Chapter 25
Cleo
“Jeez Cleo, talk about a perfect first date!” Lana’s voice carried through to Cleo’s office, announcing her arrival that morning before she stood in the doorway seconds later. “Even Connor was impressed, and we both know how swoony he is, so it must have been good.”
The smile on Lana’s face didn’t hold a torch to the one on Cleo’s as she thought back to the day before. It really had been perfect. Ivy had been perfect.
She had been nervous, unsure whether she was ready to try again.
Then yesterday afternoon had shown her what she’d been missing.
She still couldn’t get over the ease with which they had shared conversation, and for several hours without one awkward silence.
She hadn’t even realized the time, or how empty the park had gotten until they noticed the drop in temperature.
She had been too distracted wanting to get to know everything there was to know about Ivy, and Cleo couldn’t remember that ever happening with anyone else before. Not even...
“Oh, are we at the daydreaming stage already?” Lana’s laugh cut through her thoughts as she looked up at her friend who was standing in front of her desk offering a coffee cup, with a grin. “A gift from your girl.”
“She’s not my girl, we’ve not discussed it, we’ve only had one date.
Thanks for the drink though,” Cleo was flustered as she reached out for the cup, and Lana sat it on her desk instead.
Cleo let out a sigh and reached for the cup before Lana started rotating it, revealing a note written on the cup.
“I don’t think you’ll need to discuss it for long, Ms. Foster.” Lana smirked, “I’m going to get started, shout if you need anything.” At that, Lana left.
Cleo lifted the cup and read the short message: Thursday night? Let me know ;)
The message was surrounded with little drawings of stars. Cleo picked up her phone from her desk and snapped a photo of the message on her cup, and attached it to a text to reply to Ivy:
Cleo: When and where? :)
She placed her phone back down on her desk, knowing Ivy would be too busy to reply given it was Monday morning, and every worker in the area would be looking for their caffeine boost to help kick start their week.
Cleo spent the next few hours working through her emails and making calls about various projects as she tried to keep herself busy and not constantly thinking of the amazing woman who was occupying her thoughts.
It was lunch time before Ivy’s reply came through, and Cleo couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face at Ivy’s name popping up on her screen.
Ivy: 8 p.m. outside the old book shop on the corner of 8th and Keller. Looking forward to it already :)
Cleo sent a reply agreeing to the time and location, before she searched the address online. Confusion hit when she realized the shop was a small vacant property. What did Ivy have planned? Cleo was equally confused and intrigued, but like Ivy, she was looking forward to it.
The afternoon flew by in a blur and suddenly the sky was darkening outside.
“Lana, did you hear back from the council about the Gibsons’ extension alteration? I haven't received the paperwork. They said needed my signature for approval to proceed.” Cleo asked, she heard Lana walking toward her office door.
“So,” Lana started as she walked over to Cleo’s desk, “the first alteration is fine, the second seems to be as well, but they have a problem with the type of windows the Gibsons want to use that face their neighbors. Apparently, there’s an ancient bylaw that nobody’s heard of that only impacts their street and the one which runs behind it, and their new windows won’t work.
I’ve sent you a link to the image of the bylaw book which the council has sent for you to work with. ”
The apologetic look on Lana’s face didn’t bode well. “There’s more, isn’t there.” Cleo didn’t ask, it was more of a statement.
“A few bad news points, actually. The Tanner’s build has been postponed by three months due to double-booking by one of their contractors, and they want to take the time to make sure they don’t want to make any changes before the foundations get poured; the retail units over on Fern are near completion but the contractor has reached out to question the placement of some of the electrical sockets – something about the height of them from the ground in some locations?
And finally, our favorite client’s assistant has been hounding me about your response to his request for you to find him a selection of commercial locations. ” Lana’s face said it all.
Cleo took a breath, “OK, I’ll take a look at the Gibsons’s bylaw issue and see exactly what that’s all about.
The contractor for the Fern project already knows the plans are correct as that particular issue was discussed over an hour of life I wish I could get back.
As for Mr. Copeland, well, I’ll deal with that later. ” She let out a sigh.
No matter how many emails and phone calls she fended off, he was relentless.
She made a mental note to reach out to her lawyer and see what wording needed to be added to her contracts to ensure if she took on this particular task with Jackson Copeland, that she had restrictions in place to limit his demands of her time.
She had the sinking suspicion that he was used to getting his way and would take advantage of anyone and anything along the way.
“Thanks Lana.” Cleo looked at her watch, 5:20 p.m.. “I'm just going fire off a few emails before closing up and heading home. That suit you?”
“Sounds great. Then you’ll have the rest of the evening to daydream about your girl.” Lana said through a grin as she headed out of Cleo’s office.
“She’s not my...” Cleo stopped as a message on her phone distracted her. She smiled as she saw who it was from.
Ivy: Don’t you just HATE Mondays?
“That look on your face says otherwise, Ms. Foster”, Lana said, head popped back in Cleo’s office.
Cleo stuck out her tongue at Lana without taking her eyes off her phone as she typed her reply to Ivy, listening to Lana let out a cackle of a laugh as she left the office again.
Cleo: Usually I would agree, but this one seems to have a few brighter moments in it than standard Mondays ;)
Cleo smiled. She couldn’t help it, she knew she should take her time with this, with Ivy, but there was just something about this woman that she couldn’t seem to get off her mind.
Whatever Ivy had planned for Thursday, Cleo couldn’t wait.
Maybe it really was time for her to let go of the weight of the past that she’d been carrying with her.
That had been dragging her down and holding her back.
She had to get back to living again. Maybe Ivy could help her get there.