“You can open your eyes.” She looks at me and smiles. “Perfect. Is your boyfriend moving with you back to Seattle?”
I shake my head. “We broke up last week. I just wanted a clean break from everything. Besides, we were becoming stale and I couldn’t see myself with him at eighty.”
She laughs. “Yeah, that’s actually a good measure. If you can’t see the future with him in it, he’s got to go.”
My mind automatically went to Justin. There was no doubt I would still know him when I was old and senile. Our families were friends, after all. But the image of the two of us on rocking chairs sharing inappropriate jokes and reminiscing about Vegas, that was unexpected. Justin was here and now. Once we were both at home, we’d go our separate ways, only seeing each other at holiday dinners. There was no way either of us would put our families through having to take sides.
We needed to make the most of our time while we were here. Take what we could get. Maybe I could even act out one or two of my fantasies while I’m here with him.
“Angela.” Amelia was waving her hand in front of my face. “You disappeared for a second there. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that a guy’s responsible for that smile. But you’re recently single.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Right?”
“You remind me of my hairdresser.” I say, laughing at her knowing smile. “Fidget with my hair and face and the next thing I’m spilling all my secrets.”
“So, you have a secret.” It wasn’t a question. She didn’t say more but she raised an eyebrow urging me to continue.
“There’s a guy.” Before she can question me further, I continue. “We’re hooking up for the week. We both have lives to go back to, so it can’t be anything serious.”
I don’t want to tell her that Justin also lives in Seattle. She might encourage the thoughts I’m trying hard not to have. This week, I remind myself. I have him for this week.
“Honey, no one gets that look just for hot sex. Open your mouth.” She lines my lips. “Don’t get me wrong hot-sex is important, but it doesn’t illicit that look. And that look should never be about someone you met in Vegas.”
Again, I don’t correct her. Seattle’s not a small city, and she would probably never meet Justin but it’s probably safer to keep him anonymous.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I’m trying not to sound defensive. “And it doesn’t matter. He’s only here for the week, and I leave next week.”
“Just be careful, okay.”
I nod, I already know her advice was too late. If I was careful, I would never have gotten involved with a man like Justin Ellis.
Justin
I stifle a yawn as I listen to Ned Coll drone on about all the pitfalls in my project. He’s a good man and one of the few people I approached to invest in my current endeavour. I want to make sure the investors are committed and won’t screw over the tenants. If it means I need to listen to him waffle on about all the problems on the project for hours, I’ll do it. Besides, some of the things he mentioned could be real problems down the line.
It’s good to have his perspective. He’s been in the property business since I was in diapers. He may have some outdated thoughts, but he can predict the market like no one’s business. And I have to appreciate the fact that the only reason he came to this conference is because I suggested it. Newfangled save the planet crap was not exactly his thing. But affordable housing was something that interested him. He even understood that keeping as much as possible off-the-grid would make it affordable in the long run.
I was meant to take the meeting alone while Wyatt attended a panel he was interested in. Ned, of course, kept me so long that Wyatt was able to join us for the tail end of the lunch meeting. On the upside, Ned seemed to accept our solution to every problem he raised. Perhaps he was testing us, or maybe complaining was how he processed things. Either way, the meeting was going well.
“Well, boys.” Ned says, standing up a little while later. “You seem to have thought everything through. I expect the paperwork for the contract and the business plan on my desk on Monday morning. Also, send me the building plans, old and new. If there are permits we’ll need, I know a few people who can speed things up.”
Both Wyatt and I stand to shake his hand, suppressing our smiles. “Will do, sir. Thank you.”
“You won’t regret this, sir,” Wyatt says.
“I don’t doubt it.” He checks his watch. “You boys stay out of trouble. I’ve already asked for the bill from this table to be charged to my room. Don’t clean out the bar.”
With that he walked off. I wasn’t sure if I should be insulted that he saw Wyatt and I as a couple of kids he was overly fond of. We were both pretty successful in our own right and made a decent living. But I decided that it really wasn’t enough to ruin what was the best outcome we could’ve hoped for.
Wyatt sits back down and takes out his phone. “I think we need to celebrate. Let me just text Amelia.”
I nod and take out my phone. “Definitely,” I say, but don’t mention that I also have someone to text.
Justin: Hey there. Meeting went well, just having a quick drink to celebrate.
Angela: No problem. I’m having my makeup taken off here anyway. Meet at the bar in an hour?”
Justin: Yeah. I’ll be waiting.
I close the message
