throat tightened. He took a deep breath, but the fear bubbling up inside him didn’t subside. He swallowed and inhaled as he turned into the doorway.

  “Is she okay?”

  He couldn’t fill his lungs. The way his chest was rising and falling so rapidly, he thought he might black out.

  Sophia was the first to address him. “Calm down. Zora’s fine. We’re here for something else.” She smiled, and Mike’s airways opened slightly.

  “Told you he loved her,” Olivia said and elbowed Jason, who was sidled up to her. Mike guessed he was more than happy to be there.

  Interesting.

  Mike pinched the bridge of his nose and felt the heat crawl up his neck to his cheeks. “Shit. That’s embarrassing,” he said, entering the room and walking up to the desk to face his friends and family.

  “Welp, at least we know how you really feel. Not that I didn’t already know.” Kendra rolled her eyes, but a grin replaced her annoyed expression. “We’re here for you, silly. You, my little grasshopper, deserve everything that’s coming to you.”

  “Uh…should I be afraid? She’s dangerous.” Mike’s laugh was contagious. Giggles spread through the room.

  Everett stood then. His expression was blank, but the way he failed to blink, his silence spoke volumes. He lowered his chin for a couple of seconds before meeting Mike’s gaze again.

  “Look, I know I should have trusted you. I was wrong, and I’m sorry. You’ve never done anything but help me uplift this company and my family’s name. You’re not only the best friend a man could ask for, but you’re everything I want in a business partner.” He paused briefly. “If you still want it, Zora and I both agree, we’d love for you to be equal partners with us at Monroe Properties.”

  Mike opened his mouth then closed it almost immediately. He smiled instead.

  It was everything he’d been working toward. Still, some of the joy was lost because the only person he wanted to tell and celebrate with was the one person who wanted nothing more to do with him.

  “Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes, fool,” Kendra quipped, and again laughter filled the room.

  “Yes,” Mike said firmly this time.

  In a matter of seconds, a delicious-looking chocolate cake with fancy decorations appeared and everyone blew party horns. Sophia presented a giant congratulatory greeting card on the table. It was filled with well wishes and anecdotal accounts of Mike’s drive and ambition. It was signed by everyone, including Zora.

  “Aw man. This is awesome, guys. Thank you so much.”

  “No thank you, my friend. There’s just one more order of business. Let’s make this official.” Everett placed a partnership agreement on the desk.

  It took Mike only a few minutes to review the details of the document. When he deemed it accurate and fair, he signed it to the tune of champagne popping and more horns blaring as he shook his best friend’s hand.

  “Now that that’s done how about we toast?” Jason crowed.

  Sophia, Olivia, and Kendra passed out champagne flutes. They were beaming, but Mike hadn’t missed the tinge of sadness in their expressions. He felt it, too. They didn’t have to say anything for him to know the whole celebration was overshadowed by Zora’s absence. She was the one who had supported Mike’s decisions and lobbied the merits of making Mike a partner to her brother. She should have been there with them now.

  Everett seemed to sense it, too. He raised his glass and centered his focus on Mike. “To my best friend, business partner, and brother. I think every one of us here today are on the same page, and I say that with your best interests in mind.” He paused and pressed a fist to his lips. “What have you been in your office ordering from Amazon, what does it have to do with the Hollywood Theatre, and how are you going to use it to get Zora back?”

  Mike released a deep, guttural, raucous laugh.
r />   Damn, Kendra.

  He knew she’d been snooping…probably looking at his screen. He wouldn’t put it past her to hack his computer to snoop on him. The FBI and CIA had nothing on that woman. Put her in a room with moneybags Jason, shady-ass Olivia, and meddling Sophia…shit.

  “You got me.” He held up his hands. His body was shaking as he tried to catch his breath. He bit his tongue until the laughter was just a tickle in the back of his throat. “No, for real. though. I’m glad you asked because I’m going to need all of your help. Here’s the plan…”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Zora

  Since Patton Place was out of the question, Zora was set to spend the day watching TV—alone—in her very quiet, very unfurnished, practically empty new house. Then, Oli texted and shocked the hell out of her with an invite to do a cake-baking class at Cuisinette. If that wasn’t surprising enough, Sophia was in, too.

  “Umm…are we going to talk about why we’re here when Oli swore up and down that she would never step foot back in this place?” Zora squinted her eyes and pressed her lips flat, noting Oli’s averted gaze and earlobe tug.

  “Uh—”

  “Don’t. Just stop. This question is to Sophia, since I already know you’re about to tell a whopper of a lie.” Zora shook her head. “Can’t even look at me can you, Oli?”

  Sophia’s voice cracked. She was unnaturally quiet as her eyes darted around the room. “The, um…chocolate chip cake,” she said too quickly. Her eyes were wide. “Yes. Oli said ‘chocolate chip cake with whipped chocolate buttercream,’ and I was like, ‘yes, please.’” A small giggle escaped her lips, but the smile that followed was about as weak as her answer.

  To avoid the heat of Zora’s stare lasering through her she poured a dozen or so chocolate chips into her hand and stuffed them in her mouth.

  “I know you’re pregnant and all, but I’m going to need you to stop eating all of the ingredients before we start.” At the risk of getting her hand gnawed off, Zora slowly pushed the tiny glass bowl away from Sophia.

  “Look, if they don’t want me taste-testing, then they shouldn’t have put all of these mouth-watering treats out in front of a woman with a sweet tooth and an appetite for two. We still have like fifteen minutes before the class starts.” Sophia pouted. “I’m hungry. All this talk about cake. I want some so badly.” The last word came out as a whine.

  Zora took one look at her protruding bottom lip and her round belly resting on the counter and felt bad. Given the intensity of Sophia’s cravings, Zora decided not to ask any more questions about why they were at Cuisinette.

  “Whatever, at least we’re here, and I’m out the house,” she said to a sullen-faced Sophia who looked like she was going through chocolate withdrawal.

  “Aww, want me to go see what I have in my purse?” Zora asked.

  “Nope. Got her covered.” Out of the pocket of her neon pink apron, Oli slipped Sophia a few almonds she’d taken from the pantry. “It’s not chocolate, but they are honey-roasted.”

  Apparently, sugar in any form would suffice. Sophia wasn’t too good to bite. She snatched them out of Oli’s hand and shoveled them into her mouth like it was her last meal.

  For a moment, Zora looked around and compared the gorgeous and vibrant commercial kitchen to Mike’s. This place didn’t have a leg to stand on. Now that she’d cooked in her dream kitchen, Cuisinette didn’t quite have the same stand-out appeal it used to. It felt stark and cold, and the colors were too busy. She missed the warmth and familiarity of his space, of knowing her way around, and the overall level of comfort she’d felt with him in the next room.

  “Anywho…” Oli cocked her head. “When am I getting an invite to this new house? You’ve been holed up in there, probably cooking yourself crazy and sulking.”

  “I have not.”

  Both Oli and Sophia shot her a suspicious look.

  “Fine. Let me get some furniture first.”

  She and Sophia watched as Oli popped one of Sophia’s chocolate chips into her mouth and shrugged.

  “Well, I hope you’ve at least had a chance to unpack your party clothes. We’re getting together next Saturday to celebrate Mike’s promotion,” Sophia said. She held up her chocolate-stained hand. “Before you try to deny it, Zo, we know you want to be there.”

  She did.

  Zora slouched against the counter with a sigh. “I do. It’s just…it’s going to be so awkward. I’m so jealous that everyone else is all hunky-dory with him. Meanwhile, I’m the odd woman out. He probably doesn’t even want to talk to me, let alone see my face.”

  Now Zora grabbed a small handful of Sophia’s chocolate chips and shoveled them into her mouth. When she looked up, they were both staring at her.

  “What? Oli did it and she didn’t get in trouble.”

  “You’re serious with that shit?” Oli asked, but Sophia rephrased for the sake of argument.

  “What she’s trying to say is, who cares about the chocolate? We can go refill in the pantry. I’m still trying to figure out why you think it’s going to be awkward with Mike. Weren’t you the one who walked out, the one who didn’t trust him?”

  Zora drew a breath before releasing it and throwing her hands up. “Exactly,” she huffed. “I’m the one who ended it, so how stupid and wishy-washy am I going to look trying to weasel my way back in?”

  Ugh. So stupid.

  She dropped her head into her hands and grunted as she replayed the scene of Everett and Sophia’s welcome back party. They’d been so happy planning it and setting it up. Then she’s accused him of lying, but what had he really lied about? Her mind treaded slowly into the memory of their last night at his house—making love—and she’d cried in the darkness because she’d known it was over.

  Everett’s voice echoed in the back of her mind.

  Go be with him.

  “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. I don’t know what to say to him. ‘Sorry’ just feels so…inadequate,” Zora muttered.

  Sophia and Oli looked like they wanted to start in on her, but that’s when the instructor clanked her whisk against her mixing bowl to gain the attention of the class. “Welcome. I see some of you are already psyched about the chocolate chips.” She shot Sophia a pointed stare, but Oli and Zora shared her discomfort since they’d helped.

  Sophia flashed the instructor a tight smile and rubbed her belly. Major guilt trip.

  “Welp, let’s get started.” The woman’s cheeks flushed. Apparently, no one wanted to be the one to reprimand a pregnant woman for inhaling chocolate. “Our ovens are already preheated to three hundred twenty-five degrees. Grease and flour the three six-inch cake rounds in front of you, and line them with parchment.”

  All around the room, there was movement and clanking pans as everyone followed the instructions. Oli seemed very excited by the flour and coconut oil—her healthy substitute. Zora was all finished and waiting for the next step, so she decided to help Sophia.

  “You begin by extending an olive branch,” Sophia whispered in Zora’s ear. “Help us celebrate his promotion next weekend.”

  Zora sighed as she lined the last pan with parchment.

  “And for the record, sorry is never inadequate. It’s just a starting point.”

  “I know.” Zora bit her lip. “I just feel so stupid for letting him go. Again.”

  Her throat was thick with emotion, and the hollow ache in her chest echoed in her ears.

  “Now, take your mixing bowl and whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt until they’re well combined.” The woman’s eyes darted around the room then landed on Zora, who looked back at her like a deer in headlights.

  Umm…

  “Did you have a question, or maybe need me to go back a step?” she asked.

  Zora felt her brows pinch together as she shook her head. But then she realized, the instructor wasn’t talking to her. As Zora turned, she saw that the woman was looking at Sophia.

  “Are you okay, Soph?”


  She was holding her belly and her eyes were wide. For a split, second Zora wasn’t breathing.

  “Shit, what is it? What’s wrong? Talk to me, Soph.”

  And then…poof.

  All over Zora’s black leather booties, Sophia’s pink ballet flats, and Oli’s platform sneakers. A white plume of flour, baking powder, and salt. She’d dropped the mixing bowl and doubled over, holding her stomach with both hands.

  “Ow!” Sophia winced and a flash of horror darkened her eyes.

  “No. It can’t be,” Zora muttered. “You’re only five months along.”

  That’s when the tears began to stream down Sophia’s worry-stricken face and Zora remembered. The stillborn Sophia had delivered. This baby, her niece or nephew, was supposed to be Sophia’s rainbow baby.

  “What do you feel? Is it a contraction?”

  Sophia nodded. “I think so.”

  She sobbed and crumpled to the floor, her shoulders trembling. It was too early. The baby needed every second in the womb to build strength and grow. The baby needed its mother. Sophia didn’t have to say it, but Zora was scared, too.

  “No. No, we’re not going to sit here and do nothing.” Zora wrapped Sophia’s arm over her shoulder and lifted her to her feet. “Oli go grab our stuff. Call my brother and tell him we’re headed to the emergency room at Legacy.”

  Everett was already waiting at the entrance when they pulled up at the front of the hospital. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked scared beyond belief, but Zora could tell he was trying to be strong for Sophia. He’d already checked her in and completed all the necessary paperwork, but he was quiet.

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’m here. We’re going to make it through this together,” he said, wrapping her hand in his.

  In a blur of movement and calls for help, Sophia was whisked off in a wheelchair, leaving Zora and Oli out of breath and shaking with fear. Since Sophia was past twenty weeks, they took her up to labor and delivery where a whirlwind of nurses took over until the doctor arrived and the tests began.