"Don't think you think it's time we moved?" He questioned out of nowhere. How did a conversation about plans for dinner three minutes before turn into a conversation about moving? Before she could even pass him a puzzled look, he quickly spoke up to clarify where he was getting at. "I know this is so abrupt and out of nowhere, considering we were just discussing what we were eating for dinner," he chuckled. "but this morning while you were out and I had the house to myself, I actually took the time to look around this place and started thinking about what if we moved somewhere different, somewhere new. What do you say?"
She didn't know what to say. She was happy in their spacious, yet cozy home in Richmond Hill, Toronto and honestly had no desire to move anywhere else. She thought he didn't either, but obviously she was wrong. Not wanting to be a downer on the situation, the petite brunette gave her fiancé a forced chuckle before saying the words, "Honey, what reason is there for us to move? We both have two stable jobs that we can't just give up at the drop of a hat, not to mention we've practically built a life here, away from Toronto, why the sudden rush to move when we're more happy than we've been in years?"
The Canadian blonde gave his beautiful fiancée a faint smile, rubbing his neck, trying to find the words to say. Closing his green eyes, he let out a weary sigh before opening them again to look at her. She looked worried now, uncertain at that.
"Baby, did you get laid off?" she inquired quietly. Yes, she made good - great money from owning her own yoga studio and fitness line and was willing to take care of the both of them by herself if he just so did happen to get laid off, but the thought still brought sadness to her eyes. He had worked so hard to get to where he was in the Graphic Design field.
When they did meet eachother almost eight years before courtesy of their best friend out of town, he was an intern at a hospital working two jobs just to keep food on the table, in the run down studio apartment he could barely pay rent for. He might as well had been called a starving artist, being that the money he did receive from the internship went straight to the gas tank of his 1970 beat up Honda. By the time he did have any money to himself, that went to the little food he could afford. To say she admired her fiancé was an understatement, and for all of that to be taken away from him made her heart sink.
"No, no it's not that," he grasped a handful of his blonde hair, sighing once again. "I got a promotion at work,"
That was good, right? Instantly, his fiancée jumped in his arms, happier than he was that day he found out he was given the promotion. If he was given an opportunity to make an even better life for the both of them (as if they needed it), why the struggle to just tell her? She thought. Of course there were times he could be the shyest person, but today it was different. There had to be something more.
"But,"
Surely enough it was. She just knew it. She broke away from their embrace, staring at him with questioning eyes.
"But?" She reiterated, his statement moreso a question now. They would be married in the next three months and he was already possibly hiding things from her. The yoga instructor took her seat across from him again, her face beginning to flare up. She already knew of the outcome, she was just waiting for him to state it, for it to be clear.
"But it requires us to move,"
Damnit. She closed her brown eyes, registering what was just told. She didn't want to be right. Now she knew why he asked her about moving from the place she had just gotten used to since moving from Toronto less than two years ago.
"And I took it."
She must've thought she wasn't hearing right. No, he didn't just say he took a job probably hundreds of miles from here without discussing the situation with her first - he couldn't have done that. She opened her brown eyes, standing to her feet and never once looking in the wavy haired man's eyes.
It hurt too much. How were they going to a be married couple if they couldn't even agree or discuss things together? He might as well had just demanded that they move if this was what it was all going to come down to. The younger woman paced the room for a good second, trying her best to let it all sink in. In a matter of frustration and all other indescribable emotions, the petite brunette swiftly turned her tiny body to the man she would eventually share vows with,
"You did what?" She screeched.
"Please don't be mad." He raised his hands in defense, trying to calm her down. In all their six years of being together he had never seen her as angry as she was now. Her body shook with every breath she inhaled - eyes on the verge of tears.
"Don't be mad? Adam, you took a job that forces us to move without even discussing the slightest detail with me! How do you expect me to just stop what I'm doing so we can move like we don't have enough on our plate as it is? No, we're not struggling, but in case you didn't know I actually have a business here that I cannot just call quits on just because you felt the need to do something without my say. Did you even think about me when you made this decision?"
"Of course I did. Every day. I just didn't know how to tell you, being that you were more happy than you've ever been. I didn't want to ruin your happiness by announcing that if I did take this job, Richmond Hill or Toronto would be more than just a few hours away. So I took it anyway."
"I would've been more happy had you just told me about the situation at first before making the decision for both yourself and I! Maybe I would've been able to compromise, so that we were still able to live here as well as where you'll be relocated, but at the moment I can't do that. I'm not trying to be selfish or skeptical for that matter, but this is just too much for me to take in right now. And I don't know if by the time I am ready to make up my mind, you'll already be on that plane to..."
"Phoenix."
"Phoenix." The brunette exhaled deeply before taking a seat in one of the arm chairs across from the older man. She took his hand in hers. "I love you so much...and I honestly thank you so much for caring about my feelings, but as I said before this is just too much. There's no doubt in my mind that I still want to marry you - heck, I wish I could right now, but moving from here to somewhere like Phoenix just isn't the best time for me."
"But I thought marriage was about sticking to eachother's side," he added dryly.
"Its also about being able to talk to eachother, which failed to happen the moment you took that job." She paused for a moment after that sentence. She wasn't making things any better by constantly reminding him that the choice he made in front of his boss was beyond asinine. Hastily and firmly she stated, "I don't want this to be end of us, Adam."
"Then why are you acting like it is? We can live here and in Phoenix. Celebrities do it all the time."
"We're not celebrities. And as I said before, I don't know about Phoenix. I just don't."
"We're getting married in three months, Trish and I've already taken this job, what do you want me to quit?"
"You know I already don't want you to do that." Closing her brown eyes, the fitness trainer let out a sigh of frustration, "Maybe we should postpone the wedding."
"Might as well just call it off." Adam grumbled, sharply. The Canadian fixed his attention elsewhere to ignore the look on the brunette's face the moment he said those words.
Instantly, she shoved his hand away and stood back to her feet, "What do you mean we might as well just call it off? I'm not the one who forced you to sign your name on that contract or give you the right to just go ahead and make decisions for me, whether you were looking out for my best interest or not!"
Adam stood to his feet also, "You're just going to keep reminding me of the mistake I made, huh? Am I going to pay for this until our wedding day? I mean's that if we do have one. Remember: you're not sure about moving to Arizona, so how is that even possible?"
Before the blonde could say yet another word to make the situation far worse than it had already gone, the petite brunette's hand found its way onto his face in none other than a vicious slap, that allowed an echo to be heard throughout their spacious abode. It wasn't until after a few seconds or so did he feel the after effects of the open-hand slap that left a light, pink imprint on his right cheek.
"The wedding is off!"
She stamped upstairs in a hurry, making sure not to look back at the man who could now be called her ex-fiancé. There was definitely no longer any point in making moving arrangements now, for she certainly had her mind made up as to where she would be staying in the future and it definitely wasn't in Phoenix.
The image of that fateful night ran through Trish Stratigias' mind over a dozen times this evening as she sat in her New York hotel room, alone with her knees tucked against her chest. Her mind had greatly been delved into one of the many moments in all of her thirty-six years of living, including the day she had become an engaged woman for hours now, being that this very night would've been the anniversary of the failed relationship that never did make it to the alter after she stated those four words to her ex-fiancé. The wedding is off.
With every second that she thought of the relationship, many including her parents came to think of as unbreakable, the more she felt the stinging sensation of her eyes wanting so desperately to cry. The moment she woke up that chilly, January day, she told herself that she wouldn't cry about it; not anymore. They had been done and over with nearly two years ago, yet her heart still couldn't get over the aching feeling that she experienced every day for him. Even despite calling off the wedding, that her stubbornness just wouldn't allow to go through, there was always that part of her, which was rather angry at herself for never giving them a second chance.
Adam had nearly fought tooth and nail for her to reconsider the thought of calling off their dream wedding and even their relationship that most would yearn for, but anger just wouldn't let that be. It had gotten the best of her and practically ruined everything that they had worked so hard for when it came to their relationship. There was no doubt in her mind that she did want to marry Adam, but she had already made up her mind without even actually sitting down to think or analyze the situation over again.
It wasn't until after they had sold the house and Adam was given yet another job opportunity that too required him to leave Toronto, months after the split that she realized that she royally messed up the greatest thing that ever did happen to her and that there was probably no getting him back now. She had not even a clue as to where he was living this moment and time. And if she did, he mostly likely wouldn't even give her the time of day.
Wiping the few tears that slowly made their way down her cheeks, Trish shook her head. She was supposed to be over him by now, so why couldn't her heart say otherwise? She managed to get herself together a few moments later, clicking off the movie she had yet to pay attention to since popping it in the DVD player. Once she turned the television back on cable, she instantly cringed at the image on the flat screen; a black and white film, around the 40's or 50's era that consisted of a couple (she assumed) madly staring into one another's eyes and the woman instantly falling into the man's arms, kissing him ever so passionately while a dramatic score played. If she wasn't sick to her stomach before, she was now.
Before she could click off the television altogether, the door of her suite flew open and in came her best friend for over a decade, Torrie Wilson. The cheery blonde, with the Luis Vuitton handbag as well as four different shopping bags on her arm bounced into the room, all smiles - her demeanor the total opposite of her friend's. Trish knew something was up, because the blonde always had an extra pep in her walk - or better yet bounce. The shopping bags were the least of her worries.
"Guess what?" Torrie said, throwing her bags on the nearby sofa. Instantly, she dove through one of the bags and pulled out a gorgeous, little black dress that even Trish couldn't deny was easy on the eyes. She hoped her friend wasn't about to force her into helping her choose an outfit for an upcoming date with her New Yorker boyfriend of a year. It was the worse, considering Torrie was just do damn wishy-washy.
"What?" Trish inquired, trying her dear hardest to show some life into her voice, although she failed miserably. She didn't want Torrie to know that she had spent the last few hours reminiscing over something she should've been over already. Luckily for her, Torrie passed off the lifeless in her voice by just giving her a smile.
"I have a charity event for us to attend later on this evening! Vaughn and I were originally invited, but he suggested that I bring someone along, so I thought about you, what do you say?" The Boise native plopped down on the bed, so oblivious as to what was going on with her friend less than five minutes ago.
"Uh...I don't know, Tor," Trish shrugged, hugging her knees even tighter. "I don't wanna feel as if I'm the third wheel. You and Vaughn should just go, plus I don't want you two to feel as if I'm closing in your space."
"But you won't!" Torrie insisted vehemently. "I mean that is why we invited you...and I think you'd look absolutely gorgeous in this dress I picked out for you." She picked up the tiny dress from its place on the couch and handed it over to Trish, being careful not to ruin or wrinkle it.
"You bought this for me?" Trish asked, slightly blushing at the thought of how thoughtful Torrie was. She knew she couldn't turn the invitation down now, but the fact still remained that she wasn't in the best of moods to even be going to be going to one of New York's biggest charity events of the year. Maybe she could give the dress back to Torrie, but then that would make her look ungrateful and she indeed was grateful. Chewing on her bottom lip, Trish spoke up, "Thanks, Tor. It's beautiful. So beautiful! But are you sure and Vaughn are alright with me going?"
Torrie folded her arms across her chest, "How many times am I going to keep telling you this? Yes, we are! Now will you please hurry and get dressed? You know you love to take forever getting ready." She playfully rolled her hazel eyes.
The brunette could only laugh at her best friend's bubbliness. Maybe she needed to go out and let her hair loose for once. Aside from the little trip that they were currently on as of now, the yoga instructor had been nose deep in gathering designs for her newest yoga accessory in her collection of many as well as rearranging times on her long list of appointments at her yoga studio in east Toronto. And because she needed to get her mind off of certain other things or better yet a certain someone...
"Are you done in there?" Torrie called from outside the bathroom. Thirty minutes had passed and Trish was still in the bathroom, getting prepared for the 8 o'clock event. Torrie looked at her watch. 6:45. If the brunette didn't come out in the next five minutes she was going to drag her out. She still needed to get dressed as well as meet Vaughn a little before the event started. At this rate, they were never going to leave the hotel as long as Trish was in the bathroom taking her precious time.
Then out came the brunette, dressed in the simple, yet striking black dress Torrie purchased for her. Accompanied with a pair of black heels, a long, silver necklace supported by a tiny pendant, and a small clutch purse at hand, the Boise native's jaw nearly dropped the moment she seen her friend exit from the bathroom. It had nearly been five years since the last time she saw her actually dress up for a special occasion and Torrie couldn't help be in awe of her friend's beauty.
Torrie sat up from the bed, taking a step forward, "You look..."
Miserable. Trish thought in her mind, being careful not to let that past between her lips. "You don't have to compliment me, Tor. Sorry for taking so long in the bathroom...I wasn't sure how to get the dress on without messing up my hair," she truthfully admitted with a giggle.
"Oh, no don't be. Oh my gosh, you look beautiful, Trish! Of course, you always do," Torrie said quickly correcting herself. "But something about tonight is different. Ms. Stratigias, I think someone indeed is leaving the charity with you tonight."
"Hmm...I doubt that, but I'll take it anyway." Trish laughed, causing Torrie to roll her eyes in a playful manner. The blonde had been trying for years to push her friend back in the dating game, but with no luck, Trish always overlooked the situation as if it were nothing, constantly stating that work was far more important. Which it was, but that still didn't mean she had to be alone for the rest of her life.
The older woman grabbed her outfit for the night and headed inside the bathroom, "I'll be out in about twenty." she said before shutting the door behind herself. Once Trish could no longer see her face, the smile that had been on her lips only a moment before quickly faded. She still wasn't in the mood to go anywhere. All she really wanted at the moment was to just stay in their suite and be by her lonesome.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, Trish trudged over to nightstand beside her bed, grabbing her silver pair of chandelier earrings to finish off the last of her evening attire. Once both earrings were fastened in her ear, she took a look in the full length mirror across the room to approve of her outfit - she looked stunning, yet she felt the total opposite. She just hoped by the time she and Torrie did reach the charity that she would be able go get out of her feelings and perk up for not only for the sake of her friend, but for the cause of this charity she had not even the slightest clue as to what it was about. If that wasn't going to cheer her up, she didn't know what would.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Torrie emerged from the bathroom dressed to kill in another little black dress of her choosing. This one screaming the words 'seductress'. This would be she and Trish's last night in New York and she definitely wanted to leave a lasting impression on Vaughn before she returned to Boise. She wouldn't be back in New York until next year, so of course she wanted the man that mattered to her the most to have that image of her in such a such a dress to stay on his mind until she saw him again - however long that may be.
"Well, what do you think?" Torrie asked, placing her right hand on her hip with a smile. When she didn't get the reply she was looking for, or better yet a reply at all, she frowned. Didn't she hear her? Torrie made her way over to the bed where Trish was sitting on, waving her hand in front of her face to get her attention, "Trish?"
The brunette was finally pulled from her thoughts, blinking her eyes a few times once she was brought back to real world. All she could say was 'huh' before Torrie frowned. She was right - she wasn't listening to her. When the yoga instructor saw the frown on her friend's face, her spirits were brought down even lower. She didn't mean to ignore her. "I'm sorry, Tor. I was just thinking - you look great!"
Torrie smiled, "Thanks, hon - as do you." Immediately, when she saw the time on the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand, her hazel eyes nearly bugged out of her head, letting out a quiet whimper once she realized what time it was. 7:05. "Okay, we really should be going now," she said slightly panicking, knowing the traffic was going to be rather heavy tonight due to the snowy conditions. She turned to Trish, "Ready?"
And there she was again, wrapped in her own thoughts, unable to even acknowledge that her friend once again asked her a question. Torrie put her hands on her hips and gave her friend a knowing look. What was with this girl? she thought. This was the second time that she had drifted off into la-la land, making it hard for Torrie not to stamp on her foot with her long, pointy heel.
"Ahem!" she uttered harshly, snapping the brunette from her thoughts once and for all. Trish slightly jumped up at the sound. Her brown eyes averted to Torrie's hazel ones in an apologetic look that not even Torrie could be angry at her for.
"Sorry." The Canadian murmured. Then she gave Torrie yet another one of those fake smiles. "Can't stop thinking about work," she shrugged, followed by a nervous laugh. "We're leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, we are," The Boise belle said in her best stern voice. "But until then you're going to enjoy your time here. You've been sitting in this room all day, thinking about work, while I've been out, shopping up and down the streets of Manhattan since we've got here, Friday. I knew you weren't sick, you just didn't want to go out, because you'd much rather stick to your precious work - well not today, Sister." With a smile, Torrie pulled Trish to her feet. "Let's go."
Not even having time to grab her purse and jacket, Torrie already pulled Trish to the door, making sure to grab her things as well as her own on the way out the door. The event didn't start until 8:00, but that still didn't mean Trish wouldn't chicken out at the last moment, conjuring up some sort of excuse as to why it wouldn't be a good idea for her to go, when the main goal for coming to New York was to get away from the work and stress at home, yet instead she was unknowingly bringing it all here.
Surprisingly, the traffic wasn't as heavy as Torrie thought it would be. Every now and then, she would look at the gold watch on her wrist, checking the time to see if they were going by the schedule she had planned earlier that day for the both of them. They ended up leaving the hotel later than expected, but was able to catch back up with the arrangement once they were inside their ride for the night.
Ten minutes before the event started, the two women arrived in a what seemed like an affluent neighborhood, surrounded by a gate from end to end. Every house on the block was lit up, illuminating the narrow street that lead to what had to have been the biggest house on the street.
"You sure this is the right house?" Torrie asked the cabbie. It was clear quite that it indeed was the house, being that party-goers were entering the mansion as well as exiting their limos to attend the special affair, but she just didn't want to believe that. She lived in Boise almost her in entire life aside from living in Los Angeles for a few years, but even then had the fashionista ever seen something so huge, yet elegant at the same time. She had been to hundreds of mansions before in her life, but this one was a sure win of the most gorgeous. This house stood apart from all.
"It says 1247 Thorncrest, doesn't it?" The cabbie scoffed, rolling his tired brown eyes. He turned around in the worn down driver's seat and looked Torrie, "This your stop or not, Lady?" He asked, his thick New York accent coming through with every word he spoke.
"Yes, yes it is." Trish piped in before the overweight man with the black skull cap and 5 o'clock shadow could be any furthermore annoyed. She could tell that he was having a long night as well and wanted nothing more than to get this evening done and over with. Probably to head to a bar, but either way, she knew she wasn't alone when it came to not being in the best of spirits.
With that, Trish tugged Torrie by her arm, after slipping him a twenty, being careful not to make the stubby man even more irritated. She didn't know that much about New York nor did she know what a man, who apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed was capable of. By the time the two women reached the top step of the house, a man with short blonde hair and hazel eyes slipped through the door with a smile on his face. Trish didn't know who he was, but it appeared Torrie did, because the minute she saw the slim man she jumped into his arms.
"Baby!" She breathed a jolt of excitement. If Torrie didn't make Trish comfortable before by feeling as if she was going to be third wheel, she did now. The brunette awkwardly picked a strand of lint from her jacket in order to avoid the scene right before her. After enough giggling and hugging, Torrie took finally that into realization and allowed Vaughn to stand her to her feet.
She stood by Trish and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Vaughn, this is my best friend in the whole, wide world, Trish! Trish, this is the ever so handsome, Vaughn."
"Nice to meet you, Trish." he said, extending his large hand with a smile on his scruffy face. "Torrie's told me a heck of alot about you."
"Nice to meet you, too." She smiled back, shaking his hand. She couldn't help but give him a genuine smile when he told her Torrie had talked so much of her, because she did the same. "Oh, really? I hope nothing bad."
"Now, you know I would never say anything bad about you, Trish." Torrie smiled as she looped her arm through Trish's and leaned her head against hers. "You're going to have so much fun, I promise. It's for the Sick Children Foundation of Manhattan and I know how you love kids."
She wasn't lying about that. Okay, so maybe this charity wouldn't be so bad. She was able to get along with Vaughn, not to mention he made her smile when she thought she was going to arrive inside of the event, looking miserable, but she didn't and she was more than grateful for that.
The trio arrived in the mansion shortly after, joining the rest of the guests in attendance for what would be the biggest night of the new year in Manhattan.
"See you're on time for once." Vaughn chuckled. Torrie gave the blonde a look before punching him square in the arm, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. No more punching, please. I still am a photographer, you know? Got to have my arms in the best shape to take such wonderful photos."
"You better be. I'll have you know that finding this place was not easy...well before we saw that it was the biggest house on the block. You know you could've given us better directions."
"Its always my fault, isn't it?" Vaughn, questioned inching his face closer and closer to Torrie's. They honestly couldn't have chosen to kiss at a better time when Trish was standing right in front of them.
"Not always," Torrie huskily replied before meeting Vaughn's lips into a sweet kiss. Trish could only stand there as she pretended to look elsewhere, when she could clearly see the smooching couple out the corner of her eye. When she looked back at them for the second time she rolled her brown eyes and rudely cleared her throat. That would made them stop drooling over eachother.
"Sorry!" The couple said in unison, both of them blushing and smiling ear to ear the moment they pulled apart from their mini makeout session. It was sickening to say the least how googly-eyed they looked at one another, while Trish just stood there, looking like a sore thumb amongst the two.
Pretending as if her cell phone vibrated to get away from the couple, Trish clutched her purse. "Work is calling. Be back soon." She announced as if they would actually notice she disappeared.
"Need me to come with you?" Torrie asked, her attention still solely on Vaughn, no matter if she was looking her directly in the face. She knew she didn't give a damn if she had to take a phonecall or not.
"And leave Vaughn all by his lonesome? Not a chance. You two just sit tight and I'll be out in no time." Trish smiled, turning quickly on her heel to avoid any further questions from the young couple. She closed her eyes, hurriedly walking away from the large crowd of guests. She knew it was a bad idea coming here. Why was she so stupid to not have been able to trust her own instincts?
The brunette quickened her pace as pool of fresh tears began to cloud her brown eyes, making it slightly difficult for her to see. She didn't know where she was going - all she knew was the she wanted to get away. From this charity. From the seemingly uppity people. From everything. She finally wiped the tears that began to slowly make their way down her cheeks, a little too late in doing so when her body managed to collide with a solid, hard figure.
"Hey, watch it!" The fellow with the wavy blonde hair and scruffy facial hair bellowed, firmly holding her by the arms. It wasn't just any fellow, though. It was him. Adam.
Looking directly in his green eyes, a wave of guilt washed over her face the moment she realized it was him. She could tell he was just as surprised as she was to have seen her, and without saying a word, she pulled away from his grip and disappeared through the group of five who stood in one of the mansion's many corridors that lead to the grand hall. Once she found the lavatory, she leaned her head against the wall, closed her eyes, and let the remaining tears fall down her cheeks.
By the time little hand on her watch reached 8:30, she wiped the last of her ruined mascara from her eyes. Her eyes were still a bit puffy and red from the crying, but she figured by the end of the night she would be okay...just as long she didn't see him. She felt absolutely horrible about walking away from Adam like that after he practically saved her from having a bruised bottom, but there was no way she could talk to him. Not after the way she hurt him nearly two years before.
Stepping out of the powder room, Trish made her way back in the grand hall. She was informed that a toast was about to ensue and that she needed to take a drink from one of the silver serving trays, being carried around by the serving staff. Not wanting to be rude, the brunette simply took the glass of champagne and returned to her spot alongside Torrie and Vaughn.
Not only did she feel like an awful human being, but a hypocrite and liar as well. It didn't take until her crying spell in the bathroom to notice, but there she was angry at Torrie for inadvertently ignoring her, when she was doing the exact thing when her thoughts were so occupied with Adam that she could barely stay attentive long enough for Torrie to get an answer or two out of her. She couldn't even be honest with her. Some friend and lover she was...
"Everything okay with the studio?"
"Mhm. The crew is holding it down just fine." Trish stated dryly. "Did I miss anything?"
"No, not really. The host just came around and greeted everyone, so no, you didn't." Torrie giggled. "Now that you know the studio is still all in one piece, can I use your phone for a second?"
"Uh...sure." Didn't she not have her own phone? Brushing it off, Trish dug inside of her purse and handed Torrie her iPhone.
"Thanks." Torrie added with a small smile. She opened her own clutch purse and carelessly dropped the cellular device inside, automatically receiving a puzzled look from both Trish and Vaughn.
"Torrie!" Trish fumed the moment she realized the reason her best friend asked to use her phone, so would no longer be able to use it the rest of the night. What if she really did get a business call? Her phone was to be left on at all times - even if she was at a party, yet Torrie clearly didn't understand that.
"What? Taking calls, regarding work wasn't part of the deal. You need to have fun, away from all the madness at Stratusphere."
"Deal? We never had a deal!"
While the two of them went on with their banter, it was safe to say Vaughn didn't know what to think of the scene that was now taking place before him. He wasn't even sure if he should intervene or not. Luckily, no actions needed to be taken because the silly dispute was put to an end as soon as the host of the charity, Russ Scaletta took his place in front of the hundreds in attendance.
The man with the curly black hair and olive skin gave a small speech in order to get ready for the toasting ceremony. As Trish held the expensive champagne in her hand, she scoffed at a smiling Torrie, who appeared to be satisfied with herself. She rolled her eyes, until they absently wandered around the room. For the second time that night, her eyes gazed over at a certain blonde Canadian.
There he stood, his back perched up casually against the wall, looking as handsome as he did the last time she seen his face. He had a couple lines on his forehead - probably from stress or just simply aging, but nonetheless he appeared to still be the same charming man she had met so many years ago.
He was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a grey blazer with a white v-neck underneath, that clung ever so well to his slim body. She was beginning to realize that she was staring at him now, actually studying him, knowing full well that there was no absolute reason for doing so. He was no longer her man, so what need was there to study his every detail, including the little imperfections here and there that she found herself loving so much about him?
Trish needed to get a hold of herself and fast. She heard glasses clinking in her hear, and that's when she assumed it was now time to clink her glass with another. With the same satisfied look on her face, Torrie clinked her champagne glass with Trish's. She gulped the expensive wine down, followed by a light giggle, which Trish didn't find cute one bit.
"Phone. Now." She held out her hand, not taking no for an answer. She couldn't enjoy the charity now, not after seeing Adam. She needed something to occupy her mind during her time here, and work was going to be just that.
Torrie let out a sigh of defeat. There was no use in getting through to her when it came to business, so without a fight, the blonde returned the phone to its owner. "Hope your business calls go the way you expect."
Trish frowned, "Its not like that, Tor." She looked her best friend in the eye, then her cell phone. She promised Torrie that she wouldn't let work get in the way of their vacation, which she infact let happen the day before. She wasn't going to allow that to happen again even under the situation she was currently dealing with, so without saying a word, the brunette turned off her phone and handed it to Torrie.
The blonde's face lit up once again. In an instance, she threw her long arms around Trish's body and engulfed her in a hug. "Don't worry about work, okay? If there's a problem, they're just going to have to deal with me." Torrie looked at Trish and tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear before turning her sights to her boyfriend, "Right, Vaughn?"
The blonde gave a light chuckle, "Right. Now, I don't know about you two, but I'm starving, care to join me for some caviar and crackers?"
"Mmm...I'll stick with the bruschetta," Trish commented. "Caviar just isn't my thing."
"Aw, you're totally missing out, Trish."
"Fish eggs? Eh...I think I'm fine missing out on that one. More for you, though." She replied with a smile.
If it wasn't for Torrie or Vaughn, Trish wasn't sure how she would've been able to distract herself the rest of the night. From Vaughn's crazy antics to Torrie's non-stop talking, she was surprisingly able to enjoy the night, away from work and of course Adam. Every now then, she would still think of him, but not for long, because her two dates for the night did well enough of just pulling her away from those thoughts before she got too deep in thought of them.
"Hey, I'm going to go outside for some of fresh air, tell me when the donations begin?"
"Sure. Be safe out there." Torrie said.
Trish quietly slipped through the patio doors after grabbing her coat from one of the servants. It was chilly out, but she didn't mind. She was used to the cold weather from living in Canada her whole life, so the cold air only made her feel back at home. She closed the patio door behind herself and was about to take a seat on one of the benches that line up against the house until she saw another figure sitting on the next bench over. Two to be exact.
Her heart practically dropped the moment she was able to make out one of the faces, amidst the darkness. It was Adam, with some one who looked no older than twenty-five. She sit on his lap, kissing all over his face as a boyish giggle escaped his lips. One that she remembered all so well, because it was the same giggle he'd have when she showered him in kisses. This woman obviously had now taken over her duties of being affectionate towards him.
She could feel the tears sting her eyes and she before she knew it, she found herself flinging the patio door open, unable to contain the sobs that felt the need to escape her body. She didn't understand how she could allow herself to cry over an image when it was she that was supposed to had been moved on and not worried about who a former lover of hers dated. She was more than sure that he wasn't worried about who she dated. If he did, he would've appeared to have cared who was watching he and his little girlfriend.
There was no way she could stay here any longer. She could feel the remaining mascara fall down her cheeks, while her makeup managed to smear against her hands the more she wiped her eyes and cheeks. No one that she was crying, but they eventually would if she kept around much longer. Trish finally found the door of the mansion and as quiet as she could, disappeared through the night, thankful that an early taxi was already there for a few guests who happened to leave thirty minutes early. The event was over at 10 pm, but like that really mattered. She needed to get out of here and fast before she made an even bigger fool out of herself.
The taxi pulled up to the hotel twenty minutes later, giving Trish enough time to call Torrie so she wouldn't start worrying of her whereabouts in a city she wasn't as familiar with like the blonde was. After giving the cabbie a decent fare, the brunette quickly opened the door of the taxi, making sure to watch over her back once she exited the vehicle. She thanked the burly man with the tobacco breath and was on her way.
Catching the elevator and walking only a few rooms down, the yoga instructor stopped in front of her room. She pulled her keycard from her purse and lazily opened the door, throwing her purse and jacket on the bed. She felt like a pathetic child crying over a broken toy that couldn't be fixed - no matter how much she cried, the toy would never be the same. She headed into the bathroom, looking at the reflection of herself in the mirror. If she didn't look like a wreck...
She was sure the people in the lobby were all looking at her as if she had a problem, but she didn't care. They would never understand the way she was feeling. With every second she looked at herself in the mirror, every second she could feel the tears well in her brown hues. Black drops of mascara run down the sink and once again, letting sobbing take over her body. She needed a shower to soothe her. If it wasn't going to do anything for her mind, it would at least do some good for her aching body.
Once she stripped down to nothing, the brunette stepped inside of the shower and let the hot water hit her skin. It stung a little at first, but after a couple seconds of so of getting used to the water, she let it comfort her worn down body. She didn't think it was possible for a grown woman to cry over something such as this as much as she had been doing today, but of course she was able to realize that now. She stepped out of the shower nearly fifteen minutes later.
She shook her head, wanting to erase the thoughts of this night in her head. She was supposed to be optimistic, yet she ended up letting her negativity get in the way. Pulling her wet brown hair into a loose ponytail, the brunette looked at the pillow that lie on the bed. Sleep, that's what she needed to get it all off her mind. Crawling in the middle of the bed, Trish lie her head on the pillow and closed her teary eyes.
It didn't take long until her brown eyes opened when she heard a knock at the door. She had no clue who would be visiting her this time of evening. She didn't call room service and there was nothing she needed from housekeeping, but a set of fresh new towels and that could wait til the morning. Once she saw who her visitor was, standing there, 6 ft 5 and all, soaked head to toe from the now pouring rain, a look of disbelief graced her beautiful face.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" she stuttered, her eyes so exhausted that she could barely look him in the eye. Adam just stood there, not saying one word, panting so hard that Trish could feel his heart beat through his soaked shirt. He didn't need to say anything, because he was sure she knew exactly why he was here, she just needed to be sure.
And to clarify his presence, the older man boldly, invited himself into the room, being sure to shut the door behind himself, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips. When he first came here, he didn't expect that he would just up and kiss her, but he felt like the time was right, and before either of them knew it, sobbing came from both ends. Truth be told, he missed her just as much as she missed him. But of course, hours ago he wouldn't have let that be known.
He didn't want to appear as if he missed her even though his body had ached day in out and day out to be with her, and he could tell she felt the same way. Yet that wasn't enough for her, because she broke the kiss just as soon as she realized what she was actually doing.
"We can't do this Adam,"
"Why not?"
"Because...you're with someone and I, I can't have an affair with someone, let alone with you."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really." He took a seat on the couch, running a hand through his wet locks. "Jay decided to hook me up with a blind date and thought it'd be great if I had her at the charity with me," he started. "I couldn't say no, because the girl is practically like his sister and I didn't want to turn a nice girl down, no matter how easy she turned out to be the moment I met her. I have no interest to be with her nor have I ever slept with or kissed her. I don't want her, Trish. I want you."
"I'm no good for you."
"How do you know you're not good for me, when you're the only person who I've actually loved my entire life? You're my first love damnit, if that means anything at all! Why can't you just stop being so stubborn and just let me love you, because we damn well know you're not over me just as much as I'm not over you. I don't care about what happened a long time ago...or even if you're still angry with me, just let me love you and we can figure this all out."
More tears were beginning to run down her cheeks, "How can you sit there and still love me after what I've done to you? I hurt you, Adam! Ripped your heart out and stamped on it. Didn't care what anyone had to say about how much you loved me or how much I was making one of the biggest mistakes of my life, because I already made up my mind and knew that I was right and you were wrong."
His breathing calmed down and placed a hand on her thigh. He took a seat on the floor, "Because I know you didn't mean any of it and that despite being as angry as you were or still are, you loved me. I'm not trying to be an asshole or anything, but I just couldn't accept that you wanted out on us, when you held us together when I was struggling to do so."
Trish stood to her feet, holding her puffy eyes, "I'm not angry with you anymore. Look, Adam: I'm sorry. So sorry for hurting you the way I did, but I just don't want to hurt again. Oh, you don't know how much I've waited for this day to happen, but no matter how much I want that - I can't, I can no longer be selfish or lie and say I won't hurt you again when its possible. Yes, we've matured since then, but still..."
Adam was beginning to grow frustrated. Why was she being so difficult? It was already established that he still loved her and she still loved him too? So why wouldn't she just take a risk with him like she did before, when he was basically nothing.
The blonde stood to his feet and closed the gap between he and Trish, "You can hurt me a thousand times over, but the fact remains, sweetheart, my love for you isn't going anywhere," he sighed, hoping this last statement would make her change her mind. "I'll walk out that door right now, if you want me to. All you have to do is say the word, and all I'll be out of your life forever, his voice softened as his lips lie a mere inch from hers,"...or you'll let me take a risk with you, much like you did with me all those many years ago and...let me...let me love you," his voice faded, letting his cold finger stroke her warm cheek.
There was denying that he sent chills down her spine, much like he did all those many years ago, which was why she could not keep that tough composure any longer. Slowly, but surely, their lips met in a sweet kiss, that turned into a searing hot passionate kiss down the line. Feeling like he did the first time they kissed, Adam couldn't help but feel weak in the knees - it was as if they were sharing their first kiss all over again.
This woman turning him into mush all over again, when at first, it was he, who was making her weak. The effect they had on eachother. Trish knew by now Torrie was worried sick about her, but until she did walk through that door, the Boise native would just have to worry a little longer. Tonight, business indeed needed to be taken care of.