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“Ouu… Ian.” Trisha laughs. I turn to her sharply, giving her a hard look. She goes silent, using her fingers to hold her lips.
“What’re you talking about?” I join Elena in unloading the pastry. “He’s not.”
“Wait.” Elena stops. “You didn’t know that he was coming?”
“No I didn’t. And he isn’t…why would he be here?”
“Well according to what you said, he’s the founder of multiple startups. Of course he’s going to be here.”
“Well he didn’t tell me that.”
Because I didn’t give him a chance to.
I haven’t spoken to him since we had sex a week ago. The fact that I got the catering gig was a nice distraction. I didn’t have to think too much about it since I had lots of work to do. But if I’m being honest, I miss him so much and I hate it. I hate the fact that I like him way more than I’ve liked anyone else, even Logan. No matter how many times I run away and put distance between us, an invisible bond pulls us back together when it deems it fit. I can’t seem to let go of him; and if I’m being honest, why would I want to?
“We’re gonna need a new batch soon, Kaylee,” Elena says, jolting me out of my thoughts. She grabs the tray and walks out of the kitchen. “Get cooking.”
The door closes, and I turn my gaze to the ticking clock. It’s almost six pm. My time at the party is almost up, and the next batch of croissants I bake is probably going to be the last.
But am I going to leave without talking to Ian?
Definitely not. I’ve been a bitch for not talking to him for the past week. He deserves an explanation, and we need to finally have that talk we’ve been avoiding for so long. I need to know if there’s a future, where we are together and he’s not ready to be grounded in one place. While his answer might hurt, it will help us both gain clarity, and that’s what’s important. Besides, why should I settle for daydreams when the real deal is just outside?
“Um…Trish.” I back away. “Man the kitchen. I have to go somewhere.”
“Wait what? I don’t know how to bake the croissants.”
“I’ll be back in a moment.” I step out and close the door before she can protest further. The hallway is filled with waiters walking past with trays filled with all types of party delicacies. I nod to some of them, turning right to the door marked staff only. The door after it leads to the banquet hall, which is where Ian should be. I pull the door open, stopping halfway as I hear Mr. Andrews’ voice at the other side.
“It’s going pretty well, actually. With this new branch opened in Gainesville, we’ve finally completed our goal of having at least one Andrews & Sons branch in every state in the US.”
It sounds like regular business talk, but I can’t decide whether it’s better to interrupt them or go back to the kitchen. I really want to see Ian, but Mr. Andrews gets cranky when interrupted.
Maybe I’ll just come back.
“That would have been impressive if you weren’t about to lose everything.”
I freeze. That voice. it’s unmistakable. It’s Ian’s.
But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Ian be talking to Mr. Andrews? Did I hear wrong?
I turn back to the door, and without a thought, I push it open slightly. It’s just wide enough that I can peek in without being seen. There’s Mr. Andrews, standing with both hands tucked into his pocket. The smile on his lips fade off as he stares at the person before him. I can’t see the person’s face, but his brown hair with golden highlights, and his huge frame says it all. It’s Ian!
What is he doing here? All the ties Ian and I have spoken, he never mentioned that he knew Mr. Andrews. The only time we talked about him was when he wanted to help me with my business plan. He jotted some things down on his phone but never told me what it was.
“Careful, Ian. you might be my son and all, but that doesn’t mean you get to do things or say things without consequence. I’d do anything to protect my company, even if I have to go through you.”
My mouth falls open as the words drop from Mr. Andrew’s lips. Son? Like…Ian is his son? How did I not know this? How did Ian not tell me this? All the time we spoke about Mr. Andrews, he pretended not to know who he is. So he has been lying to me all along? But why? My chest tightens as memories of our first meeting since he came back to town flash through my mind.
How could I have been so stupid? Why didn’t I notice before? The time he got interested in helping me was when I mentioned that I worked at Andrews & Sons.
I knew people never helped if they weren’t gaining anything, but I buried that thought because I expected that Ian would be different. But I was wrong.
“I’m doing the right thing. You’ve hurt a lot of people. You have to be stopped.”
I turn back to the door, listening as they argue. Ian starts to walk away, but Andrews stops him.
“What about your little girlfriend, Kaylee?”
