“No problem,” he says with a smile both bright and sparkly. In fact, Julian is always bright and sparkly. I adore him. He leans back into the booth. “Hailey, you’re going to have to face Derek and cut the ropes…” Julian says and continues on and on with his ‘dump Derek speech.’
I listen and watch his mouth move, but honestly, I’ve heard this so many times before. In fact, I already know what he’ll say next. My mind trails away from his words, and I notice the glass partitions separating the tables. An interesting pattern is etched across the opaque glasswork.
I’m taking mental notes of the designs, when Julian snaps, “Hailey, have you even heard a word I’ve just said?”
“Yes, I mean no, not really. Honestly, we’ve gone over this before. I’m just not sure how to break off the engagement. I need more time to think it through.”
“You were sitting right in front of me, but your mind was a million miles away.”
“Maybe.”
“All right, let’s just leave it for now. I’m not going anywhere. So, change of subject. What sort of new design plan do you have rolling around in that pretty little head of yours?”
“I have a fantastic idea for some added touches of color to put in your restaurant.”
“So, come on, let me hear it,” he says and lounges back. He actually cares about my ideas. He’s actually interested in my thoughts. He’s right, we do belong together.
Ten
“I don’t want to go home,” I say and glare at my parked car.
“You could very easily stay,” Julian reminds me. “Look, I know breaking up with Derek will be difficult for you, and I’m a selfish jerk. But you can’t blame me for wanting to spend more time with the woman I love,” Julian says, pulling me into an embrace. I lean further into his body and inhale, wishing more than anything I didn’t have to leave.
“I love you,” I whisper.
A jolt passes through Julian, and he pulls back, staring directly into my eyes. “You finally said it.”
“Said what?”
“Come on, I want to hear you say it again.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not doing any such thing. Besides, I’ve said I love you a million times.”
“Hailey, I think I would remember if you had.”
“Well, I have. And I shouldn’t have to say it all the time. You know how I feel. I mean, you know everything about me.”
“It would still be nice to watch your lips actually form the words.”
“Julian, I love you, and we’ll make this work; just give me a little more time.”
“I’ll take that,” he says with a smile.
“Thanks. I better head home now,” I say, as he kisses me goodbye. “I’ll see you tomorrow night?”
“I’ll be waiting . . . as always,” he says, placing a finger to his lips and then to mine.
It’s difficult, but I leave Julian and head for my home.
~ * * * ~
I’ll never forget the day I first set eyes on Julian. He had only just moved here from South Florida, where he was manager and part-owner of the hottest restaurant in Palm Beach. He was going to open a sister restaurant right in the heart of Orlando.
Guess who he hired to create the interior designs for his new restaurant? That’s right, me! And that was through a phone interview. We hadn’t even met in person, yet. I remember looking forward to his calls. Oh, how I enjoyed the sound of his voice. We would have the most delicious, maybe a little inappropriate, phone conversations. And he may have been a little overly flirtatious, but I liked it.
After a few weeks of this, my assistant and I arranged a meeting with Julian. In all honesty, I didn’t really have a good reason to meet with him face-to-face. I could have answered his questions over the phone, but I was just dying to see this particular client in person.
On that day, my assistant and I found Julian as he was circling the unfinished bar area. He stood amidst a complete mess, raking his hand through his dark hair . . . luscious. Immediately, I felt sorry for the guy; he looked so frustrated. I wanted to help him any way I could.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Medina,” I said from a few feet away. “Mr. Medina…Hello, I’m Hailey Smith, and this is my assistant, Stacey Potter.”
He finally turned around, and why was he just standing there like that, staring at the two of us, wearing a very strange expression? One thing was for certain, I was immediately drawn to him. He didn’t even have to speak. I was already completely hooked. Thank goodness, I was wearing a sexy dress. Every so often I would twirl just a little and wait for his reaction. I was well aware of how the fabric skimmed over my body. Actually, I really shouldn't have worn a sexy dress. What was I thinking?
Another second passed before Julian responded, “Of course, of course, thank you for coming. I have a million questions for you.”
Finally, he removed his hands from his hair, crossing them at his chest. He was a perfect stranger, yet I had the urge to comfort him. I collected myself and tried not to drool.
I lifted my shoulders and tried to sound professional, “Is there somewhere we can sit and talk? I need a surface to lay out my plans.”
Julian looked around the dirty room. What a complete disaster; it was as if a bomb had landed right in the center of his restaurant.
Finally, Julian motioned across the room. “There’s a spot, I just need to clean it up.”
He rushed over to a make-shift table, and we followed his dust ridden trail. I tried to keep from laughing, as I watched him scurry to a back room, only to remerge with a few pathetic looking paper towels. He was so cute.
I handed Julian my sketches, trying desperately to sound confident, “Now, I’ve reviewed the photos of your sister restaurant. I am very impressed by the innovative thinking that went into the plans. People just weren’t designing spaces like that back in the nineties. Your architect is quite visionary!” I said, trying to suppress some of my excitement.
“Thank you. I’m sure you are aware of the impact the surrounding design can have on our guests. It is imperative they enjoy themselves as they eat,” Julian said in an overly business-like manner.
“Of course, and I have incorporated all of the important details from the original site. I was inspired by the initial plans and added a few features. I hope you don’t mind.”
His expression pulled back into one of complete shock. “No, not at all. Please proceed,” he said, motioning his hand toward the sketches.
After reviewing my ideas for the restaurant’s interior, Julian appeared to relax. He also seemed to match my excitement over the new alterations. In fact, he surprised me by making some astute observations. I must say, I was very impressed by him in the end.
“You have no idea how you just helped me,” he said, as he walked me to the door. “Thank you for coming to see me on such short notice.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Please feel free to call me with any questions you may have.” And I hoped he would call, very soon.
“I will do that. How long will it be before we meet again?” he said, and I could feel a blush rise to my cheeks.
My professional exterior was fading away fast! I began to fidget with my dress.
“It will most likely be a week or so before I’ll have your designs complete. I’ll call you . . . um, so I can schedule a time for you to see them,” I said.
“I’ll look forward to our next meeting,” he said.
What I thought was going to be a polite handshake, immediately changed, when he lightly brushed his lips over the back of my hand. A strange electric current passed between us. What was that? I've never felt anything like that before. He pulled away, and I continued staring down at my hand. It was glowing, my hand was glowing. Well, not really, but at that moment, that’s what I saw. But I'm engaged to Derek.
Cautiously, I refocused my attention back to Julian’s face and muttered, “Goodbye.”
From somewhere else, I heard someone say, “Hailey, are you ready to head back?” I looked to
my left, and there was my assistant, Stacey. Had she been there all along? Why was she wearing a devilish grin?
Before leaving, she and Julian gave each other a polite hand shake and said goodbye. We were cool as we left, but as soon as we reached the sidewalk, we giggled like little girls.
“All right Stacey, he’s cute, but we still need to keep this professional.”
“Cute, more like hot! And I don’t think he wants to keep things professional. Did you notice the way he looked at you? I think he was imagining you without that flirty little dress,” Stacey said and laughed. “For a second back there, I thought I’d have to douse the two of you with water.”
“Obviously, he doesn’t realize I’m already taken.”
“Obviously, he doesn’t really care,” she said, narrowing her stare and tilting her head. “What are you going to do about that?”
“I’m not going to do a thing! I’m perfectly happy with Derek! Our wedding is in four months!” I exclaimed and watched as Stacey rolled her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, it’s just . . . I haven’t seen you act like that around Derek before.”
“Mr. Medina happens to be our client. So he ruffled my feathers a bit. It’s not a big deal,” I said firmly.
“All right Boss, whatever you say, but I think he ruffled more than your feathers.”
~ * * * ~
Why couldn’t I have met Julian before Derek entered the picture? I suppose I should have ignored Julian’s advances, but I couldn’t help myself. I can’t say I regret our time together either; the last two months have been unforgettable and exhilarating.
“What am I doing,” I whisper, as I enter my lonely condo.
As soon as I walk through the door, my greyhound dashes for me. What a great dog. Luke follows me to the couch and listens as I recount the evening's events. He agrees it's time to call off my engagement to Derek. The real question: how? Luke doesn't have an answer, but his brown eyes warm my heart.
I wish I hadn’t allowed so much time to go by before ending this. What a complete and utter nightmare! I guess I could just explain to Derek how I’m not right for him…I feel rotten.
I wonder if Derek and Stacey would make a good couple. I could introduce them. No, that would be awkward.
I know. Julian and I can run away together. I'll leave a nice little note, and . . . . No, I'd miss Paige and the kids too much. Wait a minute! I could have Paige do it for me! She's so good with things like that.
Luke's reaction is nice. In fact, each time I say the words, “Goodbye, Derek. It was never meant to be,” Luke licks my face! Next to my sister Paige, Luke is my best friend, except he knows about Julian. But the minute Derek walks in, Luke leaps up and bounds excitedly across the room. Derek quickly sets down his things, leans over, and scratches the anxious dog’s back.
“Traitor,” I mumble to myself. Did that dog even hear a word I just said? I'll need to remember to have Derek return his copy of my key. After all, this is my condo and my dog.
While I watch dog and man exchange greetings, I notice how disheveled Derek looks. His normally perfectly styled sandy-blonde hair is all over the place, and his work clothes are wrinkled. He has obviously had a rough day . . . poor guy.
After giving Luke his greeting, Derek looks my way. “Sorry about being late. I can’t wait until this project’s complete,” he says, while scratching between Luke’s ears.
“It’s all right,” I pause, trying to figure out what to say next. “Derek, do you think we could talk?” Concern floods his face, but he obliges and walks over to sit next to me.
Before I can even open my mouth, he interjects, “I’ll save you the trouble of having to spell it out for me."
How could he know about Julian? Wait a minute, how much could he possibly be aware of? I feel sick. This isn’t going like how I rehearsed.
“What do you think I’m going to say?” I question feebly.
“It won’t always be like this. I realize I’ve been away at work a lot lately, but as soon as this project’s finished, we can spend more time together. Perhaps even take a trip before the wedding,” Derek suggests, grinning in his silly way.
“Oh,” I say, glancing down at the ring, as I tensely spin it around and around.
“I know it has been difficult for you, having your fiancé away so much,” Derek says sweetly, lifting my head. “I’m not blind. I can tell you’ve been distant, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
This is just great, now I’m tearing up. How am I supposed to call off our engagement, now? I can’t crush this sweet guy. I know he would do anything to make me happy. And although I’m not the right woman for him, I wish I could be.
All right, so I’ll break off the engagement another day. Right now, I can’t bear to hurt him.
He reaches his hand for me and whispers, “Hailey, I don’t mean to make things difficult for you.”
“Derek . . . I um . . . please don’t worry about it. You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just tired and need to go to bed. Thanks,” I say and swiftly back away. At that moment, Luke jumps onto Derek. I leave the two behind and race for my bedroom.
I can barely hear Derek holler, “Don’t worry; I’ll lock the door when I leave!”
My breathing is jagged, cutting like a saw through the center of my chest. I shut my bedroom door and lean against it. “Tomorrow, I’ll do it, tomorrow,” I tell myself over and over.
~ * * * ~
Throughout the night, men wearing large gray masks with downward turning grins flood into my dreams. They surround me, swirling around and around! I am being judged! I beg for them to go, but they continue mocking me. I scream and cry and kick! Until suddenly, the floor beneath me is gone, and I begin to fall!
I awaken with a start, sitting upright! I’m in the safety of my own bed. Tears are streaming down my face.
“It was only a dream,” I have to remind myself.
Desperately, I search for my cell. I don’t want to wait any longer to tell Julian how I feel. I want to be with him and only him. After dialing his number, I wait anxiously to hear his voice. There’s no answer, and my call goes straight into his voicemail. Although his recorded greeting is cheerful and charming, I hang up.
“Last night was horrible,” I sigh and rest back into my pillow. Luke is here with me, and I scratch behind his ears. “You like that, boy?” He licks my face and places his long front leg on top of me. Ah, a hug. “I’d love to stay here and cuddle you all day, but I better get ready for work.”
~ * * * ~
When I arrive at my office building, I stand in the doorway and put on a happy face. This stinks; I don’t like being fake, for any period of time. And I don’t want to be rude, but I really can’t be bothered by my coworkers’ idle chit-chat . . . especially, Wanda. Okay, so nobody is even looking at me. Better play it safe though and dash straight for my office.
I’m almost there, but Stacey is standing in my way. I attempt to skirt around her, but she is literally blocking me.
“Good morning Hailey! Is there anything you want to share with me?” she asks, wearing an impish grin.
“Not really.”
On a normal day, I don’t mind swapping gossip with her. Only this is not a normal day, and she’s irritating me. Stacey reaches behind her back and opens up the door.
Twelve long-stemmed red roses are sitting on my desk. The most beautiful roses I have ever seen.
“It’s not every day a woman receives flowers at the office,” Stacey says with a smile.
“Derek’s been working a lot lately. He feels pretty guilty about it,” I offer. “I’m sure he figures that sending me flowers is the only sensible thing to do.”
“I see, and by the look of it he feels pretty terrible. You must have really laid it on thick. Nice going,” Stacey says, gazing at the bouquet.
“I suppose.”
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Stacey finally leaves. I continue staring at the litt
le envelope. I resent it. I don’t want to read about Derek’s feelings. I don’t want to feel worse than I already do.
Still, I wonder . . . . No, wait a minute, I don’t care. I try glaring a hole through the card. It doesn’t work. So I ignore it all together and shuffle through some papers.
After a few minutes, curiosity gnaws at me, and in a moment of weakness, I snatch the card. I tear it open and quickly scan over the words, but I have to read them again and again. I still don’t understand. I read the words again, “I will always wait for you…just don’t take too long. Love, Julian.”
My weakened knees buckle, causing me to fall into my leather chair. I stare at my roses, all of a sudden, they look different. They’ve actually changed in appearance. Now, they’re even more beautiful. I reach for one and hold it lovingly in my hand. I’m finally aware of its engaging fragrance, and I slowly fill my lungs with its sweet perfume.
Paige, Tuesday
Jewelry Counter
“Stunning, don’t you think?” I hear a chipper voice inquire.
“Yes . . . they are lovely . . . and they smell so sweet,” I say, still in a daze.
“The ring . . . smells sweet?” the woman questions.
Uh-oh, everything’s coming back. I’ve just been somewhere else. How embarrassing, and this nice little jewelry person is looking so confused. It’s Hilary, and I’m still trying on my sister’s ring!
I must collect myself. I must come up with something clever to say. “Right, I’m sure Hailey will appreciate what you’ve done to make it fit perfectly.”
I hand Hilary the ring, and she hesitates briefly before taking it. “I’ll just place it in this box.”
“Thanks,” I say, but who really cares what I’m saying. What just happened? Did I just see what I think I saw? And who is this Julian person?
What’s wrong with me? Am I losing my mind? I focus on my watch. After calculating the time, I realize only a few minutes have transpired. Strange, it feels like I’ve been gone much longer. The sales clerk gives me an odd look before handing me a cute little bag. It’s tied at the top with a delicate ribbon. I scoff, as I am sure Hailey will appreciate that.
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