by Tina Martin
“Jarrod?”
“Yes. The guy dad’s been working with to book this hotel. According to dad, he’s coming to show Sheree where people typically set up things—you know like the buffet, dessert table, dance floor…”
“That’s a good idea,” Paloma said. “I’m surprised Sheree isn’t here yet.”
“I’m sure she’s on the way. She’s the only major party planner in the area. I know her schedule is pretty tight.” Lauren took a Styrofoam cup and prepared a cup of coffee for her mother, then herself. “Ma, do you want a donut or something?”
“Sure. Bring me one.”
Lauren took two glazed donuts then walked to the table where her mother sat and took a seat. She drank a long, pleasing sip of coffee then looked up at her mother. “Ma, you were right about what you said the other day.”
“What’s that?”
“You said something has been off with me since I’ve been back here and you were right. You’re always right.”
“Lauren, I didn’t say what I said to be right. I said it because I was concerned.”
“I know. It’s just that um…being here knowing that Kenton is here, you know…it’s playing with my head. And it doesn’t help that I spoke with him Saturday night after Jessalyn’s grand opening party.”
“And what did you have to talk to him about?”
“Well, he did most of the talking, although I did give him a piece of my mind. That’s why I shouldn’t have met up with him. Whenever he’s around me, those old feelings of love keeps resurfacing. I remember all the good times we had and how great we were together. It’s strange because I know how much I care for Evan, but I hate this feeling I have of loss—like I didn’t see the relationship with Kenton all the way through.”
“Like you didn’t have closure.”
“Yes, something like that. I know it sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all. I think that instead of trying to disguise those feelings, you need to explore them.”
Lauren brows furrowed. “Who would have ever thought you’d be giving me this type of advice?”
“I know, but you’re my daughter and I want you to be happy. Marriage is hard. It’s no walk in the park, and it’s even harder when you’re not truly in love with the man you’re making a vow to.”
“You’re right.” Lauren sipped coffee. Reflecting. “Do you think Evan loves me?”
“Do I think he loves you?” Paloma asked. “The question is, do you think he loves you.”
“I do, but it’s not like love, love.”
Paloma shook her head. Appeared baffled. “Then what is it like?”
“It’s like a friendship love. A business type situation. He and I...we’re good together. We could build a productive life together, but it’s not love-based. Well, it is sort of because I do love him. I just…” Lauren struggled to put her thoughts together and took a brief moment to think. “It’s simply because I know how good we can be together. And I can see Evan being a wonderful father, well, that is when he’s not working.”
“He does enjoy his work, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. Just like dad.”
Paloma recalled all the times work had taken Harvey away from her and the girls. “What about Kenton? Can you see him being a good father?”
After a long pause of reflecting and thinking it over, playing in her mind how she thought Kenton would be with a child, Lauren answered with, “No. Kenton was content with it just being us. If he did want children, I didn’t know anything about it.” Just like I didn’t know he didn’t want to get married.
“Hmm...that’s interesting,” Paloma said with a smile on her face.
“What?”
“Speaking of Kenton looks like we talked him up.”
Lauren turned around to follow her mother’s vision straight toward the gorgeous, light-eyed devil himself. Her heart raced as she thought about how he’d kissed her Saturday night and now, she had to relive that while looking at the handsome man, suited up, freshly shaven, stepping into the lobby like he owned the place. Well, he did work for the company that owned the place – a company that had his name attached to it so for all intents and purposes, he did own the place. And it seemed he knew she was looking at him. His vision settled on her easily and she watched a smile come to his face as he took steps their way.
“Oh shoot,” she said, feeling the pit of her stomach drop. “Here he comes. Why is he even here?”
Paloma chuckled. “Now, dear, you know the answer to that already.”
“No, Ma. I don’t,” she whispered frantically. “He’s not supposed to be here. He’s—”
“Hello, ladies, or shall I say good morning,” Kenton said standing at the table now.
He smelled as good as he looked, Lauren noted, but she didn’t open her mouth to speak. Did he really have to show up in a rust-colored three-piece suit? A suit that screamed: look at me. I’m young, rich and fly.
“This is a surprise,” Paloma said. “Didn’t know I’d be seeing a Lennox today.”
“Well, Jarrod was supposed to show you around but he got tied up with another matter, so you’re stuck with me,” Kenton said interlocking his fingers. “I hope that’s not too much of an inconvenience.” When he made the statement, he was looking directly at Lauren as if he knew her thoughts on the matter already.
Paloma glanced at her, too, wondering why she was quiet all of a sudden. “No. It’s no inconvenience at all, Kenton. We’re just waiting for our party planner before we get started,” Paloma told him.
Lauren remained quiet. She hadn’t planned on saying a word. And she felt hot all of a sudden, knowing it had nothing to do with the coffee she just drank. It was all playboy Kenton’s fault. She hated that he had this kind of hot-flash effect on her. Dang it! Why didn’t Evan make her skip breaths and heartbeats? What was it about Kenton that had her body reacting to him in ways Evan couldn’t awaken?
“I’ll grab some coffee while we wait,” he said.
When he walked away, Paloma looked at Lauren and brightened her eyes. “This should be interesting.”
“Interesting is not the word, Ma,” Lauren said. “I was thinking more along the lines of torture.”
Paloma giggled. “You’ll be fine. Oh, look. Sheree’s here.” Paloma stood up.
Lauren joined her, grateful that Sheree had arrived so they could get this over with. She’d met Sheree once, maybe twice before. Her mother used her services frequently for small gatherings – anniversary, retirement and occasional dinner parties.
“Sorry, I’m late ladies,” the stout, burgundy-haired woman said. And what was she wearing? A cloak? “Time was not on my side this morning, honey.”
“That’s okay. It gave us time to get some coffee,” Lauren said.
“It’s Lauren, right?” Sheree asked.
“Yep. We’ve met once before, a long time ago.”
“Yes. I remember you from your sister’s wedding reception.”
Lauren smiled. Nodded.
“Now, it’s your turn, huh?” Sheree asked.
“Yes. It’s my turn,” Lauren said, doing her very best to sound chipper.
“If everyone is ready, I’ll lead the way,” Kenton said, sounding authoritative and professional.
“Oh,” Sheree said. “I didn’t realize the groom would be joining us. Hi, I’m Sheree, the party planner,” she said, extending her hand – long, matte black coffin nails and all – to Kenton.
Kenton smirked. He wasn’t so quick to correct Sheree. He had to enjoy the look on Lauren’s first, staring at her reddened, embarrassed cheeks before he said, “Hi, I’m Kenton Lennox, and I’m here to show you around. I’m not the groom.” Unfortunately.
Sheree covered her opened mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Paloma said. “Simple mistake.”
“Yeah, but admit it…we do look good together, though, don’t we?” Kenton asked, standing beside Lauren.
Paloma grinned.
“You better not let the groom hear you say that,” Sheree said.
Half the time, he ain’t around to hear nothing, Kenton thought.
Lauren tried her best to ignore making eye contact with Kenton. The sooner she could get out of the hotel, the better.
Following Kenton, the woman walked into the ballroom. Something about seeing the place where she and Evan would be celebrating their engagement struck Lauren. Made her get a feeling of realness that this was actually about to go down in a few days. Today was Monday. The engagement celebration would begin on Friday.
“What do you think, Lauren?” Sheree asked.
“Huh?” Lauren asked, looking at Sheree. She hadn’t heard a word she’d said since they all had stepped into the grand ballroom.
“I was just saying that the buffet could go here,” she said, spreading her arms wide to give Lauren an idea of what she really meant.
“That’s usually where most people like to set up the buffet,” Kenton said.
Lauren looked at him, bothered by the intensity of his gaze more so than his unwanted presence. The telling signs in his eyes that knew her secret – that she wasn’t one-hundred percent sure Evan was the one. Her one. Still, she persisted and said, “I think that’s a good place for it. Where would the dessert table go, Sheree?”
Kenton narrowed his eyes at her. Seriously? She was going along with this? After clearing his throat, he said, “I would suggest on the opposite side of the room to help ease congestion on the buffet side. By the way, how many guests are you expecting, Lauren?”
“Between one-fifty and two-hundred,” Paloma answered before Lauren could.
Kenton was curious if Lauren even knew the number or if she was just coasting along, going with the flow. Since her mother jumped in and answered, he wasn’t sure if Lauren did or didn’t. “Wow. Two hundred guests. That’s a massive guest list for an engagement party,” he commented, but he already knew this was much more than an engagement party. Lauren, her mother and Sheree were all kept in the dark about Evan’s true plans.
“There’re a lot of people who want to witness the beginning of this union apparently,” Sheree said. “But, in my experience, it’s usually that way when two people who’ve never been married before are taking steps to tie the knot. For the older folk who’ve already been around the block once, maybe even twice before, it’s not so much of a big hoorah. Plus, it’s at this grand Lennox hotel. Who wouldn’t want to come to a party here?”
“Yeah. This is one of our finest resorts,” Kenton said.
“Where would you recommend a dance floor, Kenton?” Sheree asked.
“My suggestion would be to have it in the middle of the floor, surrounded by tables. Use the chandelier as a focal point.”
Sheree looked up at the chandelier. “I like that idea.”
“Me, too,” Paloma said.
“You’re good at this, Kenton,” Sheree said.
“I’m glad my expertise could be of use.”
Lauren was staring down at the floor with her arms crossed, thinking about what her mother said – about how she would feel after she married Evan knowing she had doubts. Why enter into a marriage with apprehension?
“What do you think, Lauren?”
She looked up at her mother. Speechless.
A week before she came to Bryson City, she was sure of everything. Evan was the man she wanted – she’d already pictured what their children would look like. And she was happy – genuinely happy that her life was finally coming together. With Evan, she was getting what she wanted. Now, everything was backfiring, all because of her own doubts. Because of her troubled heart. Because of the feelings she still had for Kenton.
“Um, excuse me for a moment,” Lauren said, leaving the room in a hurry and continued outside where she could catch her breath and breathe normally. She rubbed her temples, completely distraught at the way this was playing out. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. These were supposed to be happy days, leading up to the happiest day of her life – her wedding day that they had yet to plan. Instead, she felt sick to her stomach. And this was no pre-engagement-party jitters. This was her trying to reconcile how she was allowing a man who didn’t want her to cause this sudden case of indecisiveness.
This wasn’t her.
She never had problems making decisions – like for instance – when she chose to end her relationship with Kenton. Granted, it was difficult to do, but she wasted no time walking away from him. Would she have the guts to do it again? To walk away from something that wasn’t right for her? From Evan?
Walk away from Evan? What am I thinking?
“Are you okay?” Kenton asked, stepping outside, standing next to her.
“I’m fine,” she said brusquely. “Just fine.”
“You don’t look fine,” he said, crossing his arms, examining her. “Well, I take that back. You do look fine,” he said, eyeing her from head to toe. She had on a pair of black jeggings and a beige blouse with a pair of black wedges that emphasized one of her best assets – her shapely, toned legs.
Annoyed, she asked, “What are you doing here, Kenton?”
“Doing my job.”
“You didn’t have to be here.”
“I didn’t, but seeing as how I have an inkling you need me to be here, I figured I’d go ahead and show up. You can thank me later.”
“That’s mighty presumptuous of you, but let me set the record straight. I don’t need you here.”
“You do, and the sooner you realize that the better your decision-making will be.”
“And why do you suppose that is, Kenton, since you know so much about me?”
“Because if you really want to marry Elton—”
“Evan,” she corrected.
“Whatever. If you really wanted to marry the guy, you wouldn’t have kissed me.”
“I didn’t kiss you. You kissed me.”
He smirked. “Oh, we’re not going to play the who-kissed-who game, are we? The bottom line is, my lips touched yours and you didn’t try to stop me. As a matter of fact, I think you enjoyed it. Thoroughly.”
Lauren shook her head.
“Look, I didn’t come out here to antagonize you, but I do think you owe it to yourself to determine if that guy is right for you, which is why I want to invite you to spend a couple of days with me at the cabin.”
Her vision stabbed into his skin. “Are you so cocky that you’d come out here and insult me by asking me to cheat on my fiancé with you while I’m in the middle of planning my engagement party?”
“Who said anything about cheating? All I asked was for you to spend time with me at the cabin.”
“I’d rather stay in a hog pen than spend any time alone with you, Kenton.”
He cracked a smile. “Your stubbornness is such a turn on.”
“And your arrogance is such a turn-off. You’re the same overly confident man who thinks a woman will stay with you without a commitment just because you’re the Kenton Lennox. Newsflash, Kenton, every woman in America doesn’t want you.”
“That’s cool, but I know at least one who does. Her first name begins with an ‘L’. Last name ‘C’.”
Lauren rolled her eyes and began walking back toward the lobby entrance when she heard him say, “You may not like the idea, but I think it’s worth serious consideration. It’ll give you a chance to evaluate your current relationship, and heading into this weekend, at least you’ll know, before you say, I do, that you’re doing the right thing and will have no regrets.”
She stopped, turned around and looked at him. At his determined gaze. From what she could tell, he wanted this just as badly as he was trying to sell it. “It’s not like I’m getting married this weekend. It’s an engagement party, and I’m not going anywhere with you, Kenton. How about you concentrate on doing your job instead of focusing on me?” She walked away, rejoining her mother in the ballroom.
“Everything okay?” Paloma asked.
“Yes. Peachy,” Lauren r
eplied angrily. “So, Sheree, do you agree that the dance floor should be centered with the chandelier?”
“Yes. I think that’ll work. Why? Did you have another idea in mind?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of having a dance area in front of the chairs, creating a stage effect but without a stage.”
“That would greatly disengage the guests,” Kenton said, stepping back into the room, offering up his expertise.
“How would you know?” Lauren asked. “Have you ever had a party here?”
“No, but I’ve been to several, and in my opinion, the dance floor works best when it’s surrounded by tables.”
Sheree looked at Lauren for the last word. After all, it was her party.
“I like my idea better,” Lauren said. “And as for the colors, I want black, white and gold balloons.”
“Black, white and gold. Is this an engagement party or high school graduation party?” Kenton mumbled then chuckled lightly.
But he didn’t mumble softly enough because Lauren heard him.
“We can handle the rest from here, Kenton. You can go.”
“No, wait,” Sheree said. “I have a few more questions for Kenton if that’s okay.”
A few more questions. Lauren grew even more irritated. What more did she need from him? She probably wanted to bat her lashes a little longer. “Yes, that’s fine,” Lauren told her, “But I’m done here. Mom, fill me in later on what other decisions my ex-boyfriend makes concerning my engagement party.”
“Wait, Lauren?” Paloma said. “Why are you leaving so soon?”
“Because I can’t take any more of this. Plus, I’m meeting Evan for lunch.” That was partially true. She was going to lunch, but she didn’t have plans to meet Evan. She probably could call him up and request to have lunch but he stayed occupied with work, even from their hotel. She decided to try anyway.
Sitting in her car, she dialed his number, shocked that he answered on the first ring.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hi, Evan.”
“What’s up? Are you having fun touring the hotel?”
“How did you know I was going to the hotel today?”
“You told me. I know you don’t think I’m listening half of the time, but I heard you.”
