Page 5 of Trust Fall
“That’d be lovely, and can you add on a peppermint tea as well? My sister is meeting me here before we go shopping.”
Ivy started on the order. “Shopping for anything in particular? Or just having a browse?”
“Well,I’mjust browsing, bargain hunting, really. But Sylvia’s always got a list as long as her arm that ensures we visit the majority of knick-knack shops and artisan boutiques in the area. So maybe add a little extra caffeine in my usual to help me survive?”
“Coming right up,” Ivy giggled. “Why don’t you go grab a seat and I’ll bring these over to you when they’re ready.”
“Thanks, hun.” Liz handed Ivy the money for the order and headed over tohertable.
Ivy smiled warmly at the term of endearment she always received from the three women. Whatever else was going on with her day, those three ladies always made her feel cared for.
Chapter 5
Cleo
Cleo had been deep in thought about a new city planning update for one of her clients when she heard the knock on her office door. Lana came in with two coffee cups in a cardboard holder.
“Hey, just letting you know I made it in a little ahead of time, so I brought you a little thank you for letting me go early on Friday and come in late this morning.” Lana sat the holder onCleo’s window ledge and removed the cups one at a time. The last time she brought in barista coffees and tried to remove them on Cleo’s desk... unsuccessfully... she drowned some finalized blueprints in cappuccino foam and chocolate sprinkles. It was a mistake she had sworn never to make again.
Cleo took the cup graciously from Lana’s hand and smiled encouragingly. “No problem at all. How was your weekend?” She took a sip of her drink and let out a soft sigh as the heat trickled down her throat and she motioned for Lana to sit opposite her.
“I think it went well?” Lana blushed and held her cup in both hands to stop her from fidgeting. “Connor’s parents live in a mansion, so that was, well, terrifying. His mom is really lovely, and his dad is really... intense, but not as terrifying as I’d initially thought given he’s a big-shot sports manager. By the time we were leaving yesterday he even managed an awkward hug, so that’s good, right?”
Cleo sat back in her chair and relaxed. “That all sounds great, Lana. Was it just his parents?”
“Yeah, his sister, April, was out of town for the weekend for a bachelorette party. I was looking forward to meeting her most, but at least I didn’t have to meet them all at once. His mom really was so lovely, she even wore an apron in the kitchen. I mean, I’ve only ever seen people do that in movies, I didn’t know that was a real thing!” Lana sat back in the chair properly and took a drink of her coffee, finally relaxing as she processed the past few days for the first time.
“My mom wears one, but only when my grandparents visit, and only because my grandma bought it for her. Other than that, I’m with you. It’s something I think loads of people randomly have tucked away in a drawer and never use.” Cleo took another drink. “How was Connor when he was around his parents?”
Lana let out a sigh and had the most loved-up smile across her face that Cleo had ever seen.
“Oh Cleo, he was just perfect. He stayed with me the whole time. We went for walks in the garden, we sat out back in the evenings curled under blankets around the fire pit looking at the stars and talking for hours, and I’ve never felt so,” she let out a breath, “safe.”
Cleo looked across the table at her friend, noticing the pink tinge in her cheeks and the steadiness in her voice that had only grown stronger over the past few months since meeting Connor. A warmth spread through her chest hearing the final word Lana said, knowing how incredibly important it was, and that it was one Lana would never utter lightly.
“I’m so glad it went well for you Lana. You deserve to be with someone who treats you like this.” She gave Lana a knowing look and raised her coffee cup incheersmotion.
Lana blushed and raised her cup in return. “Thanks Cleo,” she replied, barely above a whisper, as she choaked back the tears threatening to trickle down her face. She stood up and headed towards the door. “I’ll be out here if you need anything.”
Cleo drifted off in her thoughts. Hearing Lana speak about her weekend with Connor made her soul so happy for Lana, but ache for herself. Hearing that Megan was back had given way to a long weekend of broken sleep and an unwanted trip down a memory lane which she would rather forget even existed.
It’s not that she was jealous of Lana, not at all. She deserved every ounce of happiness the world had to offer going forward. It was just that, she longed to feel that connection with someone again. Not that she’deverutter a word of this near her mom, or every queer female within a 10-mile radius would be scheduled for dinners for the foreseeable. No, this was a thought just for her, because she knew that connection came at a cost. One that she’d already paid. One that she didn’t think her heart would survive a second time.
By the following Wednesday morning, Cleo had heard back from the council. Her plans had been approved already, which is highly unusual in itself, but given the client’s name, part of her was surprised it had even taken this long.
Jackson Copeland was the client from hell. He was powerful through his family business, and he knew it. With that power came the notion that his every demand and whim would be met with a curtsy.
He arrived at Cleo’s office just before 2 p.m. that day, without an appointment, and with no regard for the fact that another client was due to arrive at any moment.
He barely made it through the door before he started, an apologetic Lana barely visible as she shut the door.
He unbuttoned his long grey woolen coat as he walked. “Now that the plans are approved, I need a timeline of the build and a move-in date. How long will that take you to do?” His tone took far more of a demanding edge than Cleo deemed acceptable, never mind necessary.
“Mr. Copeland, we’ve talked about this. You can’t come barging in here at a time that suits you, I have other clients who also need my time.” Cleo tried her best to stay calm and speak with a level tone. His name was too important to piss off and lose as a client, especially with the amount of work she’d already completed for him. Not to mention the potential income she could earn if he brought more work her way.
Sitting down on the chair opposite Cleo, he pulled at the end of each finger of his brown leather gloves on his left hand then removed it before continuing to do the same to his right. “Yourlobby is empty and there’s no one else in your office, so please do us both the courtesy of answering my questions so that we may both get on with our days.” He combined both gloves and lay them flat on his lap while he awaited Cleo’s reply.
Taking a calming breath before responding, Cleo took in Jackson Copeland. His dark hair was meticulously styled to stay perfectly in place with enough product to stock a small shop, with the start of grey hair at his temples. His designer stubble was trimmed to perfection, the pale untanned skin at the edges proving it was fresh, the dark growth just beginning to show flecks of grey. His grey woolen coat and navy suit were obviously high-end, and his brown shoes were so polished that she could see in them the reflection of the fluorescent lightbulb overhead.
