Page 59 of Heartless

“The dance floor’s proximity to the gazebo ensures a seamless transition from ceremony to celebration. And those pergolas?” I pointed at the picture. “Imagine them supporting a canopy of sheer, white fabric, gently fluttering in the evening breeze. Tables and chairs underneath. And it would be easy to tear it all down if you decide you don’t ever want to have another wedding here.”

“Why would I decide that after all this trouble?”

“I don’t know.”

I could feel his gaze on my face, waiting for me to look at him. I didn’t so he gently pressed the pillow of his index finger under my chin and turned my face towards him.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

That was the second time he ordered it in the span of an hour, but the honest answer at that time seemed appropriate, so I gave it to him.

“You’re my boss. And I know you have a hard time with these weddings and I… I don’t know. I guess I want it to be perfect.”

He frowned. “Perfection is a shitty goal.”

“Perfection is what makes you stand out amidst the mediocrity.”

“Perfection is a shitty goal,” he repeated. “You stand out in so many ways, Madison. You don’t need to beperfect.”

“That’s not my truth.”

“I don’t think you know what your truth is.” He paused as if he was making a decision whether to say something or not. Then he continued. “Are you ready to tell me what happened in New York now?”

“Does it really matter?”

“To me? No. Not anymore at least.”

“So why ask then?”

“To prove a point. Come on. Tell me.”

“It’s…I don’t want to.”

“Of course you don’t want to. The stories you don’t want to tell are always the ones worth telling.”

“Fine,” I said and he removed his finger from my chin. Turning my head, I stared ahead of me and exhaled loudly. “I was unemployed when Annie’s assistant called. Happy now?”

“Happiness is something I gave up on a long time ago,” he said quietly. I wanted to ask what he meant, but then he probed. “Elaborate on the unemployed part, please.”

“There was this article coming out in a bridal magazine. About one of the weddings I had planned. The bride talked about me so much that they decided to call me and ask for an interview. I accepted, of course. My boss hadn’t been so involved in the day to day parts of the business for a long time, so I decided to use this interview to force her to make me a partner. I was doing all the work anyway. She is a huge name in the wedding business but people have been coming to us because of me too lately. She was excited for the interview too. I thought she was going to promote me without me even having to ask. But then we met for lunch a few days after the article came out and I found out what she had planned to surprise me with.”

I paused and looked at Parker. He just nodded for me to continue.

“The interview in a frame she bought from IKEA. I wanted to become a partner and she offered me a framed piece of paper. I know it’s a thoughtful gift. But I felt so disappointed and unappreciated. I told her I deserved to become a partner. She said she didn’t want a partner. I couldn’t swallow the humiliation, so I walked and lost everything I had been working for the last ten years. And then Annie called. I don’t believe in fate, but the timing was perfect.”

Parker offered me a kind smile. “Jess always says that everything in life happens for a reason.”

“Jess?” I asked. “As Ryan’s mother?”

Parker nodded.

“Are you two…involved?”

“What?” He scoffed. “No. Why would you say that?”

“You were out on a date. Without Ryan. She eyed me in a weird way.” I started explaining, but stopped because of the disgust written all over his face. Disgust mixed with something else. Sadness? Pain?

“Jess and I shared a traumatic experience. We formed a strong bond. An unhealthy one, according to Ryan. And he is probably right. But I’m not sleeping with her. I never had. She’s like a second mother to me.”

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