Chapter Eleven
Harlow
“So you have six floats currently?”
“I do.”
The representative for Barton City University sat forward in his chair, one elbow resting on the upholstered arm, his small brown eyes flicking between her and the tablet he carefully guarded with his free hand.
“Doctor” Charley Browne, as he apparently preferred to be addressed, was a short man with thick-rimmed glasses and an arrogant demeanor indicating he was used to being listened to and followed with a minimum of pushback. Harlow had no idea what his position at the college was, but she felt terribly, terribly sorry for anyone who had to put up with him.
She’d made the mistake of asking him if he was a family practitioner, or if he did work at hospitals. That had preceded a five-minute lecture about how the term “Doctor” doesn’t always mean medical doctor. He was a Doctor of Theoretical Behavioral Analysis Science, or something like that. She hadn’t paid any attention. This was a sales pitch for her company, not a lecture at his school.
“Now, your profile does say that you were hired for the Barton City Founders Day Parade, is that correct?”
She tried not to wince at the leading tone, knowing full well where the conversation was going to turn. Avoiding the disaster with Vanek would have been amazing, but it had been plastered all over the news in town for several days, much to the amusement of many. Harlow had hoped that her next contract would be out of town, and she could be on the move again, but her emails had been going unanswered, leading her to believe they’d decided to forego hiring her.
So when the Homecoming department at BCU had contacted her about possible availability for having a homecoming parade with floats this year, she’d jumped at the opportunity. It meant less wear and tear on her tractor trailer and she could get to work on things right away.
“We saw the news last week...it says here that you have one float base capable of supporting larger constructs. Is that still accurate? It says brand-new. Were you forced to replace the damaged one?”
Harlow did wince this time. “I had initially hoped to replace it with a brand-new one, yes. But unfortunately that deal fell through, so I’ve been working hard to restore the damaged one.”
“Will it be ready in a month’s time, do you think?”
“Absolutely!” she said with more conviction than she actually felt.
Without Vanek to help, it seemed unlikely that she would be able to repair the remainder of the damage.
“But there’s no new float? This is the only one capable of supporting the larger-sized displays?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hmmm.”
Harlow wanted to reach across the little circular table between them and punch Browne in his face for the condescending tone, but she knew that wouldn’t help her at all.
The truth of the matter was, she needed this contract. And badly. Otherwise she was going under and would have to sell to one of her larger competitors, something that would shame her to no end.
On top of that, it would mean the end of the dream. The end of seeing all the joyous smiles on the faces of kids. The end of her chance to do something with what she was left, to bring back her own memories of a better time. It would all evaporate.
Harlow needed to do anything she could to secure the contract from BCU. Even if that meant perhaps pandering to his ego.
“What did you have in mind to use the bigger float for, Doctor?” she asked.
His ears perked up at the sound of his preferred form of address and he sat a little straighter, as if she truly gave a shit about him. It irked her to have to pander to him so much, but she was desperate. If it weren’t for the wedding ring on his finger, she might even have considered flirting with him a little. Might. Then she would have gone and had a few shots to rinse the filth off. He was nothing like Vanek.
“We actually had hoped to build two larger floats. One of our mascot, and one with a large replica of Barton Tower, the original building where BCU was founded. But from the sounds of it, that’s not something you’ll be able to accommodate.”
Harlow felt a tension headache begin to creep in from her shoulders and up her neck, the muscles tightening until her head began to throb. “No, Doctor, I’m sorry, it would have to be one or the other I think. My next biggest float could accommodate two people in a platform.”
“Yeah, we really wanted like, seven to ten. This big deal of several of the founders all together, waving as they went down the roadway, right?”
“Right.”
“I’ll think about it,” Browne said at last.
Harlow forced her head not to dip in frustration and disappointment. She knew she could do the job, and that they could find a way to make the parade work with her particular floats. They could do it. If only Browne would give her a shot.
The sound of raised voices from the hallway caught both of their attention. Two heads swiveled to the blond wooden doors of the meeting room. Harlow had come onto campus at Dr. Browne’s request to meet with him, and they had been squirreled away in the room ever since. She wondered what was going on out there. No windows were available to give them a view.
“Is there anything else besides the second large float that would prevent you from hiring me?” she asked, trying to ignore the sounds from outside the room, striving to keep Browne’s attention on her.
It was failing though. His eyes kept darting to the door as he too become more concerned with the shouting. The door kept everything muffled so she couldn’t make out what was being said, but it did seem to be coming closer.
“I don’t think so, Ms…” Browne paused, speaking to her but looking at the door.
“Harlow. Just Harlow is fine,” she told him for the third time since the start of their meeting.
“Right. Um, Miss—”
“Harlow!”
Her neck cracked as she whipped it around to stare at the door. “Oh no,” she whispered. It wasn’t Browne who had said her name. It had come from the opposite side of the door, the first understandable word.
“Do you know who this is?” Dr. Browne asked, surprised. “They are disrupting our campus here.”
She gave him an uncomfortable smile and rose from her seat, heading toward the locked door just as someone’s fist thudded into it from the other side. The slab of wood held up to the abuse, but it was shaking in its frame.
Harlow opened the lock and pulled it open a crack.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she hissed at him.
“Harlow,” he said, his thick chest blocking her view of the hallway beyond, though she could hear figures moving about behind him, trying to get his attention.
“This is not a good time, Vanek. Go away.” She’d imagined saying the words would hurt, and part of her said that later she was going to ugly-cry over having said it, but just now her blood was up and she was more angry than anything else.
“We need to talk.”
“I already said what I needed to say. Now go away, you’re ruining this for me!”
It wasn’t her first choice of words, not even the second. It pained her to see the agony in his face as she shunned him for the second time, in person now. Vanek didn’t deserve the way she was treating him, but Harlow knew she couldn’t continue to have him around either. Every time she looked at him, all she could see was her father in the sole photograph she’d kept of him.
Harlow couldn’t open herself up to him. She couldn’t suffer that loss. Not again.
“I’m not letting you leave town without us talking about this,” he growled, holding up the letter she’d written for him. “Things between us are not ending with a letter. We’re going to talk, face to face, like adults. Then you can tell me it’s over.”
“Fine, it’s over.”
His jaw dropped open and she tried to close the door in his face, knowing that if she didn’t the tears would start to fall and she’d regret everything. Maintaining a stoic face now was the only way she would be able to shut Vanek out to do what needed to be done.
I’m sorry, Vanek. It’s not you, it’s me. It’s always been me.
A massive booted foot stuck its way in the door.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” he rumbled, and she refused to meet his eyes this time, unable to handle the truth in them. “Give me a chance to understand what’s going on.
“Haven’t you?” she asked. “You come barging in here, interrupting me in a meeting and embarrassing me. Why should I give you the time of day?” She let the door open wide enough for Vanek to see Dr. Browne sitting there.
“Uh, hi,” the academic said awkwardly.
“Hello.” Vanek’s face clouded over at the realization of what he’d done. He turned back to her. “It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t tried to run away without telling me what was going on. We’re going to talk about this. You aren’t just going to leave without telling me.”
“Actually, Vanek,” she said calmly. “Yes, yes I am.”
The big shifter’s muscles swelled with frustration. “No you aren’t.”
“Yes I am.”
She wanted to reach out and clobber the huge stubborn man, but she couldn’t. Her anger dissipated the more she thought about it. It wasn’t Vanek being the asshole here. It was her. Perhaps his timing had been off, but she hadn’t given him much of a choice either. By refusing to talk to him, she’d forced him to somehow track her down and find her as soon as he could.
Part of her tried to tell her how admirable a show of devotion it was, but she quashed that thought swiftly, knowing if she let it hang around it would breed others, tempting her into giving him a second chance. A chance that, for her own sake, she had to deny both of them.
Harlow thought for a moment, a plan forming in her mind.
“Fine,” she said somewhat more curtly than she’d planned. “We’ll talk. Two days from now. The warehouse.”
He opened his mouth to speak but she wasn’t finished.
“If you do something like this in the meantime though, I’ll know you don’t respect me. Two days, Vanek. Not an hour earlier.”
Powerful muscles in his arm flexed as he jammed a hand into his pocket, withdrew his cellphone, and checked the time. “Two days,” he rumbled.”
She nodded to confirm. “Two days.”
He stepped back out of the door. “I’ll be there.”
Harlow shut the door in his face, blinking back tears. She stood facing the blank slate of wood for a moment, composing herself. Deep breaths to relax the system.
Turning around, she took in the way Dr. Browne was standing by his chair. His satchel was all packed up over his shoulder, and he was looking anxiously anywhere but at her.
Harlow sighed. “I’m not getting that contract, am I?”
He shook his head. “No, no you are not.”
She stepped aside and let him flee the room, trying not to laugh as he peeked outside first to ensure Vanek was gone before departing. Only after he was gone and after she had flicked the lock shut after him did Harlow let the tears finally come. They streamed down her face and ruined her makeup. Sobbing into the sleeve of her arm, she gave thanks that she’d worn a gray shirt this time instead of something white.
Harlow couldn’t do this. She couldn’t face him.
But she had a plan, and she was going to follow through with it.