I spent most of the day lounging around on the couch. My phone was on silent, the constant notifications bothering me, and I had decided to ignore calls from numbers I didn’t know after the first two proved to be reporters bombarding me with questions. Around midday, Alice sent me a message about preparing a statement for the press, and I gratefully took to the task with vigor.
The truth was, since the moment I had gotten out of bed, I could not stop thinking of Ashlyn.
I finished my press statement a lot faster than I had anticipated and emailed it in, knowing well that Alice would probably hack away at it until it was ‘press appropriate’. With that I made my way into the kitchen, rummaged through the refrigerator and pantry, and began to cook. I had given Pauline the day off, and even though it was nice to not have anyone bothering me, I felt odd having to do things for myself for once. I had always loved to cook, but with how much time the company took from me, that little hobby had died away with most of everything else. I slowly began to get into the rhythm of things, humming as I worked.
I ate my lunch alone, every now and then checking my phone and convincing myself that I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything important. The reality, of course, was that a part of me was hoping Ashlyn would contact me, a message, maybe a call, anything to let me know that I wasn’t the only one wondering if there was still a chance to make whatever it was we had work. I brought up her contact two or three times, but never could bring myself to do anything more than stare at her picture before swiping back to the main menu.
You’re going to give yourself a heart attack just by thinking about it.
Which was true. I had never been this flustered in my life, never this unsure as to whether or not I should do something. What was the worst that could happen? That she wouldn’t answer? And what if sh
e did? Wouldn’t that at least give me some closure, one way or the other?
It was driving me crazy.
Fighting the urge to pour myself another drink, I decided I’d take a walk around the block to get my mind off things. Besides, it was a good start to what should have been the beginning of my exercise regimen. I got dressed in running gear I had not used in forever, took the elevator downstairs, and stepped out into the warm breeze of the late afternoon.
The walk proved fruitless, though. No matter how much I tried to busy myself with my surroundings, staring at products I didn’t need in store windows or making small talk with the barista while ordering coffee, I still couldn’t get my mind off Ashlyn. I imagined her in her green house, checking off orders on her pad, driving that truck of hers to the motel and other stops to deliver flowers, arranging lilies in rooms where I no longer stayed in. I pictured her at the diner, eating a burger by herself, maybe having a cup of coffee before making the drive back home and calling it a day.
And I imagined her smile. Her eyes, looking at me from over her shoulder. Her blonde locks framing her face and glowing in the morning sun. I imagined her touch on my arm, the way her head fit perfectly against my shoulder, and her entire body seemed like a puzzle piece that connected seamlessly with mine. I imagined her kissing me, sighing against my lips, melting in my grip. I imagined what it would be like to wake up next to her every day.
My phone ringing brought me back from my reverie, and I balanced my coffee cup on a park fence while I answered.
“Where are you?” Alice asked, sounding tired yet cheerful enough to give me hope.
“Out for a run, well, a walk,” I said. “Needed to stretch my legs.”
“You do know that every news channel in Texas is trying to get a hold of you, right?”
“I can handle them,” I said.
“Just don’t punch anyone, okay?” Alice warned. “We have enough on our plates as is.”
“I thought we could use a few more challenges,” I joked.
“We definitely cannot.”
I smiled. “What’s the update?”
“Well, in so far, your girlfriend’s been very helpful,” Alice said. “Her ex-husband is definitely suing, but with him breaking his restraining order and a bunch of other issues, that should be resolved pretty quickly. Actually, I’m surprised he even decided to sue.”
Because no one’s ever said no to them before, that’s why.
“And Dennis?”
“A little more complicated,” Alice remarked, but her voice said otherwise. “We offered him a settlement, but he still wants to go to court. Which the lawyers think is great.”
“Why?”
“Well, let’s just say some digging’s been going on, and there’s enough dirt on Dennis, including shady business deals under the umbrella of Ridder Technology, that will put him behind bars for quite a while. We let him sue, then fire back with our guns.”
I paused. “Bring him in tomorrow morning, and we’ll have a chat,” I said. “When he knows what we have on him, he’ll drop his case and do whatever we ask him to. There’s no need to drag him through the mud.”
“Are you serious? You’re willing to let him get away with trying to steal the company from you? I thought you would have Miles out digging his grave somewhere about now.”
I clicked my tongue and considered what I had just said. “Life’s too short. I don’t need the stress of an ugly trial, even if it meant burying Dennis in the dirt for good.”
“You really have changed, haven’t you?”