AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good morning, darling. How are you?” a male voice says, and I flick my eyes up in time to see Richard standing before me, arms out wide, attempting to hug me. I don’t move. Not an inch. He ends up just rubbing my arms awkwardly because I remain hunched over my laptop. I have no idea what he's doing here. We broke up over three months ago when he had a hard time vying for my attention because I was spending all my waking time with dad.
To be honest, we should have parted ways long before that, but life was busy, and I didn’t know how to end it. Since we split, I now realize he was with me just for my connections. He is building his reputation for a run for Senator in the coming years, and he needs a pristine life and strong connections, ones that he thinks I can give him.
“I came to take you to work this morning,” he says, acting like we are still together, and nothing has happened to make him think that’s the case. If only he knew I was constantly daydreaming about the guy from the funeral. My pinky tingles just at the thought of his touch, not to mention the steamy dream I had featuring him last night. I wish I got his name, but he remains nameless; however, the image of his piercing eyes is forever burned into my brain.
I look at Richard like he has lost his mind, because all I want to do is to curl up in bed with Poopoo—my soft toy bear that dad gave me when I was younger to think of him when he was deployed. I kept it all these years, and I always have it close to me when I am away from him. Even though I am twenty-four-years-old, I have been sleeping with it since he died.
“I’m not going into work today; I am working from home,” I say in reply, wanting the conversation to end and for him to leave.
“Darling,” my mother chimes in, “it is time you went back to the office. You have the big fundraising gala to organize for the Rothschilds in a few weeks and everyone will be there. It must be a success.”
“It will be, Mom, whether I am managing it or not. Kelly is perfectly capable of running a successful event without me,” I respond, not needing to justify myself, but doing so just the same.
“Come on, babe,” Richard says, leaning closer. “Go get dressed, let me drop you off at the office, and you can spend the day with Kelly and the team and see how you feel. If you don’t want to go back tomorrow, then don’t, but I think it would be good for you to be out of the house.”
As much as I don’t want to be around Richard right now, he probably does have a good point. I sigh. It will be good to see the team and get back into the office. I love my office. It is a loft style, open plan space, with white walls and ceilings, and pops of color on the decorative wall art. Explosions of color carry throughout the whole office, with flower arrangements everywhere you look. It is full of vibrancy and laughter.
“Fine, give me thirty minutes,” I say as I slink off the chair and take my laptop upstairs before hitting the shower.
Twenty-nine minutes later, I am freshly showered, in my black jersey dress and black Louboutin heels, sitting in Richard's car as he takes me the short distance to the office.
“So, babe, I was thinking…” Richard starts, and I look at him confused. Why is he still calling me babe? The fact that he came around to the house this morning is odd, and perhaps I shouldn’t have taken him up on his offer for a ride to the office. I don’t want to give him the wrong impression.
“I have made a booking at Fiola Mare for us tonight. I want to take you out for dinner to discuss things.”
“Richard...” I begin in warning, but he cuts in.
“Just dinner. You know how hard it is to get into Fiola, and I know it is one of your favorite restaurants.” He taunts me, because he is right. I love Italian food and Fiola is one of the best. I don’t feel like going out, but perhaps getting away from the house that has consumed me so much over the past few months will do me good. While I do wonder what his motives are, I push that thought aside; I am still too raw and exhausted to argue.
“Okay, thank you, that would be nice.” Just friends, that is what we are. Sure, we were together for about a year, but we can still be friends, right? Plus, now that he has mentioned Fiola, I am craving their gnocchi and my mouth is watering at the mere thought of it.
Richard’s car pulls up outside my office, and I jump out before any more words can be spoken. I feel the stress of the morning leave my body as I walk through the double timber doors and am greeted by not only my work colleagues, but my friends.
“Issy! Welcome back!” Kelly practically yells from the other side of the office, and being an open space, her greeting makes everyone’s heads turn. Soon I am engulfed in hugs and greetings by the entire team.
Kelly is tall, brunette, wears a suit and black rimmed glasses, and has a don't mess with me attitude. She is all business and is super professional. Married to a successful financier, she doesn’t work for me for the money, but rather the love she has for the job. Event management is not for the faint of heart. There is a reason why it is in the top five of the most stressful careers you can have. The fact that she has steered the ship with me working remotely the past few months is more than enough proof of her worth to me and the business.
Kelly and I met at university. We were dorm buddies from the very first day and literally haven’t spent too much time apart since. She came to work for me a few years ago after leaving the boring world of finance, and last year I was maid of honor at her wedding. Not only has she stepped up to help me with the business these past few months while I cared for dad, but she has been there for me as a friend.
I have sobbed on her shoulder countless times, we have eaten cold takeaway food after long nights together watching dad sleep, she was my cheer squad when Richard and I broke up—clearly, she saw what he really was before I did—and I don’t know what I would ever do without her.
“Good to have you back, girl,” Kelly says excitedly as she engulfs me in a big hug. “Did Little Dickie drop you off this morning? What is up with that?”
Nothing gets past Kelly, and I smile at the nickname she has given Richard, because let’s just say Little Dickie is an honest description.
“He showed up to the house this morning. He wouldn’t leave unless he dropped me off here, so I decided being in the office with you guys was worth the drama.”
I smile as my assistant Beth passes me a coffee, and I hug her. I really missed my team.
“So, any news on who the hot funeral guy was yet?” Kelly asks, and I blush a little at her statement. Kelly’s eagle eyes were on me at the funeral and saw my little connection with the soldier. As all good friends do, she has helped me through the sadness with the light relief of harmless society gossip, and for the past few days, she keeps bringing up the man from the funeral. We have named him funeral guy, because we simply just do not know who he is or where he came from.
“Goddamn, he was so sexy. I wonder if he has any friends?” Beth looks to the ceiling, daydreaming, not one to ever shy away from telling us exactly what she feels.
I love Beth, but she is the worst assistant ever. She came to us as part of a college internship program last year. I didn’t keep her on for her organizational skills, I hired her for her personality. She is messy, uncoordinated, disorganized, and accident prone, but is also extremely funny, a great friend, dependable, and gives us all so much light and laughter that she has been one of my best hires.
“Given that we don’t know who he is, where he comes from, or even if he is single, I would suggest that the funeral guy stays in my dreams and we get on with reality, don’t you think? Let’s get started on the Rothschild event.”
“It is so good to have you back,” Beth says, looking at me with concern and adoration.
