“Don’t overdo it sis,” Kennedy suggested. “Pack the essentials, the basics. Make sure to take something semi-formal just in case he invites you to a business function after hours. If you get there and decide you need something different, shop, hell. Didn’t your benefactor give you an allowance?”
“You make it sound so cheap and tawdry when you say it that way, Emery frowned. “Maybe this is a bad idea,” she replied, sitting down on the chaise in the center of her closet.
Hearing her sister traveling down a readily recognizable path, Kennedy stopped talking to her staff and honed in on her sister.
“Stop!” Now Kennedy was barking at Emery. Kennedy crossed the kitchen and ducked into her office where it was quieter.
“Listen, if nothing else, use this as an opportunity to take a break. When was the last time you took a vacation Em?”
That was a good question. Thinking about it, Emery couldn’t pinpoint a time.
“And I don’t mean staying at home for a day or two and then going back to work. And weekends away from the office don’t count either.”
With those parameters, Emery had nothing. She’d been so busy building her practice, she hadn’t taken a vacation in several years, well, not a real one.
“Handle your business and then try to have some fun. If nothing else, this will give you a chance to really think about how you want to handle things with Evan. Maybe a change of scenery will give you a fresh perspective.”
“And when did you get so smart?” Emery asked. “Sounding all like the big sister.”
“I learned from the best,” Kennedy replied. Emery had always, always been there for her; good or bad. She just wanted to do the same for Emery.
“Is there a return date on your ticket,” Kennedy asked.
“I didn’t pay it any attention,” Emery replied, getting up from the chaise and going into her bedroom where she laid the portfolio on her side table. Opening the folder, she pulled out the ticket and looked at it.
“The ticket says open return.” Emery thought that was curious.
“I guess if our meeting doesn’t go well, Mr. Brown can send me back on the first thing smoking,” Emery joked.
“Or, you can conduct your business and then enjoy the island, girl. Hell, give me the ticket, I’ll go!” Kennedy teased.
“If you don’t hear from me within 24 hours, send a search party,” Emery jested.
“Take lots of pictures, drink lots of sparkly drinks, eat some great food and have a fantastic time! Love you, Em, but I gotta go. These folks messing up my kitchen.”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcos arrived promptly at 6:15 and rang Emery’s doorbell. Emery was ready. She still wasn’t 100% sure this was the smartest thing she’d ever done, but instead of taking a page out of her own tattered book of doubts, Emery decided to take a page from her kid sister. You only live once, right? She thought to herself as Marcos picked up her bags and took them to the car. After locking up the house, Emery climbed into the back seat of the car as Marcos held the door open for her. Although it was still relatively early in the morning, that didn’t stop the streets of Atlanta from buzzing with activity. There was something about the hustle and bustle that got Emery’s juices pumping. If nothing else, Marcos was efficient. He got her to the airport and settled well before her flight was called. The international airport was separate from Hartsfield Jackson, which was the hub. Although check-in for international flights was as early as those in the primary airport, Maynard Jackson International wasn’t nearly as crowded. Emery was able to get through customs and to her gate within an hour which gave her plenty of time for coffee and to relax before the flight.
Once she was boarded in first class, Emery pulled out the dossier sent over by the client. She figured the seven-hour flight would give her plenty of time to review and be prepared for the meeting scheduled for the next morning. Thumbing through the pages, Emery had to admit, she was impressed with what she read. Still, there was something about the secrecy and mystery that intrigued her. As the plane cruised above the clouds, the dossier lost its hold on her. Emery found herself gazing out of the window at the blueness of the uninterrupted sky and the thick billowy clouds suspending just underneath. It was an amazingly beautiful sight, and peaceful, too. Before long, Emery’s thoughts shifted from the peacefulness out of the window to the gaping hole in her heart.
“Ma’am, something to drink,” the flight attendant asked, getting Emery’s attention.
Emery looked down at her watch. It was just a little past noon.
“Champagne,” Emery replied. It’s five o’clock somewhere.
By the time Emery landed in Barbados, she felt good. The champagne she drank had a little something to do with it, but the nap she took was everything. Emery couldn’t remember the last time she slept so soundly. Her client had a car waiting to pick her up at the airport and take her to the hotel. But immediately upon exiting the airport, Emery felt the warmth on her skin. The blue skies she observed while flying paled in comparison to the sky overhead. There was a soft breeze that lifted her shoulder-length hair slightly off her shoulders. The vibe was just different; very different from the sprawling metropolis she called home. There was a chorus of women; dressed in brightly colored clothes, welcoming visitors to their country. Their smiles were bright and their greetings inviting. The sights only improved as she was whisked away to what would be her accommodations while on the island.
The driver was nothing like Marcos who Emery fond to be stern and forthright. This driver was conversational and pointed out points of interest as they traveled. Emery’s eyes proved the landscape as it quickly changed. The first sight of the ocean was breathtaking. Even from the car she could see the white beaches melding into the aqua blue water. The beach was dotted with brightly colored umbrellas and people out having an enjoyable time. Rolling down the window, Emery breathed in the fresh island air. She could see how doing business in a place like this could prove difficult. Everything around her screamed, relax and enjoy.
The approach to the lavish Sandy Lane Resort where Emery would be staying was awe-inspiring. The sprawling grounds boasted acre upon acres of lush green spaces, an 18-hole flagship golf course, nestled between natural rock walls with briskly flowing waterfalls and the beaches edge. The palatial hotel was surrounded on three sides by sand-covered beaches. The pink and white signature umbrellas and the matching lounge chairs led out toward what looked like an endless expanse of water. Emery saw several sailboats at full mast just off the beaches edge as the driver pulled the car up to the entrance.
“This is beautiful,” she exhaled as the driver assisted Emery in stepping out of the car. “Just beautiful.”
The staff at the hotel made check-in a breeze. They greeted Emery as though they knew her personally from the moment she entered the sprawling lobby with its double winding staircase accentuated by elaborately wrought iron handrails. The marble floors glimmered. As Emery walked up the winding staircase toward her room, she noticed the veining in the stone walls that mimicked the veining of the marble floors. The soft beige tones had darker hued lines running through them, much like her great-grandmother’s alabaster box.
“Hmph,” she muttered as she reached the top stair. Emery continued to follow the bellman to the end of the hallway where he sat her bags down and opened the door. He sat Emery’s bags inside the door and prepared to leave.
“Hold on a second,” Emery said, reaching into her bag for a tip.
Oh no ma’am,” the bellman corrected. “All of that has been taken care of for you.” With a polite smile, the bellman handed Emery her key and made his exit. Upon crossing the threshold, Emery was immediately taken aback by the views. The large picture window at the end of her suite looked right out onto the ocean. Kicking off her shoes, Emery closed the French doors behind her. Emery’s feet moved slowly across the cool marble floor as her eyes remained on the water that seemed close enough to touch. As Emery walked towards the window, she app
reciated the space of the suite; the writing desk, reading nook, oversized couch and chair, adjoined master bath with a claw-foot tub, and a large four-poster, canopied bed. There was something on the bed that caught her eye and Emery moved in that direction.
There was a single yellow rose positioned on the bed. Emery stood there looking at the flower.
Couldn’t be she thought to herself as she reached for the flower and picked it up. It couldn’t be.
Then, there was a knock on the door. Emery’s shoulders dropped as her heartbeat surged.
Turning on her heels, Emery cruised towards the door. When she opened it, the bellman had returned.
“Ma’am,” a bellman replied.
“Did I forget something?” Emery asked.
“No ma’am,” the bellman replied. Stepping aside, another staff person carrying a bouquet of two dozen yellow roses nodded to Emery for permission and once given, entered the suite.
“Where would you like me to put this ma’am?” the staffer asked.
“The desk is fine, thank you,” Emery replied. She was a bit miffed as the staff person placed the flowers and then exited the door. Emery turned to the bellman.
“Thank you.” Emery prepared to close the door.
“Hold on ma’am. There’s more.”
“More?”
“Yes ma’am, lots more,” the bellman answered with a smile.
Emery’s brows ruffled but before she could ask a question, a string of servers, all carrying bouquets of yellow roses entered the suite, one by one, placing vases of the brightly colored blooms throughout the suite. As the staff exited, they all offered Emery a smile. The number of staff seemed endless and did not stop until every flat surface in Emery’s room was covered with flowers. She as miffed; pleasingly surprised but miffed nonetheless. Emery turned again to the bellman.
“Who did these come from?” Emery asked.
The bellman smiled but didn’t answer.
“They came from me.”
Emery’s heart pounded in her chest. Even without seeing him, she knew that voice. The bellman was replaced by Evan, standing in the hallway right outside her door.
Emery was rendered speechless. This was the first time she’d seen Evan since she stormed into his office that day. This was the first time she’d heard his voice in weeks. Still, when he spoke, his voice reverberated through her. Evan stood there. He didn’t advance toward Emery but stood there holding her gaze. Emery didn’t know what to do. The bet of her heart thundered loudly in her ears and all the emotions she felt for Evan, both good and bad, riled up within her. A part of her wanted to slam the door in his face, but she refrained. Their eyes remained connected as Emery continued to hold the single flower in her hand. Her feet started to move backward, away from the open door. Evan moved forward keeping his eyes on her.
“Emery…”
Turning her back, Emery walked deeper into the room toward the window. Evan followed, closing the door behind him. He didn’t immediately approach her. He understood this was a lot to process so he wanted to give her time to take it all in.
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She clinched the flower tighter as though it was an anchor to where she was in the moment. Emery didn’t know whether to scream in anger or cry from feeling overwhelmed. The stirring in her soul didn’t help her decide. She couldn’t read the messaging clearly.
“Why?” Emery asked without turning around.
It was a loaded question, but it was the sincerest one.
Stepping slightly forward, Evan spoke.
“Because,” Evan began. “I love you, Emery.”
His words stung and soothed all at the same time. When she turned to face him, Emery’s eyes were weighted down with tears.
“How can you say that?”
“Because it’s true, Em. I love you.” Risking it, Evan took another step forward.
“I don’t believe you, Evan. Not after what you did to me.”
“What you saw wasn’t real,” Evan replied.
“What do you mean it wasn’t real? I’m not crazy Evan. I know what I saw, what the world saw,” Emery rebuffed.
“She set that whole thing up, out of spite,” Evan said.
“Who is she?”
He walked forward. Emery took another step back.
“Isis is a girl I dated a long time ago. I broke it off with her over a year ago. She must not have gotten over it to do something that that. But she staged it, Emery. She set the whole thing up to try and hurt me.”
“Did she? Hurt you?”
“Not personally because I don’t care nothing about Isis. She hurt me because she hurt you.”
“Collateral damage,” Emery muttered, again turning her back on Evan. He refused to remain where he stood, walking towards her, eradicating the space between them.
“Don’t you understand how much you mean to me? Collateral damage or not, anything that hurts you hurts me. I don’t want you to ever hurt because of me, not ever. And whatever I have to do to fix it, Emery. I’ll do because you mean just that much to me.”
She felt his presence. As much as she heard his words, Emery felt his presence; his aura. And when Evan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, Emery’s body defied her mind; shuddering in response. Evan had such a powerful effect on her that it frightened her. But Emery refused to be foolish and led by her heart.
“Why should I believe you?”
Emery turned to face Evan.
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because it’s true.”
Emery looked into Evan’s eyes. The intensity of his gaze was reflected in her own.
Emery desperately wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that the words he said were true and that he loved her as much as he said. She searched for that truth in his eyes. And even though she saw kindness and sincerity, there was a tinge of doubt; born out of past hurt that kept Emery from truly hearing what Evan said. He read it in her eyes.
“I know this is a lot to take in, Emery, but I did all this, so we could have a chance to talk. So, you could have a chance to hear my heart. Do one thing for me.” Emery’s eyes trailed across the room and then back to Evan.
“What?”
“Have dinner with me. That’s all I ask. Just have dinner with me, and after that, decide.”
“And what if I decide that I don’t believe you, that I can’t trust you?”
“Then, I’ll have to live with that,” Evan replied. Slowly, Evan reached out and touched Emery’s cheek. “Just give me the chance, Emery. Can you do that?”
So much inside Emery said yes, yet she shook her head no.
“Please, Emery. I know this is scary. It’s scary for me, too. Please, I can’t lose you, not like this.” Evan’s eyes were pleading, and his touch was reassuring.
What time should I be ready,” Emery asked, despite the trepidation she felt.
The smile that emerged from Evan was practically infectious.
“Nine o’ clock,” Evan replied. “I promise, Emery, you won’t regret it.”
Evan desperately wanted to kiss her, to let her know with more than words how sincere he was. He resisted the urge, though, as hard as it was.
“I’ll see you later,” Evan said, backing away from her and then turning towards the door. The smile remained on his lips.
Chapter Sixteen
It was all so overwhelming. Traipsing slowly through her room, Emery looked at the flowers, all the pretty blooms and smelled the sweet aroma in the air. Evan had done all of this, the ruse, the whole thing, just so they could talk. It seemed like an impossibility that a man would go that far for her. But he did.
Emery chuckled as she thought back to storming into his office. He refused to listen to him. All the phone calls, text message, she ignored them all. Evan was right. He had to go the extra mile to talk to her. He had to force her hand.
Climbing onto the bed, Emery reached for her phone.
“You made it?”
“Yep,
Ken, I made it.”
“Good, then your mother can stop harassing me,” Kennedy snarled.
“She’s your mother, too,” Emery giggled.
“Don’t remind me,” Kennedy protested. “I told her when you were leaving, when you were scheduled to arrive, right? Do you think that stopped her from calling me on the hour every hour to check? Man, I’ll be glad when you two patch it up, so she can harass you instead of me.”
A somber tone was set. Although unintended by Kennedy.
“I got a few minutes, so tell me everything, Em,” Kennedy said excitedly.
“There’s so much to tell,” Emery replied. “Hold on.”
Pulling the phone from her ear, Emery turned the camera around and put it on video, recording her surroundings so Kennedy could see firsthand.
“Look at the video I just sent.”
“Emery that’s amazing. Where did all those flowers come from? Your benefactor?”
“Yeah, if his name is Evan Stanton,” Emery muttered.
“Whaaat?”
“Yep,” Emery sighed. “He set me up.”
“Damn,” Kennedy huffed. “That’s a hell of a setup. You go, Evan.”
“There you go, cheering for the bad guy again,” Emery teased.
“Well if that’s what bad guys do, then I’ll take two for $200 Alex!”
“You so silly,” Emery laughed.
“For real though,” Kennedy chortled. “Evan did all of that for you. That says a lot Em.”
“About what?
Kennedy popped her lips. Emery could be so bull-headed sometimes. The question wasn’t because she was clueless and couldn’t see things for herself. She refused to.
“About how much he loves you.”
“I don’t know about all that.”
“Listen. I am only going to say this once,” Kennedy began. “You deserve it.”
“What, Ken? Being deceived, lied to?”
“Stop fixating on the negative,” Kennedy redirected. “You deserve love, Emery; All the love your heart can hold. Love is not always pretty, but when its real, there’s no greater feeling and you deserve that.”
I Am Moore Page 14
