Chapter 23
Maryellen
When Evie walked out of the coffee shop the other day, it felt as if my entire world had split open, swallowed me up, but kept me prisoner instead of spitting me out. Telling her everything helped in some way, but not in enough ways.
My meeting with Harper went fine. I probably made it more business-like rather than two friends planning a party for her, but she didn’t seem to notice. Striking Amanda from the invite list was fun to do. Plus, my mood lifted while I was with her.
As soon as I got back to the office, it all went to hell when I thought I’d missed that meeting with Gage.
Ever since, my performance at work had faltered. My focus wasn’t where it needed to be. And that didn’t sit well with me.
I have my mother to thank for all my anxieties.
So classic to blame your parent, right? When a parent puts many of the survival responsibilities on a teenager, it was bound to happen.
At the tender age of thirteen, she had me working after school and on weekends to help pay for food and the utility bills.
Needless to say, our electricity was turned off numerous times.
My past was rearing its ugly head and forcing me to face it head-on. Hopefully I could breathe normally after this godforsaken party.
Suddenly, I looked down to see a single white rose placed on my desk. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Glancing up, I was treated to the most magnificent hazel eyes beaming at me. His scruff was at that perfect length—just short enough to be professional, just long enough for me to want to drag my nails through it. And it never hid his dimple.
“Good morning,” I responded.
I hated the stress I created between the two of us since Monday and my episode. I knew he probably thought it was something about us. But seeing him, and the smile he had, made me realize maybe things would be OK.
“What’s this for?” I asked as I picked up the stem.
With his whole body, he leaned over my desk to kiss my cheek. His scent filled the air, a combination of the soap I knew he used with undertones of leather and wood. I had to restrain my hands. They wanted to clamp around his neck and keep him next to me because he smelled so good.
“To make you smile,” he said as he straightened. “Do me a favor, google the meaning of white roses when you get a chance. That’ll make you smile again.”
He started walking to his end of the floor. It was a delight to watch. His tailored suits were sculpted to his muscular frame, his strong legs and ass outlined perfectly.
“I can feel you watching me.” He laughed as he spun around to catch me doing exactly that. “Do me a solid and keep my brother away from me this morning, I won’t be working. I’ll be practicing my playlist for tonight.”
His cheerful demeanor was exactly what I needed to get me through the rest of this week.
“I’ll do my best,” I yelled to him. “I can’t wait for tonight!”
He waved in acknowledgment as he entered his office and closed the door. As soon as he did, my fingers were searching Google about white roses.
A silly grin was plastered across my face as I read the various meanings behind the flower on my desk. I had an idea which one he intended, but it could be a couple.
“You have an admirer,” Gage said. His warm smile was a comfort considering how things transpired the other day. “Should my brother be nervous?”
“No worries there,” I told him.
“Too bad, he needs to be kept on his toes.” His laugh filled our space as he made his way toward his office door. “C’mon in, I have a meeting I need some help prepping for.”
Good. This was good. I needed to work and keep my mind occupied. Stay busy and make it to tonight.
“Maryellen!” Harper came running up to me as soon as she came through the doors of the bar. Gage followed right behind. He was never far from her. If you watched closely, he rarely wasn’t touching her in some way. A hand on her leg. A knee touching hers. Their hands clasped.
They were a goal couple.
Both were beautiful as well.
“Hi, Harper. I’m so excited you’re here,” I said as she hugged me. “Chase was nervous people wouldn’t show up for him tonight.”
She joined the mass of coworkers and friends congregating at the multiple tables we’d shoved together. There had to be over fifteen of us already, and Mitch and Evie hadn’t arrived yet.
“Where is Chase?” Harper filled her glass from one of the pitchers of beer. “I thought he’d be here with us until he went on.”
“I thought so, too, but they apparently have them stay in the back room.”
Her ring sparkled on her finger as she drank from her pint glass.
“Oh, Harper.” I felt terrible. My day from hell was never going to let up on me. “I never asked to see your ring the other day. Give me that hand.”
The pink diamond was almost wider than her slim finger. It shimmered as I moved her hand around to see it on all sides. It was stunning.
“I love the color,” I told her. She beamed as she looked at it herself. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I’m sorry if I seemed off at our meeting the other morning. I was. You were the highlight of my day. I hope I wasn’t too awful.”
Her head swiveled to look at me, concern showing in her pinched brows.
“You OK? I mean, you didn’t seem your typical chipper self, but everyone is allowed an off day.
” She looked around conspiratorially. “Anything to do with a certain Parker boy? And I don’t mean your boss, though I’m sure he can ruin your day sometimes, too. ”
At that moment, Gage appeared at her side. His hand wrapped around her waist, causing her eyes to flutter closed. It seemed too personal for me to witness, as if I should turn around.
“What are you two talking about?” Gage asked as his mouth nestled into her neck.
Harper turned her head his way and kissed him gently.
“Something not for your ears, big guy.”
As she unwrapped herself from his hold, he gave us both a fake dirty look.
“C’mon, let’s take a walk.” Harper grabbed her drink and my arm and off we went. Once we made it to the bar, we found two empty stools and sat down. “Are things going well with you and Chase?”
It was on the tip of my tongue. To tell her what has been going on in my inner world. To get another opinion.
“Everything’s been going great. I mean, it’s early. We’ve only just started this relationship thing, but…it’s not him. I’ve got other shit that’s unfortunately affecting every part of my life. And…”
She grabbed my hand while waving down the bartender. “You need a drink, girlfriend. What do you want?”
A drink was exactly what I needed. “I’ll have a dirty martini, extra olives, please.”
The bartender smiled and nodded before grabbing the bottles of vodka and vermouth directly in front of us, making a show of his drink making. Harper and I watched until he slid the drink in front of me, delicately balancing a stick of five olives on the rim of the glass.
“Thank you,” I said before mixing the drink with my olive stick.
I ate two of them before turning back to Harper.
She was patient and not pushing me to share.
“Have you ever had something that pervaded your entire being, and you couldn’t get beyond it?
Like, it’s taken over every thought, and it’s not allowing me to enjoy the simple things in life right now. It’s hanging over me, constantly.”
She sat, thoughtful, while she looked at me.
“When I used to work at The Velvet Rope, there were people in my life I wanted to keep that from. Not everyone, but some. I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you’re dealing with, but I remember the stress that put me under.
When Gage found me there, it all crashed down on me. ”
I was the one who set up the party at the club. For the two of them to meet up again. That opened my eyes. Their story, their life, was created from a moment she dreaded.
“That’s on me,” I told her. “I did that to you two, I’m sorry.”
She wrapped her arm around me.
“Don’t be sorry, I’m thankful for it now. If it didn’t happen, maybe Gage and I wouldn’t be where we are now. We eventually figured out the role you played in us meeting. You were a sneaky one, Miss Matchmaker Maryellen.”
As I took a big gulp of my drink, I lifted my eyebrows in her direction. “You’re welcome?”
She barked out a laugh, and I followed.
“Hey, I was with Mr. Gage ‘Curmudgeon’ Parker every day before you two got together. He was miserable. And I had a hunch the two of you would hit it off but knew he would resist any suggestion I gave about it. I had to get creative.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder, hugging me. “I love you for it, girl. I really do. He’s my soul mate, I’m sure of it.”
We continued talking while finishing our drinks. My mind kept drifting to the idea that her and Gage’s relationship started on a sour note for her. It gave me hope I could push through.
“Let’s head back to the table, I don’t want to miss the start of the live music,” I said.
As we stood, she stopped me. “You good? Like, do you need to talk about anything else? We could meet up next week after the party if you want, maybe do dinner.”
“How about the four of us do dinner?” I suggested. “Or maybe the six of us? Mitch and Evie are seeing each other. That would be fun.”
“It’s a date. Put it on your boss’s calendar.”
As we approached the now even larger group, Evie ran up to us.
“Where the hell have you guys been? I’ve been stuck here with finance bros and girls I don’t know.”
She latched on to our arms for dear life as she dragged us to some empty chairs. Pushing us into our seats, she poured us each a beer, sat between us, and held up her glass.
“Cheers, bitches!” she yelled. “And by the way, who the hell is the fancy bitch in the leather pants? I’ve never seen her before, the guys are drooling all over her, and do I need to be worried?”
As I looked to the other end of the table, Mallory was being bombarded by the juniors in the company. I wanted to save her.