by Brooke Page
“So where were you thinking of going?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“There’s a coffee shop six blocks down by Rosa Parks Circle that has good sandwiches if you don’t mind the walk.”
“Sounds great,” I lied, not really hungry. I hadn’t eaten late at night for a long time. Not since Connor and I broke up. Jamie caught me with a pint of ice cream watching The Notebook one night shortly after the break up.
So why am I going out for food with him if I’m not hungry? I thought to myself. He’s way out of my league, and I’m 99% positive he was not interested in me in that way. Maybe he was lonely too? We were the only ones left in the building besides the unfriendly security guard who quickly sat up straight when he noticed I was with Tyler.
“Have a good evening Mr. Conklin!” He said with an overly friendly smile.
Tyler gave him a stiff nod and opened the door for me. We walked in silence until we were three blocks away at a stop light.
“So… do you always work so late on a Friday?” I asked, trying to make the air a little more comfortable.
He smiled and looked at the ground, “Not always. I had some plans that needed to be reviewed by Monday, and I’m taking a flight to Chicago early tomorrow morning and won’t be back until Wednesday. What about you? There are quite a few clubs around here that seem popular.”
I shrugged. The light turned to walk, and we both started to move, “I’m not into the club scene anymore. And honestly, I don’t really know too many people yet. My roommate is on her way here from Florida.” She better be here by at least tomorrow.
“Not anymore?” He questioned. We stopped at the next stop light. I looked up at him, trying to gauge why he was so curious about me. I felt like he knew what my past was, but was trying to hear it come out of my mouth. Maybe it was just my weird way of always relating everything I used to be, to everything that was thrown in front of me.
“No,” I simply said. He didn’t need to know anything more. He looked at me as if waiting for me to keep explaining. “Everyone needs to grow up at some point, right?” I chuckled softly.
His serious gaze turned into a smile. “I suppose you’re right. I never was into the club scene myself,” he stated as we walked along the sidewalk.
My phone rang again. Ashlynn’s picture popped up on the screen. I really needed to change that. Tyler saw me look, but didn’t say anything as I put the phone back in my pocket after ignoring her call a second time.
We made it to the coffee shop that was surprisingly full for a Friday evening. I guess they had just finished with a poetry reading.
“What would you like?” Tyler asked, putting his hands in his pockets.
“I’m actually just going to have a peach iced tea.” I really wanted a hot chocolate, but I was afraid of the calories.
“Are you sure? Aren’t you hungry?” He said furrowing his eyebrows at me. It was 11:20pm, way past dinner time. Why was he so thrown off I wasn’t going to eat anything? Shit, maybe he was wondering why I even bothered to come with him if I wasn’t going to eat. “Not even a cookie?” I hadn’t had a cookie in a year, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to have one now.
“No, I’m really not hungry,” hopefully I didn’t sound too embarrassed.
He shook his head and started to order. I dug into my bag to find my wallet, but by the time I had gotten to it he had already paid and handed me the tea.
“You didn’t have to pay for that,” I said.
He gave me a crazy look. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve already bought tea for someone else this week, let me do the same for you,” he said as his furrowed brows turned into a grin. I stopped in my tracks and thought for a moment. What was he talking about?
“Are you going to stand there and look confused or are you going to join me?” He chuckled. Then it hit me.
“You! You and Nathan were at the coffee shop that morning!” I exclaimed in sudden realization, sitting in the chair across from him.
“Yes, we were. I kept trying to figure out where I had seen you before when we were at the meeting. Sorry if I stared at you,” he laughed, then suddenly looked toward his lap as if in deep thought.
A slow smile crept across my face. So he was staring at me. No, he was just trying to figure out who I was and nothing more. Hopefully he didn’t realize who my father was.
“It was a very nice gesture. Do you always do things like that?” He asked quizzically.
“I don’t know; it just seemed like the right thing to do. The poor lady was flustered and couldn’t find her money, the guy behind her was being a jerk, and her kid was hungry,” I stated. I really didn’t think anything of it; the lady needed a break, and I was able to give her one.
“Most people would have just been annoyed. Luckily we were in the other line or Nathan would have lost his patience.” He chuckled.
“If I remember correctly, Nathan was oblivious, lost in a conversation on his phone.”
He laughed, “Nathan is always oblivious while he’s on the phone.” Tyler leaned back in his seat and stared at me with a grin. I couldn’t help but grin back at him. His smile was infectious.
My phone started to buzz again. Tyler looked down toward my pocket as he took another bite of his sandwich. I silenced it without looking at it.
“So are you close with your brothers?” I asked, trying to ignore my phone.
“I guess you could say so, more Nathan than Mitch. Mitch and I don’t always see eye to eye. He’s a lot like my father,” he grumbled.
“What is your father like?” Now I was the one asking inappropriate questions.
He looked torn, as if he wasn’t sure he was going to answer me. “My father is very… controlling. He wants to control our lives without actually being in them.”
“I know what that feels like.” I muttered.
“Oh? I thought Maxwell Stine was a family man?” Shit. He knew the relation. My eyes widened. I didn’t know how to respond.
“I’m assuming you are related. He does have a daughter named Rebecca, or so I’ve read.”
I grimaced. “What exactly have you read?” He tilted his head to the side, as if surprised I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“There was an article in the paper about the expansion of the arena. The reporter asked your dad if he had signed with a contractor yet, and he said he was going to ask his daughter who just received a job at Conklin Architecture. ”
My face paled as my eyes opened even wider. Holy shit, why would my dad say that? My cover was gone. People would know I was back in Grand Rapids. I knew it would happen eventually, but I thought I’d have at least a month of peace. My reaction must have answered his question.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. The arena would be a great project for us to pick up,” he said, trying to meet my eyes, sincerity all over his face.
My phone buzzed again. I rolled my eyes and tilted my head to the side, “I’m sorry…” I murmured as I reached for my phone. This time it wasn’t a phone call; it was a picture message. I looked in horror as I saw a delicate hand with a huge diamond on its ring finger. The name above the picture was Ashlynn. Holy fuck.
I felt like my chest was going to cave in. My eyes were glued to the screen on my phone, as my eyebrows furrowed in, rage? Shock? Pain? I didn’t know what I was feeling.
“Is everything alright? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Tyler asked with concern.
I couldn’t speak right away. I set my phone on the table and covered my eyes with my hands. Tyler grabbed my phone and looked at the screen.
“Is there a reason why an engagement ring would upset you so much?” He questioned.
I peeked at him through my hands and sighed, “It’s extremely complicated.”
He cocked his head at me, “I’m sure I can keep up.” Did I really want to let him into my crazy past? Why was he so interested anyway?
Probably because you just fell apart in front of him because of a text message.
> He looked at me and willed me to explain the text. I took a deep breath and started to talk.
“It wouldn’t have bothered me so much if I hadn’t dated the man who asked her to marry him.” Dated wasn’t the right word, madly in love with was. Or at least I thought I was madly in love with him. His eyes softened a little and urged me to continue talking.
“The girl’s a childhood friend. It’s a really messed up situation. I dated him, Connor, for three years. We went to college together and so did Ashlynn… the girl. I guess somehow we drifted apart and Ashlynn managed to fill the gap.”
“Did he cheat on you?” Tyler’s voice was stern.
I nodded.
“And she’s texting you a picture of her engagement ring?” He was baffled.
“She still wants to be best friends,” I whispered.
“How long ago did this happen?”
I kept my eyes on the table. “I walked in on them sleeping together just before my last semester of my Master’s. It was about a year and a half ago.”
His jaw dropped. “And she’s still sending you text messages? Does she try to contact you often?”
“I told you, she wants to be best friends still.”
“How the hell can she still be your best friend? She took your boyfriend of three years! Why don’t you change your number?” He exclaimed.
The truth? “I guess I don’t want to make her feel bad.”
Tyler looked at me dumbfounded with his beautiful eyes. “Becca, what she did to you is un-forgivable. It’s time to cut the cord.”
A small smile crept on my lips. He sounded like Jamie. She’s going to freak when I show her this. My small smile slowly turned into a frown. That was supposed to be my diamond. I suddenly felt the uncontrollable urge to cry.
Fighting tears in my eyes, I said, “It’s getting late, would you be offended if I left?”
“No, not at all. Let me walk you back to your car in the building ramp.” His voice went from anger to velvet.
“I actually walk to work. I have a condo at River House. You don’t have to walk me; you haven’t even finished your food.”
Tyler snorted, “It’s after midnight, of course I’ll walk you. Do you know how many homeless people and drunks are out there at this hour on a Friday night?”
I stood up and grabbed my bag. “Thank you.” I could barely talk. His eyes softened at me. Right then and there I wanted him to wrap his arms around me. They looked big and strong, no doubt he worked out.
We walked silently down the streets, passing random groups of friends laughing and having a good time. I tried to not look miserable, but I couldn’t help but let my mind go to Connor and Ashlynn. No doubt she would want a big wedding here. She would probably even want me to be in the wedding. I couldn’t stomach that. The thought made tears fall from my eyes. I was falling apart in front of this gorgeous man that I had just met and better yet, he was my boss’s boss. What a way to start a working relationship.
We walked through Ah-Nab-Awen Park along the Grand River. I needed to get my mind off of this mess. I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind once I gained my composure. “You said you were going to Chicago tomorrow. Do you go there often?”
“I get there at least once a week. My father is normally there. Nathan and I tend to monitor Grand Rapids and Cleveland more often. Nathan and I part ways and take turns going between Chicago and Cleveland,” he said coolly.
“And your brother Mitchell?” I asked.
“He bounces from city to city. He’s an on-site kind of guy. He has no business being in the buildings. His assistant handles his work. Our construction would fall apart if it weren’t for Tony.”
I could tell by Tyler’s tone he was easily irritated with his little brother. Mitchell was probably only 23 or 24, around my age. I couldn’t imagine being in charge of an entire department. I had enough on my plate being a junior architect. Then I thought of Tyler. He was only 28, and he managed one of the most successful firms in the Midwest.
“It must be a lot of pressure, for all of you.” I said. He stopped walking and leaned on the bar separating us from the river.
“It’s not that bad, we all manage. It was a lot easier when my grandfather was around. He was a very good example on how to handle the company. My father… not so much.” He sighed.
He looked so sad all of the sudden. I instantly felt like I was intruding on his feelings by his facial emotions. I needed to change the subject again.
“The river is very pretty at night. I love how the lights hit the water from the city.”
Tyler looked over to me and smiled. I think he knew I was trying to change the subject. How did we keep getting into these intimate conversations? We barely knew each other!
“Yes, it is.” His grin was mischievous. It felt like it had inner meaning.
“What?” I had a puzzled look on my face.
“Nothing. Shall we keep walking?” He shook his head with the same grin on his face and stepped away from the railing.
I started to blush and began walking again.
We finally made it to the entrance of my condo building. “Thank you for walking me,” I said looking up at him.
“It was my pleasure,” he smiled then turned serious. “Are you going to be okay?”
I studied his face, trying to let what he asked me sink in. “Yeah I’ll be fine. Nothing a good soak in the tub and some wine can’t fix. Sorry for kind of losing it back there. What a way to impress my boss, eh?” I joked.
He was still serious. “Well, if you want to talk, you can call me. I won’t sleep until I get on the plane at 6:00am.”
Won’t sleep? The plane ride to Chicago was only 45 minutes, how could he only work on 45 minutes of sleep?
Tyler held his hand out to me. I didn’t understand what he wanted. “Let me put my number in your phone.” His eyes became intense. I was hypnotized by them and reached in my pocket to hand him my phone. Once he was done he handed it back to me, and I heard his phone ring.
I narrowed my eyes playfully at him, “Just in case you need to talk to me? I must warn you, I will be sleeping and may not answer.”
He bit his lip, trying to hide his smirk. “I just don’t like unknown numbers. But, I’ll keep in mind that you like to sleep.”
“And… you don’t?” I asked.
“I sleep. That’s what Sundays are for.”
We looked down at our feet laughing then looked up at the same time and caught each other’s eye. If I were in my old ways, I’d ask him to come upstairs. But I was starting anew, and… he was my boss! I had to remember that. Fraternizing with management was never a good idea. Jamie did it once, and it ended badly.
“Well, I should let you get to your bath. Please only drown your sorrows and nothing else,” he said seriously.
I blushed.
“Have a good night.” He lifted his hand as though he was going to touch my elbow, but quickly brought it back to his side, his eyes never leaving mine. I turned to walk to the front entrance and pushed in my code to enter the building.
“Hey, Becca?”
I turned my head to see him standing at the edge of the street. “The guy you dated, he was an idiot for cheating on you.” His eyes burned into me as he said it, and his lips slipped into a grin as he turned to walk away.
Want More? Continue in Conklin’s Blueprints.
Acknowledgments
Now this is always the hard part, because I never know where to start, and well, I tend to ramble.
First, I need to thank my loving husband. All those nights when you were okay with letting me escape to the coffee shop to finish this book will never be forgotten. I love you more and more every day, and am grateful for your constant support and faith in me. You make my dreams become a reality everyday.
My family, who have been supportive from day one. You cheer me on, talk about me to your friends, and only wish for me to succeed. I love you all dearly.
My darling Tonya Nichols
. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You keep me on my game and are always throwing me in the right direction. We’ve become an awesome team, and best friends. Why must you live so far away? I look forward to our phone calls and count down the days until we will see each other again.
Jen Hall Thank God I found you! You’ve helped polish my writing, and I’m flabbergasted by your talent. Not only are you extremely talented at what you do, you’re an amazing friend as well. I love that I can message you about so much more than just my books.
Brooke’s Babes, thank you for your constant support. I love every single one of you and your everlasting faith in my as a writer. Whenever I feel like quitting, you ladies lift me up, and I can’t express how much that means to me. Babes for life!
My lovely beta readers: Sara, Amanda, Angela, Ashley, Amber, Tenise- your feedback was beyond helpful and I am so appreciative that you all took your time out to give me your thoughts on how to make HIDE as good as it can be!
Amanda Maxlyn, my author bestie. Our phone calls could be never ending, and I’m always smiling whenever I receive a message from you (all forms, snapchats, messenger, texts, even voicemails.) You’re an outstanding author and I’m thankful we can bounce ideas and have a trusting relationship with our writing. I know I can tell you anything and everything, and you’ll only judge me a little, lol!
Dana Leah, you’ve blown me away with your design talent. The cover and teasers for Hide are breath taking. Thank you for helping to paint a picture for Hide, and for many more works to come!
Jen Wildner, I wanted to put a derogatory term here, but some might not get our humor. Thanks for being so amazing and helping spread the word about HIDE. You are truly selfless and have the kindest heart. Just One More Page is by far the BEST blog out there because an amazing woman is behind it! Love you boo!
Kellie and the Eye Candy Book Store team- Every time I open my Twitter feed I’m astounded by your support! Not only there, but everywhere else Eye Candy! Your promotion is spectacular and I’m proud to call myself an Eye Candy Author!
