Chapter 11 The Meeting
The Meeting
Ava settled into the back corner table of the Early Bird Café with her coffee and laptop. Her eyes bounced between the counter and the front door, expecting Owen to appear any moment. When he still didn’t show by the time she logged in and connected her headphones, her shoulders relaxed.
He’s really not here today.
She might have purposely scheduled this meeting on his supposed day off.
Supposed, because she’d been fooled last Monday.
And while she didn’t hold the same fear about seeing him as before, she didn’t want to see him today for reasons she refused to explore too deeply.
Not today when her brain was still repeating their last encounter on a loop.
She could swear her hip still tingled where he gripped her when she thought about it too long.
I almost kissed him.
I wanted to kiss him.
But now wasn’t the time to think about Owen and his stupid handsome face and coffee brown eyes and the way his thumb ghosted over her bottom lip.
Now, she had a networking meeting to join.
At Morgan’s insistence, she accepted Alec’s offer for an introduction to his connections on the board of directors.
Which meant she also had to see her ex while sitting inside her other ex’s place of business.
Nothing weird about that. Not at all.
With a last glance around the emptier than normal café and no sign of Owen, Ava checked her lipstick in the camera preview and joined early.
Alec was waiting for her. Alone.
Ava pasted on a smile instead of leaving the meeting like she wanted to avoid an awkward conversation with him while they waited.
“Hi, Alec.”
“Ava, it’s great to see you. You’re a hard woman to get a hold of lately.”
His voice was velvety smooth even through the speakers, his inflection honed from years of commanding executive meetings.
He was used to getting what he wanted, and despite her silence since their breakup, he seemed to still want her.
Or maybe it was more about getting his way, rather than wanting her.
At least there hadn’t been any more dick pics lately.
“My service isn’t the best around here,” she lied. Her service was just fine. Internet, on the other hand … “the only place with good Wi-Fi is the café in town. This is where I come to get work done.”
“That’s unfortunate. At least the view is pleasant.” He paused. “You know, I have a buddy in Portland who’s a property lawyer. I can send him your way if you need help speeding things along. I know you’re eager to get back home,” he said.
Their two other participants joined the meeting, saving Ava from having to respond.
“Good morning, ladies,” Alec greeted them and took control of the meeting, making introductions and kicking off the conversation. Both women were former clients of Alec’s hospitality consulting firm.
Now she remembered why she accepted the meeting. He might be overbearing, but Alec knew how to work the room and run a smooth meeting. And he had connections.
The hour-long meeting passed quickly, leaving Ava with two pages of typed notes from their conversation.
She learned one woman, Mary Worth, started her career in hospitality by running a small bed-and-breakfast with her husband.
Their business grew so successful and expanded to include multiple sister sites around the state of Connecticut.
They caught the attention of a boutique hotel chain that made an offer they couldn’t refuse.
They hired her as an advisor and consultant, leading to her executive position and subsequent board appointment at the Grand Bohemian.
The other woman, Nadia Chavez, came from the same boutique hotel chain that bought Mary’s bed-and-breakfast. In her most recent position, she served in international outreach, working to attract visitors seeking unique experiences to get the most out of their travels.
Both women were passionate about the customer experience.
Their views contrasted with the impression she’d gotten from the all-male panel she interviewed with.
The men were interested in expanding the hotel’s reach and offerings to increase revenue with as little spend as possible.
She understood the board’s responsibility to increase the hotel’s earnings, but she wondered if there was a middle ground in the conflicting visions.
“It’s been so nice talking with you, Ava. We all poured over your resume already, but you’re so much more than a piece of paper with accomplishments. I sincerely hope I’ll work with you in the future,” Mary said as they neared the end of their meeting.
Her praise lit Ava up inside. “Thank you, Mary. It’s been great learning more about each of you and your visions of the Grand Bohemian. I would be honored to bring your visions to life,” Ava said.
Mary smiled, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners. She looked like someone who smiled often but still held a presence that demanded your respect. When this woman spoke, you better listen.
Alec nodded to show he was actively listening to the conversation, his fingers steepled together as he leaned back in his chair.
“I think you’d be a great addition to the board, Ava.
Please reach out with any questions as you prepare for your presentation in August. I’m happy to serve as a resource,” Nadia said.
Her dark hair and eyes cut a contrast to Mary’s silver hair, but she held no less power. Both women could hold their own.
“I may take you up on your offer, Nadia. I’d appreciate any help I can get. And thank you both, again, for your time this morning,” Ava said.
The women said their goodbyes and left the call. Ava followed suit when Alec’s voice stopped her.
“Can you stay a few minutes, Ava?”
“Um—” Ava forgot any excuses she was about to make when Owen and Avery walked through the café doors.
Like magnets, Owen’s gaze immediately zeroed in on her, meeting her stare. Avery bounced beside him, stopping whatever he was saying to wave when he caught sight of her.
“Ava!” Avery called from the doorway.
A smile stole over her face. She was powerless not to smile at his excitement over seeing her.
He raced toward her table before Owen could do anything.
“Ava. Ava? I think you froze.” Alec’s voice filtering through her headphones reminded her she was still in a meeting with him.
“Sorry, a family friend walked in and caught my attention. I need to drop, but thank you for setting this up, Alec,” she told him sincerely. “I’ll circle back with you in a few days,” she offered, with a smile she hoped conveyed professionalism and not interest.
She didn’t wait for his reply, pressing the button on the screen to leave the call. She pulled out her headphones and closed the lid to her laptop as Avery reached the table. “Hey, Avery,” she greeted him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked with a bluntness only kids could get away with.
She tapped the lid of her laptop. “Had to get some work done. Remember how bad the internet is at the cabin? Needed a place with better Wi-Fi.”
Owen caught up to Avery at her table, an apology in his eyes. “She’s working, bud. Probably not a good time to bother Ava,” he said.
Avery’s face fell slightly, and Ava couldn’t handle the pinch in her chest.
“You’re not bothering me at all,” she assured him. “I just finished up, so you have perfect timing. What are you two doing here? Thought you had Monday off, Owen.”
She chanced a glance at Owen, working hard to keep the rising blush off her face. His hair was still damp, like he’d showered before coming here. A few dark strands escaped his bun to curl around his ears. Spice and coffee filled her nose from his closeness.
“I have the day off for real this week. Stopped in to grab some paperwork from my office,” Owen said.
Avery huffed at that, making Ava lift her eyebrows in surprise. Someone clearly wasn’t happy about that.
“Oh? What are you boys up to today?”
“Dad’s dragging me to a stupid meeting in City Hall when we could literally do anything else,” Avery complained.
He gave Ava a pout that had her biting her lip to keep from laughing. Owen inhaled deeply, his eyes widening in annoyance. She had a feeling she’d stepped in the middle of an ongoing argument.
“We won’t be there long,” Owen said.
“Yeah, whatever.”
Ava glanced between the two. Owen with his features pinched in annoyance and Avery with the frustrated slant to his eyebrows. Like two sides of the same coin. It was cute, really, but she had a feeling neither would appreciate that sentiment.
“Want to keep me company while your dad gets what he needs? I’ve been dying to know what happens next in that book you’re reading,” she said.
Ava pushed out the other chair at the table in invitation.
Avery plopped down and launched into the latest chapter he’d read with his mom.
Owen stared at them, an unreadable expression on his face, before he mouthed ‘thank you’ to her.
She resisted the urge to watch him walk away and focused on Avery, giving a few well-placed reactions to his retelling.
“And that’s where I stopped. A student fainted and won’t wake up, but nobody knows what caused it,” Avery finished up.
“You’ll have to update me when you know more,” she said. “Or I guess I could just watch the movie.”
Avery’s eyes bugged out, and he gasped. “No. Then you’ll be ahead of me. I don’t want any spoilers,” Avery said.
Seeing Owen return from the office in the corner of her vision, Ava smiled at Avery and packed up her laptop.
“Alright, alright. I’ll wait. If I’m still in town, maybe we can watch the movie with your aunt when you finish the book,” Ava told him.
“When are you leaving?” Avery asked.
Owen chose that very moment to walk up to the table, a file folder with Cedar Falls Historical Society stamped on the front in hand.
Ava wasn’t sure how to respond. As soon as possible?
When she considered the answer, it felt wrong. Trite. A week ago, that’s what she would have said, but now the idea caused her chest to tighten.
“Probably not until August,” Ava said. She kept her attention on Avery, ignoring how the left side of her face burned from Owen’s gaze.
“Cool,” Avery said.
Owen cleared his throat. “Ready to go, bud?”
Avery rolled his eyes and sighed. Then, just as quickly, he jumped up in his seat with excitement.
“Hey, Dad, can I hang out with Ava until you’re done? I don’t want to wait around City Hall, and you said I’m not old enough to stay home alone.”
Amusement filled Ava at his persistence and the look on Owen’s face as he searched for patience. “I’m sure Ava has better things to do, bud. She’s busy. Now let’s go or I’ll be late,” Owen said.
Avery’s face fell once more. His shoulders hunched, and he stood from his chair. And maybe Ava was a sucker with no experience with kids, but that pinch in her chest came back.
“I don’t want to overstep, but I’m done with work. I’m heading to the church to donate some stuff to the thrift store. Avery can tag along if he wants. I could use an extra pair of hands,” Ava said.
“You don’t have to do—”
“Yes, I wanna come. Can I buy something?”
Ava shrugged. “It’s up to your dad. What he says, goes,” Ava said.
“Please, Dad?”
Owen looked between the two of them, fixing his stare on Ava. She shrugged at his brows, raised in question.
“If Ava’s fine with you tagging along, you can go. Why don’t you clean up her table and meet us out front?”
Ava took his cue and grabbed her stuff, following him to the sidewalk in front of the café. She muttered a ‘thank you’ to him when he opened the door and ushered her ahead into the bright summer morning. A slight chill clung to the air, making her wish she’d ordered a hot coffee to go.
She turned to face Owen when the café door swung closed. The damp strands of hair around his ears were now dry.
“You really don’t have to take him. Trust me, he’s fine waiting for thirty minutes while I’m in a meeting.”
Ava adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, searching for the right words to explain why she offered.
“I know I don’t have to, but I don’t mind.
Maybe I’m a pushover, but his little pinched expression reminds me so much of you when we were kids.
You’d make that face whenever me and Summer talked you into doing something you thought would get us into trouble.
This one.” Ava mimicked the look in question, and Owen cracked a small smile.
He tried to cover it by rolling his eyes and needlessly running a hand over his hair. For once he wasn’t wearing a flannel or button-up, and she glimpsed his defined biceps flex at the motion.
The things those arms used to do to her.
Nope, not going there.
“If you’re sure, then. I should be done in about thirty minutes. Is your number still the same? I’ll text you when I’m out.”
Ava opened her bag and rummaged for her phone. “Actually, no. I got a new number a few years ago. Let me give you my new one.”
She recited her number and waited for a message to come through from him. She opened his text and read the single word he typed.
Unknown number: Owen.
A moment later, a second one came through.
Unknown number: Avery’s dad.
Ava laughed and caught Owen smirking back at her.
“Like I could forget who you are,” Ava said without thinking.
The jingle of the bell above the café door stopped Owen’s reply. Avery pushed through the door and bounced on his toes between them. “All done,” he announced.
Owen checked his watch. “I need to run, or I’ll be late. Be good for Ava, bud. See you in a bit.”
Ava watched him go, a bundle of nerves filling her stomach. Every encounter with Owen left her feeling exposed, with her revealing more pieces of herself without meaning to. She shook off the thought and looked down at Avery.
“Let’s roll.”