Shannon parked in front of the one-story house in the upscale Westwood neighborhood. Like most of the other houses in the area, it had been converted into a business. She stared at the unassuming building and tried to convince herself she could simply deliver her message via text, only she knew that was the coward’s way out.
She walked inside, not sure what to expect. She didn’t know much about Ava’s foundation, although based on the elegant reception area, they were well funded. A stylishly dressed thirtysomething woman looked up from her desk and smiled.
“Good morning. May I help you?”
“I was hoping to see Ava for a few minutes.” She paused, thinking she probably should have called first or made an appointment. “I’m Shannon Van Horn. She’s, ah, not expecting me.”
“Please.” The woman motioned to one of the elegant chairs in the waiting area. “Let me speak to her assistant and see if she’s available.”
As Shannon perched uneasily on the edge of the seat, the other woman made a quick call. Seconds later she rose.
“She’s available now. Let me show you back.”
Shannon followed her down a short hallway and into a spacious office. Ava smiled as she rose from her desk.
“Shannon, this is unexpected. Please, come in. Would you like some coffee?”
“I’m good. Thanks for seeing me. I didn’t think to make an appointment.”
“Not a problem at all. Things are quiet today.” Her smile widened. “We’re not giving away any money until the new quarter starts.”
Shannon gave a little laugh although she wasn’t sure if Ava was kidding or not. Everything about the situation made her uncomfortable—not just the elegant surroundings, but who Ava and Milton were. She thought about their huge house and Milton’s job. She’d grown up in a very modest house in Culver City. Yes, Luis’s company sold multi-million-dollar houses, but no one she knew lived in one. Well, except for Ava and Milton.
“How are you?” Ava asked when they were both seated. “And how was the seminar? I hear such good things about it. Was it all you’d hoped?”
Shannon told herself to just blurt out the truth and then move on with her life.
“I want you to know how much I appreciate you thinking of me and getting me into the class, but it wasn’t a good fit. I’m not interested in cinematography at all, and I have no desire to work in the movie business.”
“Oh. All right. Well, you tried, and that’s what matters. So what does interest you?”
“You mean for a career? I don’t know. There are things I enjoy, but I’m not sure what excites me in the long term.” Nor could she seem to find the energy to figure it out, which was even more troubling.
“So you’re just drifting?” Faint outrage sharpened Ava’s voice. “Have you tried finding the intersection of your talents and interests? I know there are career assessment tests you can take.”
Ava sounded like a slightly meaner version of her mom. “I’ve taken several of them,” she said, hoping her tone wasn’t defensive. “I don’t find them helpful. One indicated I would do well in microbiology when I don’t like science very much at all. Another suggested I become a grade school teacher.”
“I take it that wasn’t appealing.”
“Not really. There are aspects of my job I like. I also enjoy helping Aaron with his business. We’re a great team.”
“As you’re getting married, that’s a good thing.” Her gaze narrowed slightly. “You are still getting married?”
“Yes, of course.”
“And you still haven’t told your mother?”
“I, ah...” She felt herself flush. “No, I haven’t.”
“Don’t you think Cindy deserves to know? You’re her only child, and she loves you with all her heart. She’s devoted to you, Shannon. She gave up everything to raise you. She deserves some respect.”
Shannon tried not to cringe. “I want to tell her. It’s just with her getting married and me being engaged, well, it’s complicated.” At first she’d feared the whole double wedding issue, and now she was concerned she’d waited so long there was no good way to share the news.
Ava studied her for a few minutes. “You avoid difficult situations, don’t you? That’s what’s wrong here. You don’t want to do the hard work of figuring out your future, so you take the easy way out by working for your mother. You don’t want to tell her about your engagement, so you hide the truth rather than being honest. You’re drifting through your life. I’m sorry to be blunt, but you are.”
Shannon suddenly got everything Victoria had been saying about Ava. The woman was brutal. She thought about pointing out that she’d sucked it up enough to face Ava and tell her the truth but somehow couldn’t say the words.
“I wouldn’t saydrifting,” she began, only to have Ava cut her off.
