“Wait, I was hoping to get an estimate from you. So I can start understanding the scope and cost?”
“Lady, here’s my estimate.” He paused at the door. “I estimate this place isn’t worth the headache. If you can still back out of the deal, do it.” With that, he left.
I wouldn’t say my happy balloon popped, but I did feel like it had escaped my grasp, drifting up into the sky while I watched it helplessly from the ground. And then things got worse.
“What, are you hiring Salducci?” Liam walked into the studio, full of incredulous animosity.
“What are you doing here?” I crossed my arms against my chest and tried to prepare myself for another attack. I hadn’t fully recovered from the last one. To think, before I’d seen him I’d been getting all misty-eyed over memories. Clearly he hadn’t been experiencing the same nostalgia.
“I was driving by and I saw that jerk’s van parked outside. He’ll rob you blind.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think he’ll be working here anyway.”
“Oh, let me guess.” Liam crossed his arms across his chest, too. But he had a broad, muscular chest and when he did it his biceps bulged. Not that I was noticing that sort of thing. “He didn’t even want to bid on the work.”
“I’m not talking about this with you.” I started heading for the back room, for no other reason than wanting to get away from him. “You didn’t need to come back. You made your point the other day.”
“Not clearly enough, I see.” The infuriatingly stubborn man followed me. Now we were standing in a much smaller space. Merely feet away from the man I’d ached for for so many years. Who now looked at me like I was a complete idiot.
“Look, I’m making my own decisions about this place,” I insisted.
“It’s a money pit.” His eyes flashed, such a gorgeous shade of dark blue, like the ocean during sunset.
But fuck sunsets and dark blue eyes. He was driving me crazy. “Why do you care if I throw my money down a pit?” I looked away from him, unfortunately managing to glance at the exposed wires and missing patch of plaster.
“Must be nice being so rich you can just throw money away.”
“I don’t need this!” I tossed my hands up, shaking with anger. “I’ve got enough people telling me I’m an idiot. I don’t need you doing it, too.” I headed once again into the larger studio. But to do it I had to brush past him. I drew in a deep breath. He was so much larger than I was, and as I passed I could feel the heat from his body. He exhaled, long and deep. As we touched, slightly, his hands balled into fists.
“So, what, are you back now? You’re moving back to Naugatuck?” He strode after me.
“Why, is this island not big enough for the both of us?” I taunted him, like he was some tough guy in a movie. He didn’t own the island. My family had had a home there for decades. I had every right to spend time there if I chose.
He shook his head. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“So what!” I nearly yelled. If I were a cartoon character, steam would be pouring out of my ears. “Don’t treat me like a child. I’m not 18 anymore. I can do what I want.”
“You’ve always done what you wanted.” Now his words were laced with meaning and I couldn’t help but look up into his eyes. “I never could talk you out of anything, could I?”
I had to turn away. His gaze was too intense. I walked over to the window, wrapping my arms around my chest. Suddenly I felt cold in the middle of the warm, sunny June afternoon.
“This is crazy.” He stalked over to the door, then yanked it open with such force the doorknob came off right in his hands. “Fuck.” He stopped, observing the knob in his palm.
“What did you do?” I rushed over.
“This place is held together with rubber bands, Sophie.”
A shiver went down my spine, hearing him speak my name again. Something in the way he said it, in his deep, rumbling voice, made me remember laying my head on his chest and feeling him say my name as he stroked my hair.
“Well, thanks for pulling it apart.” I reached to grab it out of his hands, but he pulled it away.
“I can fix it.”
“Please, don’t,” I insisted, exasperated.
“I’ll fix it.” He kneeled down and, of course, he happened to have a screwdriver in his back pocket. Because who didn’t carry a set of tools with them at all times? It made me think of my ex-boyfriend, George, who hired out every last bit of manual labor in his life. He probably wouldn’t recognize a screwdriver if it stood up and bit him in the ass. But George had also never made me want to rip his hair out at the roots in seething frustration.
“Fine. I have to go.” If he wasn’t leaving, then I was. “Just close the lock after you. And try not to destroy anything else while you’re here.”
“That won’t be easy,” he called after me. “The whole place is falling apart.”
I’d driven over that morning and I hustled to the car. Nearly ripping the door off its hinges as I swung it open, I climbed in, then slammed it shut. Just so I wouldn’t have to pass the storefront again, I drove off the other way down the street. Why the hell was Liam meddling in my business? Telling me I was making a huge mistake. Maybe I was. But I was done doing what other people wanted me to do. I didn’t even know if I would have pursued professional dance if I hadn’t had so many teachers and agents and of course my mother presenting it as the only option. With my bone structure and my talent, what an opportunity! I’d be crazy to pass it up! Didn’t I know how lucky I was? How many people would kill to be in my place?
Fine, so maybe this was my over-reaction. My time to do something no one else in their right mind would do. But at least it would be my choice. And if I failed, if in a year I wasn’t able to figure out how to get the place renovated and opened up, well then at least I’d have tried to do something interesting.
My phone rang and I clicked it on with Bluetooth.
“Sophie, you haven’t responded to my texts.” It was Theo.
“Hi Theo. Sorry, I’ve been really busy.”
“Are you coming to my party tonight? I’d love to see you.”
“Sure,” I responded quickly. I hadn’t even thought about it, but I needed to get out and do something. I was going to go stir-crazy kicking around my mother’s house all night, possibly getting yet another lecture from her about what a big mistake I was making. I had a date with Eloise tomorrow to go mini golfing, but tonight it looked like I’d be jet setting with the young and fabulous of Naugatuck. Whitney called me right after I got off the phone, confirming that she’d stop by and get me so we could head over to the party together.
I dressed in silk and heels, simple yet I knew it accentuated my slender build. I put on perfume and blow-dried my hair within an inch of its life, then applied makeup like the pro I’d learned to become. It all felt like preparing to give a performance, something I very much wished I was done with. I’d rather kick it with some good friends who didn’t need me to put on a show. But I hadn’t made those friends yet. So tonight, I’d choose going out over staying in with too much on my mind.
Whitney arrived on time and we took a car over together, her constant chatter and laughter rushing past me like a brisk wind. As soon as we arrived at the yacht club, a staff member escorted us out and down a long pier to where the largest yachts were docked. Whitney had not been exaggerating; the thing was huge. A young man who introduced himself as an assistant to Mr. Bartright, a.k.a. Theo, welcomed us onto the yacht and ushered us directly over to the man himself.
“Don’t you look lovely tonight.” Theo gave me a double-cheek kiss and an admiring look.
“Thank you for having us. Your boat is amazing.”
“I was hoping you’d like it.” He smiled at me, the consummate wealthy 30-year-old bachelor in crisp khakis and a tailored button-down shirt. I could see why my mother was practically salivating over him as a match for me.
Whitney was salivating as well as she went in close for her do
uble kiss. I’d been right about the chemistry I thought I’d picked up on earlier. At least from her. Her eyes shone as she looked up at him. Unfortunately for her, Theo was looking back at me. I watched Whitney’s face sour as she also picked up on the dynamic.