Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
JAMISON
Chuck glares at me from across his kitchen. “You never discussed Aricin with Dori?”
“There was never a good time to do it. She was dealing with her miscarriages and I didn’t want to add insult to injury.” I sprinkle salt over the steaks I’m preparing.
“Aricin should’ve been one of the first things you talked to her about.”
“I know, Chuck, but I could never find a way to fit it into the conversation.”
“You don’t seem to listen to my advice.” He shoves a bunch of sliced mushrooms into the red wine sauce I’m making.
“What advice is that?”
“To work on your communication skills. This is the same issue you had with Dori on your first date. You leave out critical information and expect her to understand when she finds out another way.”
Like I don’t already know this.
Guilt stabs at my soul.
I take the steaks out to the grill to avoid his chastising, but he follows me .
“Chuck, no offense, but I can’t talk about that right now. I only want to know where she is so I can explain.”
“Any idea where that is?”
I open the grill lid. The steaks sizzle as soon as I place them on the iron to cook.
I shrug. “Melanie seems to think Dori’s holed up in her apartment and ignoring everything around her. Mel’s probably right. Dori’s style is to seclude herself until she has meticulously planned out her words.”
“You could always go over there and see if you can get her to answer the door.”
“I’ve tried that already. I stood there for fifteen minutes, waiting for her to open the door. If she’s in there, she’s not going to let me in. At least not right now.” A wave of hopelessness floats through my blood.
I flip the steaks over and sear the other sides. Chuck reaches to turn down the heat, interfering with my technique, so I swat him away. Searing is what keeps the juices in. You don’t decrease the heat until the lid is closed.
He backs away from the grill. “Give her the weekend and see what happens after.”
“That’s what I plan on doing. That will give her three days to cool off.”
“And if she needs more time?”
“Then I’ll give it to her.” My chest grows heavy because the longer we go without speaking, the worse it’ll be for me.
“How’s Lauren doing since that night? You said she had a breakthrough of some sort.”
I nod at the one good thing that came from that night. “She finally broke down and cried. It’s like all her anger fell away and she just dealt with the pain. She even started to pull my mom’s ring off her finger, but stopped herself before she did.”
“That’s good news. See, it’s like I said. She just needs more time to get used to the lost dreams of the family she thought she was building with you. Give her that and you’ll get the ring back.” He sits on a stool next to the grill.
I adjust the settings, flip the steaks, and lower the lid so they can cook. “You’ve been right so far, so I can only hope.”
“I know her better than you. You’re making headway, so keep the faith. She’s not a bad person like you say she is.”
“I don’t think she’s a bad person. I think she’s manipulative and plays games. She tends to use people until she gets what she wants.”
“Enough about her. What are your Christmas plans?” He gestures to the tree that’s visible through the window.
Emptiness fills me. “Well, I was going to surprise Dori with a quick trip home to see Aiden so we could talk to him about our relationship, but I don’t see that happening now. That means I’m watching football and eating takeout in my apartment.”
“Come over here for dinner. We can watch the games and share a drink or two.”
“Consider it done.” I check on the steaks and flip them.
“What about asking Lauren to join us? It could help your situation.”
My shoulders tense. “How?”
“Show her you don’t want to sever all ties. Show her how you can be friendly. She needs to see you two can work out the issues around Aricin in an amicable way.”
I place the spatula down and fold my arms. “I’ve tried that route before and it didn’t work.”
He raises his brows. “But you said she had a breakthrough the other night. Maybe she’s ready to deal with this as an adult. You’ve got to remember, Jamison, she’s only twenty-one.”
“I know. You wouldn’t know by looking at her she’s that young, but her maturity level shines a light on it.”
“Yes, it does. Now, what do you think about asking her to join us? ”
I want to roll my eyes, but I don’t. “What about her family?”
“I can’t imagine they’re doing anything, considering they’re divorcing and she’s their only child. But you’ll never know unless you ask.” He slides off the stool and starts toward the back door.
“I’ll consider it.” I finish cooking the steaks and take them inside to rest while we prepare the rest of our meal.
We set the table and I serve the food, twisting with confusing thoughts of Lauren and Dori.
Why did I think it was a good idea not to tell Dori about Lauren?
I thought I should fix my problems first and then let Dori in.
How can I make this right?
What if Lauren goes after Dori again?
Chuck and I sit down to eat.
He cuts into his perfectly grilled steak. “Does Efron Worldwide have a holiday party for their employees?”
“They do, but I’m not much for parties. Especially given what I’m dealing with.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“It’s a Christmas ball. Black tie and all the stops. I’m not in the mood to celebrate.”
“What if Dori goes?”
I shove a piece of meat into my mouth. It’s possible she could go, but would she? Mel would know, but she’s not speaking to me right now either, so the only way I find out is if I attend.
I swallow my food. “Chuck, I need your advice, and I promise to take it this time.”
“I’m all ears.”
“What are the chances Dori would go to that ball?”
He shrugs. “Given her position in the company, I’d say they’re pretty good.”
“And if she goes, could I talk to her then? Or is that completely out of line? ”
He places his utensils down. “If you can get her alone, then you could speak to her, but don’t pull her away. She needs to be in the driver’s seat. You just have to open the door.”
Newfound hope fills me. “Then that settles it. I’m going to the ball.”
“Is it this weekend? Because if it is, it might not be enough time for her to cool off.”
“No. It’s Thursday night.”
“That’s cutting it close to Christmas, don’t you think?”
“I wasn’t on the planning committee, but yes, it is.”
I swallow hard. Dori will understand if she listens to me, but getting her to do that seems impossible at the moment.
Maybe I should try her apartment one more time. I just have to hope she answers her door.
I knock on Dori’s door and wait for thirty minutes with no answer. My mind spins with where she could be. Anxiety covers me like a blanket when her neighbor comes out of his apartment.
“Hey man, she isn’t there.” He steps out of his place and locks his door.
“Do you know where she is?”
“Nope. I just saw someone carrying out a bag full of her stuff. Well, I assume it was Dori’s stuff because the woman had a key and locked up the place.”
“It wasn’t Dori?” I face him as he strides past me.
“Nope. It was another woman.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“No sweat. Happy Holidays.” He takes off down the hall.
I follow behind him. “Yeah, you too. ”
Where the fuck did she go?
And who was the woman with all of Dori’s things?
Melanie said she wouldn’t go to Hunter’s, so I’m guessing Dori went to a hotel to hide.
I drive home, thinking about her favorite hotel chains. Maybe calling them to see if she’s there will give me the break I need.
I stroll in from the garage to find Hunter standing at the elevators. He’s got his mail in his hands. Dori’s not with him, so that’s a good sign. He glances to the side and performs a double take when he spots me.
“Jamison. How are you this cold Friday night?”
I step up beside him to wait for the elevator, forcing down my near panic. “Fine, but I’d be better if I could find Dori. Any chance you know where she is?”
“I told you this morning. As far as I know, she’s taking an early vacation.”
“And it doesn’t bother you she just disappeared?”
The doors slide open and a couple of people get out. We step in and ascend to our floors.
“What makes you think Dorothy disappeared?” He studies me like he wants information. “Is she lost or something that I’m not aware of? Because if she is, you need to tell me.”
I would’ve put money on him knowing where she is, but now I’m not so sure. His reaction wasn’t what I expected. He seems as curious about this as I am. If he knew where she was, he wouldn’t have asked about her being lost.
I shake my head. “It’s just she went silent with no warning and with the launch coming up, I thought… I don’t know.”
“We have a nice break. I’m sure she’s using the time to get her stress level back to normal.” He laughs. “And by the looks of things, you should do the same.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.” The doors slide open to my floor as despair takes over.
We say good night and I rush to my apartment. I’ve got to check with Aiden one more time. Maybe he’s heard something.
I get into my place, toss my jacket on the back of my sofa, and then pull out my phone.
Me: Hey, any chance you heard from Dori today?
Aiden: I did. She’s on vacation, so relax.
Me: Did you tell her I need something from her?
Aiden: I did. She said you could email her if you needed anything. Oh, her phone is broken, so that’s why you couldn’t reach her. Now go enjoy your Friday night.
My lower stomach wrenches and I release a frustrated growl.
Me: I need the work question answered sooner than later. Do you mind sharing how you two connected with me?
Aiden: She’s using some temporary phone. Probably one she picked up from a convenience store, knowing her. Now, leave me alone. I’m on a date. You’re ruining my chances of adding a happy ending to my evening.
I toss my phone onto the kitchen island and rack my brain. She’s talking to Jonah and Aiden for sure. Last I spoke to Melanie, she still hadn’t heard from Dori.
I don’t know why, but I’m going to try again. I pick up my phone. It’s my only chance of getting any information.
Me: Mel, I know you’re upset with me and understand why. I promise to sit down and explain everything to you once I talk to Dori. Have you heard from her today?
I pull on my collar. All of a sudden, my outfit seems to squeeze me. Mel doesn’t respond immediately, so I go to my room and change my clothes.
I’d like to shower and wash this gut-wrenching anxiety down the drain, but I need to figure out if I can reach Dori first. I check my message when I get done.
Melanie: You’re right. I’m still mad at you. Even more so now that I’ve talked with Dori. So that should answer your question. She’s fine, but you need to give her space to figure out how she feels. If you don’t, you’ll make everything worse.
Fuck.
Dori needs to understand the entire picture before she takes time away to process it all. But how do I get Melanie to explain that to Dori without telling Mel everything? Dori needs to hear it from me, so I try another way.
Me: Please, Mel. Let Dori know there’s more to this story. She needs all the information before she shuts me out.
Melanie: You should’ve thought about that months ago. Really, Jami? How do you not see that?
She has me there. I’m fucked until Dori gives me a chance to speak. If she ever does. My stomach bottoms out and I swim in an ocean of despair.