“Will you at least talk to me?” Before she could answer, the phone rang again.
“Hold on, I have another call,” Chloe said, picking up the call. “Yes, Mom, what can I do for you?”
“Don’t give me that ‘what can I do for you?’ I’ve been calling you since yesterday and you’ve never returned any of my calls,” Suzanne said.
“Didn’t it occur to you that I’m busy?” She immediately regretted her words, but she’d had so much on her mind lately that she was having trouble juggling everything.
“Too busy to talk to your own mother?”
Chloe sighed. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry.”
“Where is my invitation? Jill said she still hasn’t received hers. What kind of wedding do you plan to have if you haven’t mailed the invitations? When are Richard’s parents coming over? Are we going to Atlanta?”
“Listen, Mom, I hate to cut you short again, but Richard’s here. I promise to call you again tom—”
“Chloe, before you put down the phone, please let me know if you mailed the invitations. When are Richard’s parents coming?”
Chloe groaned inwardly. “I promise I’ll mail them tomorrow. Richard’s parents are coming next weekend. Now, Mom, I really have to go.” Chloe hung up, then forced herself to remain calm as she turned to face Richard who was seated on the living room sofa. Richard held out a hand to invite her to sit next to him, but she pulled out of his reach.
“We need to discuss a few things,” Richard said. “First of all, I don’t understand the sudden change of mind. I thought we had agreed—”
“For the last time, I don’t want to sell this house, give up my job and move to the city with you,” Chloe said, shaking with rage. “It was never my idea, and you never considered what I wanted. You even told me to give Greta away.”
“I thought that we had agreed on all this, and that it was a mutual decision,” Richard said, scratching his head.
“You never listen to me. The problem with you, Richard, is that only your opinion counts, and that’s unfair,” Chloe cried. “You’re only interested in anything that benefits you.”
“That’s not true.” Richard raised his voice. “Moving to the city is ideal for my job and you don’t even have to work.”
“Did you ever ask me what I want?”
Richard sighed. “What is it that you really want, baby, because life for you seems to be a fairytale?”
“Will you quit telling me that,” Chloe said, crossing her arms. Her whole day had been ruined. How could Richard try to sell her house out from under her? And now Josh had a girlfriend. She had been so stupid. She closed her eyes and fought back tears, opening them only after she had herself under control. “It’s not like you don’t have dreams as well.”
“At least my dreams are realistic.”
“That makes us different, which brings me to the conclusion that this relationship will never work,” Chloe said softly. She knew now a relationship with Josh was impossible, but after the last few weeks, she couldn’t marry a man like Richard either.
“What?” Richard stood up. “You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”
Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “We’re incompatible. We don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.”
“You can’t break up with me,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’ve paid for the wedding. There’s no way to back out.”
“I can request a refund if that’s what you’re worried about.” He held her hand but she pushed him away.
“You know how embarrassing this would be to my family?” he said. “I can’t believe how ungrateful you are after all I’ve done for you.”
“What do you mean ungrateful? What have you ever done for me? All you’ve ever been is a selfish bastard,” Chloe yelled. “Now, will you get out of my house before I call the cops this time?”
“Baby, please calm down,” Richard said, raising his hands. “What do I need to do to make this work?”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Chloe shook her head.
Richard sat down and cleared his throat, clearly shaken. “The thing is, I do get it, but when I was a child I saw how hard my father worked. He worked two to three jobs, while my mom stayed home to raise the eight of us. There were times when I wore the same clothes to school every day, while the rest of my classmates had new clothes. We all wore hand-me-downs and were the laughing stock in school. My mom was the coupon queen. She made sure we got everything on sale. We spent the weekends helping mom with errands and chores.”
Chloe swallowed hard then looked away from Richard. I never knew he had such a difficult life.
“When I was a kid, I remember watching my dad day in and day out. He only came home to eat a quick meal. Then he was on the road again.”
“What did he do?” Chloe asked.
“When school was in session, he worked two jobs, one at a construction site and the other one delivering goods to warehouses. During summertime, he had a weekend job where he delivered dry ice to grocery stores.”
“It must have been difficult for you.”
“Eight kids in a two bedroom house was rough for all of us, but Mom tried her best to raise us with good values,” Richard said. “We got teased a lot in school.”
“What did your mom say to you about all the teasing?” Chloe asked, coming to seat next to him.
“She said that life can be unfair, but that instead of looking for comfort I should work hard to build my character. At twelve years of age, I thought of ways to make extra money like delivering newspapers, mowing the lawn and cleaning cars. I was so surprised at how good I was at making money and negotiating with people that at age eighteen I moved to San Francisco.”
Chloe reached out to hold Richard’s hand. She never realized how difficult it was for him.
“She was right about building character. My brothers and sisters are all successful in Atlanta. Like me, they vowed to give their families a better life,” Richard said.
“It must have been very demanding for both of them – raising eight kids and keeping a household,” Chloe said, thinking of how different it was for her as an only child.
“Dad said that he’s enjoying the fruits of his labor. He worked so hard to provide for all of us, and he’s pleased to see us so successful.”
“It was worth it then.” Chloe tilted her head wishing Richard had told her about his childhood sooner. Everything made more sense now.
“I believe in proper planning and working hard now so I can retire early,” Richard said. “I figure, at the rate I’m going with my deals and investments, I might be able to retire when I’m fifty and have my passive investments take care of us so I can spend more time with you.”
She never realized how much of a dreamer she was until now. How could she even think of giving up security over romance? She finally understood why Mom married Dad over Ignacio. Josh is a fantasy. It was time she grew up and faced reality. She wasn’t getting any younger and there was no time for daydreams. “You’re so smart, you know that? I wish I were more like you.”
“You never had to worry about money while growing up and your parents gave you this big house,” said Richard.
“You’re right. I never knew what the real world was like. That’s probably why I’m so happy-go-lucky. It’s time I grow up and plan for my future.” Chloe gave him a watery smile.
“Yes, you can’t just keep going where the wind takes you. You need vision and proper planning.”
“You’re very good at what you do. Your mom has raised you well.”
He squeezed her hand. “I know I’m a classic example of a workaholic, but let me tell you that the day I turned eighteen was the day I left Atlanta to come here,” Richard said. “I made a vow that I would never be poor again. I did my best to land a scholarship at Stanford Business School, and I made sure I learned to handle my finances and do proper planning.”
Chloe felt a lump in her throat as she held his hand. “I’m sorry, hon. Why didn’t yo
u ever tell me this?”
“I don’t know.” Richard shrugged. “Maybe because I was embarrassed to tell you that my childhood was so different from yours.”
“That doesn’t matter to me. I finally understand you,” Chloe said, leaning against him.
“I’m sorry, baby. All I want is to give you a good life and maintain the lifestyle your parents gave you,” Richard said, putting his arm around her.
“But why do I have to sell this house?” Chloe asked. “Think about it. It would be good for us, especially if we plan to raise a family.”
“Is that what you really want?” Richard asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Yes, and there’s something else I need to tell you.” She leaned forward to face him.
“What is it?”
Chloe informed Richard about Darlene Walters, while Richard listened intently for a change. “It’s funny because I was sort of toying with the idea of becoming a wedding planner all morning before she even mentioned it.”
“Baby, if that’s what you want to do then I’m all for it. We don’t have to sell the house. We can keep Greta, and I will have to schedule my meetings accordingly. Besides, my work is pretty flexible,” Richard said.
Chloe jumped up from the couch. “You’re serious?”
“I see a more driven Chloe than I did before. Maybe this is the career for you.”
“I know I’m a dreamer,” Chloe said. “And until I met Darlene I never realized that I wanted to be a wedding planner, but I figure if I can plan my own wedding then I could definitely turn this into a career.”
Richard smiled. “I’ll support whatever you want to do.”
Chloe kissed him. “Thank you for understanding me.”
He stroked her hair. “It’s you I have to thank for being so patient.”
She kissed him again but longer this time. “I need to talk to Millie about my plans.”
“Your mind is working.”
“Hon, I wish you had told me sooner about your childhood. I’m sorry for being so hard on you,” Chloe said, stroking his cheek. “I realize now I’ve been too needy for your attention. I know that once I focus on launching my business, I’ll learn to manage my time accordingly.”
He kissed her nose. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. You can’t revolve your life around me. There are other things you need to be passionate about besides me.”
She looked away and back at Richard. “I know. It’s funny that I only know now what I really want to be. I didn’t have the faintest clue when I was growing up, unlike you.”
“You’re still young, baby. We can build a whole life together. I plan to go independent in two years. Then I’ll open my own company and provide residential and commercial loans. Now I still need Bank of America to build my clientele.”
“That’s a great idea, hon. That way you’ll be more flexible with your time.”
He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “That’s right, and I can work from home so keeping this house makes sense.”
Chloe hugged him tight. “What’s great is that we don’t need to pay a mortgage.”
“Once you build up clients for your business, you can also refer them to me if they need loans, and vice versa.”
“Fantastic.”
Richard smiled. “That’s what you call networking.”
“I’m so glad we had this talk,” Chloe said. “I feel so much better.”
“You better get some sleep,” Richard said, walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water as Chloe followed. “And don’t forget to mail those invitations.”
Chloe smiled sheepishly. “I’ll make sure I mail them first thing tomorrow.”
“All right. Goodnight, baby.”
“Goodnight, hon. I love you,” Chloe said, hugging him. She felt a queasy feeling as she walked him to the door.
Trish’s husky voice flashed in her head as she closed the door and went upstairs to lie down on her bed. What a day! How could Josh have done such a horrible thing to her, to deceive her like he had? Now that she and Richard had built a deeper connection, was this a sign that Josh wasn’t the man for her? He told her that he had never stopped loving her – even offering to marry her. Was she so naïve to think that she and Josh belonged together? For a time she had believed she loved him too and had been willing to give up Richard for him…until now.
She held the teddy bear that Josh gave her, remembering his soft lips and the moments they shared. Tonight had given her more clarity about both Richard and Josh. She walked downstairs clinging to her teddy and went to the kitchen to get a big garbage bag. She tossed the big teddy bear inside and went to open the garage door. She laid the plastic bag beside her recyclable bottles and cans, and folded her arms. Josh belongs in the past.
Chapter Fifteen
Chloe hit the button on her alarm clock then lay in bed awhile longer. She had barely slept that night. She had spent the night crying and analyzing why Josh had betrayed her. He owed her an explanation – an apology for why he deceived her. She needed to hear it directly from him – at least before she married Richard.
She dragged herself to the shower and let the heat stream over her skin. When she was finished, she dressed, and then looked at herself in the mirror. She applied concealer to hide the dark circles under her eyes.
She sat on her bed, took a deep breath and called Josh. It went directly to voicemail. Her voice was shaky as she requested that he return her call.
Chloe shut her phone, walked downstairs and kissed Greta goodbye. She had other things to do this morning and knew that she needed to focus on that but, she couldn’t get Josh off her mind. Things were going so fast, between Josh’s betrayal and Richard’s change of heart. What time did she have to just think? She drove to the post office to drop off the wedding invitations.
I’m glad that Millie’s coming to the shop today. I have to figure out how to tell her about my plans of becoming a wedding planner.
Her cell phone rang and she put it on speaker phone since she was driving to work. “Chloe, it’s Nicole.”
“Hi, Nic, what’s up?”
“You never called me back last night.”
“Sorry, my mom called and Richard came over.”
“Oh no, does Richard know about you and Josh?”
“Um… I hate to disappoint you but there’s no ‘me and Josh’,” Chloe said, parking her car at the back of the shop. She didn’t want to tell Nicole about Trish since she needed to talk to Josh first.
“What do you mean there’s nothing between you and Josh?”
“Listen, I just arrived at work. Do you want to have lunch later? I can tell you all about it.”
“Sure, I’m craving pizza. How about Pizza Mia?”
“Sounds good, I’ll pick you up at 1:00.”
“Great, see you then,” Nicole said.
It was only eight-thirty, and Chloe had a full hour before Maureen and Faye would arrive. She opened the door and turned on the lights then went inside her office. After laying her purse inside her drawer she took out her notebook to write down the things she needed to do today. Her first priority was to speak to Millie, who was coming in at eleven o’clock. Before she could turn on her computer to check her emails, her cell phone rang again. Mom.
“Chloe, do you have time to talk?”
“Hi, Mom. Yes, but only for a minute since, I need to work,” Chloe said, turning on her computer.
“You said that Richard’s parents are coming over this weekend, right?”
Oh gosh, I forgot to check Facebook to see if Ignacio sent an email. “Uh-huh, that’s right, Mom,” Chloe said, not really listening to her mother.
“So, where should we take them?” Suzanne asked.
Oh gosh, Ignacio sent me two messages. It wasn’t his usual long message, but he said he wanted to see her mom. She jumped from her chair with delight and decided that it was high time that her mother and Ignacio reunited again. I need to plan something.
“Chloe, are you listen
ing? Will you stop daydreaming?”
“Um, sorry, what did you say?”
“I said where do we take them?”
“Who?”
Suzanne sighed. “Richard’s parents. You said they’re coming over next weekend. We have to plan where to take them. I want to invite them for lunch on Saturday.”
“Did I say that?”
“Of course you did. How could you forget?”
Chloe tried to recall when she had told her mother about Richard’s parents and realized that she had spoken to her last night in between her fight with Richard and her conversation with Trish. The truth was Richard hadn’t told Chloe when his parents were coming over again. She had just said it in the heat of the moment to get her mother off her back. She tapped her fingers on the edge of the keyboard. Should she tell her mother the truth?
Maybe I shouldn’t tell Mom. Instead, she would tell Ignacio to come and meet them on Saturday at the Ritz hotel for lunch. What a brilliant idea. She tried to keep herself from squealing. “Sorry, I’m just multi-tasking, Mom. Next Saturday would be great. Let’s take them to lunch at the Ritz Carlton hotel. The weather should be good then.”
“All right. What should I wear?”
“Wear whatever you want, Mom.”
“I’ll come to your house early and bring some clothes so you can tell me what looks best.”
“Mom, you’re not dressing for a party… Oh better yet, Mom, wear that dress you bought from Nordstrom.”
“Which one?” Suzanne asked.
“The one you showed me when I visited you – the black-and-white one. It’s smart and casual,” Chloe said, composing a message to Ignacio. “Don’t tell me you went shopping again since then?”
Suzanne laughed.
“I take that as a yes.”
“All right, Chloe. I’ll wear that dress. What are his parents like? Is his mom nice?”
She’s a control freak like you but on the domesticated side. “Um, they’re a fairly nice couple.”
“I look forward to meeting them.”
“They’re excited to meet you, too,” Chloe said, biting her lip. She wasn’t used to lying but what excuse could she make?