Chapter 18
The Proposition
Owen slapped down the latest denied blueprints on Matt’s desk. “Look at this bullshit.” Owen stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the offending paper.
Matt picked up the document, his eyes narrowing at the contents. “Denied. That’s what, the third time?”
Owen kept pacing. “Three times. I don’t know what more they want.” Owen stopped his pacing and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “The plumbing crew is already onsite, and the materials have been delivered. The Agatha Building needs a complete repipe to be up to code.”
“I’m sure they’re hung up on technicalities. Let me give Tori a call,” Matt offered.
“Please do. I’m too annoyed to deal with Tori right now.”
Matt said nothing as he dialed Tori’s number on the conference phone.
Owen resumed his pacing, but it didn’t help.
It wasn’t the blueprint denial, not really, that had him worked up.
Of course it bothered him, but even Tori didn’t have the power to bypass building code ordinances.
It was the pent-up frustration from his interrupted kiss with Ava.
For the third time.
A kiss he never should have initiated in the first place, no matter how tempting she looked with her flushed cheeks and her guard down. Or how right she felt caged in his arms.
He could dismiss the first time, maybe even the second time, as a fluke. Charged moments between two people with history. But last night? He wanted to kiss her, and he was confident the feeling was mutual.
“Matt,” Tori’s voice filled the room. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Owen’s eyes cut to Matt leaning back in his chair.
“Good morning, Tori. I’ve got you on speaker in my office with Owen.
We’re looking at the latest blueprints for the Agatha Building.
There seems to be some confusion about the scheduled plumbing job.
The crew is onsite, and the county has approved the plans, so why is the Historical Society board opposed?
Whatever the concern, I'm sure Owen is more than willing to accommodate to make sure we stay on schedule.”
“Ah, yes. Hello, Owen,” she cooed through the phone.
Owen suppressed a shudder. “Tori,” he said in a flat tone.
“As for the blueprints, I thought the denial was clear. The polybutylene pipes are historical and shouldn’t be removed from the building to preserve the history.”
Owen scoffed, ready to go on the defensive before Matt cut him off. He held a finger up in Owen’s direction to stay silent. Owen bit his tongue.
“Tori, let’s cut to the chase and call bullshit here. Polybutylene pipes were banned in 1995. There’s nothing historical about bad pipes that caused flooding. In fact, the building fell into disrepair because of the pipes failing. So what’s really going on here?”
Tori’s throaty laugh floated through the room.
“This is why you and I were co-captains of the debate team back in the day. What good times we had back then.” Tori sighed.
“I suppose there is something Owen could do to earn my favor and make this entire issue go away. Especially since you mentioned he’d be willing to be so accommodating is the term you used, I believe. ”
Owen opened his mouth to demand what she wanted, but Matt shot him a glare to stay silent.
“We’re listening,” Matt coaxed her.
“I have a bit of a personal problem that Owen can solve for me. A proposition, if you will. My ex-husband will be in town next week with his new girlfriend,” she spat out the word.
“I want to make him jealous. I want Owen to take me on a public date to show me off around town. Show my husband what he's missing.”
“I'm sorry—what?” Matt mirrored Owen's look of disbelief.
“You heard me. Owen takes me on a date. A convincing date that shows my husband I've moved on. In exchange, his blueprints, and anything else he needs, will be approved.”
“Why me?” Owen chimed into the conversation, unable to hold back any longer.
“Why not you? You're young, you're hot, you're one of the few single guys left in town. My options are limited, and you're the best one I've got.”
Owen huffed a humorless laugh. “At least you're honest.”
“So, boys, what’ll it be?”
Owen shook his head at Matt in denial. No way would he go through with a fake date with Tori. Not when he couldn't stop thinking about how he almost kissed Ava last night.
“How about you approve the blueprints, and Owen will think about taking you on a date,” Matt countered. Owen mouthed hell no to Matt, who pretended not to see.
“I’ll approve the blueprints by the end of the day if Owen agrees now.”
“You approve the blueprints now and Owen gives you an answer by end of day. You have no grounds for denial and the county supersedes any decisions of the Historical Society. Final offer.”
Tori's dramatic sigh came through the phone. “Fine. You'll have the notarized approval by tomorrow morning, but I expect your answer before end of day Owen. Don't keep me waiting.”
The click of the phone signaled the end of their call.
“Dude, you really had to sleep with Tori Wells, of all the women in town? Fresh off her divorce? She's never going to unhook her sights from you now.” Matt shook his head.
“I thought she was over it. It was months ago. A onetime thing.”
Owen resumed pacing the room. His frustrations mounted after the proposition from Tori. A date with Tori was out of the question, fake or not.
“So, what do you think?” Matt prodded.
“About what?”
“Tori's offer? What are you going to say?”
Owen stopped pacing in front of Matt’s desk. His head a confusing mess of emotions. All of them began and ended with Ava.
“No, of course.” Owen stared at Matt like the answer was obvious.
“Why? It's not like you have any other offers,” Matt challenged him. He crossed his arms and leaned back further in his chair. “Unless you do.”
“I'm not dating anyone. I have Avery to think about,” Owen said. He did have Avery to worry about. Those worries seemed to melt away whenever he was in Ava's presence. The realization unsettled him.
“Right. Then say yes to Tori. Get on her good side and put this fixation of hers to bed. Not literally, unless, of course, you want to go there again. Wouldn't recommend it, though.”
Owen stayed silent, reflexively releasing his hair from its bun and retying it again.
“Does your hesitation have to do with whatever’s going on between you and Ava?” Matt smirked, his eyes alight at catching out Owen's secret.
Anxiety bloomed in Owen's chest like stinging nettles. His instinct to deflect kicked in. “Don’t know what you're talking about. I wasn't even sitting near her last night.”
Matt laughed. “A choice I'm sure was coincidental. The two of you studiously avoided each other after she came out of the cabin flushed and glassy-eyed. What the fuck is going on there?”
“Nothing. There's nothing going on there. We're being friendly while she's in town.” The lie burned coming out of his throat.
“Dude,” Matt said. “Cut the shit. Are you forgetting I was around when you two first started hooking up. You two were obsessed with each other. Still are, from what I can tell.”
Owen dropped into the chair facing Matt's desk, lowering his head into his hands. “I almost kissed Ava last night. In the cabin. Noah walked in before it could go anywhere.”
Matt stayed silent. When Owen looked up, his eyebrows were raised in question.
“It wasn’t the first time, either. We've been talking since she's been in town. Hung out a few times. Avery likes her, takes every chance to talk to her.” Owen tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling.
“She's everywhere I turn. At the café, on the sidewalk, at the hardware store, at the lake. Hanging out with my son. And fuck–” Owen cut himself off.
“You've missed her,” Matt said, his voice as solemn as Owen had ever heard.
Owen shot him a pleading look to drop it. His frustration lessened, but the confusion remained.
“Shit, man. You're down bad for Birdie even after all these years.”
Owen's body tensed. “Don't call her that.”
Matt's eyes widened to almost comical ovals. Then he burst into laughter. “You're so fucked.”
Owen mulled over Tori's proposal throughout the afternoon. He needed to call her already and tell her no, but something had him procrastinating the call, worried she would pry into his refusal. Instead, he did what he did best. Work.
He told himself it was so he could monitor the renovations across the street. It was not so he would see if Ava came into town today. Not at all.
And yet, anticipation ran through him when he glimpsed Ava through the café windows, walking with Noah.
Noah's much taller frame towered over her, but their identical smiles made it easy to see how they were related. They both resemble their mom. Not a woman he’d particularly liked, but he'd been spared much interaction with her over the years.
Noah opened the door to the café and ushered Ava inside. Owen watched him take in the changes since the last time he'd visited, as he stepped up to the counter.
“Owen, love what you’ve done to the place. The artwork is cool,” Noah greeted him with an easy smile.
“Thanks, man. If you're still around, we have some events coming up if you'd like to check them out.”
“Sweet, I definitely will,” Noah agreed with an enthusiastic nod.
Owen turned his attention to Ava; not like he could ignore her presence when her eyes felt like a brand on his skin. Awareness shot through him whenever she was near.
“Hi,” he said. He hoped Noah didn't notice how his voice lowered, softened, where Ava was concerned.
She peered at him under her eyelashes. “Hey, Owen.”
Noah's eyes ping-ponged between the two of them. For a brief moment, Owen worried Noah had seen more than they realized when he’d walked into the cabin last night.
Noah hooked a thumb over his shoulder to the back windows overlooking the lake. “I'm gonna grab a table. You know what I like, A.” He turned and walked away, leaving them alone.