XanderI walked into the restaurant where I was supposed to meet Charlie. He was taking a long lunch and had the time to actually leave the plant where he worked—managed, really. He was good with his hands and had a hard time keeping to the managing. He liked the doing.He put up his hand. “Xander,” he called.I made my way to the table and took my seat. “Did you order yet?”“Two BLTs.”“One is for me, right?” I joked.“Maybe.”“Asshole.”He chuckled. “How have you been? I haven’t talked to you in a week.”“I was out of town for a few days and then I was working on that other job for a client,” I told him.“Your pet project?”I smiled. “Yes. It’s nice to do a little something different.”“Whatever happened with the party planner?”I took a drink from the glass of water. My first option was to play dumb. “What do you mean?”He chuckled, shaking his head. “You know exactly what I mean. You being dodgy tells me something did happen. You said you were going to take her out on the boat.”“
Xander“They will be at the plant,” he said as we walked to our cars.“I’ll follow you over there. Let them know you’ll have a plus one.”He laughed. “Glad I can return the favor.”I was too irritated with the idea my designs had failed to laugh. I was already going through the potential causes in my head. I had no information to go on, but I knew what the likely suspects were. I prayed it was manufacturer or user error. If it was something I did, I would be very pissed at myself.Thirty minutes later, we were in the air and flying out to the ship that was stuck out in open water. They had only left the dock a few hours ago. That told me it had to be a failure of some kind. I brought along my iPad with access to the file containing the design specs, including the engine specs. Charlie built them from what I designed. He knew them just as well as I did, but he knew the way it sounded and how it looked when it was all put together.The helicopter landed on the massive deck. Charlie and
EvieI closed the dishwasher and turned it on. Being a single lady that was rarely home and didn’t eat a lot at home meant few dishes. I had to practically wash my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. If I didn’t, they would be crusty and gross by the time I got a full load. I put the towel on the counter and shut off the light.I had plenty of candles going. I loved candles. Anytime I got a chance to burn candles, I did. I carried my glass of wine out to my itty-bitty balcony and sat down. It was a warm evening with some serious humidity.I settled in, putting my feet up on the railing and staring out at the pool below that was packed with tenants taking advantage of the warm weather. My phone chimed, alerting me to a text. I didn’t want to look. I didn’t want to deal with a client bitching at me. I was completely chill at the moment. Not a minute later, the doorbell rang.“Nelle!” I said, already knowing it was her.I walked barefoot to the door and pulled it open. “I didn’
Evie“I can’t take him to meet my dad. For one, we are not even close to being at that stage, and for two, no way. You know how critical my dad is. Xander would cut and run before we even get started. My dad would find fault with a royal prince. There will never be a right man for me in his eyes.”She smiled, sipping on her diet soda. “That’s because he loves you. He wants the best for you.”“He wants me to be a spinster.”“I think he just wants to make sure you are with someone that is going to treat you right. He loves you. He raised you. He has some very high standards. It’s normal for dads to be picky about who their daughters date.”“My dad takes that a little too seriously.”“You won’t know until you try,” she said.I shook my head. “Nope. I have not taken a man to him yet and I don’t plan on doing it now. Not until I am a million percent sure he is going to be the man I am going to marry. Then, I will be more willing to fight for the man.”“Makes sense, but I think your dad is
XanderI flipped off the TV and walked outside. I had my swim trunks on and was ready to dive into my pool. I had gone down to the beach earlier, but it was packed. I couldn’t wait until school picked up and some of the tourists drifted away.I dove in headfirst, the cool water washing over me. I swam a few laps before drifting to the edge of the pool and holding on. I waited to see if I heard the sound again. My brain could be playing tricks on me.When I heard the birdsong again, I sprang out of the pool, using my arms to lift myself up. That was Evie’s ringtone. I felt a bit like a teenage girl, but I wanted to make sure I knew when she called. I picked up my phone. “Hello?” I answered, pretending to be totally cool and casual.“Hey, it’s me, Evie.”I smiled as I picked up my towel and rubbed it over my head. “Yes, I gathered that. What are you doing?”“I am calling to ask you for a huge favor,” she said.“What would that be?” I asked, praying like hell she didn’t ask me for money.
Xander“Thank you,” she said on a sigh.“No problem. Is that normal?”“With this group, yes.”I looked around at the men talking and laughing. Some had removed their suit jackets and loosened their ties. Others were still buttoned up tight. “They are lawyers?” I asked.“Yes. The expensive kind. They have one of these parties every few months. They always ask for me. Every party is always the same. The married men are on the prowl. They are worse than the single guys.”“What do you mean?” I growled.“They are relentless. They think they are god’s gift to women. They do not understand the word no or what marriage vows mean.”“Assholes,” I murmured. “I’ll make sure they know it is not okay.”She smiled up at me. “I think you being here is definitely going to change things. I’ve claimed I had a boyfriend at past parties and they don’t care.”“They will now.”“There’s one of the partners. I need to talk with him.”“I’ll go with you,” I insisted.Her pretty smile made me very happy I showed
EvieWe carried our bowls of ice cream to a bench that overlooked the ocean. I sat down first, with Xander sitting down beside me. It was a warm night with no wind. It felt good to get off my feet for a while. I took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and let it melt in my mouth. It was my guilty pleasure. One of many. Life was too short and stressful to not indulge in ice cream.“Tired?” he asked.I turned to look at him. He had loosened his tie and undone the top button of his shirt. The gel he had put in his hair was slowly failing, allowing the long layers to fall loose around his ears and forehead. The light from a streetlight nearby cast him in a soft, bluish tone. He looked absolutely handsome. “I am tired. I always like this moment.”“What moment is that?”“The moment the event—whether it’s a party or a wedding or whatever—it’s the moment I can sit and relax without thinking about what I need to do. It’s a chance to go over the event and identify what went wro
Evie“I know how much you hate wearing the suit and mingling. Some of the events might be black tie. Do you have a tuxedo?”He groaned. “I’m afraid to answer that.”“You do,” I surmised. “A man like you would have to own one. How often do you get roped into benefits and fancy gatherings?”He shrugged. “Not as much as I used to. In the beginning, I was more open to shaking hands with the people I needed to buy my designs. I shook a lot of hands. I couldn’t turn down an invitation and risk coming off as rude or ungrateful.”“But now, you don’t have to?”“No, not really. I still do some because I do like to support a good cause. I just don’t stay all night. I show up, drink some champagne, shake a few hands, write a check, and get the hell home.”“It’s nice that you show up.”“What about you?” he asked.“What about me?”“Do you go to parties and benefits? Ones that you are not putting together. Just as a guest.”I thought about it. I had been to so many parties and big gatherings, they t