Page 50 of Worth the Wait
Our recent text exchanges read like a masterclass in polite deflection?—
Tuesday:
Cameron:
How did the Martinez vendor meeting go? Dinner tonight?
Lianne:
Long day. Rain check?
Wednesday:
Cameron:
Coffee this morning before your venue walkthrough?
Lianne:
Already grabbed some on the way. Will call you later.
She never called.
Thursday:
Cameron:
Miss you. Can I bring lunch to your office?
Lianne:
In back-to-back meetings all afternoon. Sorry.
Friday:
Cameron:
How about a quiet night in? I’ll cook.
Lianne:
Exhausted. Need to prep for tomorrow’s Martinez final details. Rain check?
Rain check. Her favorite phrase lately, deployed with surgical precision every time I suggest spending time together that doesn’t involve business logistics. She’s become an expert at deflection disguised as professional dedication.
The irony isn’t lost on me. Four years ago, I was the one who let external pressures create distance between us. I was the one who chose family approval over fighting for what mattered, who let other people’s opinions override my own heart. Now Lianne is using work as a shield, and I’m the one fighting to maintain the connection we’ve built.
My laptop chimes with an email from my assistant, confirming final details for next weekend’s gala. Five hundred guests, including board members flying in from New York and London, technology leaders from three continents, family friends who’ve been part of Sterling Industries’ success story for decades. The kind of celebration that will generate millions in business visibility and establish our renewable energy division as a serious player in sustainable technology.
I should be focused on the strategic importance of the upcoming event, on what it represents for Sterling Industries’ brandpositioning and future partnerships. Instead, all I can think about is whether Lianne will still be in my life after the gala is over, or if professional courtesy will replace the intimacy we’ve been building.
My phone buzzes with another text from her:
Lianne:
Martinez wedding executed flawlessly. All vendor coordination completed without issues. Ready to focus full attention on the Sterling Industries gala preparation.
Perfectly informative and entirely impersonal. She’s updating me about professional developments like I’m a client she’s never met, someone who requires operational briefings rather than personal connection.
