I shortened the second meeting, my phone still going off, now with questions from my own clients as well as from Susan. I left the building in a rush and headed home.
I pulled up to the house, noting furniture was still being unloaded out of trucks. When I walked inside, Susan stood in the living room directing people. “Everything okay now?” I asked.
“Yes, sorry about all the questions. Leah finally arrived and everything is going fine now.”
I looked around—it was beginning to look and feel like a real home. “Where is Leah?”
“She is upstairs,” she answered as she crossed another thing off her list and directed two men where to put the item they were carrying.
I looked toward the stairs and smiled at Susan, excusing myself. I climbed the stairs and found Leah in my bedroom making the bed. “Hey,” I called out as I entered the almost finished room.
“Hey,” she said letting out a breath. “Sorry I wasn’t here for the start of everything, I needed to speak with the appliance company, they were showing the wrong model fridge coming in.”
“I see. Listen, do you have a minute, I want to talk to you.”
“Now isn’t a good time, Logan. I need to make sure things keep moving along.”
“It will only take a few minutes.”
“Miss Tate, I need your help,” Susan called from downstairs.
“See she needs me,” Leah said placing the last pillow on the bed before leaving the room. I stood there looking after her.
The rest of the afternoon went that way. I would corner Leah somewhere and she would find any excuse to get away from me or Susan would appear out of thin air. The next day started the same way, only I got so tired of it I ended up leaving the house.
At six I pulled into the driveway in time to see the last truck pull away. The only two vehicles remaining were Leah and Susan’s. I hurried into the house, hoping to catch her before she left.
Susan and Leah were in the kitchen going over one the final plans. “Can you make sure that everything is in place according to this please?” I watched as she handed over the plan to Susan. “Oh, and check to make sure that the peach in the blinds matched the peach in the duvet, please.” She was beautiful when she took control. I leaned up against the door frame waiting for Susan to leave.
Finally, Leah was alone, studying something that sat in front of her. I cleared my throat letting her know I was there.
“Logan, we are just finishing up. We should be out of here shortly.”
“No rush,” I said walking over to her. I went up behind her and placed my arms on either side of her. “I’d like to speak with you in private,” I whispered into her ear.
“Logan, please, now isn’t the time.”
I went to whisper something else into her ear when Susan walked into the room. “Oh my, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Don’t be silly, Susan,” Leah said as she stepped away from me. “I was just showing Logan something. Is everything good to go?”
Susan nodded looking at me and back at Leah.
“We should get going.” Leah packed up everything that was on the counter and shoved it into her briefcase then she and Susan walked to the door.
“Miss Tate, you will be here for the magazine shoot, correct?”
“Yes, sir. Thursday at nine. I will see you then.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Leah
I checked my makeup for the fifth time before walking out the door. I had been able to avoid speaking to Logan all week. I knew it pissed Logan off, but I struggled to handle how I was feeling and that kiss we had shared recently hadn’t left my thoughts.
I smoothed my skirt and quickly wrapped a scarf around my neck then, for the sixth time in five minutes, I checked my hair and makeup. As soon as I was satisfied, I headed down to my car and started the drive to Logan’s. I decided that as soon as the shoot was over, I was flying home for the weekend. I needed to get out of this city for a while and away from Logan.
I drove up the driveway and parked in beside his truck. I shut the engine off and sat there for a moment taking in everything. I had hit this design out of the park, fully impressing Mary with the whole design too. She had come to see it yesterday with Susan and had told me so. She was thrilled that it would be featured in the magazine and that the magazine wanted me to be part of it.