“I told you. We’re not responsible for everyone.”
He heard a knock at the door, alerting Lance his order had arrived. “I need to go.”
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
Lance didn’t bother to tell his father goodbye. He tossed his phone on the bed and answered the door. Tipping the waiter, he shut the door after placing the Do Not Disturb sign on his door handle. He made himself comfortable at the desk table with his meal. Lance bit into his burger.
He chewed, but the flavor in his mouth did nothing to lift his spirits. A sinking sensation overwhelmed his stomach, but he ate his meal, hoping to relieve the gnawing inside.
He called Andrea. Hearing her voice would help, but he got her voicemail. He left a message after clearing his throat. “Hey.” Lance rubbed his forehead. “I hope you’re having a good day. I’m heading back to Delta Heights. Let me know your plans. Love you.” He hung up and discarded his trash.
After showering and changing for bed, he reclined against the padded headboard. He held the remote, flipping through the channels. Nothing struck his interest, not even the sports commentary. Perhaps he needed to sleep since it had been a long day already. Then his phone rang again. Andrea had to be calling back. He answered without removing his eyes from the TV.
“Hey. I hope you’re not too busy, but I wanted to give you an update on what I have so far.”
Lance checked the screen. “Chantelle?”
“Is this a bad time?” She asked.
“No, you’re fine. I wasn’t expecting your call.” He gave half a smile. “Go ahead.”
“Well… so far I have how you and Andrea met and how you proposed. I’ve included Amelia’s Foundation and how that started.”
“So far so good.”
“I’m also including a photo of you at the tailor’s shop. Is that okay?”
Lance rubbed the back of his head. “That’s fine. What else?”
“I won’t mention June. I have it to where you and Andrea want to work together on your wedding. You don’t want too many outside influences.”
He bobbed his head. “I agree. Anything else?”
A hmm escaped her mouth as if she were thinking. “It’s still missing something, Lance.”
“What?” He asked.
“The spark. It excites the public that you’re settling down, but I’m certain they’ll want more romance. Are there any recent photos I can use of you and Andrea? The ones I have are prior to the proposal.”
As he suspected, it came up. The public wanted more appearances. He hoped Andrea showed soon. They couldn’t stay apart for too long.
“I’ll get those to you as soon as I can. I’m not a selfie guy compared to Andrea,” he said.
“Just a couple of photos I think will work. The rest can be at the wedding.”
He sighed. “Thank you, Chantelle. I appreciate your consideration in all of this.”
“You’re welcome. How was your trip? When will you be back?”
“The trip went well. Got some business done. I’ll be back tomorrow. I hope I’m not too jet lagged.”
“You should rest, Lance.”
“I’m getting married on top of everything else, Chantelle. There’s no slowing down for me.”
“I disagree. You need to take care of yourself. You won’t be any good to anyone if you’re sick or too tired to work,” she said.
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind as I close this deal.”