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Diego sighed heavily. “Trish has been worried sick about you. And the wedding. Thinks maybe you don’t condone the marriage, and now she’s just plum worried you’re dead in the desert somewhere.”
“Is Trish there now, Dad?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Put her on. Please.” Any woman who fancied herself in love with my father was at least sweet, if naïve.
“Trish, come over here! You got a phone call!” I pulled the phone away, forgetting Dad’s terrible phone manners.
“Hello?” The voice was sweet and slightly musical.
“Trish? This is Liam. It’s nice to meet you. Officially.”
“My goodness, Liam! You’re all right. You are all right, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her naturally mothering tone. “A little banged up, but I’m good. I swear.” I couldn’t remember the last woman of his who gave a damn about anything, especially me. “So, when do you plan on making an honest man of my dad?”
She laughed and I could just about picture the smile on her face. “As soon as his hero son gets home from wherever he is at the moment.”
“A hospital in Germany until the doctor gives me the all clear.” I hoped it would be sooner rather than later, but I knew it was mostly out of my hands.
“Then we’ll plan something once you’re back on home soil.”
“I look forward to meeting you Trish. Truly.” She sounded different than the others or maybe I’d just grown numb to the revolving door of women in and out of our lives that it didn’t really matter anymore. Either way she seemed nice enough on the surface, so I would give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Get well soon, Liam. Diego has been sick with worry,” she whispered. “But don’t tell him I told you.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I promise. Take care Trish.” The call ended and I sat in that recliner until my eyelids grew heavy and my head started to bob.
If I didn’t listen to my body, to the signs that I needed to rest, to heal, then I’d be stuck in Germany for weeks. That thought had me on my feet and slowly walking back to my room. My private room where I could heal in peace.
And not replay scenes from my night with Olive.
Just rest and heal and then get the hell out of here.
Nothing more.Olive“Are we ready to get this meeting started, because I totally brought snacks. Good snacks.” Eva smiled wide and took the seat at the head of the table just as Kendra pushed a cart filled with goodies into the conference room.
“Damn Eva, what’s the occasion,” Sophie asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. “Does someone have something to announce?”
I gasped at the thought that Oliver had already proposed. “Do you have something to announce?”
“Of course not. If I did, I’d come up with something a little better than pizza and cookies. This is brain food not celebration food, so lets get this meeting started, shall we?”
“New business,” Sophie said with a start. “Advertising is working. We’ve got about half a dozen vouchers purchased online so we should expect an uptick in new clients. And I’m thinking of spearheading a speed dating event, offered as a practical lesson for Olive’s etiquette classes.”
“That’s a great idea,” Eva enthused as she slapped an oversized slice of pizza on three plates. “I’m a little salty I didn’t think of it.” She set the plates in front of each of us as we discussed new business, advertising methods and our growing social media presence. “I think we should start filming short classes for social media, with Olive doing the teaching.”
“Me? No way, I can’t do that.” When the camera was on, I became awkward, I stuttered and my eye contact became nonexistent. “Eva should do it since she has the biggest personality.”
“I’ll pretend that I’m not offended by that at all,” Sophie added with a smile before taking a giant, ravenous bite of the pizza.
My stomach lurched and then rolled over as the scent of greasy pepperoni rent the air. Stale coffee from the pot in the corner mingled with the overcooked meat and then even the sugar and butter and chocolate from the cookies turned my stomach into a stew of nausea. “Sorry,” I managed to get out but it was a mistake. A huge one.
“It’s fine,” Sophie insisted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You’re right, Olive. Eva does have the biggest personality. But this is your thing, etiquette and socializing and how to behave on TFL dates. You should do it.”
“So it’s settled?” Eva’s smile belied her satisfied smile and I knew that if I didn’t agree, I’d be outvoted anyway.
“Guess so,” I muttered and closed my eyes, working hard to breath through my mouth and ignore the awful smells turning my stomach. “Excuse me!” I ran from the conference room as fast as I could on three inch heels, bypassing the restroom for clients in favor of the private bathroom meant for employees. Inside the safety of the bathroom, I locked the door and fell to my knees and promptly gave up this morning’s breakfast of yogurt and toast. Oh, and a banana.
