by Jessica Gray
She was happy to see his car still in the parking lot and ran towards his door, anxious to beg his forgiveness and tell him about her decision. She knocked on the door, pacing as she waited for him to answer. Knocking again, she began to worry that he was hiding from her, “Michael, it’s Evelyn. Please open the door. I’m not marrying Henry. I need to talk to you, please open the door.”
She knocked again, “Michael? I want to see where a relationship might go between us. Please open the door. I’m tired of talking to this wood. Michael?”
Turning as she heard a noise behind her, she saw Mr. Washburn come around the sidewalk. “Are you looking for Michael?”
Evelyn nodded, “Yes. Have you seen him?”
Mr. Washburn nodded his gray head, “He got into a cab about thirty minutes ago. Asked me to let the movers in tomorrow when they show up.”
“Movers?” Evelyn asked in horror. What had Michael done? “Why are there movers coming tomorrow?”
“He said he was taking a job out of the country and was having everything put in storage. He had a couple of suitcases with him and seemed like he was in a hurry.”
Evelyn couldn’t believe he had just up and left. He was taking the internship in Venezuela, she just knew it. She had done this. She had hurt him so badly that he couldn’t even stay in the same country as her. Softly thanking the old man, she slowly made her way back to her car and then home.
Victor was waiting for her and after taking one look at her face, he cursed and then went out and helped her into her side of the duplex. She relayed what she had found out once she arrived at Michael’s in a voice devoid of emotion and warmth. Victor made her some soup and then stayed with her until she drifted off to sleep on the couch.
Returning to his own apartment, he grabbed his cell phone with the intention of giving Michael a piece of his mind and telling him to get his tail over to Evelyn’s. Seeing a voice message waiting he pushed the buttons and listened to a devastating message from Michael –
“Victor, I wish you had picked up the phone. Man, I hate to do this through a message. Evelyn will probably help shed some light on things, but in short, she’s getting married on Saturday to save her father’s sorry ass and I can’t be here to watch. I love her. I didn’t realize that until she was here this afternoon, but I do. She doesn’t even want to try. She’s so afraid of losing my friendship; she won’t even take the chance.
Anyway, the internship in Venezuela is still open and I’m taking it. I’m sorry about the business plans. Maybe you can find someone else who would go into the project with you. Evelyn’s gonna be out of the picture and…Man, I can’t do this. My flight’s boarding right now. I’ll be in contact when I can. Watch over her for me if you get the chance. Bye.”
Victor listened to the message and his heart broke for his two best friends. Their lives had just changed and he saw no way of reversing the course fate had decided to follow.
Growing Up
Evelyn awoke several hours later to the sound of someone pounding on her door. As she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, she heard her father’s voice coming from the other side of the door, “Evelyn, I know you’re in there. I can’t believe you would stand Henry up. I just got a call from Brad Taylor and he is not happy. Open this door and let me in.” He punctuated each sentence with another pound of his fist upon her front door.
Looking around, she saw no sign of Victor and assumed he had returned to his side of the duplex. How she wished he were still here to offer moral support for the confrontation about to take place. She had lost Michael and didn’t know when she would have a chance to apologize and make things right between them. Now she was about to alienate her father.
Squaring her shoulders, she brushed her hair over back and went to answer the door. Opening it, she was pushed out of the way as her father entered and then turned on her. “Why didn’t you meet Henry for dinner this evening? He texted you the address of the restaurant and you never showed up. Why?”
Walking past her father, Evelyn went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. After drinking it down, she turned back to her father and decided to cut straight to the point, “I’m not marrying Henry on Saturday, dad.”
“What nonsense is this? Of course you’re marrying Henry on Saturday. You don’t have any other options.”
Evelyn shook her head, “That’s where you’re wrong. I didn’t get myself in debt to Mr. Taylor – you did. And I see no reason to sacrifice my entire life to correct your mistake. You can deal with Mr. Taylor.” Evelyn was proud to hear her voice strong and firm when her knees were shaking and she was having a hard time controlling her breathing.
James Davenport took a menacing step towards his daughter, “You listen to me, little girl. You are marrying Henry on Saturday, or…”
“Or what, Mr. Davenport?” spoke Victor from behind him. He had be awaken by the pounding on Evelyn’s door, quickly dressed and come over to find her father in what appeared to be a threatening stance.
James quickly turned around, seeing Victor, he attempted to dismiss him with a wave of his hand, “This doesn’t concern you. This is between my daughter and I. Leave. Now.”
“I don’t think so.” Victor walked around the kitchen island until he was standing next to Evelyn. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders in support, he gave her a smile and nod of encouragement. “Why don’t you share with your father the decision you made this afternoon?”
James disliked his daughter’s friend and began to fear his plans for her were about to be blown to bits. Victor Fernandez had never appreciated all that James had done for his daughter. Instead, he had always been polite, but with a hidden air of disdain and disapproval directed towards her father. James didn’t like it and quickly tried to come up with something that would gain Evelyn’s compliance with marrying Henry.
“Dad, I’m not marrying Henry. I love Michael, and even though I don’t know if we have a future together, I’m not willing to give up on trying and seeing where things go. Mr. Taylor can have your stock. Davenport Shipping already has safeguards in place that will prevent him from destroying the company or having a controlling vote. I will retain my 25% of the stock and the board of directors will vote with me, I’m sure of it. You’ll lose most of your stock, but the company will be safe.
“I want you to consider entering a rehab program. I can’t bail you out anymore. My trust fund has kept things going for years, but I’m done sacrificing my life just so you can make another trip to Vegas or the track. You need help.”
James looked at his daughter and suddenly realized that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was a fully-grown woman and he was shamed when he thought of how he had provided for her. She had raised herself, and taken care of him for so long… He looked down as tears began to gather in his eyes. She was right, why should she have to sacrifice her life just to bail him out of another situation.
Evelyn watched her father and saw the sorrow and shame take over his features. She felt her heart softening and made a move to go to him, only to be held back by Victor. Glancing up at him, he leaned down and whispered so only she could hear, “Don’t give in now. He needs to wake up and feel the shame of his actions. Don’t excuse them away or try to lessen them. Be strong and know that this is for the best.”
Grateful for Victor’s support, Evelyn nodded and stayed by his side. After several minutes, her father finally looked up and met her eyes. “I’ve really blown it, huh? I’m sorry. I never should have put you in this position.” Swallowing back his tears, he met Victor’s eyes, and then looked back to Evelyn. “I’m going to take care of this myself. I’ll call Brad and tell him the wedding isn’t going to happen and then call the board members…And maybe I’ll call that rehab center you gave me the card for a while back. I still have it on my desk.”
Evelyn nodded and gave her dad a smile, “That would be a good idea I think.” Not knowing what else to say, she quieted and waited for him to continue.
�
��Well,” standing up straight, James quickly wiped a hand over his face to erase any signs of tears, and then nodded to both Evelyn and Victor. “I guess I should go and make some phone calls before it gets any later. Evelyn, I am sorry. I hope that one day you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Evelyn nodded, “Get some help dad. We’ll talk after that.”
James nodded and turning on his heel, left the apartment. Evelyn and Victor stood there for several minutes in silence before she turned to him and gave him a hug, “Thanks for coming over. I don’t know if I could have done that without some back up.”
Victor chucked her beneath the chin and said, “You were doing fine. I’m glad I could be here. “ Taking a deep breath, he mentally prepared himself to share with her Michael’s message, “I had a voicemail from Michael when I got home.”
Evelyn looked up and searched Victor’s face for some hint of what the message contained. Whatever she saw didn’t encourage her and she steeled herself to hear the worst, “Where is he?”
“On his way to Venezuela.”
Evelyn opened her mouth but no sound came out. Trying again, she swallowed, “He took the internship?”
Victor nodded. “Yeah. He did.”
Evelyn nodded. Michael would be gone for two years now. She had lost the chance to make things right and he was gone. Swallowing down her tears, she looked at Victor and said, “So, what now?”
Victor smiled at her, “We go to work. We have investors ready to give us a lot of money to make our dreams happen.”
“But what about Michael? Neither you or I have the business knowledge to put these deals together.”
“I’ve already thought about that. Michael’s father had offered to help us out at one time. I suggest we meet with him and have him help us find another business partner who could take over Michael’s duties. The project designs won’t change, and the investors will have no reason to pull out as long as you and I are still onboard. What do you say?
Evelyn slowly nodded her head, “I say, let’s do it. Michael may have left town, but there’s no reason we can’t make the project happen. Who knows, maybe things won’t work out for him in Venezuela and he’ll come back home. We’ll be ready for him when he does.”
Reunion
Three years later….
“Evelyn, be reasonable. We can’t afford to pass up this project. It will be the crowning jewel to our accomplishments and give us worldwide recognition,” Victor had been having this same conversation with Evelyn for the last week.
“Victor, there will be another project. You know why I can’t do this one.”
Victor paused in the act of pacing across the floor of the conference room and looked out over the city. It had been three years since Evelyn and Michael had spoken to each other. Victor and Michael kept in touch via email and Skype, but Michael rarely asked about Evelyn. Victor offered the information without being asked instead. He knew Michael had dated some, but had not had any meaningful relationships in the last three years. Evelyn had also dated some, but never the same guy more than twice in a row. She always found something wrong with them, and for the last six months had preferred not to date at all.
This latest project would lift their company straight to the top. There was only one problem – Michael was the project manager and had been assigned to oversee the project. That meant he would be working closely with Victor, and more importantly, Evelyn. Victor had mentioned that factor might pose a potential problem, to the CEO of Global Tech, and had been assured that there would be no problems on their end.
Michael had been less than pleased when informed that he was going to be working directly with Evelyn for the next several weeks. Victor had held off on informing Evelyn who was managing the project until earlier in the week; knowing she would do everything in her power to waylay the project. He had been right.
Taking a breath, he turned and faced his business partner, who was trying to look unconcerned, but he could see the fear lingering in her eyes. She had been devastated when Michael had left the country and had poured herself into building the company so that he would have something to return to. When she had discovered that Michael did not intend to come home after his internship was over, she had initially hurt, and then gotten angry. That anger had since morphed into fear and the lack of confidence Victor hated seeing in such a talented and vibrant woman.
She was scared to see Michael again; scared that the old feelings would rise up and consume her. Victor figured she was probably on the right track, as he had seen no signs from either of them that they had truly moved on.
“Evelyn, honey, I know you’re scared to see Michael again. Trust me, he’s feeling the same way. We need this project to go smoothly, and Global Tech is adamant that Michael manage it on their end. If Michael refuses to take this job, they’ve already informed him he will no longer be in the running for partnership. This is not just about you. There’s a lot at stake here and you need to put your “Big Girl Panties” on and just do the job.” Pausing to let his words sink in, he continued, “I’ll be with you every step of the way, and if it gets to be too much, I’ll make your excuses and I’ll bring up one of the junior designers to finish the project. You have to at least try to do this though. I’m counting on you.”
Evelyn knew Victor was right; she hated it when he was right. He made her feel like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. She was almost twenty-eight years old. Of course, she could handle seeing an old friend and someone whom she once admired very much. She would just keep it all professional, and things would be fine.
*****
“David, we’ve known each other for a while now, and I’m asking you as my friend and my boss, let one of the other managers take over this project with DFJ.”
“Michael, we’ve already been over this. You not only know the area, but you know the people that make up this design team. The board and I don’t see any viable reason to assign someone else to this job, and you have refused to give us your reason.”
“I told you, it’s personal and I don’t mix my personal life with business.”
David Matthews looked at his friend over the desk and once again tried to figure out what was going on in Michael’s brilliant head. David’s father had met Michael several years ago while working on a bridge project in Venezuela. After seeing the brilliant and creative ways Michael had not only salvaged the project, but completing the project weeks ahead of schedule, and managing to come in under budget by almost 15%, his father had offered Michael a place in Global Tech, with the promise of a partnership inside of three years if everything went well. Non-family members were hardly ever offered a partnership in the company, and David had been shocked, and then impressed with his dad’s foresight after meeting Michael.
Since then, he and Michael had developed a friendship, and David has assumed the role of CEO of the company. Michael almost never talked about his life before Venezuela. In fact, he had only made one trip back home since David had met him. While unusual, David had never pushed for facts, allowing Michael his privacy.
“Man, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but unless you can give me some really good reason, you give me no choice but to go forward with the original plans. I still have to answer to the board, you know.”
Shaking his head in resolution, Michael rose and turned to leave David’s office, “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry to put you in this position. Don’t worry about it. This is my problem and I’ll deal.”
“Michael, I’m assuming your reason is personal because I can’t see you letting a business problem keep you from doing your job. Is it family? A past girlfriend?...”
Michael flinched at the mention of the word “girlfriend,” pushing back the feeling of despair and hurt that arose every time he allowed himself a chance to think of Victor and Evelyn. He had lost so much and even though Victor had welcomed him back to DFJ with open arms, he knew there was no way he could be around Evelyn day and night, knowing that she was going
home to Harry…Henry…whatever his name was…at the end of the day.
He hoped she was happy, but had adamantly refused to ask Victor about her. Victor offered small tidbits of information occasionally during their conversations, and Evelyn appeared to have recovered nicely from her forced marriage and had even managed to stay part of the company, but Victor never gave too much information. Michael suspected that was intentional, and Victor was hoping to lure him into asking about her, but Michael had stood firm and convinced himself that he really didn’t care.
As he opened the door leading from David’s office, he turned and gave his friend and boss a rueful grin, “Personal? Nah, in fact, I’m probably making too much of things. I’m going to head out as I have a few more things to take care of before we catch the overnight flight tonight. We’re still scheduled to meet with the people from DFJ tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. I’ll meet you at the airport later.”
David heard the words Michael was saying, and hoped that his friend wasn’t setting himself up for disaster by not dealing with whatever problems awaited him back in his hometown. Nodding his head, he wished him safe travels, “Sure. I’m going to finish up here and then I promised to take Cheryl to dinner before she drops me off at the airport. Michael…This project means a lot to our company, and teaming up with DFJ is kind of like an audition to see if our companies are a good fit. I expect your honest appraisal of their company, from the management all the way down to the janitorial staff’s performance. If you see any potential problems, I want to hear about them.”
