by Pixie Chica
I park in the lot, not wanting to make contact with anyone, especially the always cheerful valet. I dread going to the room to see how many times Lacey checked on me, or even worse, finding none at all. Staring at my feet as I shuffle down the hall, I run right into the person I’ve been avoiding.
“Roni! I was so worried. The hotel didn’t have a clue where you went and you weren’t answering your phone. I nearly lost my mind. What happened?” She searches every inch, looking for an injury, but she won’t find any aside from the pain emanating from my heart. The concern plastered on her face mixed with her puffy eyes stabs me right in the middle of my chest. What am I supposed to do? Keep lying? I take a calming breath and realize the truth is my only option, no matter how much it hurts.
“I needed a day away, so I drove to Islamorada and I left my phone so I wouldn’t be distracted, then stayed overnight when I saw how late it was. I’m sorry if I worried you.” She stares at me like I grew two heads, then begins pacing a vein in her forehead visible, hands clenched into fists. I want to grab her, comfort her, but I have no right.
“Lace, are you…” but my throat is so dry and scratchy it’s barely a whisper.
She gets within an inch of my face, her body trembling. “Do not finish that sentence! You know damn well I’m not. I spent the better part of yesterday looking, calling hospital and clinics, sending you at least a hundred messages. I was a nervous wreck,” she resumes pacing as if she can’t bear looking at me before continuing, “only to discover you went for a drive. Were you even sick?” The question makes me grimace and I know she can see the answer without me needing to say it out loud. She smacks her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Jesus, I’m a fucking idiot. This really is a fling for you. All those words I said to you meant nothing. Well, hint received, I just wish you would’ve been honest with me. I deserved that much from you. Have a good life,” and with those parting words, she brushes past me, making sure our bodies don’t touch. Hell, maybe she’s right in doing so. I’ve already infected her loving, carefree soul with my actions. I’m not brave enough to go after her, to try and explain myself and my heart shatters. When she turns back, perhaps there’s hope after all. Fix this. My inner voice is screaming at me.
Lacey grabs my hips, her fingers digging into my flesh, the small pain welcome as I’d begun to feel numb. “Tell me you don’t feel this and I’ll walk away. But first, for fuck sakes I need to know this thing between us wasn’t my imagination. All those nights we shared together, the kisses, the stories, they couldn’t have been a lie, too.”
I swallow hard, wishing the world would collapse and swallow me whole. “It’s complicated. And there is something between us, but it’s impossible to keep,” I reply my eyes glued to the ground.
“Please, look at me,” she pleads and I slowly lift my gaze to meet hers.
“Lacey, I had a great time. I’ll even admit I’ve never felt this way about anyone else, but we knew this was how it’d end. Everything I’ve ever worked for, everything I am, is in New York. What happens when this fantasy is over?”
She hugs me, her body trembling, and I hold tight as if my life depends on it. And maybe it does. “I don’t know, baby, but we’ll figure something out. You have two days left before you have to leave. Give me that time to convince you to try. Please?” She presses our foreheads together and I breathe in her intoxicating scent and agree without hesitation. I moan when she pulls me in for a kiss that soon consumes us, like they always do, neither of us caring when someone whistles in the background. Her ringing phone finally breaks us apart and I can see her debating on whether to answer.
“I’m right here, I promise.” She looks torn, but eventually answers when it rings again. The conversation seems heated and I know something isn’t right. Wanting to give her privacy, I start to open my door only to stopped by her finger in my belt loop. I stay where I’m at waiting for her to finish her conversation. Taking this time to look around, I know while it’s beautiful here, I’d feel out of sorts eventually. I don’t know how we’re going to make this work, but a gnawing ache tells me I’d hate myself if I didn’t give it a chance.
“Renee needs me. There was a crisis on Allie’s cousin’s fishing boat, so I’ll have to be at sea for a few hours. I’d ask you to come, but it’ll be packed. Do not leave this hotel. We’ll get dinner when I return, then go dancing. All the things you love to do,”
“Okay,” We kiss briefly before she walks away, her glance back making me uneasy for reasons I can’t pin down. Entering my room, I take off my shoes and go into the bathroom where I take a hot bath. When I’m done, I try to find something to watch while I wait for Lacey and figure out what to order for lunch. Turning my phone on, it starts buzzing as if possessed. Guilt courses through when I see over a hundred and fifty messages and sixty missed calls from Lacey. But it’s the last text that surprises me, sending my plans to shit.
Katie: 911. Flight booked for Wednesday at 6PM. BE ON IT! PLEASE!!!!
Well, fuck.
Chapter Eleven
Veronica
Five days later…
Katie is eyeing me with curiosity through the open door of my office. I know I look like shit, and feel it, too. Whenever I try to eat, I want to heave, so I haven’t really had anything in my system since before leaving Key West, and my eyes red and puffy.
This company has been my sole focus for the majority of my adult life, which meant I had to help. Not only because of what it means to me, but Sylvia trusted me to take care of it and its hundred plus employees. So, when we were in danger of losing a major deal, which would’ve meant laying people off, something Beauty Beyond has never done, I had to come home and fix it. But it seems there was a price to pay…
I waited until the last moment before checking out of the hotel, barely making it to the plane on time, but it wasn’t long enough for Lacey to return as promised. No matter how many times I called her, it always went to voicemail, leaving me feeling helpless.
The next thirty-six hours were a blur as I dealt with everything, finally handling the situation to the best of my ability given the circumstances. Once I could breathe again, I dialed her only to get the same reaction. Reaching the end of my rope, I tried the bar and got a rather curt Robert instead.
‘Why don’t you leave her alone? You broke her, then disappeared like she was trash. This was obviously just a fling for you, so what do you want? You had your two weeks in paradise and didn’t care who you hurt while getting it. Don’t call here again, she wants nothing to do with you. And that comes directly from her.’ What little hope I’d had that we’d be okay faded at that point. I told myself maybe it was for the best, so I deleted the number and returned the temporary phone I’d been given, reclaiming my own. I still have my job and life here, so I should be happy nothing really changed, right? But that’s hard when my insides feel like they’re being eaten alive. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, there’s nothing I can do. What if she does? Does she know where to find me?
“Veronica, I know it’s not none of my business, but is there anything you might want to talk about? Did something, or should I say someone, happen on vacation?” She’s not only my assistant but a good friend, however, my personal life has always stayed just that, making her appear hesitant to bring it up.
“I’m fine, Katie, I think I caught a bug while I was gone. What’s on the schedule?” I ask, turning toward the window to focus on anything but the despair taking over. I have to get through today. I can’t continue to hide in here and shed tears for someone who apparently wants nothing to do with me.
“Sales pitches, but I can either cancel them or attend and send you a detailed summary. With the crisis adverted, everything is back to running smoothly.”
“Well... I…" When a knock startles us, we look at each other in confusion because the employees know not to interrupt our morning meeting. I start to put my heels on, but decide it’s not worth the effort. Whoever is on the other side shouldn’t be th
ere, and if I look less than my best, there’s nothing I can do about it. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I open it then proceed to blink twice.
Leaning against the jamb like she belongs here is my Lacey, looking as good as ever. I want nothing more than to jump her bones, her brooding expression turning me on. “You gonna keep me waiting, beautiful? It wasn’t easy to find you, I’ll have you know, and that’s after I almost killed Robert,” she explains, jerking her thumb to point at him appearing nervous as hell behind her, “when he let it slip that you’d called and he hadn’t told me,” she says, opening her arms and flashing me the half-smile that makes me weak in the knees. I hurry to her, wrapping my arms around her neck. She kisses me passionately, returning all the life that’d been sucked out of me since having to leave her. I need her now, the ache going straight to my core.
There’s loud cheering all around us, the employees located around my office hooting and hollering. They all know me as the boss that never sleeps, but if I don’t move this inside, they’ll know me for a completely inappropriate reason. I pull away as Katie walks past me, Lacey’s protesting the loss. “Katie, please handle the rest of my day, and do not let anyone near this door.” She nods with a huge smile, which turns into a giggle as Robert takes her hand and places a kiss on it. I should probably see what that’s about, but they can deal with it themselves. Katie’s quite feisty and Robert could use a tongue lashing for what he put me through. Besides, I have better things to do, such as make up for lost time. “Get your sexy ass in there, Lace. That’s an order,” I whisper to my lover.
“Anything you say, boss, but remember who’s in charge when I’m between your legs. And don’t think I’ve forgiven you for running out on me again. You deserve a spanking for that.” The lock on the door is activated and I shiver, thinking of all the naughty things we can do in here. But we really should talk about what happened first.
“There was an emergency here that only I could handle. I couldn’t get a hold of you to explain, and I waited at the hotel, hoping you’d come back before I had to go. I broke down in desperation and called the bar, that’s when Robert let me have it and made it sound as if you didn’t want anything to do with me,” I explain, sitting on my desk, giving Lacey space to stand in front of me so we’re face to face. She looks tired, and while I should probably feel bad for my next thought, I can admit to myself it warms me to think she’s been as upset about our separation as I have.
“I’ve missed you, Roni. My phone went overboard which is why I never got your calls or messages. Then I got to the hotel only to find you gone again. I was losing my mind, unable to believe you’d just leave after agreeing to give me time. It wasn’t until the third day after discovering you’d gone home that I overheard Robert confess to Renee. He’s lucky to still be alive, but I did threaten to make sure he’d regret the day he was born if I couldn’t find you.” Bringing my hands to her lips, she keeps them there like she’s holding on for dear life. This is all so surreal, that we’re getting another chance to make this work. “I told you I didn’t want to be without you and meant it. I love you.” I don’t miss the doubt that passes through her eyes or the way her hands are shaking. I give them a gentle squeeze, letting her know I’m in this with her and it seems to give her enough strength to keep going. “It’s crazy how I know that, but it’s as if everything stops and I run out of oxygen when I’m not with you, needing to get through until I can draw more in when I see you again. And that fucking scares the hell out of me. I’ve been a wreck the last few days.” The tears I was holding back flood out of me. How could someone change my entire future in just two weeks? I know exactly what she’s feeling because I’ve been trying to convince myself the world wasn’t ending and doing a poor job of it. After a few seconds she continues, “I know my place is by your side, I just need you to give me a chance to prove I’m worthy of that gift,” she pleads, her gaze not leaving mine, wanting me to see she means it.
“What about your friends and the bar? You love it there,” I say, wanting this so bad, but I can’t ask her to give everything up for me. It would destroy me all over again if she grew to resent me. She cups my cheeks in her hands, wiping away the tears with her thumbs. There’s so much love in that gesture, I know I could never let her go.
“Roni, the way you spoke of this place and the amount of dedication you have for it, is part of who you are. I couldn’t take that away from you nor let you offer to let it go. Yes, the work was fun, but it was something I was simply doing, it’s not my passion. That's you. I want to keep that fire going in your eyes, I want to see you shine like the star you are. Yes, I’ll miss the Keys, but you’re all that matters. I’ll remain a silent partner in the bar, and I have a few connections here that can lead to something because I can be a bartender anywhere, but there’s only one you. Will you let me prove to you that we belong together?”
“I fucking love you, Lace! I want to be your girl. Hell, you could ask me to marry you and I would!” I kiss her, throwing my arms around her neck.
“You mean that?” She asks, jaw ticking.
“Yes, all of it. Why?” I want to know, confused. A second later, she’s on one knee holding a beautiful gold band with a diamond surrounded by rubies. “What is this?”
“I wanted to come prepared to do whatever it took. We can have a long engagement, but I did leave everything behind for you, so I think that deserves something, even a consolation prize,” she smirks and I can’t help but love it.
“I guess I can sacrifice myself since you have a point. But if you think I’m not planning some big shindig you are wrong. I want the works – the poufy white dress and red bottom heels. The CEO of a fashion magazine can’t just be willy-nilly at the courthouse,” I warn her with a kiss after she slides the ring on me and stands.
“Whatever you want, baby, as long as we’re at an altar at the end of it.” We walk out of the office and I know everyone is trying not to make eye contact while still wanting to catch a glimpse of us. I stop dead center near all the cubicles, grab my fiancée’s hand and lift it up, knowing the light has to be hitting my ring.
“Front page new guys, I’m engaged! Go print that up! I’m off the market and ready to celebrate. We’re making the next issue about the wedding,” I inform them, ready to get started on the rest of my life.
Epilogue One - Lacey
One year later…
I’m nervously pacing the room at the Casa Marina hotel. I’ve been waiting a year for this day. My fiancée being a never-ending planner made us delay the wedding until this date. I argued that we should’ve done it on the anniversary of the day we met, but that was just me trying to hurry the process a couple weeks. My request was denied with the excuse she’s only doing this once, so it had to be perfect. With no intention to ever let her go, I couldn’t argue with that.
Mildred, who flew in with her daughter to be here for my special day, is laughing at my nervousness from the other side of the room. The moment she heard I was getting married she started her own planning, including a bachelorette party. I thought she was kidding, but I should’ve known better where she’s concerned. There were drinks and dirty games, but I’d vetoed her idea of strippers. I was convinced she had thrown it more for herself than me.
“If you don’t calm your tits that woman will run the other way. You’ve been so attached at her hip it’s a miracle she hasn’t swatted you yet,” she chuckles at me. Knowing she’s right, I do the same. The anxiousness of the wedding starting getting to me, so I may have started following Roni around like a lost puppy.
“Hey, she knew what she signed up for. I can’t help it if I want to be around her. Have you seen her? I’ve been quite patient if I do say so myself,” I reply.
“This is true. I’m so happy you found love. You had me worried, kid.” I shake my head at the label while loving her for it at the same time. “And you got yourself a good one. She has a strong head on her shoulders, and wow, is she driven. She reminds me a lot of m
e at that age, so you make sure you take good care of her. I know she will you. I can see the love between you both. And the amount of work she put into getting this together is spectacular.”
I’m admittedly in awe at everything she, Katie, and a few others put together. It turned into a destination wedding to Key West with the reception at the bar, Roni flying everyone here at her expense and it was worth every penny. They’ve become family and a lot of them pitched in to help. The designers did a fantastic job on her dress, a friend of mine, the cook at the new bar I manage, baked our cake, and Travis, a photographer who used to work for Roni, offered to take our pictures. Roni and I have become quite close with him and his wife.
Yes, everything is simply perfect, except I’ve been forbidden from seeing the bride because of the whole dress and luck thing. I think it’s unfair since we’re both wearing one, although mine is a lot simpler than hers, or so I was told. I’m excited and nervous, wanting nothing more than to start the ceremony. I start pacing when I hear a knock and find Travis on the other side with his camera. “How’s bride number two? You get cold feet yet?” He asks, causing me to roll my eyes.
