Page 86 of Along Came Amor
Yes, part of him had been hurrying through the tasks at hand so they could get to their evening activity—which it looked like he’d be canceling. But more than that, he’d been trying to help in the way he knew best.
She’d accused him of making snap decisions and excluding her, but this was what he did for the people he cared about—he anticipated their needs and saved them the trouble of sorting out the logistics. It was a philosophy rooted in service, and it was what made his hotels a success.
Through the lens of hindsight, Roman could also see he’d put on his CEO hat once Belinda had gotten involved. But what was appropriate in a boardroom full of men who still saw him as some upstart Latino kid from Brooklyn wasn’t the right strategy when you were helping plan a wedding with the woman you were trying to court.
Especially when you knew that woman needed time to think things through.
A sinking feeling came over him as he thought back to that day months ago when Mikayla had stormed out, right before Camille had given him the toy dog. In his mind, the best way he could show the women in his life that he cared was to do things for them, but they weren’t guests at one of his hotel properties, and maybe what they wanted from him wasn’t top notch concierge service.
So what the hell did they want?
A text from his local travel agent came through on his watch, and he set about canceling the cruise and making arrangements to have their meal delivered to the house instead.
Instead of leaving right away, he strode out of the ballroom and went in search of the resort manager on duty. Since he was here, he’d meet with the staff, mostly to hear about the renovations and improvements they’d made over the past year, but also to listen to their suggestions and let them know they weren’t just cogs in a machine. He wasn’t supposed to be working, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity for face-to-face time with the staff before the wedding. Besides, it would keep him from running after Ava.
Two hours later, Roman was back at his house. Ava’s door was closed, but he hesitated before knocking. She’d asked for space, so he’d respect that. The dinner he’d planned for them to eat on the boat would be arriving soon, so he grabbed his laptop and went to sit on the patio. Hopefully more work would help him take his mind off their argument until he could apologize properly.
He pulled up some reports to review, but found himself struggling to concentrate. Normally, slipping on his reading glasses gave him a mental cue that it was time to focus. But all he could think about was Ava.
Knowing that he’d reminded her of her ex and made her feel like she didn’t matter tore him up inside. He needed to do better, to treat Ava with the respect she deserved, which meant making time for her way of thinking, even if it was different than his own.
It meantapologizing.
But how? Saying he was sorry wasn’t enough. And all the ways he could think of to show her how he felt involved lavish gifts or solving problems for her. But right now,hewas her problem.
So, what to do?
Well, there was one thing. He pulled out his phone and texted Belinda to hold off on finalizing the decisions they’d discussed that day. That was a start, but it wasn’t enough.
Ava had said she didn’t want gifts, but there was a Cartier store nearby. He couldn’t resist pulling up the website to see about booking an appointment. However, after a few minutes of scrolling through the selection of watches, he set the laptop aside and picked up his phone to text Ashton.
Roman:What do you do when you’ve fucked up? Is a watch better, or should I get her earrings?
The phone rang immediately.
Ashton started in before Roman could even say hello, speaking rapidly in Spanish. “Tell me you haven’t messed up my wedding already.”
Roman answered in Spanish as well. “It’s not about the wedding.”
“So it’s about Ava. What did you fuck up?”
Roman switched to English to explain the argument they’d had. After he finished, Ashton sighed.
“I told you, their family is complicated. Especially for Ava.”
“I get that, but how do I make this up to her?”
“Does she want you to? Or are you throwing money at the problem to make yourself feel better?”
Damn, direct hit. Was that what he was doing? “Maybe a little of both?”
“If you get her an expensive gift, it’ll look like you’re buying her affection. A Cartier watch is not an apology.”
“I guess the same goes for an overnight trip to Vieques,” Roman said.
“Yes, that’s a great way to not show off your money.”
“I scheduled it before we got here. It’s supposed to be romantic.”
