Twisted Hearts
Chapter two
"Jonathan." Ryan exclaimed as he hugged his youngest brother. "What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile.
"You made Pine Valley sound like paradise and I needed something new." Jonathan answered as he placed his hands in his pockets. He was glad to see his brother but he wished he would've walked in a few minutes later. He wanted to know what Greenlee would say next.
"So you're in town for good, moving down?" Ryan asked.
"Nasty break up and just decided to up and move to a new place. Sad story." Greenlee said as she walked and stood by Ryan. "What are you doing here so earlier?" she asked as she looked up at her husband's face.
"I woke up and you were gone, I knew this is where you came. We need to talk." Ryan explained to her.
"Can we have a minute alone?" Greenlee asked Jonathan, anything but friendly. Now she felt very defensive toward him and angry.
"No that's ok." Ryan said before Jonathan could say a word. "This isn't private, actually you should hear this." He said to his brother before looking back at Greenlee. "I have to leave town for a few days."
"What? Why?" Greenlee asked less then happy. This was the last thing she wanted to hear. The last thing she needed period.
"There's this convention launching new newly tested formulas that cost half the price. It's basically everything we need to know to launch the new Fusion. I just got the invitation last night and I didn't have a chance to tell you. Why don't you just come with me?" Ryan asked as he touched his wife's cheek. He couldn't think of a better few days then to spend them with the woman he loved.
"I can't, there's too much here that needs to be done. Thing's I needed your help with." Greenlee said and no matter how she tried to hide it, her anger began to show.
"I'm sorry babe I am but this is best for the company. It's only a few days and the extra help you needed me for just use Jonathan." Ryan suggested.
"What?" Jonathan asked as he stepped forward.
"You've always been great with numbers. You were practically running K this would be a piece of cake for you and what else do you have to do in town?" Ryan asked. The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea of giving Jonathan something to work on and it was helping Greenlee out. "This will keep you both busy with me leaving so unexpectedly, what do you say?" he asked them both.
"Whatever you and the missus decided I'm down for." Jonathan answered as he stepped back to give them a chance to talk.
Greenlee glanced at Jonathan before focusing on Ryan. "How many days will you be gone?" she asked.
"Four tops." Ryan said. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "This will be good." He promised.
"Okay." Greenlee finally said. "You're right, it sounds like a great idea." She lied with a fake smile.
"Great." Ryan said. He loved the idea of the two important people in his life working together and getting along. "I see you've already met, nothing else for me to do but get back home and pack." He explained.
"Now?" Greenlee asked as she followed Ryan to the door.
"My flight leaves in two hours and I'm already pushing it. I'll call you when I land, I'm so sorry for throwing this on you so fast." Ryan said then kissed her goodbye. "Jonathan I'll call you later. Sorry for just having to go."
"Don't worry about it." Jonathan said.
Greenlee watched him leave with a frown on her face. She didn't understand how she should feel about this. She would miss him of course but she welcomed the days alone to think and figure certain aspects of her life out once and for all.
"Seems to just be us, short stuff." Jonathan pointed out as he took a stroll around the office.
Greenlee looked at him and shook her head. "Not for long. My business partners and good friends should be here soon. Be nice." She told him as she headed back to her desk and sat down.
Jonathan ended up in front of her desk again. "Me? I'm nice; I haven't been nice to you?"
Greenlee looked up and met his eyes; she didn't say anything as she looked back down at the papers under her hands. She didn't quite know what to say to him and she really didn't know how she was going to have to be around him for maybe four days alone.
"Oh I get it." Jonathan said as he pulled the paper from her hands. "I say something you don't like and I'm the bad guy. Fine that's ok with me and you're doing this all wrong that's why you're still working on it. You work on the less selling margin first, work out the mistakes and move on." He placed the paper back on her desk and sat down. He kept his eyes on her and waited for what she would say.
Greenlee wanted to yell at him but she didn't know what to yell. "Thanks." She mumbled instead of yelling but she thought of something to yell for later.
"Anything else you want me to do?" he asked.
"Yeah stop looking at me like that." Greenlee snapped as she threw he pen down and looked at him.
"Like what?" Jonathan asked with a confused frown as he continued to look at her. There was something about Greenlee that stood out, but it wasn't her beauty or perfect smile, it was the sadness she kept trying to hide. He couldn't help but wonder about it, what caused it.
"Like you understand something you don't. Now let's just get to work, that's what you're here for right?" Greenlee said as she stood from her seat and walked over to the filing cabinet. She knew her anger was showing, she was losing control on her scattered emotions. She needed to get a hold of it and fast before she just lost it.
"Right so let's work."
Isabelle A.
