Madison

The Navy Pier is beautiful during the summer season. The waters calm me and help me think. I take this time to reflect on the choices I’ve made and whether I’m truly happy. Although, how does one measure their degree of happiness? Bryce makes me happy. He makes my life complete. This one incident shouldn’t define our relationship. As much as I’m telling myself that, I can’t bring myself to go back to his office or the penthouse. The more I think about him and Tiffany, the more I wonder about them. Were they more than boyfriend and girlfriend? Why did they break up? Why are they still partners in his business? These questions swirl in my head, and I won’t find an answer.

Unless I ask Bryce.

“Madison?” I turn to look at my left and see Nicholas walking toward me. “You’re here alone?”

“Hi, Nicholas. I am. Just taking some time to myself.”

He turns to face the water and crosses his arms over his broad chest. “You know, I come here a lot too. After my divorce, things became dark for me,” he says while watching the water. “Are you okay?”

The need to walk away heightens. This man’s my client. We’re not friends or acquaintances. I can’t open up to him. It’ll be too weird.

Only I do.

“Relationship issues,” I state and continue to look out at nothing. “I’m not very good with communication. I hold back and bottle my feelings. I’m afraid to ask and find out the truth.”

“I see. From my experience, I will say communication is the number one principle to have in a relationship. Next to trust, if those foundations aren’t strong enough, then the relationship won’t withstand the problems and obstacles.”

I hear what he’s saying and wonder if being with Bryce is a mistake. The skeletons he hides are slowly appearing, and they all center on Tiffany. There’s more to their story. On top of that, she was with him in California when he made it sound like he was alone. Although she said she was there to work, they had to attend meetings together. My mind’s playing tricks, and I have to be strong enough not to listen to my insecurities.

“Why don’t we get lunch?” Nicholas suggests. “As friends.”

If I go with Nicholas, I’m crossing a line. A boundary. It’s a simple lunch, so it’ll be friendly. I can even bring up work, turning it into a work lunch meeting.

“Okay.”

* * *

Being here with Nicholas is nice and stress free. He asks me to put together an outfit for him for an upcoming charity gala. My mind goes to Bryce, and I wonder if an invitation was extended to him.

Bryce.

“Madison?”

“Yes?”

“You can talk to me. I’m a great listener.”

“I’m sure you are. If I can be honest.”

“Of course. Please do.”

“I’m happy you invited me to lunch, but I think we need to keep this professional. I work for you for now. I'll be putting in my notice and Kaylee's going to take over.” My eyes zone in on his hand resting on mine. Slowly, I pull away, then see the slight hurt on his face. “I don’t mind meeting you for lunch, Nicholas, so please don’t take this the wrong way.”

Nicholas leans in, resting his arms on the table. “I sympathize. Please don’t think more into this. It’s a friend reaching out to another. I'm sad to be losing you. Wherever you go, I hope you 're happy.”

“I know and I'm sure I will be.” A sudden feeling of being watched sends shivers down my spine. Discreetly, I look around but don’t find anything suspicious from what I can see. Nicholas’s soft and warm hand rests on mine again.

“Only a friend. That’s all.” He pats my hand, then places it back on the table. “As a friend, the best thing I can tell you is to talk to him. If you can’t talk to him about how you’re feeling, how do you expect to move forward?”

I nod. “You’re right.”

“Okay.”

After Nicholas pays, much to my protest, his driver takes me home. The ride’s quiet. I’m focused on nothing, while holding my cell phone and hoping Bryce will call or text me. This silence after walking out is maddening. Part of me wants him to chase me. To force me to talk. It’s immature and needy, and I don’t want that to happen. But then again, I do. I make a list in my head about things we need to discuss.

Tiffany and California.

Will he calm his ass down with his temper?

What’s his issue with Nicholas?

I look over at Nicholas and notice he’s reading from a folder, and there are several next to him.

“What is it you do, Nicholas?”

“My consulting business focuses on IT and computer software. Advancing into new ways of working efficiently. I started my company seven years ago.”

“That’s fascinating. I went to school for business. I love all aspects of marketing.”

He hands me a folder. “What do you think?” He points down at the folder.

I open it and look at the different designs for an advertisement he’s preparing. “The colors don’t flow with this ad. The font is hard to read in this one.” I continue giving him my thoughts. It feels good to talk business.

“You have an eye for it, that’s for sure, Madison.” He reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a card. “Give my office a call. I’d love to have you on my team.”

I take it even though I’ll be starting a job at Henry’s company. “Thank you. I’ll look into this.”

The car stops, and his driver opens my door. I step out with his help, and Nicholas follows.

“Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Madison. I’ll speak to you soon.”

I smile. “Okay. Have a great day.”

When I’m inside my apartment, I place my purse on the counter and walk to the fridge to find something to drink. I’m aimlessly looking for anything to keep me busy, so I don’t think about Bryce. It’s been four hours since I left, and he hasn’t sent a single call or text. I’m only fooling myself with this relationship.

Stripping out of my clothes in my bedroom, I climb under the covers and will myself to sleep. My things are at Bryce’s, but there was no reason to keep my bed, so I’m leaving it here.

It’s been a long few weeks so time to myself is just what I need.