Chapter 4
Celani
After my shopping trip in the city, I spend the rest of the afternoon doing what I always seem to now. Clean up the remains of my summer garden, watch a few cooking shows and jot down notes for recipes, and talk on the phone with my best friend, Desirèe.
She’s still back in our hometown of Verona, and I miss her so much.
The two of us have known each other since fourth grade and this is the furthest we have lived apart since then.
After thirty years of friendship, the two of us are more like sisters.
We have both had so many changes happening this year, and we have tried to help each other through the good and the bad.
I talk to her now as I rummage through my fridge, pulling out ingredients to piece together for dinner. I have all of the windows open in the kitchen and the back sliding doors are open too.
The fresh fall air is blowing gently inside and I smile as I set everything down on to the counter and look out of the window above the sink.
The red and yellow leaves are covering the backyard again even though the lawn company was just here a few days ago.
I raked as much as I could today into one huge pile that’s off to the side now.
If Killian and his team weren’t here watching me like hawks I would have happily jumped in the pile I made. It’s still my favorite pastime in the Fall.
But there are cameras all around the outside of the home we rent here now. Thankfully Pierce agreed to not install any inside of the house, or I would feel like I was a contestant on a very boring reality show.
“I miss Fall in Verona,” I sigh to Desirée, putting my mushrooms in a bowl to wash them.
“Oh, Lani. I know that Fall is your favorite. I’m sure it must be beautiful in Redland too, isn’t it?" Desirée asks. “Aren’t the leaves changing there yet?”
I hear a sound behind me and look over my shoulder to see Killian striding into the kitchen with his laptop. He’s rolled the sleeves of his black shirt up his forearms, revealing the colorful tattoo there that I love to see.
He watches me for a moment before taking a seat at the island.
“Celani?” Desirée asks.
“Oh! Yeah, I mean the leaves have changed here,” I respond, turning my attention back to the vegetables on the counter.
“I’m just missing the way all of the trees that line Main Street turn yellow and orange together,” I continue, smiling wistfully to myself.
“And how Coco Caffeine starts selling their apple cider with those amazing apples from Maker’s Farm right around now.
Or going to Branch and Bloom to grab my mums and gossip with you and distract you from working. ”
Desirée laughs. “Well I definitely understand how you miss the last one. I am missing that too,” she agrees.
I lean my hip against the counter. “Nowhere is like Verona. I know I’m biased, but I’m sure it’s true.”
“Come back for a visit! I’ll buy you cider and mums,” she coaxes playfully.
I laugh and Killian’s head lifts from his computer to look at me. My stomach flips and I look away from him, going into the cabinet to get a cutting board. My phone beeps and I pull it away from my ear and see Pierce’s name on the display.
My stomach goes from flipping to sinking.
I’m not quite sure when seeing my boyfriends name stopped making me excited, and started filling me with dread. There are many times I honestly just stare at the phone when he calls and let it roll to voicemail.
Sometimes you need to protect your peace, and the last thing that Pierce gives me anymore is peace.
More like a damn migraine.
“Des, I’ll call you back later, Hon. Pierce is calling,” I mumble regretfully.
“Ohh. Good luck, girl. Call me later,” she says sympathetically before hanging up.
I click over to the other line. “Hello?” I answer.
“Celani,” Pierce says hurriedly, forever in a rush. “Listen, I’m between meetings but I wanted to remind you about the dinner tonight with my CFO and his wife. I’ll meet you at the restaurant at 6:30 sharp. Arrange for Killian and his driver to take you.”
I pause from cutting up veggies and frown. “Tonight? You told me the dinner with them was next Monday,” I respond.
I go over to my planner that is sitting on the counter and open it. I don’t have much to write here these days. The pages used to be filled with my own meetings, appointments, and social events. Now I just use it to keep up with Pierce’s schedule.
I flip through the pages and see where I’ve written the dinner he’s talking about on next Monday:
Dinner with the Riley’s at Oaks Restaurant 6:30.
Pierce lets out an agitated breath. “Honestly, Celani. Can you remember anything lately?” he clips.
My shoulders tense and I grip the planner in my fist.
Who the hell does he think he’s talking to?
“I know that I’ll remember how you’re speaking to me right now,” I respond coolly. “So it would be smart for you to change your tone and choose your next words more carefully.”
My warning leaves him silent for a moment before he responds.
“Fine,” he says, taking the bite out of his tone. “Will you be able to make it to Oaks by 6:30?”
I flip the page back and look down at the empty space under today’s date.
I should tell him ‘no’. Tell him that I’m sick of living my life to be his arm candy and entertainment for his associates' wives, just so he can look good in front of them.
But instead, I know I’ll just agree because, who am I kidding? I need to get out of this house and have some more adult conversation. I’m sure Killian is sick of my rambling, and Oaks really does have the best food in Redland.
I set down my planner and round my shoulders.
I’m doing this for me, not him.
“Well, lucky for you I went shopping earlier today and bought the dress I needed for this dinner,” I respond.
Pierce huffs. “Yeah, I’m real lucky. I doubt my Amex feels that way.”
Irritation swells inside of me. He always tries to say these digs in a playful tone but I don’t find them in the least bit humorous.
I had an entire career back in Verona that he begged me to put on hold to follow him here. Something I would have never considered if I didn’t love him and have so much history with him.
But ever since we got here he has developed a condition a refer to as, ‘stickuptheassitis’, and can’t seem to recover from it. His higher position and salary have gone to his head, and I’m tired of him acting like he’s doing me a favor by paying for everything I used to easily pay for myself.
He offered to do this, and I agreed because if I followed him here to keep a home, cook, and go to his business events, then my expenses aren’t going to come out of my own pocket.
Obviously.
“I’ll see you at 6:30, Pierce,” I respond before hanging up the phone.
I turn around to see Killian staring at me, not even trying to hide the fact that he was listening to my conversation.
I give him a controlled smile that I’m sure looks half manic.
“Well, change of plans! I screwed up the dates for the dinner I was telling you about with Pierce’s CFO. It’s actually tonight at 6:30. I’m sorry. I know this will change what your team needs to do for the evening,” I explain apologetically.
I expect to deal with more male irritation, but instead Killian’s sharp eyes hold an unexpected concern in them. He stands up and walks over to me and I stand frozen in place until he’s in front of me.
He looks down at me and slightly tilts his head.
“Are you ok?” he asks gently.
I blink up at him surprised by his kind tone.
“Y-yes. Pierce just..” I exhale a shaky breath not even realizing how worked up that conversation made me. It must be written all over my face despite trying to hide it.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine, but we have to be there at 6:30,” I continue, folding my arms around my waist uneasily.
He clenches his jaw looking like he wants to say something else but steps back from me instead. “It’s not a problem, Celani. I’ll send Jules to do our usual check, and we will all be ready. There’s still two hours, and we’ve done much harder in less time,” he explains.
I give him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Killian.”
He nods and turns to head down the hallway, tapping his watch on the way and beginning to give orders to his team. I rub my face and look back at all of the food I had laid out to cook.
It’s time for me to clean up, and try to get myself together mentally and physically for this dinner.