Chapter 1 – Scott
I was still smiling. My face was actually hurting from smiling so much after getting back from my date with Jesse. It had been everything that I’d hoped it would be, and maybe a little more. I was enchanted with her, and after the small taste that I got of her lips, I was even more convinced of how much I needed her in my life.
Now I just had to figure out how to convince her of the same. She was so sure that I was the wrong kind of guy that I was just going to have to show her that I was the right one. I didn’t know how to do that or what that was going to look like, but the only time frame that I had was my own needs, and they were pushing me to do more and more. I hadn’t even secured another date with her before I left. I was too into what was going on and hadn’t even thought about it. What if she wouldn’t see me again? It wasn’t like me to worry about that kind of thing, but I hadn’t ever had the same confidence with Jesse as I’d had with other women. I was on eggshells with Jesse, because I actually cared.
The next morning I was still grinning from ear to ear. Caroline noticed the difference right off the bat.
“You’re looking well today, Scott. What’s new with you?”
She was being nosy, something that she always did, and the worst part was that she was going to run and tell my father, but I just didn’t care. I didn’t care because even my father couldn’t ruin my good mood, so his lackey surely couldn’t. What could ruin my day was all in Jesse’s hands: her willingness to go on another date. I was prepared to take it slow, as long as I was continuing in a forward direction.
“Not much, Caroline. I’ve just been taking a little more time off, and I can’t tell you how much better I’m feeling.”
“Well, you look good Scott, so something is working.”
I waited for her to say more. I was in a good mood, but not a good enough mood that I was going sit there and spar with her all day. I still appreciated her for getting the gist of it out as quickly as possible.
“I have some paperwork that I was going to drop off. Your father wants you to look over it and sign it, and then I’ll send it all to the lawyers to finalize.”
“What is it about?”
“You know that I don’t get into all of the details. I’m just the messenger.”
I suspected that she was one choosing to be just the messenger. It meant that I wasn’t going to like the papers. I looked at them as if she were handing me a bomb.
“It’s not that bad, Scott, really.”
“I thought you said you didn’t know what they were about?”
“Well, I know that nothing is as bad as how you look right now. You look like something is going to come out and suck your blood.”
It was an odd thing for an older woman like her to say, but I’d never understood her humor. Now I was starting to think that I never would. What was I supposed to say to that? All I could do was take the paperwork that she thrust into my hands and go from there.
After Caroline had left, I studied the papers as long as I could without actually looking at them. I guessed how many pages there were by the thickness of the stack, and then I tried to guess what it was all about. I knew that it was going to be something I didn’t like. My father never really had any good news to tell me, and from the way Caroline was acting about it, I knew that this wasn’t going to be the first time.
So instead of letting it ruin my day and the good mood I was in, I didn’t even open it. There would be the next day to look it over and argue with my father about whatever it was, but today I just wanted to relax and think about my next move with Jesse. I had to sweep her off her feet, or at least get her to take me seriously. I didn’t want to be just some rich guy that she got some money or help from. I wanted to be the man she fell for. What would happen after I’d gotten her there was not even on my radar. All I could think about was what it would be like to have her in my arms.
Caroline came back in a couple of times, her eyes darting to the unopened file folder. I wasn’t going to say anything to her. I was waiting for her to bring it up, but she would leave without saying a word, I think in order to keep the peace. It became clear after a few hours that I was expected to sign right away. I doubted that they even wanted to give me time to read it. I was sure that my father thought that I should sign just because he said so. But I wasn’t ready to obey him that blindly. I knew better, because I knew him better.
The fourth time she came into my office, I was done seeing her. I told her I was taking the rest of the day off. Caroline was not happy about that, reminding me of how much work I still had to do, but I just waved her off. “It always gets done, Caroline. You shouldn’t worry so much.”
From the way she was sending me looks that could have been daggers, it was quite obvious how little humor she found in what I said. I didn’t wait to hear any more. I ran out of there like it wasn’t even my office. It was becoming a habit, me ducking out around two thirty, and I knew exactly where I was going to go. It used to be the time of day I would be looking for a drink, but now I was looking for a pretty smile and a coffee. A lot had changed since I met Jesse, and I was sure that she was good for me. I didn’t know where it was going to lead, but it was the first time that I wasn’t ready to run immediately.
Before going to the bistro, I stopped and picked up some flowers. I didn’t want to go empty-handed, and if any women deserved flowers, it was Jesse. She’d changed my whole outlook on things. I was still nervous about what I was going to find when I got there, but I had to know. Jesse had to feel the same way that I did. She had to.