A New Year's Kiss

by Delaney Cameron

  “You don’t seem to be overly concerned about it.”

  “I’m not. That, too, is a problem. I’m unaware of my precarious position. At the moment, I’m enjoying a temporary reprieve because I bought a house. I didn’t know this, but that’s a signal I’m getting ready to settle down and raise a family.”

  Norah laughed. “So that wasn’t your reason for buying Wilson-Dawes House?”

  He smiled faintly. “No. A few years ago I attended a Christmas party there. It sounds kinda silly to say out loud, but I fell in love with the house. I approached the owners with an offer, but they weren’t interested in selling. So I bought a condo and put my dream on hold. A few weeks ago, I found out from a business associate that Wilson-Dawes House was up for sale. I contacted Mr. Barnett and indicated my interest a second time. The rest you know.”

  “I don’t think falling in love with a house is silly at all. Someone who loves a house will always be a better owner than a bunch of strangers only interested in how much profit it makes. For obvious reasons, I’m glad you didn’t shut down the tours. Wilson-Dawes House is a vital part of Charleston’s history. It would be wrong to deprive the public of the opportunity to experience it firsthand.”

  “I agree.” He tilted his head to the side. “You love the house, too, don’t you?”

  “Guilty as charged,” she teased. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist. I’m as fascinated by its architecture and furnishings as I am by the families who lived there.”

  “I picked up on that during the tour you gave me. Are you a history major?”

  “You’re close. Art history.”

  Taylor arrived with their food. “Here you go, guys and gals. Let me know if something isn’t right.”

  “Everything looks great. Thanks, Taylor,” Lance told her. He didn’t miss the wink Taylor gave him in return. She obviously wasn’t buying his explanation for them being there. He shook his head as she walked away. “She’s as bad as my sisters.”

  “How many do you have?”

  “Four. All younger and very happily married.”

  She nodded. “I’m beginning to see the light. No wonder you didn’t move back to Georgia.”

  It wasn’t his family that kept him from going back. It was the thing with Holly. “That’s what I tell them when they gang up on me. I actually had another reason for wanting us to have lunch together. I got a call yesterday from the president of Charleston’s historical society. In the course of a long conversation with Mr. Loomis, I found out you used to work for him.”

  “Yes, I did. He hired me right out of college with little experience. I was in charge of event planning and fundraising.”

  “It just so happens that I need someone with that experience. I’m involved with Fallen Heroes, a charity that supports surviving military spouses and children. This year they decided to raise money by doing a bachelor auction. The lady who normally handles our fundraising events recently moved. I was wondering if you’d be willing to help me put this together. Obviously, I wouldn’t expect you to do it for free. I’ll pay you for your time.”

  “Sounds like fun. I’ll do it.”

  “That was easy.”

  She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a born organizer. I love this kind of stuff.”

  “This might seem like an impertinent question, but why are you giving tours?”

  “A little over a year ago, my grandmother had a stroke. I had to quit my job at the historical society to help take care of her. After she passed, my grandfather got pneumonia. He died a few months later. When I returned to Charleston in February, my position at the historical society was no longer available. This job got me close to two things I love: art and history.”

  Lance regretted giving in to his curiosity. He should have known she had a good reason for being where she was. “I’m so sorry, Norah. That must have been a difficult time for you.”

  “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and yet, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. There are debts you can never repay. My grandparents raised me from the time I was two months old. That wasn’t easy considering they were already in their sixties.”

  “You repaid them by bringing joy to their lives and putting your own life on hold to take care of them when they needed you. That’s the very definition of love; being around for not only the good times, but also the not-so-good times.”

  “My grandmother used to say that life isn’t all sunshine and roses. Sometimes it’s torrential rain and poison ivy.”

  Lance laughed. “She’s right.”

  “About the bachelor auction, has anything been done so far?”

  “Not much. We have the date and the venue. The auction will be held at the civic center on Saturday, December 10th. As you probably know from your past event planning efforts, it’s got a large stage, and we have the flexibility to arrange the viewing area however we choose. What we need is a bachelor who can create some buzz in the community and help spread the word. Carolyn suggested Perry Cabot, the guy who owns that cyber security company. I forget what the name of it is. Along with being a self-made billionaire, he’s apparently every woman’s fantasy. I’d like you to get him for us.”

  * * * * *

  Norah stared at Lance, paralyzed with shock. For a long moment, she entertained the horrible notion that he knew about her association with Perry. But that wasn’t possible. It had happened too long ago. “You want me to get Perry Cabot?”

  “No need to be nervous. Just contact his personal assistant and set up some kind of meeting. The fact that he comes from a military family is an advantage for us. Obviously, the sooner you initiate contact the better. From all accounts, he’s a busy man.”

  Just what she needed. More pressure. How was she going to do this? Just the thought of seeing Perry, let alone speaking to him, made her stomach clench.

  “I hope you saved room for dessert. The fruit pies here are almost as good as my mom’s.”

  Lance’s comment cut into Norah’s troubled thoughts. Dessert? She wouldn’t even be able to finish the food on her plate. Her appetite had disappeared at the mention of Perry’s name. At least the crab cakes wouldn’t go to waste. Oliver would make sure of that.

  “I can’t eat another bite.”

  “In that case, I’ll get a few slices to go.”

  Norah hardly heard him. Her mind was reeling. There were degrees of impossibility and varying levels of discomfort to be considered when faced with picking one’s poison. On the one hand, she didn’t want to appear indecisive (not to mention idiotic) by trying to get out of a commitment she happily agreed to only moments before. On the other, a meeting with Perry would be painful on a level she could hardly contemplate.

  * * * * *

  Lance collected the take-out box from Taylor and escorted Norah out the door of the restaurant. Getting her assistance with the auction was a major load off his back. If she could get Charleston’s most-talked-about bachelor to participate, the success of the auction was pretty much guaranteed. Word of mouth alone would sell enough tickets to fill the civic center.

  A glance to his left brought a faint smile to his face. Norah had subsided into a thoughtful silence he was hesitant to interrupt. Was she thinking about the possibility of meeting Perry Cabot? For whatever reason, that gentleman enjoyed an almost cult following among the female population in town. Carolyn had practically swooned just talking about him.

  Laughing inwardly, he reached for his phone to check his messages. There was a text from his sister Leah.

  ‘Don’t forget Jody’s birthday is Saturday.’

  This was the third reminder he’d received in the last twenty-four hours; the other two had been from Summer and Violet. The only one left was April. He’d probably hear from her before the day was over.

  ‘I won’t. It’s on my phone calendar. And in case you’ve forgotten, she lives with me.’

  ‘Don’t get snippy. You forgot your own birthday one year.’

  There was a good reason for
that. He’d just found out Holly was getting married.

  When they reached his car, Norah turned to him. “Thanks for lunch and the opportunity to do the bachelor auction. I hope I won’t let you down.”

  He smiled at her. “You won’t. I have every confidence in you. It’s twelve-thirty. Where do you want me to take you?”

  “To the salon. Gale sometimes finishes early. It’s on Abercorn next to the old theater.”

  “How will you get home?”

  “I can walk from there.”

  “I should have known. I’ve noticed you sometimes walk to work.”

  “It depends on the weather and how energetic I feel in the mornings.”

  “With traffic the way it is, it’s probably quicker to walk.”

  As if to prove his point, Lance couldn’t find a parking space anywhere close to the salon. He stopped in the middle of the road in front of the entrance, uncaring of the traffic piling behind him. “This is the best I can do. Sorry for dropping you off like a package.”

  She laughed as she reached for the door handle. “It’s fine. Enjoy the rest of your day off.”

  “You, too.”

  Lance ignored the honking horns and hand gestures while he waited until Norah disappeared through the glass door.

  He’d taken care of two things on his to-do list. That was good.

  He’d found at least ten more adorable things about Norah. That was not so good.

  He’d very badly wanted a reason to spend more time with her. That was disastrous.

  Chapter Six

  Norah nodded at appropriate intervals, only half listening to the details of her stylist’s latest breakup with her longtime boyfriend. The other part of her brain was thinking about the man she’d tried so hard to forget. Why couldn’t Perry be skiing in Switzerland, or tramping through the rainforests in South America? According to every press outlet in the country, that’s what he’d been doing for the last few months.

  By the time she reached her apartment, her head was pounding and there was a persistent sick feeling in her gut. All classic signs of being backed into a corner. Dropping her purse and keys on the coffee table, she sank down on the loveseat. Oliver joined her a few minutes later.

  “I’m in a mess, Ollie. A big, fat mess. I should have told Lance I’m the worst person for this particular job. Anyone else would be better. Carolyn, for instance. She’s the one who suggested Perry in the first place.”

  But Lance hadn’t asked Carolyn. He asked her. And she hadn’t said a word, which meant she couldn’t get out of it now.

  With the same attitude she might have used in approaching a snake, Norah slowly pulled out her phone and scrolled through the contacts. She’d nearly deleted Perry’s name several times, but something always stopped her. At first it was because she hadn’t wanted to admit that their time together was over, but as the years slipped past, it became more of a placeholder, a reminder of the time before her life was touched by tragedy and loss.

  They met long before he made a name for himself. It had been exciting to watch his rapid rise from computer geek to a wildly successful entrepreneur. Then the inevitable happened. He stopped coming around, stopped calling, and stopped texting. The realization that she’d been tossed aside like an old pair of shoes had stung. Rejection by indifference might be the worst kind. She hadn’t even been worth the courtesy of a face-to-face breakup.

  Her finger hovered over his name, her heart beating in heavy thuds. Maybe he wouldn’t answer, or better still, maybe his number had changed. With a feeling of finality, she touched the screen and silently counted the rings. One…two…three…four…

  “Hello. Who’s this?”

  Norah nearly dropped the phone at the sound of that achingly familiar voice. “It’s…Norah. Norah Comstock. You might not remember me…after all this time.”

  He laughed, the same husky laugh she’d heard hundreds of times before. “Of course I remember you. How are you doing?”

  There wasn’t the slightest note of reserve in his tone. He seemed genuinely pleased to hear from her.

  “I’m…doing very well.” That wasn’t quite a lie. She’d been perfectly fine until a few hours ago.

  “Where are you hanging out these days?”

  Her fingers tightened around the phone. She was right where he left her. “I’m in Charleston,” she said more lightly than she felt.

  “Really? I just got back in town a few days ago. We should get together. When can I see you?”

  It was as easy as that. Or as difficult. Norah wasn’t sure which.

  “That’s…actually why I’m calling. I wanted to speak to you. On behalf of my boss,” she tacked on for the sake of clarification. Her pride couldn’t stand the thought of Perry thinking she was calling on her own account.

  “I hope that’s not the only reason. You and I were close once. What happened with that?”

  The fact that he had to ask brought a grim smile to her lips. He obviously had no idea how much unhappiness she’d suffered on his behalf. “You know how it is,” she told him. “We’re both busy people.”

  “We’ll have to do something about that. Can you have dinner with me tonight?”

  In spite of everything, including her resolve never to make a fool of herself over this man again, she felt her heart flip over in her chest. “Yes. Certainly.”

  “We’ll go somewhere off the beaten path where we won’t be disturbed. Would six work for you?”

  She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Can we make it seven?”

  “Sure.”

  “I live in the yellow and white Victorian house on Abercorn Street.”

  “I know the one. We used to pass it on our way to the old theater.”

  The theater where he kissed her for the first time. “That’s right. I’ll be waiting for you on the porch.”

  “Just like old times.”

  She slowly put down the phone, those four words making their way through her mind. The nervous tension that had taken residence inside her was being replaced by the beginnings of something far more dangerous: anticipation. She and Perry were picking up the strings again. It wasn’t where they left off, but his eagerness to see her was gratifying in a way she wouldn’t have thought possible ten minutes earlier.

  The sudden knock on her door caused her to startle. It scared Oliver, too. He jumped off her lap and dove under the loveseat. Norah walked over and glanced through the spyhole. When she saw who it was, she quickly unbolted the lock and opened the door.

  “Let me guess,” she said, tapping her chin with her index finger. “You need help with another birthday present.”

  “Very funny,” Lance replied. “Just for that, I’ll hold on to your slice of salted caramel apple pie from O’Malley’s.”

  “I didn’t know I had a slice.”

  “That’s because I forgot to give it to you. I also forgot to remind you to get your books out of the backseat of my car.”

  He shouldn’t have had to remind her. It just went to show where her mind had been since Lance mentioned Perry Cabot. “I’m sorry about that,” she said, taking the bag from him and dropping it on the chair next to the door.

  “No problem. I was coming this way.” He held out a white take-out box. “I was kidding about the pie.”

  She smiled as she took the box. “Thank you. Can you come in for a few minutes? I’ve got some news for you.”

  “That sounds interesting.”

  He followed her into the living room. Oliver chose to make what in his opinion was a stealthy exit from under the loveseat. It fooled no one.

  “Who’s your friend?”

  “Oliver. He belonged to my grandmother. You’d never know it to look at him, but he’s a hundred and twelve. In cat years, that is.”

  “He can’t have reached that age without being very smart.”

  “Or very lucky. He’s used up most of his nine lives. Have a seat in the recliner. The springs in my loveseat have seen better days. I don’t want
you to get a poke in the bottom.”

  Lance laughed. “Thanks for the warning.”

  Norah sat down opposite him. “I’m having dinner with Perry Cabot tonight.” In spite of her nervous state of mind, it was fun to throw that out as if dinner with billionaires was a regular occurrence in her life. Lance’s stunned reaction didn’t disappoint.

  * * * * *

  The mischievous smile lifting the corners of Norah’s mouth was almost as shocking to Lance’s equilibrium as her announcement.

  “You’re what?”

  “I’m having dinner tonight with Perry Cabot,” she repeated.

  “That’s what I thought you said.” He eyed her with a mixture of respect and amusement. “How did you manage that so quickly?”

  “I used to know him a long time ago.”

  “Don’t stop now. You’ve got me on the edge of my seat.”

  “There’s not much more to tell. I called him up, and he answered. From there it was easy.” She shrugged and threw out that mischievous smile again. “He asked if we could get together tonight.”

  “Why didn’t you mention you knew him when we talked earlier?”

  “I wasn’t sure he’d remember me.”

  “Based on his reaction, I’d say your fears were groundless. His memories of you appear to be very strong.”

  “Hopefully that will work to our advantage.”

  Depending on how close the two of them had been, it could work to Perry’s advantage, too. Lance veered away from that line of thought. “I would wish you good luck this evening, but you obviously don’t need it. You’ve set the scene well. It only remains to be seen if Perry is willing to accept the role we’ve cast for him. Where’s he taking you?”

  “He said somewhere quiet, off the beaten path. He could have meant Rico’s. We used to…go there a lot…when I knew him before.”

  Those two pauses, slight though they were, revealed things Lance didn’t want to know. It appeared Norah and Perry had been more than friends. The fact that she hadn’t expected Perry to remember her told Lance that Norah was the one who cared more. His opinion of Perry fell dramatically. What man in his right mind would let someone like Norah walk out of his life?