29. Chapter 29
Getting ready for work this morning, I can’t stop thinking about last night.
Leaving Aaron after sharing that kiss was harder than I’d like to admit. If I’m completely honest with myself, I wanted to stay in his arms all night. The realization frightens me.
The attraction we have for each other is undeniable, but I can’t afford to continue playing this game. Aaron and Holly deserve better. They deserve something I’m not able to give them - my heart.
Just as I’m ready to walk out the door, the phone rings. It’s Dad, and I can tell he has me on speaker.
“Loren, Sweetheart,” Dad’s voice sounds strong and direct. “Are you still going to Greece with us?”
“I am,” I say. “Why would you think I’m not going?”
“We just wanted to make sure,” Mom says.
“I’ve been looking forward to our trip,” I say. “I’m not going to change my mind.”
“How are things going, Peanut?”
I smile before answering him, “Things are going well, Daddy. The studio is in good hands. Sam is a godsend. He’s running the place all on his own lately.
“Speaking of Sam,” Dad begins, “He expressed interest in buying the studio if you ever want to sell it.”
“Yes, he’s told me that before. But what would I do if I didn’t have the studio?”
After making plans for lunch on Sunday, we say our goodbyes.
As I’m pulling out of my garage, I see Aaron and Holly driving out as well. As soon as Aaron sees me, he stops the car and heads in my direction.
“Hi, Auntie Loren!” says Holly from the back seat. I smile and wave at her before glancing back at Aaron.
My heart immediately goes into overdrive. He’s wearing a suit and tie under a full-length trench coat.
“Good morning,” he says as he rests both hands on the roof of my car, looking in. “You look beautiful.”
When I find my words again, I smile and clear my throat.
“You look very nice too,” I say.
“I have a meeting at the bank later this morning, so I have to look presentable.”
He looks almost as good as he smells. I want to climb out of this car and throw myself at him just so I can inhale the scent of his cologne and wear it on my skin the rest of the day. God, what am I thinking?
“It was nice seeing you,” I say. ”I have to go, but um, have a good day.”
“Before you go,” he begins, “can Holly and I take you to dinner tonight?”
When I say no, his smile fades, and my heart breaks.
“Okay then,” he says, “you have a good day as well.” He turns around and walks back to his car without saying another word.
When I walk into the studio, my lousy mood walks in with me.
“What’s got you so riled up?” asks Sam.
“I was rude to someone this morning, and I hate myself for it.”
“Do you have a phone?” he asks.
Giving him an irritated glance, I say, “Yes.”
“Call him and apologize.”
“How could you possibly know it’s a him?”
“I had a fifty-fifty shot at being right, and I can read you like a book.”
“Whatever,” I say, rolling my eyes.
Sam smiles and begins looking through a stack of orders I left on the counter last night.
“Looks like you left in a hurry last night,” he says, waving the receipts in the air.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say.
“So, Baldwin must be back in town, and he’s the reason you’re in a sour mood.”
“He asked me out this morning,” I begin. “And when I said no, he looked hurt.”
“Ouch!” Sam says.
“Do you want some coffee?” I ask. “I need some air.”
“You just got here. But yeah, I’ll take some coffee.”
When I walk into the coffee shop, I stand in line behind someone I recognize. Philip.
I stand behind him but don’t say anything. I’m really hoping he doesn’t see me. I’m not in the mood to chat with anyone.
But it’s like he sensed my presence. “Hi, Loren,” he says, “I was just going to stop by to pick up the projects we didn’t have a chance to collect before we returned home.”
“Hi, Philip,” I say, my bad attitude dissipating, “Oregon, right?”
“Yes, my family left a week ago, but I decided to stay.”
We place our orders and sit at a corner table to wait.
“So, you decided to stay for how long?”
“Just a couple of weeks to attend a friend’s wedding.”
They call his order, and after he picks it up, he sits with me again. “You never called me,” he says between sips of his coffee.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “Like I explained to you when we met, I don’t date.”
“Yeah,” he says, “But you didn’t tell me why.”
I open my mouth to tell him a little bit about Justin, but when I look up, I see Aaron come through the door. He sees me first, and a smile starts forming on his lips, but then he sees Philip. The look he shoots in my direction is strong enough to burn a hole through my heart.
When I look down, I hear Philip ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say.
Aaron walks up to the counter and orders a black coffee. The barista grabs a large cup, fills it with coffee, and hands it to him after securing it with a lid.
I half expect him to walk over to our table and say hello, but no. He turns around and without so much as a glance in my direction, he walks out the door.
“Never mind,” Phillip says, “I think I know the reason why you never called.”
Philip and I walk back to the studio. As soon as Sam sees him, he walks to the back in search of Philip’s packaged projects.
“This is a lovely box,” Philip says, glancing at the table lined with orders that are ready for pick up.
”Just In Clay Ceramics,” he says, reading the engraved studio name on each box, “How did you come up with the name?”
“Justin Clay was my fiancé.”
“Is Justin the tailored suit we saw in the coffee shop?”
“No,” I say, “That was Aaron. My neighbor.”
“So, there are two reasons why you didn’t call me. An old fiancé and a new flame?”
“It’s not like that,” I say.
Just then, Sam returns to the front of the studio carrying the box containing Philip’s neatly wrapped projects.
“Are you in love with Loren, too?” Philip asks, taking the box from Sam.
Sam looks up at him and smiles.
“No,” he says, “I’m in love with the sister.”
“Ha, I knew it!” I exclaim.
“Yeah, well, I know you’re in love with Aaron,” he retorts, “But it’s clear neither one of us has the courage to do anything about it.”
I exhale a frustrated breath but say nothing.
As soon as Philip leaves, I pinch Sam on the arm.
“Ouch!”
“How dare you air out our dirty laundry in front of a customer?”
“I did you a favor,” he says, “He wasn’t going to let up. You don’t need another suitor in your life.”
“Are you in love with Laila?”
Sam doesn’t answer me. Instead, he walks over to the counter and picks up the two coffees. After he hands me one, he raises the other, “Cheers,” he says and gently taps my cup with his.
I could never be mad at this man. He makes my life so much easier by taking care of the studio and by serving as my sounding board. He’s a great listener and a good friend.
The day is busy, and before we know it, it’s after two. “Do you want to go out for lunch?” asks Sam.
“I’m not hungry,” I say. “I think I’ll stay in and finish those receipts I left out last night. I’m sorry about that.”
“You must have left in a hurry. It’s not like you to leave things pending.”
“I went to see Aaron and Holly. They just got back from their trip to Boston.”
“You know,” he begins, “I meant it when I said you’re in love.”
“I’m not in love,” I say. “I’m just very attracted to Aaron.”
“So, you’re in lust.”
“You make it sound so cheap,” I say.
Sam shakes his head, “I’ll see you after lunch,” he says, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack. He flips the door sign over before walking out.
The phone rings, and I pick it up when I see that it’s Katherine.
“Hello,” I say.
“What did you do to Aaron this time?”
“Pardon me?” I say.
“Dad called Aaron early this morning to invite him and Holly to lunch on Sunday. He said yes.
“Okay,” I say.
“Adam just had lunch with him, and Aaron said he wasn’t coming. So, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, Katherine.”
“You did something.” She sounds so sure. “We wanted to see them before they leave on their trip.”
“Wait, what?” I ask, confused. “What trip?”
“They’re going to California for the holidays. We wanted to see them before they leave so the girls can exchange Christmas gifts.”
“Christmas?” I feel my heart sink. “How long will they be gone?”
“Aaron will be back sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Holly will be gone until the new year. How did you not know this?”
“I didn’t know,” I say in my defense.
“What happened between eight o’clock this morning and lunchtime? Did you see Aaron today?”
“Stop giving me the third degree, Katherine,” I say, thinking back to this morning in the driveway and then at the coffee shop.
“Ugh!” says Katherine. “You frustrate me so much.”
“If you called just to yell at me, I’m hanging up.”
She hangs up first.
I take a deep breath, trying to digest what Katherine just told me. I feel panic set in when I do the math and realize I won’t see Holly for six weeks.
I want to cry when it sinks in that I won’t see either one of them for Christmas.
When I pull into my driveway after work, it doesn’t look like they’re home. All the lights are off in their house.
I want to talk to him and explain things. But I’m afraid I’ll only make things worse.
When Sunday rolls around, I see Katherine at church.
“I’m sorry I hung up on you,” she says as soon as she sees me.
“I’m sorry I ruined today’s plans with Aaron and Holly. I understand why you were upset.”
“We all got together Friday night. It all worked out.”
“Good,” I say. “That makes me feel better. I stopped by Aaron’s this morning, but they had already left for church.”
The look on Katherine’s face tells me she has more to say.
“They left for California this morning.”
“What?” I ask. “They’re gone?”
“Aaron will be back in a couple of weeks.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me they were leaving today?”
“I’m sorry,” she says, “We thought you knew.”
After everything that’s happened, I’m determined to leave things the way they are, even if my heart is breaking.