Pushed Again
(Darcy)
It’s been a month since I phoned in sick on Monday. And Tuesday. I wasn’t sure about shirking my responsibilities, but leaving Liam wasn’t going to happen. Even if I had tried to leave, there’s no way he would’ve let me leave his arms.
“I still can’t believe you have a bodyguard,” Kirsten says, sipping her cranberry juice.
We both glance over at Chase, who’s sitting at the next table. He’s drinking a coffee and trying to look inconspicuous as he protects me from God knows what.
He’s ex SEAL, with a body and professionalism to match. Plus, as Kirsten keeps telling me, he’s extremely cute. I haven’t noticed. I don’t seem to notice any men other than Liam anymore.
“Liam insists. I’ve gotten used to it.” Chase has become my shadow.
“I wonder why he insists on you having one.”
Kirsten still has no idea who Liam really is. I haven’t told her or my father, or anyone else. I promised. She keeps asking why I have one, and I keep stalling. I’m going to have to come up with a better excuse, like he’s in the witness protection program or something and the bad guys might come after me. Though that’s just silly.
“It doesn’t matter, Chase is a nice guy.”
“He’s certainly cute. What’s the protocol on me dating him? Is that allowed?”
I laugh, and say, “I don’t know, but don’t let me stop you from trying.”
“Give him my number for me.” Her voice is halfway between a plea and an order.
“Anyway, let’s talk Young Hearts. I have a two o’clock meeting I have to be back in the office for.”
The waitress appears, frazzled, and sets a turkey sandwich in front of me and a pastrami on rye in front of Kirsten. She hurries away, and we swap plates. I pop a fry in my mouth, and Kirsten starts talking about the trust she’s arranging with one of Liam’s lawyers.
I was too nervous to take a straight, annual donation. What if things don’t work out between us? I’d be so scared of losing the donation, that I’d stay unhappy just to keep the charity afloat.
Of course, I didn’t word it to Liam quite like that. Especially because I genuinely do think things will work out between us. It’s just the pragmatic business woman is much happier with it this way.
And a trust solves all the charity’s problems forever. We can do so much now, provide support to so many more people.
“Sounds like you have everything under control,” I say, and take another bite of my sandwich. A bit of mustard sticks on my lower lip, and I wipe it away with my napkin.
“We do. You did it, hun. Everything you wanted when you founded the charity has been fulfilled. And by that, I mean most of all you. I’m so proud of you.” Kirsten reaches across the table and squeezes my forearm as she speaks.
I manage a weak smile, despite her own enthusiastic one. It’s true, I feel settled and whole. Something I hadn’t felt at all in the time between losing Tanner and finding Liam.
Liam. I can’t believe how happy he makes me. How settled I am when I’m around him. He even makes my frustrations with my father seem insignificant.
My phone rings, and I pull it out of my purse. It’s my father.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, answering it.
“Where are you? Aren’t you aware of the news?” He shouts into my ear.
“You know I’m with Kirsten for a Young Hearts lunch meeting.”
“Well, you need to get back here and explain why we’re so far behind our competitors.”
My brow knitted, I ask, “What are you talking about?”
“It’s all over the business news. Elite Exhibitions has just bought that chocolate thing you were supposed to go to in Austin, and all the market analysts are calling it a genius move, saying access to their technology to hold the event online as well as in person is going to be rolled out and revolutionize the way the entire industry is run. And now we’re behind, Darcy. Why are we behind?”
My head is spinning. I told him we should buy the thing. I’ve been telling him that since before the event was even held. And then he demanded I go to the stupid wedding because the chocolate expo was a waste of time. He’d even laughed at me when he said it. And every time I brought it up.
I really want to say I told you so but somehow I think he’d have a very selective memory and deny any of it happened. Instead, I roll my eyes at Kirsten and she chuckles.
“I haven’t told you about it yet, because I know you thought I was wasting my time with the chocolate. There’s another event next week that’s similar in that it’s using the internet to enhance the event. It’s an interior design show in Paris. I think I should go.”
Maybe now he’ll listen to me, anyway.
“Fine. Good. Go! Are you sure you need to go? Can’t we just buy it now?”
“I think it’s best if I check it out first, to make sure it’s worth buying, and to see how much it’s worth. Don’t you?”
“I guess, but I still think we should buy it now, to have a counter move to Elite Exhibitions.”
“It’s only a week.”
“Fine, but don’t fuck this up for us.”
“Why would you say something like that?” I ask, unable to hide the anger in my voice.
“I mean since you started dating that guy, you’ve lost your focus on the business, and the family is suffering for it.”
My blood boiling, I hang up on him. The nerve of him. First, he nags me to find a boyfriend, now I have one, he blames me for his wrong business decisions. He’s the one who’s fucking the company, not me. He’s just too out of touch to see that. He thinks we should still do stuff the same way he did it when he started, before I was even born.
“Your dad being an ass again?” Kirsten asks.
“Yep,” I say, my finger still on the phone.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to want to buy the event in Paris, it’s going to be a light week. I wonder, and quickly type out a text message.
Hey, I have to go to Paris next week, want to come? xo
Closing my eyes, I imagine all the fun Liam and I can have. I’ve only been to Paris once, and that’s when I was a teenager. How romantic would it be to go up the Eiffel Tower with Liam?
I hope he’ll be willing to put off his work for me. He seems to be reducing his workload a lot now. But maybe this is a step too far for him.
“Honestly, I don’t know why you stay and work with him,” Kirsten says, banging her glass down on the table.
“Huh?” I look up at her, and realize I’ve been ignoring her while I was daydreaming about Liam.
“Why don’t you come work for Young Hearts? You’d get away from your father.”
Kirsten has mentioned a few times about me leaving Knight Global Events and working for the charity. I have no interest in it. Strangely. It seems like it would be a step back in my healing process.
I definitely want to continue to help young adults who have suffered heart attacks, and I always will. I just think for my own well being. That I don’t want to deal with it on a daily basis. To have the daily reminder of Tanner. Because then I might start doubting my life again. I might become so paranoid that something will happen to Liam that I push him away. It’s too risky.
My phone dings with a text.
I can think of nothing I’d rather do than take you to, and in, Paris
A smile beaming across my face, I turn to Chase and say, “Looks like we’re going to Paris.”