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“You laugh, but you know that’s exactly what I want,” I said. “Kind, respectful, and punctual.”
With all the joking out of their system, we talked about some of the applicants that were entering the interview process. I trusted my team to look out for my best interests. I knew the chances of finding what I was looking for were low, but I had no choice but to try.
“Enjoy your breakfast,” I said. “I look forward to a recap of the interviewees. Only send me the best of the best.”
I made my way back to my office. Mabel was working hard, typing while talking on the phone. I offered her a smile before closing the door behind me. No one seemed to understand just how important it was to have an older, mature person to work with. I didn’t want a young woman. I didn’t want a single woman. A married woman was just as problematic.
I wasn’t necessarily arrogant, but I knew who I was and what my net worth was. A local magazine had run a big stupid article about me in their Top Ten Most Eligible Bachelors issue. The women came out of the woodwork. For a good week, I had at least twenty women accidentally run into me in the building. They just happened to be primped and wearing outfits that were better suited to the club. That stupid magazine had made me a target.
Every time I ran into one of these women, I thought about Macy.
The girl that had stolen my heart and vanished into the night. I hated that I had slept through her departure. I couldn’t help but run different scenarios through my mind. What if I would have woken up and been able to talk to her? What if we could have talked about what happened?
I could have gotten her number. We could have talked and spent some time together. I came on strong that night. She seemed to be cool with it in the moment, but maybe I freaked her out. Admittedly, the alcohol had loosened my tongue.
“A drunk mind speaks a sober heart.”
I was usually a little more reserved. I wasn’t a touchy-feely guy. The alcohol had given me the liquid courage to spill my guts. I had learned a hard lesson that night. People always talked about knowing when they metthe one. I’d been to several weddings over the years and the speeches were always the same. In Vegas, I was certain that was how I felt.
I was absolutely convinced I had metthe one. Now, I couldn’t trust my own judgment. I had screwed up badly.
Sometimes, I would be sitting in a meeting or out with friends, and I would smell her. The olfactory sense was extremely powerful. I remembered the garden party I escorted my mother to. We’d been mingling and totally casual and I got a whiff of something. My dignity had been in serious danger that afternoon. I sniffed every damn flower in the place until I identified it.
Peony.
I now knew she had worn a perfume that smelled a lot like peonies. It wasn’t an exact match, but it was pretty damn close. My sappy ass had my gardener put several peony bushes on my property. No one knew why. That was my secret. They looked great in the spring and fit right in with the landscaping.
“Your ten o’clock is waiting,” Mabel said through the intercom.
My daydream was cut short. It was back to work.
At the end of the day, I headed out to meet my mom for dinner. It was a weekly thing.
“Hello, my handsome son.” She greeted me with a warm hug.
“Hi, Mom,” I said. “You look good. Did you get to go to the spa today?”
“I did,” she said, smiling. “Did they take off ten years like they promised?”
“Twenty,” I teased. “How are you?”
“I’m good. You? You look like you’re working hard again?”
“It’s been hectic with the launch coming,” I said. “I just need to get through the launch. Then I’ll take a step back and rejuvenate.”
“Is it true Mabel is retiring?” she asked.
I heaved a dramatic sigh. “She is.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a shake of her head. “It will be the end of an era. We’ll have to do something nice for her.”
“I agree.”
“Have you started looking for another assistant?” she asked.
“I have,” I said. “At least HR has. I’ll have the final say, but I’m asking for a Mabel clone.”
She laughed at the idea. “If only we could clone the ones we love before we lose them.”
