As I stared looking at my reflection in the mirror a smile crept to my face. My long blonde hair was usually frizzy and unmanageable but, for the moment anyway, it was staying in place. My face painted perfectly thanks to a few You Tube videos. I was no Marilyn Monroe but I thought I did a pretty good job! As I investigated my work a little closer I noticed a few new wrinkles across my forehead that I had never noticed before. Doesn't surprise me a bit. I am only 32 but I've had enough drama in my life to last a lifetime. Looking back on this past year I'm surprised I don't look 80. I stepped back to get a full body look. I grabbed the hem of my dress and pulled it down as much as possible. Maybe this was a bad choice. Not that I have the time to change now but this dress could seriously give the wrong impression. My short pink tunic seemed to be even shorter on my 5'10" frame, which combined with my prom ready hair and rouge I looked like I was on a mission for some action. My smile soon turned downward. Tonight is just a small gathering for the new employees of R & M Investments. It is a night to celebrate the completion of our 8 weeks of intense training as well as the grand opening which is scheduled for tomorrow. Why shouldn't I look good tonight? After everything that's happened I deserve a break. A chance to let loose. This past year has been hell. It is time to move forward. Without another glance I grabbed my sandals and walked away. No more second guessing, no more doubts.
"Mommy! Mommy! We're ready to go play with Brooks."
My focus turned to the two sandy haired boys that just barged into my room. Jaxon, who was 7, and Manning, who just turned 2, stood before me in shock. "Mommy you look like Abby Cadabby, but where's your magic wand?" spouted Manning. Giving him a small smile I replied, "I don't know baby. I must have left it on Sesame Street." His large blue eyes, identical to mine, stared back at me. He was clearly in deep thought trying to process my statement. "We have to go find it before Elmo does! He will get it and go 'poof'." I could no longer contain my laughter. "Manning you have quite the imagination! Come on kiddos, let's grab your bags and go." These boys are my world and despite the challenges we've faced, I am determined to make their childhoods as pleasant as possible.
We live in an apartment complex in a small town outside Mobile, Alabama. It's nothing fancy by any means but it's comfortable for us. Two doors down from us is the ever amusing Liam, my full-time baby sitter and forever sister-in-law. Liam is a few years older than me and has her own rowdy toddler by the name of Brooks. He is a year older than Jaxon but about a foot shorter. Both Liam and her soon to be ex-husband missed the height gene and it would appear Brooks was shorted as well. All 3 boys played well together and since Brooks would be occupied for hours, Liam never had a problem keeping Jaxon and Manning. "I shouldn't be out late," I told her, "I've spent the past 2 months with these people, not really anticipating a fun-filled evening with them. I imagine it will just be my co-workers standing around discussing tomorrow's events, gossiping about anything they can make up and, I'm sure, drinking entirely too much! I heard earlier today that the company's owner might finally decide to make an appearance tonight but I'm doubting it. He was scheduled for several seminars throughout our training but always had an excuse for cancelling on us. I could really care less. I'm only going because I heard it was an open bar and I figured I would have a drink or 7." Liam responded with a chuckle, "Girl don't I know! I've been wanting to go to that new Mexican restaurant in town. I'm wanting a margarita badly. This divorce is wearing on my nerves. I swear if I have to sit through one more mediation with him and his new 'partner' I'm going to castrate the man myself!" Liam comes from money and I don't think she has worked a day in her life. Dale, her soon to be ex, decided that after 8 years of marriage that he was done with women. He left her for a man and is now expecting Liam to finance his new lifestyle. "I will have my cell on me if you need me for anything" I said to Liam before directing my attention to my little ones. "Please be on your best behavior. Love you boys and have fun." "Love you too" mumbled my two as they followed the vertically challenged Brooks out of the room.
I slid into my car and glanced in the mirror. Reality struck me like a freight train. How did I get here? My life has changed so much in the past year. We were a perfectly happy family of 4. Comfortable. Content. That all changed with a phone call. An earth-shattering call that caused my perfect world to come crashing down. Tears welled in my eyes as I struggled to repress the emotions and the memories. I shuddered attempting to block it out, at least for the time being. They will return like they do every night while I sleep. Glancing in my rearview one last time, I wiped the tears away. I worked too hard on this face to ruin it. Time to go and have fun for a change. Let's do this!
The location of our gathering was Steele Creek Reserves and it was brilliantly beautiful. The massive rustic cabin was located in a heavily wooded area right outside the city limits of Satsuma, Alabama. The stone path leading up the entrance of the cabin was lined with fragrant pink and yellow begonias which accented the rust colored timbers that covered the structure. I was greeted at the door with champagne and escorted to a large, open sitting area that was three times the size of my small apartment. The dark leather furniture and Arcadian décor centered around the enormous river rock fireplace that stretched the length of room. Floor to ceiling windows wrapped around the back side of the cabin creating the perfect picture frame for the creek flowing beyond the house. Several R&M employees were mingling and had clearly already had too much champagne. They were buzzing around talking entirely too much, entirely too loudly. It was overwhelming. I glanced over to see the French doors that lead to my escape, my refuge. I quickly exited the bustling room seeking solitude. The back deck had a breathtaking view. I stood soaking up the landscape before me when I was pulled out of the moment by a small voice beside me. "Excuse me, could you help me get a piece of cake?" Standing next to me was an adorable little girl with big beautiful green eyes and long auburn hair. She had to be around the same age as my Jaxon and I wondered who she belonged to. I knew none of my coworkers had children this age so I was slightly baffled as I searched around looking for her owners. I knew I couldn't just leave her alone so I obliged. I knelt down to her eye level and smiled, "I will be glad to help you but you have to guide me in the right direction." Her eyes lit up and she wrapped her tiny fingers around my hand tugging me back into the noisy room then into another open area. The room was filled with numerous large round tables and chairs that filled most of the expansive space. Along 3 of the 4 walls of the rectangular room were long tables overflowing with a variety of foods. Did they really expect us to eat all of this? I counted 7 tables in total, the last two featuring desserts. "Over there, over there. The yellow cake, please please please." I smiled down at the little girl and teasingly said "now I'm not going to get into trouble for doing this am I? By the way, what's your name?" "I'm Ebie…like the letters E and B…and I'm 7," she proudly boasted. "Well it is very nice to meet you Ebie. I'm Amelia." "A-m-e-l-i-a" she enunciated each letter looking confused, "how do you spell it?" "I-T" a sultry voice I'd never heard before replied. She and I quickly snapped around as the unfamiliar voice spoke out again, "Ebie what's going on here?" Standing before me was the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my life. A perfectly smooth hairless head, bright sapphire blue eyes, and lips, oh my gosh, those perfect pouty lips. He stood several inches taller than me and his flawless tan skin made me think of him spending a great deal of time on a beach somewhere…stretched out across the sand…his skin glistening from the salty water. I involuntarily shook my head trying to remove the inappropriate thoughts that were surfacing. I had to forcefully stop myself from staring or from drooling for that matter. He was a mix of Vin Diesel, Ian Somerhalder and Channing Tatum all rolled into one beautifully delicious package. The small voice beside me spoke up drawing me out of my inappropriate thoughts. "Dad you told me I could have some cake so I was getting some cake!" He never took his eyes off of me as he responded to his child. "Yes I did tell you that but aren't you forgetting that I also told you that dinner came before cake? They are about to start serving so you can wait." He extended his muscular arm out to greet me, "hi I'm Max." I was in awe at the magnificent creature standing before me. "I…I'm….I'm Am…" Ebie spoke up assisting me with my rambling, "this is Amelia, Dad. She was helping me get that cake you promised I could have." I felt flushed, quickly apologizing for my lack of parental judgment, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize she wasn't supposed to be having any yet. I should have known better! I have a 7 year old myself. I know how their minds work. Must be the champagne clouding my judgement or something." Max let out a small laugh and began to speak "well hopefully that won't continue." He paused, the corners of his lips curling upwards into a smoldering smile. "I would love to sit down with you after dinner and discuss R&M and how things are going there." I stood confused by his statement unable to determine if there was a hidden meaning behind it. Ebie tugged on my hand, "come sit with us Amelia." "Ms. Amelia" Max interjected. "Sorry! Ms. Amelia please come sit with us. We are right over here." Her big green puppy eyes stared up at me and I couldn't refuse.
Situated at our table of 7 was Max and Ebie, Clark, who was my boss, his wife Victoria and a guy who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties by the name of Eddie. I was unsure of his affiliation with R&M but assumed he held some kind of title since he was joining in the festivities of the night. Small talk was made throughout our elaborate dinner, all of which revolved around the investment firm and its Grand Opening tomorrow. Max spoke about the company and its business affairs and, while it was never stated, his vast knowledge made me assume he was in a managerial position, and had been there quite some time, starting from the bottom working his way to the top. I spent most of the dinner discussing Dora and Sophia with Ebie who seemed very impressed with my knowledge of fictional preschool characters. On occasion I glanced up to find Max's eyes focused on me but each time our eyes met, he turned his attention elsewhere. I caught myself trying to locate a wedding ring on his left hand and excitement shot through me when there wasn't one to be found. How could this perfect specimen not be taken?
Two hours later, once dessert was finished, Clark and Victoria said their goodbyes. Max leaned over and quietly spoke to Eddie and it frustrated me that I couldn't hear their exchange. A few moments later Eddie stood and exited with Ebie, leaving just Max and I. Well this isn't awkward at all. Another thought barged into my head and, before I even had a chance to process the revelation, the words sprang from my lips, "Oh my gosh…you're gay aren't you?" The sip of champagne Max was taking spewed from his lips and laughter erupted. I felt my cheeks turning at least 7 different shades of red. My face fell downward unable to look him in the eyes as I followed my mistaken statement "I am so sorry! I don't know where that came from."
"Um no I'm not gay. I don't have a problem with it, it's just not for me. Eddie is my assistant…and my brother. He's just taking Ebie up to the playroom. Hopefully she will work off some of that sugar she just inhaled."
I laughed knowing all too well the detrimental effects of sugar on kids. "She's a great kid. Beautiful eyes, I wish mine were that color" I said finally finding the courage to face him again. "Well yours would definitely compete for the most beautiful." Max smiled at me and I melted, my cheeks turning red once again. "Thanks" was all I could manage to say.
"Sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I apologize. How about a change of subject? So how are you feeling about your new job? Excited about tomorrow?"
The change of subject was definitely appreciated.
"Oh I love my job and I am really looking forward to tomorrow. Hopefully lots of people show up which would mean lots of new potential clients" then another thought and again I blurted it out without thought "wait! Playroom? You live here?"
"Well yes and no. We're staying here tonight because I want to make sure everything is cleaned up and people don't try to drink and drive. This isn't my primary residence but I do own it. I rent it out for parties and weddings and such. I will come stay here from time to time just to escape."
I was speechless as I turned and once again took in the magnificent space. Max slid over to the vacated seat next to me. He placed his hand on the back of my chair and I could feel the heat radiating from him. I drew in a deep breath, his intoxicating scent overwhelmed me. He leaned in towards my ear speaking softly, "May I be frank with you?" The voices in my head began screaming at me, ordering me to try out my flirting skills that had definitely been placed on the back burner for far too long. "Well I would rather you be Max but whomever," I said with a grin. He let out a small laugh. It was amusing to see him laughing at my horrible joke.
"Look I am attracted to you and I would really like the chance to get to know you better." Max said as he ran his thumb across my back. Every nerve in my body stood on end. When I glanced down at his arm he pulled my chin up to meet him face to face.
"Tell me what you're thinking."
"Honestly? I'm extremely… nervous. Things are complicated with me…"
He threw his hand up interrupting me mid-sentence, "let me stop you right there. Complicated doesn't scare me. If I can raise Ebie on my own and still keep my sanity, I am certain I can handle your 'complications'."
I wondered what had happened. Could he have gone through the same sort of things I had? I was at a loss for words when Max grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me to my feet. The seven glasses of champagne I had been sipping on all night decided to make an appearance making me dizzy and unsteady on my feet. I stumbled forward landing in his arms. We were face to face. I was close enough to feel each breath he exhaled. I looked around the once filled room only to find a handful of people left and it hit me. I began to panic at how quickly time had slipped by, "oh no! What time is it?" I grabbed my clutch and searched inside for my cell phone. Four hours had flown by and I had promised Liam I wouldn't be out late. I looked up again at Max and gave a flirtatious, yet apologetic smile, "I really need to be going. We have a big day tomorrow if you haven't already heard."
In that moment I felt like Cinderella rushing away from the ball…away from her Prince Charming. I felt a tug on my hand as I started to turn and leave. A pained look was on his face as he spoke, "do you really have to go so soon?" "I really should. I have two boys waiting for me," I said flirtatiously, knowing he only knew about one of my sons. "Well, may I walk you out?" he asked ever so politely. I smiled and nodded yes. As we exited the massive cabin, he grabbed my hand and took it in his own, leading me down the stone path. So many emotions ran through me as I stared down at our fingers laced together. I was terrified and excited, unsure of what all of this meant. Our stride was brought to an abrupt halt when he spoke up, "so by two boys you mean?..." he looked to me to complete his thought. "I have two sons. One is 7 the other is 2…and again it's complicated." A boyish grin filled his face as he inched closer to me, "so is there room for one more?"
I took my place behind the wheel and looked back at him once more putting on my best smile, "possibly."
As I pulled back up to my apartment Liam was carrying Manning inside with Jaxon trailing sleepily behind her. "So how did your night go?" she whispered curiously. "Interesting to say the least. However, we will have to discuss it tomorrow. I am exhausted!" I replied. "Ok girl but I'm not letting you off the hook. I want details. Go get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow," and with that she was gone. Tonight it was just me and my thoughts and I had a feeling they weren't going to let me get any sleep. I got a quick shower and checked on Jaxon and Manning one last time before I settled into my bed. I grabbed my cell to set my alarm when I noticed a text had come in.
"So I pulled a few strings and got your cell number. I hope that was ok. Just wanted to make sure you made it home safely."
"Yes I did. Thank you for checking…and would it even matter if I were to say yes…that I do mind if you go snooping through my personal file?"
"Probably not. However I'm sure I could have convinced you to give me your number had you not run off tonight."
"I didn't run, I was walking and if I'm remembering correctly I had a very nice gentleman assisting me with my walk."
"That's it? That's all I get? Nice gentleman? Damn I'm hurt."
"What did you want me to say?"
"Incredibly handsome, smart and funny guy that escorted me to my car. A guy that would have kissed me had I not had to run off?"
"Ok! Ok! I get it! I'm sorry I had to leave. I did want to stay longer but I really needed to get home to my boys."
"Oh and I forgot to add 'nice ass' to that! ;-)"
"You're too much! I have to go to sleep."
"Sweet dreams beautiful Amelia. I am looking forward to tomorrow."
"Good night to you as well handsome Max with the nice ass."
I set my phone down and blew out a sigh – what am I getting myself into?