“What if I was?” she fishes. I raise my head off her shoulder.
“What if you were, what?”
“I was going to talk to you at breakfast, but then the world ended, so I thought it would be better discussed at a later time.”
“What would be?” I push.
“Me, staying in New York permanently.”
“Really? No more traveling?” I perk up.
“Very little. The company wants to stand up a new international office in midtown. They want to bring the clientele here, to the US, and have asked me repeatedly to run it. I’ve always said no, but being here with you, helping you plan your wedding, seeing how much I’ve missed.” She shrugs. “I was thinking maybe it’s time to hang up my suitcase for a while.”
My eyes water for the umpteenth time today. “I think I would love that.”
Is it possible to lose someone you love and gain someone you love all in one day? I’m not sure how much more my heart can take. Right now, it’s being held together with duct tape.
“I don’t know what to do about Kam,” I confess. “I have to go home, but I don’t want to see him.” I’ve been fretting about this all day. “My presentation is tomorrow. I need clothes.” Luckily my portfolio is in the office. “I can’t show up in jeans.” I know if I go home, World War III will break out, and I just can’t afford to be emotionally shipwrecked right now. I need to keep it together, at least until after the presentation. My relationship can fall to shit after that. Not that I want it to.
At all.
Kam and I worked so hard to build this life, I don’t understand why he would just throw it all away.
The thought of him with another woman makes my stomach hurt. It’s exactly the same feeling I got when I saw him come out of the storage closet with Darcy in high school. He was innocent then, maybe he’s innocent now? Maybe there’s a logical explanation? Maybe I’ve lost half my damn mind? He has a hickey. The evidence is there. I can’t stop myself from wondering how many other women he’s been with, and I can’t get Monique’s voice out of my head. “Everything is all wonderful in the beginning.” Her French accent drips with disdain. “You have kids, a beautiful home, the American dream, so you say. Then you find out it’s all a ruse. A scam, because your wonderful husband has been cheating on you the whole time. You are the fool and everyone knew it but you.”
“Well, you know the great thing about having a power CEO for a mother?” My mom gets up off the couch and drags me with her. All the way into the bedroom. “Her wardrobe.” She opens her closet. It’s stuffed with all kinds of amazing clothes. She grabs a hanger and pulls out a suit. “This is my favorite. Always brings me luck, and it looks just about your size.” She smiles as she holds up the black Versace jumpsuit to my body.
“In this outfit, you can run the world.” The corporate shark circles and flails.
“I don’t feel like I could run around the block right now.”
“You will. You’re my daughter. All you know is how to survive. I couldn’t be prouder of the woman you’ve become. I wish I could take more credit for it.”
“I give you plenty of credit.” I hug her. “Even though you weren’t there, you always knew what to say.”
“I’m glad I did one thing right.” Hearing my mom divulge insecurities is somewhat odd. She barely ever shows weakness, but ever since she came back into town, she’s been different. More maternal, softer, approachable. I like this side of her. I like that she can be strong and soft all at the same time. It’s exactly how I want to be.
“Do you know what would make you the best mom in the world?”
“No, what?”
“If you’d let me have chocolate cake for dinner.”
She sighs dramatically. “Just this once. And I know the perfect place to order from.”
Kam blew up my phone all night. And all morning. I can’t talk to him right now. I’m too nervous to think about anything but this meeting, and the slightest distraction will no doubt throw me off my game. I want to impress my bosses, not dissolve into an emotional mess because I had a fight with my fiancé. I want to be able to block it all out and get shit done.
Sitting at a rectangular table by the front window in a trendy little restaurant in midtown I nervously present my idea to Tom and Joe, the owners of the company, and my bosses. They’re a gay power couple who have a sharp eye for design and forward way of thinking when it comes to business. It’s part of the reason I wanted to work for them so badly. Their buildings and décor spoke to me on so many levels. They inspired me while studying at college, and when I applied for an internship, I never in a million years thought I would get it. But I did.
Tom and Joe sit causally across from me in designer suits sipping espresso as I show them the AutoCAD design for the entryway and lobby.
“I know the building has a very conservative feel, but I think if we incorporated a water feature and cascading florals, it will complement the high-end aspect and add a welcoming feel.”
I show them the placement of the three-story water wall and bright climbing florals that will grow naturally on each side. The building has an abundance of natural light, so the water will sparkle and the plants will thrive.
Tom and Joe both nod their heads as I speak, but their attention is distracted. They keep looking over my shoulder. It’s nerve-wracking as hell. It feels like my attempts are failing. I want to panic, but I don’t. I just keep going, hoping I say something that will spark their interest. That doesn’t look like it’s happening, though.
Tom puts his cup down, and it clanks on the small saucer. “Is that Martel Lewis, Rodney Pines, and Landon Knobs signing autographs outside?” He asks, perplexed. I whip my head around to find a small crowd gathering outside the restaurant as all three of them sign autographs. What in the hell?
