Grateful for her, the only good thing during my years at NexaCorp, I give her a quick and tight hug. “Thank you again, Daisy. You made it all a little more bearable.”
“I’m glad I could help, Gen. Now, go find that handsome man of yours and reinvent your life.”
I laugh from the relief, the stress, and the hundred other things rushing through my head at the moment. It feels as though my life starts today, and I’m scared I won’t have the one thing I genuinely want in it.
But I have to try, so I rush to the sidewalk and hail a cab. One stops soon after my first attempt, and I hurriedly open the door and lower inside.
“To Brooklyn,” I demand before murmuring to myself, “To Ladder Guy.”
The familiar front of The Parlourdoesn’t feel as welcoming as it used to. Within these walls lies the answer I desperately seek and need.
Will Jake forgive me for being as blind and obtuse as I have been? I abandoned him in favor of my horrible mother two days ago, and he has every right to reject me for it. Even if every cell in me knew it was a mistake, my mind was too far gone to realize it.
I’ll never do something that stupid ever again. Vivienne and Gerard Kensington are out of my life. I won’t let them ruin my future like they did my past.
Standing in the middle of the sidewalk, I stare at The Gallery’s window, trying to muster the courage to enter. The taxi dropped me off a few minutes ago, and I’ve been right here ever since. “Come on, Gen,” I mumble to myself. “If you can’t fight for us, then you don’t deserve him.”
I can still picture the hurt in his eyes, the betrayal on his face… I messed up, and I’m so scared it’s irreparable.
Someone enters The Gallery, and as they hold the door open for me, I’m compelled to step inside. While the person remains on the ground floor, I slowly make my way up to The Parlour’s waiting room. There’s someone I don’t know behind the counter, and when I pass the detector that makes a bell chime, the woman turns to me and offers a smile. She looks very welcoming, with her pink hair, light brown skin, and round cheeks.
“Welcome to The Parlour,” she says when I reach the high desk. “Are you here for information, or do you have a booking with us?”
“I’m, uh, is Jake here?”
“Yes, I think he’s in his office.”
“I need to talk to him.”
“Are you a friend? Who should I announce?”
“I’m his girlfriend.” God, I hope I still am.
“You’re Gen? It’s so nice to meet you! We’ve heard so much about you.”
“Oh, thanks. I haven’t been around here much, so I didn’t get to meet all of you guys.”
“I’m Cass, Cassidy. I was one of Jake’s first hires. He came to get me all the way in Atlanta when he opened this place.”
“That’s amazing! The few people I talked to last time told me how great of a workplace this is.”
“Your boyfriend is one hell of a man.”
“He really is, yes.”
The small talk helps soothe my nerves a little, but the reminder of Jake’s incredible personality only makes me feel stupider.
“Gen?” a friendly voice calls out. I turn and find Eli coming out of the hallway that leads to the offices. “Hi! What are you doing here?” he asks.
“She’s here to see Jake,” Cassidy explains in my stead.
“Oh, you’re in luck. He hasn’t left for his lunch yet. Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
I shake my head.
He takes my arm and leads me toward the hallway. “Did something happen? He’s been all moody since that dinner you had the other day. But he won’t tell us what it is.”
“I messed up, but I’m here to fix it. Can you go get him, please? But don’t tell him it’s me.”
