Chapter 22
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 say drifting,” she began, only to have Ava cut her off.
“I’m not sure there’s a better word. Success requires effort and not just in the workplace. What about with Aaron? Are you drifting there, too? You don’t have a life plan, yet you plan to marry him. What exactly will you bring to the table?”
Shannon felt a flicker of annoyance and hung on to it with both hands. “I love Aaron, and I’m good for him. We’re a strong
couple. You don’t know either of us well enough to judge our relationship.”
Ava didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
They looked at each other for a few seconds, then Shannon glanced away before standing.
“I won’t take any more of your time. I just wanted to thank you.”
“Of course. I was happy to help. I’ll walk you out.”
They started for the front of the building. As they approached the door, Ava turned to her.
“Your mother believes in you. She would do anything for you, and her love is forever.”
“I know. She’s amazing.”
“She would want to know about the engagement.”
Shannon smiled tightly. “I appreciate you sharing your opinion. Have a nice day.”
With that, she ducked out and raced for her car. When she was safely inside, she carefully locked the doors and sucked in
a breath.
Everything about her encounter with Ava had been awful, she thought as she drove away. The woman was a terror. No wonder Victoria
was so strong. She had to be in order to survive.
Victoria studied her completed Lego blue morpho butterfly. It had come out surprisingly beautiful with pretty flowers around
the base. Javiar’s beetle was uncomfortably lifelike and apparently true to size.
“I don’t want to be anywhere those are,” she told him, touching the giant pincher. “That thing looks like it has the jaw strength to not just break skin but possibly crush a bone.”
“I’d protect you.”
She grinned at him. “Yeah, I think you’d be running and screaming like a little girl.”
“I wouldn’t be screaming.”
“Oh, you would. I don’t even have to close my eyes to imagine it.” She got up and carried her Lego over to the TV cabinet
and placed it on one of the shelves. “I’ll leave it there until I win my Oscar.”
“Good plan. Speaking of your Oscar, how’s the screenplay coming? Last time you said it wasn’t going well.”
She returned to her seat. “Let’s not talk about my work. Currently it sucks.”
“Why is there suckatude? It can’t be a lack of talent.”
“Thanks for pretending you have a clue about my ability when in fact you don’t. I could be a really lousy writer.”
“You’re not. You like to excel, so if you were bad, you would either work until you were good or you’d find something else
to do. Mediocrity isn’t your jam.”
“You’re right, it’s not.” She slumped back in her chair. “I’m having trouble with a scene. It’s just so stupid. Everyone keeps
telling me I have to bleed on the page.” She looked at him. “That means I have to open myself emotionally and barf up a bunch
of feelings. No one is asking for actual blood.”
“I kind of figured that.”
“Okay, well, you are a layperson, so I wasn’t sure.”
He grabbed her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “So why can’t you bleed?”
“Because I’m emotionally shallow.” She stared at their joined hands. “What are you doing?”
“Connecting with you on a physical plane. You’re not shallow, by the way. You’re scared.”
She snatched her hand back. “I’m not scared. I don’t get scared. Nothing intimidates me.”
“My beetle does.”
She glanced at the Lego. “Okay, yes, in real life, that totally would, but that’s a healthy fear of something that could maim
me.” She grimaced. “Do you think it’s poisonous?”
“Possibly.”
“Then I’m definitely giving it my respect and avoiding its home continent.”
“So why can’t you bleed?”
She glared at him. “You asked me that already.”
“Yes, but you didn’t answer.”
She was torn between hitting him and changing the subject. “I don’t know what they want my character to feel. She gets dumped,
it’s sad, she moves on.”
“Is the scene the breakup?”
She nodded. “She says all the things you’re supposed to say, but I keep getting feedback that there’s no gut punch. Maybe
they’re all stupid, and the scene is fine.”
“If you believed that, you wouldn’t be worried about whether or not you have it in you to write it.”
He was getting way too insightful, she thought, knowing it was absolutely time to change the subject. Fortunately her shiny
new walking cast allowed her to be a lot more mobile.
She stood and moved toward him. Before he could figure out what she was doing, she pushed the table back a few inches and
slid onto his lap, straddling him.
“I think it’s time for us to start kissing,” she murmured, right before she pressed her lips to his.
Given how much he was resisting having sex with her, she wasn’t sure if he would respond, but Javiar immediately put his arms
around her and kissed her back.
She tilted her head and parted her lips.
He took the hint and deepened the kiss. Perfect, she thought hazily, enjoying the wanting that built up inside of her.
He moved like he knew what he was doing and enjoyed the process.
She liked the feel of him, and how his breath quickened. They were going to be great together.
His hands rested on her waist. She grabbed his wrists and moved him until his palms cupped her breasts. When his fingers brushed