Sweet Reflection (22 page)

“Okay, I will do. Thanks Laurel. I’ll see you soon.” The relief in Jess’ voice settles me and if I didn’t have to get there so quickly I could probably start crying right now. Something strange is going on and before the end of the day I will make it my mission to find out.

I open the front door to the store and I’m hit with over twenty women giggling and laughing around the sofas. Thankfully, I have enough people now to deal with them, especially as I managed to get two more of my staff to come in as well. Now we’ll all be able to take one group, the only logistical issue will be the fitting rooms but we can manage that.

“Hi ladies, I’m so glad you could all make it to Proposals. My team and I will be happy to serve you. If you have any questions at any point just let your consultant know and we’ll do our best to answer them.” I watch as the slightly tipsy faces all now smile back at me and I walk confidently over to the fridge, pulling out another bottle. “Anyone for a top-up before we get started?”

The flurry of voices that all mutter confirmations has my heart rate coming back down to normal. Another couple of hours and this will all be over.

The girls are great, they’re friendly and helpful and I owe them one for this. My mum’s in her element. She loves a good wedding and her eyes even get teary when the Bride’s family cry. We get four orders out of the six and two make appointments to come back.

“Thank you all so much for your help today. That was crazy. But we pulled it off. They all went away happy, so I’m happy.” We all stretch back on the sofa for a few minutes of calm.

“It was close though. What happened?” Meg asks, and I don’t even have an answer for her. I don’t know what the hell happened.

“Laurel, I overheard something. I don’t know if it’s relevant but my Bride had a brief conversation with her mum saying you sounded nothing like you did on the phone when you rescheduled. A different accent. She laughed it off saying everyone sounds different on the phone, but I just thought you should know. I know you wouldn’t make a mistake like that with appointments. It’s not happened in four years, so why now? It just seems strange to me.”

Jess makes a good point and I find myself nodding along to what she’s saying, scared that the reality might be someone is trying to sabotage me. My first thought is that it must be a member of staff but how could they do this? I’ve had the same girls working for me since I opened and seeing how three of them pulled together today, I just can’t picture it. Maybe that makes me naïve but I still have absolute faith in them.

I let my mum go home and I stay to help clear up for a while. So much for a rest. My mind just keeps going back to who could have changed my appointments. They’d have to have access to the store at some point which doesn’t help because it could be anyone that walks in. Maybe they asked one of the girls to find a dress in the back and saw the diary on the desk. It sounds like a competitor. That’s the only reasonable answer I can come up with, but I don’t find that as cut and dry as I’d like. How did they do it? And who is scared enough by Proposals that would do something like that? The nearest bridal store is in the next county, it just seems so pitiful.

My phone rings and I smile with relief as I look at the screen.

“Well, hello. I didn’t expect to hear from you until later.”

“I missed your voice.” He says bluntly, and I can hear the smile as he speaks. “What are you up to?”

“Well actually. I have a story for you…” I tell him what’s happened today and I can tell from his tone, he’s thinking the same thing as me. It must be a competitor.

“That’s the second time something’s happened babe. It has to be more than coincidence. I don’t mean to scare you but maybe we should look into it further. You know with the police. I know there’s no proof anything illegal has been going on, but I know someone who may be able to at least just file a report on it or something. In case it happens again. They need a record.”

“Do you think it might?” The worry in my voice is obvious so he does his best to put my mind at ease.

“I really don’t know. But it wouldn’t hurt to just let them know. And if nothing more comes of it then, great. Anyway, sounds like you handled it well. I’m proud of you.” His voice relaxes, and it means a lot to me to hear him say that. I choose not to tell him it was because of him, I don’t think his ego could take it.

“How about I swing by tonight and pick you up? We’ll go out, do something. Take your mind off it. I haven’t seen you in what, like forty-eight hours? Way too long.”

“That sounds good. I need to relax. Does seven work?”

“Seven is perfect. I’ll see you later. Bye beautiful.”

“Bye James.”

My voice cracks, and I hang up feeling more overwhelmed by emotion that I’ve felt in a long time. He always knows just what to do and say to put a smile on my face and he’s been nothing less than the perfect boyfriend since we first got together. I’m letting him in, and he’s settling in a way I swore I’d never let another man do after Darren and my dad both disappeared from my life. But so far he’s stuck around. I just know I’d be crushed if he left me. The more time we spend together the more certain I am that he now owns a piece of me. I’m becoming a much stronger person because of him, but he also has that same power to knock me down again. I know it’s the risk you take when you fall in love, you give all of yourself to someone and have to trust that they’ll look after you but when you’ve been burned, you’re scared of the fire. That fire also happens to be what I crave, what I yearn for, and now I’ve felt it, I don’t think I could live without it.

James

Her voice when she hangs up sounds so vulnerable and defeated, I don’t know what I can do to change things. It must be hard to watch these problems happen when it’s something you’ve worked so hard for. And to not be able to control it would be even worse. It’s hard for me, and I’m just on the side-lines. The most important thing she needs to know is that I’m here, no matter what. I can’t even contemplate the Alex situation at the moment. She’s been ringing and leaving voicemails for the past couple of weeks. I’ve been ignoring her and the numerous voicemails. I just want to forget about it. I’ve been working flat-out at the site with Blake in order to finish the work, and that’s about all I can manage.

Seven comes and I drive round to pick Laurel up, but she’s quiet and reserved. Not the Laurel I’m used to.

“Is this about what’s happening at the store?” I ask, trying to get her to open up as I cover her hand with mine.

“Yes.” She sighs, and I pull away from the kerb, thinking the quicker we stop, the quicker I can hold her.

“You know it’s not your fault don’t you?” She looks at me out of the corner of her eye and just like that, I’ve gotten deeper into the heart of the problem. She blames herself.

“Babe, come on. You didn’t know this was going to happen.” I shake my head and look out the window, squeezing her hand to show some kind of support.

“I know I didn’t know. But if it’s the staff, then I should have seen it, and not got so friendly with them. I should be tighter on security, not leave the shop with only a couple of staff in it. If there had been more, there would have been someone there to see it happen.”

“More staff will always help, but it’s just not viable, you know that. And you’re a great boss. They love you, and do whatever you ask to the best of their ability. You told me they came out last minute today to help. That doesn’t sound like a team that doesn’t respect their boss.” I watch her closely in between looking in the mirrors, and she looks so hurt but I can see her thinking about what I’m trying to say.

“Please stop beating yourself up over this. It isn’t your fault.” I say adamantly because I can’t let her carry on thinking that way.

She smiles weakly and nods her head but I can see she still doesn’t believe it. The more I get to know her the more I realise that how she comes across when you first meet her is not how she is all the time. The cool, calm, confident Laurel hides away sometimes and she’s plagued with insecurities and self-doubt just like the next person. It makes her seem more accessible, more human. But still an angel to me. I may not believe in fate or destiny but I’ve always been a big-believer in us all having something to offer or teach other people. Maybe this is what I can give to her.

I pull into my drive and cut the engine and it snaps Laurel out of her daydream. “I thought we were going out?”

“We still can if you want, but I thought you might like to stay in. I’ve got a bottle of wine with your name on it, and a bunch of chick-flicks I will never watch on my own.”

That cracks a smile, and she gets out, seemingly relieved she won’t have to put up any pretences tonight.

I walk straight into the kitchen and pour her a glass of wine, as she shrugs out of her coat and sits on a stool at the counter.

“So, how was your day anyway? I’m sorry, I don’t feel like I’m ever asking about you.” She takes a long sip from her glass and looks up at me guiltily.

“It’s fine. Work was good. Blake and I are just finishing up at the site round the corner, then I’ve got a few smaller projects lined up. Pretty quiet really.”

Apart from Alex hounding me every chance she gets.

“
So do you want to watch a movie? Or we could do something else? I hear Chess could be quite interesting?”

She laughs, and I haven’t heard the sound for a few days so I revel in being the reason behind it.

“A movie would be good.” She follows me into the living room, settling herself down on the sofa and I love how at home she appears in my house. I open up the blanket to place over her and turn the lights down low.

“Thank you.” She says, looking at me intently, and fiddling with the sleeves of her cardigan.

I stop rooting through my DVDs to look at her, “For what?” I ask curiously.

She shrugs a shoulder dismissively, “Oh you know. Just being here for me. And trying to lighten the mood. I haven’t been very good company but I do feel better being here with you.”

“Good, that’s what I’m aiming for. So what film do you wanna watch?”

She beams up at me, meaningfully, and I know exactly what she’s thinking. “
Hitch
.”

We’re at the beginning of the film and she’s got a huge grin on her face waiting for her favourite part, the bar scene, and her face lights up as she watches how we first met play out in front of her.

The rest of the film goes by hazily and in between giving it my vague attention, I notice every laugh and giggle and even tear that escapes her. As the credits roll, she lays her head back against the cushion and looks over at me.

“Come here, babe.” I open out my arms and she climbs into them, straddling me.

“Do you think I’m cooler than Will Smith?” I ask her, only half-joking. I always get an inferiority complex after watching that film, he’s just so damn smooth.

“Of course. And you’re way better looking.” She may not be telling me the whole truth there but just hearing it is good enough for me.

“What do you want to do now?”

“Bed.” She says roughly, and the sparkle in her eyes lets me know exactly what she’s thinking. I cup my hands underneath her butt and lift her against me as I stand. Her legs are clinging round my hips and her kisses come at me with desperation. I need to show her how I feel tonight. Actually, it’s about time I stop being an idiot and
tell
her how I feel tonight. Her hands have moved up my arms into my hair and she’s pulling me as close to her as I can get. I kick open the door and walk into the bedroom, and push her against the wall so I can use it as support to move my hands. They grip her waist, her back, her head, and I suck harder on her lips, making her writhe and moan against the wall.

“James,” she breathes heavily, “put me down. Please.” She pleads, and I’m thinking I’ve done something wrong until her legs hit the ground and she turns me so my back is against the wall.

She presses her body up against mine and kisses me until our lips are sore and swollen and our mouths are begging for reprieve.

She steps away and unbuttons her top slowly, eyes hooded, and focused completely on mine. I want to watch what she’s doing but I can’t rip my gaze away from hers, trying to decipher the emotions and feelings going on inside. When I see them blaze with fear, concern completely takes over and my hands are grabbing hold of hers to stop them moving.

Her hands still underneath mine and her breathing’s coming hard and fast but she won’t look at me, so I tilt her chin up to look straight into her eyes and meet the fear head on.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” I ask quietly. It takes minutes for her to respond, but I’m there waiting, she has to know I’m not going anywhere.

“I’m scared.” She finally whispers and my heart leaps out wanting to take it all away.

“Of what? What’s going on at the store? Because I know I said
some things about the police but I doubt tha-“

“It isn’t that.”

“What is it then? Talk to me. I know we haven’t really done much of that lately,” I say, with a wide grin and wink that gets a little smile from her, “But I’m here whenever you need me.”

“See? That right there, is why I’m scared!” Her voice rises, and she pulls away from me to walk further into the bedroom, pacing up and down. “With one sentence you make me feel
everything.
I’m swooning, then I’m turned on, then I’m back to being completely amazed that you’re here and you’re mine. It’s too much, James.
You’re
too much.” Her hands gesture animatedly and she looks up to the ceiling like she’s going to find answers there.

“So all of this…” I flick my fingers in the direction she’s been walking in and having her little outburst, “…is because you love me?” I walk smugly over to the dresser and lean back against it, with my hands in my pockets.