But I didn’t know his heart or his mind. I never had because I had been a stupid, foolish girl who had let him break her heart.
I swallowed. Don’t cry, I told myself. Not in front of him. He didn’t deserve my tears.
What was Cade doing in my office anyway? Why had he come back to the Park? Was it—could it possibly be—to right the wrong he did by leaving me?
Don’t be foolish, my brain retorted. I had believed in Cade once, but wasn’t stupid enough to do it again. I was an adult now, I had responsibilities, I had a successful business. I wasn’t going to get hung up on a man who didn’t deserve it.
Before I could say anything, Cade spoke. “I’m… Laura…”
“Yes, that’s me.”
Cade shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts, “I’m….” He looked dumbfounded. “I’m sorry to blindside you like this, but I promise you, I’m just as surprised as you are.”
I was tempted to make a snide remark, but stopped myself. I could see that he was in as much of a shock as I was.
“My mother was the one who set up the appointment,” Cade went on to explain. “Or… one of her assistants did, I should say.”
“Of course, they did,” I answered, nodding. I remembered what Cade had told me about his parents—more like what he hadn’t said—and his relationship with them. It had been a taboo topic because his parents were a stark contrast to the person he was. Of course, after he left me, I’d researched about his parents and seen the gossip about how demanding his mother was or how ruthless his father. They got things done through whatever means or whoever. And they were filthy rich, so of course, they’d have plenty of assistants to do their tasks.
The person who’d called to make the appointment hadn’t given a name, saying that their boss was “high profile” and that they’d prefer to “keep things discrete before the face-to-face meeting”. It felt a bit odd at first, because Detroit didn’t have any high-profile people, but then my business sense kicked in and I realized that I needed a high-profile client, so that I could have my big break and become the go-to girl for events. Finally taste some success. So, I’d spent my whole morning preparing for this meeting. The event was obviously going to be big—possibly, the biggest thing I’d ever done. I now realized that it was Cade’s parents. Who else could it be?
“I didn’t know that you were an event planner,” Cade went on.
He wasn’t here for me. He didn’t care about me. I tried my best to keep a neutral expression, but it was hard. I had imagined this moment, seeing him again, so many times because I wanted to unleash a whole tirade that would contain ten years’ worth of emotions and heartbreak. I wanted justification for what he did, wanted to make him grovel for forgiveness.
I felt like throwing up. Swallow your emotions, I told myself. Put on your game face.
I could do that for a short meeting, after all. Cade had said that his mother had set up this meeting, so it was probably one of her society events, which wouldn’t involve him.
So, I put on my customer service smile. “Mr. Kirkpatrick, it has been some time. I’m sorry, does this mean that your mother is unable to make it to the meeting?”
My hand was still outstretched toward him and Cade just stared at me in slight disbelief. I raised an eyebrow and shrugged my shoulders. I wouldn’t let up. Let him feel off-balance. He didn’t deserve to know how much he had hurt me, how he had shattered my heart.
“Yes,” Cade replied slowly, with a smirk, like he was still struggling to comprehend the whole situation and my cold behavior. “Her flight was delayed, so it’ll be just the two of us.”
“Then we’ll go ahead and get started. Right this way, please.”
I led him out of the reception and to our conference room, a modern and sleek room that screamed of sophistication. This was by design—the soft pastels and vibes of the reception would put people at ease, but all business decisions would be made in the utmost professional manner. And it was my favorite room in the office, with large windows facing the street and an LED TV that displayed photos of various events I had done in the past. There was also a cabinet with samples such as dishware and color swatches, as well as a floating bookshelf that held some of my idea binders.
“Please, have a seat,” I said, indicating to the conference table in the middle of the room. I walked over to the seat at the end of the table, while Cade slowly chose the seat at the opposite end. Usually, being at the end of table made me feel like I was in charge. Now, more than ever, I needed this confidence boost and distance between us, so that it would be strictly business.
I opened my laptop and grabbed a pen and notepad, ready to run through my usual interview checklist. Usually, people would tell me about the events they were planning, so I had a good idea of what to suggest. But in this case, the assistant hadn’t told me about the event nor the client’s name.
“What kind of event is your family planning?” I asked.
Cade’s cheeks flushed red. “A wedding.”
I felt my grip tighten on the pen. Cade didn’t have siblings. His parents, as far as I knew, were still married. That could only mean….
Cade was engaged, going to be married, and he wanted me to plan his wedding! How heartless and cruel could he be? How could he continue to hurt me even after so many years?
But I wished to myself, the girl is horrible and makes him feel completely miserable. Though it was wrong of me to wish that for a person I didn’t know, I couldn’t help myself. For all I know, she could be a naïve person who had believed that Cade was the one and only man for her, just like I had. In desperation, I had often prayed that if Cade was ever married to someone else, he’d be unhappy and see what a huge mistake he made by leaving me. I had wanted him to suffer as much as I did.
How life continued to play its cruel jokes on me!
“Can you tell me more about it?” I asked in a flat tone, though there was a tight knot in my stomach. “There are many different kinds of weddings that people plan these days.”
Cade cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, seeming uncomfortable and stiff all of a sudden. Something seemed off—people who are planning their weddings are normally excited and happy, not uncomfortable.