Then, without a goodbye, she ends the meeting. I immediately pick up the phone and call Jessa. She answers on the first ring.
“Do you have a radar for tears or something now?” she asks, sounding weepy and miserable. “Or maybe I just cry all the time and only notice it when you call?”
We’re not on video, but my heart clenches at her sniffles. “Jessa,” I say gently. “Would now be a good time to come visit you? I can stay in a hotel if I’ll be in the way.”
“Oh my God,” she wails, literally wails into the phone. “How soon can you get here?”
I grin, and tears wet my lashes. “Okay, calm down. I haven’t booked anything, and I can’t stay long. I need to take a trip for work, but I’m thinking by the end of the week. Possibly sooner.”
We hash out the details, and I even talk to Jessa’s mom, who sounds grateful to have someone coming by to help. After I end the call, I send an email to Theresa confirming I’ll attend the meeting with the team in the morning, but that I’ll be out of the office for one to two weeks after. I add a line at the end of my email with a request.
Theresa, I know we’re going to have to communicate to the contractors that the work will stop. Is it possible you’d let me handle that personally? I’ve been working with these companies and would like to preserve the relationships if I can. You never know what might happen. If we settle, etc., we’ll want to keep the same team in place. And I’d like to be the one to soften the blow if I can.
She replies back with one sentence.As long as the lawyers say it’s okay, yes.
That’s good enough for me. I start to get excited, quickly checking airfare and booking a flight out of Cleveland tomorrow night. I’m not sure that I can fix any of this. But I have a plan to try.
I spend the rest of the afternoon packing my bags and cleaning my place. On my counter is the white flower dish that came with the bouquet Benny gave me the day after we met. What a long time ago that seems like now, but really, it’s only been a matter of months. But during that time, I’ve changed. I’ve opened up to things that I never thought I wanted. I only hope that this is what I truly want. This is a lot to think about…too much, really.
But for the first time in my life, I’m curious what might happen, what new adventures and exciting firsts I can experience if I ditch the one-year plan. If I stop chasing new dreams. If I set down roots and let myself finally find a place I can call home.
Now I just have to break it to Benny that I’m leaving.
I spendthe afternoon running around Star Falls. I make a stop at the very small mall to pick up the sexiest lingerie I can find.I buy a bottle of champagne and two flutes, then stop at the florist to buy two red roses. I want tonight to be special. It will be our last night together for a while, and I don’t know what will happen when I talk to Benny about my plans. Will he still want to date, knowing that I’m leaving? Knowing that my plan might not work?
I want to be prepared to make it special. Especially if this is really, truly the end for us. I don’t want to think that it could be, not after everything he said. But something like this could be too much for a new relationship to manage. I have to brace myself for whatever happens.
When Benny arrives home, it’s well after ten. As promised, I’m in his bed. There is a bottle of champagne chilling by the bedside, along with the flutes. I plucked the red petals from the roses and sprinkled them in a path from the front door to the bedroom, which was dark except for the warm, flickering orange glow of a bunch of candles.
I’m lying on top of the bed, my entire body covered head to toe in comfy pajamas and socks. Underneath, I’m wearing the very naughty items I bought at the mall, but I want to leave that little tidbit as a surprise.
“Babe?” I hear him call as he locks the front door.
He follows the rose petals to the bed and leans down to kiss me. “What’s all this?” He takes in the candles and the roses, a grin on his gorgeous face.
My heart seizes in my chest. He looks tired but happy. A lock of hair flops over his forehead, and I reach up and push it back.
“I smell like I just took a swim in garlic sauce,” he says, sniffing. “Give me two minutes to shower.”
I pop the cork on the champagne and fill two glasses, then when I hear the water turn on, I slide under the covers and take off the warm socks that cover the thigh-high red stockings I’m wearing under my pajama pants. I lean back and listen to thewater running through the pipes. I think about what I’m going to tell Benny. Where to start. It’s not going to be easy, but if he is half the man I believe he is, things will be okay.
He comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later, his hair damp and a loose pair of pajama pants riding low on his waist. He is stunning. Beautiful. His face lights up with a cocky smile, and he takes a running start and then dives into the bed on top of me.
He lands with a crash, shifting the bed on the floor, and we both burst out laughing. He nods at the champagne. “You’ve been busy today,” he says, kissing me once, twice, then three times on the lips. “Mm, fucking delicious. So, what are we celebrating?”
I lean over and grab a flute, then hand him one and take the other. I hold mine up and offer a toast. “Well, to both of us failing and then rising like phoenixes.”
He looks confused. “I don’t get it, but I’ll drink to it.”
We clink glasses, take a sip, and then I set both flutes on the bedside table beside us.
“So,” I say, leaning back against the pillows. “Pancake Circus is dead. But I have a plan to bring it back to life.”
“What?” He widens his eyes, and his mouth drops open. “Willow, what does that mean? What happened?”
I explain about the Kincade family backing out for reasons that they haven’t shared. How the injunction will possibly stop construction and tie up any progress on the project until the long legal battle is sorted out.
“But,” I say, “I’ve lived and breathed this project for two years. I know this will work. We just have to get the place open.” That’s when I look at him. “I booked a flight down to Florida. I leave tomorrow. I’m going to the original location, and I’m going to stay there until the owners agree to talk to me.”
