Not Quite Over You

by Susan Mallery

  “Did I mention that directly?”

  “You didn’t have to. We all know. You’ve been glowing.”

  “Maybe I have a new moisturizer.”

  Wynn ignored that. “I can respect truth avoidance as much as the next woman, I’m just saying, things are different with you two. If you’re perfectly fine with all the changes, great. If you’re not, you need to be careful. I say that as a friend.”

  “I know and I appreciate it. But I’m not that kid anymore.”

  “Maybe, but he’s still that guy. And we’re all in danger when he’s around.”

  Not for the first time, Silver wondered about Wynn’s past. There were so many unanswered questions and whenever she pried, Wynn flatly refused to discuss her life before she moved to Happily Inc.

  “Do you think he loved you back then? When you were first together?”

  The unexpected question surprised Silver. “Yes, I believe Drew loved me. As much as a guy his age can love anyone. I loved him, too. But there was too much against us. We made the right decision.”

  “You made the right decision.”

  The words were gentle, but still startling. “What do you mean?”

  “You broke up with Drew before he left for college. You could see what was going to happen and you wanted to make that as easy on each of you as possible. You’re the one who told him he didn’t have to marry you when you got pregnant. He might not have liked giving up his future, but he would have done it.”

  “Drew’s a big believer in doing the right thing.”

  “You were the adult in the room, as they say, because you had to be. But that doesn’t mean you didn’t feel the loss and the confusion and whatever else there was. Now he’s back and all grown-up and handsome and how are you going to resist him?”

  “I can’t figure out if you’re warning me off or enabling me?”

  “A little of both, I suppose. I figure you need a voice of reason, right about now. I’m trying to be that. I think you were brave about Drew, then and now. I think you were able to see past being in love with him to know in your heart that if you had his opportunities, you would have wanted to leave, too.”

  A truth Silver rarely admitted to herself. “You’re right. My mom was a disaster and dragged me all over hell and back. The reason was always a guy. Her next one true love, which she never found. When I figured I was old enough not to be too much trouble, I begged her to let me live with my uncle. I wasn’t sure if he would agree, but he did. Once I was here, life was so much easier. I had a stable home life, friends. But I knew there were limitations on what I could do or be. That if I went to college, it was all on me. No one was going to help me pay for it. Drew’s life was so different.” She smiled. “Note to self. Next time be born rich.”

  Wynn laughed. “I know, right? Wouldn’t that be nice.”

  Silver thought about how she’d felt after Drew left. He’d been all she had and he’d had so much. She was just one piece of his life.

  “My mom always destroyed herself for the men she loved. She would become whatever they wanted. I think she did it so much, she lost who she was. I didn’t want to follow in her footsteps. I wanted to be strong and be true to myself.”

  “Another reason you gave Drew an out.”

  Silver nodded. “You’re right. I didn’t want to be like her.”

  “And you’re not.”

  Silver was less sure. Her mother had been a fool for love over and over again. Silver had been a fool over only one man—one love—but after him, she’d never let anyone else in. She’d never risked her heart.

  She couldn’t help wondering if not risking her heart was just the flip side of risking it too much. Had she been smart or had she simply learned the wrong lesson?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “WE DISCUSSED THIS,” Silver said Tuesday morning, her teeth clenched. She looked at the new sofas in her retail space and wondered if she was strong enough to throw one of them at Drew’s head. “We agreed that Georgiana was going to be one of the managers.”

  “We agreed to talk about it,” Drew said. “Hiring staff is a big deal. We owe it to ourselves to interview a wide range of people to make sure we have the best ones in place as we expand AlcoHaul.”

  She was going to have to kill him. That much was clear. “Why are you talking to me like this? I’ve been running my business successfully for years. You’re the one who came to me about buying in, not the other way around. I know what I’m doing. Georgiana is honest, smart and she knows the business. I want her running one of the trailers.”

  “Isn’t it a joint decision?”

  “Why are you acting like I don’t know what I’m doing? You’re trying to take over, Drew. This is supposed to be a partnership. If this is how you expect things to be, you’re wrong.”

  “I expect this to be a business and run like a business. Your opinion of Georgiana is important, but so is mine. That’s why I asked her in for an interview.”

  “You did what?” Silver consciously lowered her voice. “You did that without talking to me first?”

  “I’m talking to you now.”

  “No. No! This is not how we do things. We discuss our decisions together. You don’t unilaterally invite someone in for an interview without talking to me first. You do not hire someone without—” She glared at him. “Dammit, Drew.”

  One corner of his mouth turned up. “Just making a point.”

  She wanted to stomp her foot, or make a run at sofa tossing. “You’re saying that me wanting Georgiana as a manager without clearing it with you is the same as you inviting her in for an interview without talking to me.”

  “Something like that, although I didn’t think you’d get so angry. My goal wasn’t to upset you, although that’s what I’ve done. I was making a point. I didn’t do a very good job. I’m sorry. Next time I’ll talk to you directly.”

  What? She stared at him. “That was so rational and thoughtful.”

  “Don’t sound surprised. I’m a decent guy.”

  “I know, but you just flat-out apologized.”

  “I was wrong.” He raised a shoulder. “I know how to date you and I know how to make love with you, but the business thing is harder. I’m not clear on my place here. That’s going to take time.”

  “You’re my business partner. Why is that confusing?”

  He didn’t look convinced. “Let’s take your theory for a test drive. I think I should conduct the interview with Georgiana. I don’t have a personal connection with her, so I’ll ask different questions and we’ll get a clearer picture of how she’ll fit in with the organization.”

  She pressed her lips together, telling herself she would hear him out. “Go on.”

  “While we’re on the subject, I think I should conduct all the interviews. I have a lot more experience with hiring people than you do. I’ve been doing it since I started working at the bank. I’ve also done performance evaluations and I’ve fired people. I’m the HR expert in the relationship. You should respect that and appreciate my expertise.”

  Her emotions told her to take him on and win. Her head said he was right. About all of it. She’d never had any employees at AlcoHaul. She’d contracted help as she’d needed it—party by party. She had a regular list of people she liked to work with and would give them a heads-up for big parties, but there were times she was scrambling because they already had booked other jobs.

  She’d toyed with the idea of at least a part-time person, but the logistics had always caused her to put off the decision. It was so much responsibility. What if she didn’t have work? What about all the paperwork and insurance and taxes? In the end, it was easier to simply hope for the best. Easier maybe, but not smarter, and not the best decision for her business.

  Drew knew all about that sort of thing. What he didn’t know, he would find out because running a
business was what he did. If he didn’t have the answers, he would know where to find them. In truth, she hadn’t just agreed to take him on as a business partner because of the money. Some of it had been because of his experience and knowledge. Not taking advantage of that was just plain dumb.

  “All right,” she said slowly. “You conduct the interviews. But I want to be there, too, and if I have questions, I’ll ask them.”

  “I hope you do have questions. You know AlcoHaul, Silver. You know what’s needed far more than me.”

  She sighed. “Are you annoying on purpose or is it more of a gift?”

  He put his arm around her and kissed her. “I think it’s a gift. One of many.”

  “Ha, ha.”

  They set up a small folding table as a desk and brought in chairs. The rest of the space was finished and Silver had her first bachelorette party scheduled in a couple of days. As the bride had brought in her own catering, all Silver had to worry about was bar service and whether or not the soundproofing would hold up.

  Georgiana arrived right on time. She was around forty, pale and slender, with tattoos over most of her body. She’d worn a sundress and heels, with her short hair in a spiky style that had Silver wondering if she should cut her own hair.

  “This is awkward,” Georgiana said with a laugh. “I’m not sure what to expect.”

  Drew motioned to the chair on the opposite side of the table. He and Silver sat next to each other.

  “You know Silver has taken me on as a minority partner,” Drew began. “We’ve bought two additional trailers and will be expanding the business.”

  Georgiana smiled. “About time. You’ve been turning away jobs forever.”

  “She has,” Drew said. “We’re looking to hire a full-time manager for the existing large trailer and you’re our first choice.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. It’s a job I want. I like the work and I love the days off.”

  Silver glanced at Drew, hoping he wouldn’t take that wrong. She knew what her friend meant. The weekends were long, but the days in between were nice and quiet.

  “You from around here?” he asked.

  Georgiana shook her head. “San Diego.” She held up a hand. “I know, I know. What’s a beach girl like me doing in the middle of the desert, but I like it here and I go home a lot. My parents are still there.”

  “You pissed about the Chargers?”

  Georgiana sat up straighter and groaned. “What was up with that? Seriously? Because LA needs two football teams? Greedy bastards. And I mean the town and the owners, not the players. The Chargers were doing great in San Diego. We loved them and now they’re gone. And they’re going to share a stadium? How does that work? It’s just plain dumb if you ask me.”

  Silver had no idea what Drew was doing. How did talking about football tell him anything about Georgiana?

  “I’m a Giants fan,” he said mildly.

  “Then your life is one of pain.”

  They both laughed.

  “Tell me about some of your most difficult customers,” he said.

  “I’ll have to go back to my San Diego bartending days for that,” Georgiana told him. “You don’t get the same level of partying here, especially at weddings. Let me think.”

  She was quiet for a second, then said, “I have a few who were challenging. There’s the guy who came in naked, the guy who hired a prostitute to blow him in front of his ex-wife. Or the time a bunch of bikers decided to move in on a cop bar.” She smiled. “You pick.”

  Silver watched Drew, not sure what he would say. He looked at Georgiana.

  “You’re telling me you know what you’re doing.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve been at this awhile. I can pretty much read the crowd and I understand what’s expected of me. AlcoHaul is different from a bar. It’s events so the customers aren’t regulars. Nobody wants a relationship with the bar staff—they want to get back to the party. My job is to keep things moving and make sure nobody gets too drunk.”

  She looked at Silver. “All the while dealing with the bride, her family and any number of crises.”

  “We have had those.”

  “Remember the DJ who tried to hold up the entire wedding?”

  Silver groaned. “He succeeded, too. Even though he only had a flare gun.”

  “It looked real enough to me,” Georgiana murmured.

  Drew glanced between them. “Sounds like a good time.”

  “It was interesting, that’s for sure.” Silver waited to see what else he would ask.

  He surprised her by shaking his head. “Okay, you were right. Georgiana’s great. She has the experience and a good personality. If you want her, I’m in.”

  “Yes.” Silver held up her hand to Georgiana for a high five. “You’d take the trailer we have now. The new one is going to be put to work this weekend, then Walter, our contractor, will have next week to work out any issues we find. I’ll talk to Pallas, along with the owners of the other venues, and we’ll start getting booked. We should talk about part-time staff. With three trailers, we’re going to need regulars.”

  Georgiana nodded. “For some events we can pull from the pool of waitstaff in the area. When the drinks are simple, we don’t need anyone who is a trained bartender. Not to pour wine or serve a premade cocktail.”

  “That’s a good point. It would allow us to be flexible with our hiring.”

  “I agree,” Drew said. “As long as we have a core group we can count on.”

  “I have some ideas,” Georgiana told them. “Let me put a list together and I’ll get it to you by tomorrow.”

  They set up a time to talk. Drew said he would have a formal job offer drawn up by then. Silver knew how much she was paying Georgiana now, on a per-event basis. She would have more responsibilities, which meant more pay. Plus, there would be taxes and insurance.

  “She’s going to be a great asset to us,” he said. “You were right.”

  “You said that already.”

  “I know how you love hearing it over and over again.”

  She sighed. “I do enjoy it very much. Maybe we could get a little wall hanging that says I’m always right.”

  “Always is stretching it. How about rarely right?”

  “Always,” she repeated.

  “Sometimes.”

  She thought about all the mistakes she’d made. Maybe “always” was pushing it. “I’ll go with sometimes.”

  “I’ll go talk to Wynn about something for the wall.”

  * * *

  AS HE AND Silver had prearranged, Drew picked up Autumn after her day at the Learning Center. She raced out of the building right at two-thirty and headed for his car.

  “You rescued me,” she called. “I’m free, I’m free!” She flung her backpack into the backseat, then slid into the passenger seat and grinned at him. “What are we going to do? Go see Millie? Catch a movie? Why do people say catch a movie? Movies can’t be caught.”

  “I have no idea,” he admitted, charmed by her energy after a day of studying. “How was school?”

  “Okay, I guess. You know, not as much fun as not being in school. Although I like what I’m reading for English. It’s Little Women. It’s really old, like from a couple hundred years ago, but it’s still good. We have to alternate between an old book and a new book.”

  “By an old book you mean a classic?”

  She sighed heavily and fastened her seat belt. “Yes, Drew. A classic. You sound just like my mother.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  She grinned. “I guess it is, huh? Because my mom’s the best. And Silver. And my dad and Denton and you. I guess I like all the adults in my life. Huh. That’s nice.” She turned to him. “So what are we going to do?”

  He allowed himself a second of basking in the glow of b
eing part of the adult company in her life, then let it go. “I thought we’d go visit your great-grandfather.”

  She frowned. “If he’s my great-grandfather, then he’s your grandfather?”

  “That’s him. I told him about you and he’s really excited to meet you.”

  Her eyes widened. “I don’t have any great-grandparents. I’ve always wanted them. Wow, that is so cool. He must be really, really old.” Concern filled her eyes. “Is he like sick?”

  “No. Grandpa Frank is healthy and strong. You’re going to love him.”

  “A great-grandfather,” she repeated as he drove toward the family home. “What about your parents? They would be my grandparents. Silver’s mom is dead and she never knew her dad and she’s an only child, so there isn’t any family there.” She grinned at him. “You’re my last hope, Drew. No pressure.”

  “I can’t produce family at will, so I’m not feeling a lot of pressure.” There was the issue of his parents, but he had no idea how to handle that. He’d told Silver about taking Autumn to see Grandpa Frank and had said he would do his best to keep her away from his mom, but he’d never thought to discuss how on earth he was going to explain his parents to Autumn.

  “My parents live in Washington, D.C.,” he said, being factual while hedging on the truth. “I’m also an only child, but my mom is one of seven girls, so I’m guessing her sisters are your what? If they’re my aunts, are they your great-aunts?”

  “I don’t know. We should look it up.”

  “We should. You could ask Grandpa Frank. He’s a whiz on the computer.”

  She leaned back in her seat and sighed. “It’s so nice when old people keep up with technology. I’m glad you know how to use a computer. We can do FaceTime and Skype and stuff when I go home. I do it with Silver all the time. Better than texting, but that’s good, too, for quick stuff. But sometimes I want to show her things and a picture just isn’t the same as seeing her.”

  He was still stalled on the assumption that he was old, although he supposed to an eleven-year-old, he was.

  He drove up to the house, trying to see it through his daughter’s eyes. It was large—three stories and four times as wide as it was high. There was a large flagstone porch that wrapped around the entire house and a huge circular driveway.