Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series)

chapter 9


Monday morning dawned with hazy, overcast skies in Iowa. As Michael Gray prepared for his trip to Texas to meet with the restaurant owners, he was deep in thought. Well-prepared for this meeting, he had studied the background of ‘Chloe’s Place.’ He’d done his homework, so to speak, and knew everything there was to know about the place.

It was quite an impressive operation, really. Started nearly ten years ago by two brothers and the wife of one brother, it had done exceptionally well. Frankly, he was surprised they had not made the decision to expand sooner. He had sent preliminary sketches ahead of him, and the owners had seemed to be pleased with Michael’s work. He expected the meeting to go well, and when the day was over, he would be free to surprise little Miss Angela with his presence in Dallas. He had a good excuse to be there, of course, but never the less, he worried about her reaction. She had been hard to read the other night at dinner. She was available, but that did not mean that she wanted to start over with him. He would just have to play it by ear and see how things progressed. Hopefully, by working together, he would be able to convince her that the problems they’d had in the past had nothing to do with the confident, successful people they had both become. It seemed to him they had needed the time to get themselves settled into good careers, and now it was time to end the nonsense and get back together. But convincing feisty little Angie of that might not be an easy task. She was very good at her job. He could tell that from the brief meeting last Friday. She was certainly going to be a challenge and a joy to work with. She knew her stuff. He had to give her that.

As he headed for the airport, he was hoping the weather in Texas would be better than the weather in Iowa this morning. He spent his time in the air going over last minute preparations for his presentation to the O’Grady family. It’s time to concentrate on business.

He landed at DFW, rented a car, and drove straight to the hotel. He had booked a suite at the Prava also. He was hoping he could slip into his room and back out of it without any of the ‘Fab Four’ spotting him. He was not yet ready for them to know he was in town. His meeting with the O’Gradys was not until tomorrow morning so he would order room service and stay in this evening, relaxing and preparing his next move. By tomorrow evening, he would have figured out the best way to let Angie know he was in town. One step at a time, boy, don’t rush her. You don’t want to scare her off. By the time he picked up the phone to order his lunch, he was smiling to himself, confident that this trip to Texas was going to be a good one, both professionally and personally.

Meanwhile, one floor up, Katy and Lizzie were busy gathering all their materials together for their meeting at ‘Chloe’s Place.’ They had finally both given it up around three o’clock that morning and had fallen asleep on the sofa bed in the living room of their suite. Marianne and Angie had retired to their bedroom around one, leaving their friends to finish their work.

Katy had been amazed at the adrenalin flowing from both Lizzie and herself all night. They were both really getting into this. For two people who have not worked for several years, I think we were both full of good ideas. I’m hoping this will turn out to be a good thing for both of us. And who knows, maybe I will get more out of this than a job! That is highly unlikely, she thought, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

They had decided to order salads from room service for lunch, so Lizzie and Katy could get ready for their meeting in plenty of time. Both were very excited and neither one of them could sit still for more than a few minutes all morning. Katy was like a high school girl getting ready for her first date. Lizzie was not much better.

“Would you two get a grip? You are driving me crazy,” complained Angie when Lizzie jumped up from the couch for the twentieth time.

“I just want to make sure this all goes well, there is so much riding on it for both of us. I don’t want either of us to blow the opportunity we’ve been given,” Lizzie shot back nervously.

“Relax. You can’t be this fidgety when you’re at the meeting, you know.”

“What did you really think of our ideas, Angie?” Katy asked with a frown.

“I think you both did an excellent job on such short notice. It will be fine. All you have to do now is relax and present your ideas. I am confident they will love your ideas as much as we do. And if they don’t, it will be good experience. If there is something they don’t like, it’s probably fixable. Calm down. I mean it, calm down. You can’t go in there like two cats on a hot tin roof.”

“She is right,” Marianne added. “Not to mention the fact that Chloe and Ryan seemed like such nice people. I am sure they will give you a fair chance. After all, they are the ones who suggested the meeting. They could have turned you down when we mentioned the two of you doing the work, but they jumped on it, even knowing you are new to the game. So relax.”

“I don’t know what Chloe’s husband will think. I wonder if he will be at the meeting?” Lizzie worried.

“Hopefully we’ll get to meet him today. I wonder if he is as breathtakingly handsome as his brother is,” Katy said wistfully.

They all looked at Katy in shock. She was really getting into this Ryan guy.

Marianne hoped Katy was not leading herself into heartbreak, that would be the worse thing that could happen to her now, after all these years of waiting. Although, maybe it was all harmless. Disturbing as it was, it was kind of exciting for Katy to be so attracted to a man after all these years of widowhood.

Angie’s thoughts went back to their conversation before dinner at the restaurant, when they had teased about Katy having an affair with him. Who would have thought she would actually fall for the guy? She’s the level-headed one of this bunch.

The salads and iced tea arrived. The girls had another pleasant lunch together and then it was time for Lizzie and Katy to leave for their meeting with the O’Gradys. Marianne had given them directions to the restaurant in case they forgot how to get there. The two women left for the meeting that would change both their lives forever.

“I’m glad they are finally out of here, they were driving me bonkers,” Angie said to Marianne, laughing.

“Yes, they were pretty hyper. I hope it all goes well for them, though. Both of them deserve this break. Isn’t it weird how it all happened?” Marianne answered her with a smile.

“Fate,” Angie answered simply and they both collapsed in laughter as they sat back to relax and enjoy the quiet. They knew when the other two got back it would be crazy again. Both Katy and Lizzie would be anxious to tell the story of the big meeting.

“Do I look all right?” Katy asked Lizzie as she checked her makeup in the visor mirror for the third time.

“You look great, you are going to knock old Ryan’s socks off in that outfit, you little vixen.” Lizzie laughed as she responded. She was thinking how nice it was to see Katy so interested in something besides Alex for a change. Alex was a great kid, but Katy needed a life. She had been lonely for too darn long. Now she had two possibilities to look forward to, a chance for a new client for her business, and a possible chance with a new guy. Although, Lizzie thought, the business deal is probably more of a sure thing than the guy. But time would tell. It did seem like fate had drawn them to ‘Chloe’s Place’ for a lot of reasons last night. There was their old friend fate, helping them out again. Maybe Marianne had been right about it all these years.

They had no problem finding the restaurant again. Marianne’s directions had been perfect. They parked the car, hugged each other for luck, and proceeded to their meeting.

As they entered the restaurant, Ryan was sitting at a table with several stacks of papers spread in front of him, sipping a mug of steaming coffee. He looked up and smiled as they walked toward him.

“Well, right on time. I’ll tell Chloe and Shane you’re here. You both look great, by the way,” he added as he took in the sight of Katy with a long, slow, approving look. She had chosen a simple summer dress for her appointment. It was a pale shade of yellow, which went well with her dark hair. Her accessories were simple and she wore sandals on her delicate feet, each toenail sporting perfect polish. She is the perfect vision of a Texas yellow rose, Ryan thought as he walked away to find his brother. Shake it off, man.

Katy smiled back at him and thanked him for the compliment but her knees were shaking as she turned to Lizzie.

“It will be all right, I promise. Get through the presentation, and then concentrate on the man.” Lizzie cautioned her friend.

“But he is so damn hot, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else.” Katy laughed as she heard herself say the words. Did I really just say he was hot?

Ryan walked back into the room, followed by Chloe and a man who looked much like a younger version of Ryan. Not quite as striking in appearance, but definitely the same eyes.

“Ladies, meet my husband, Shane, who is Ryan’s brother.” Chloe spoke first, looking up at her husband with a smile.

“I’m sorry I missed you girls last night. I was out of town all day yesterday to a meeting with some distributors and didn’t get in until late, but I heard quite a bit about both of you, and your two friends, from these two.” Shane smiled as he shook hands with both of them and invited them to sit. “Shall we get down to business? We don’t want to take up your vacation time. If this works out, there will be plenty of time to work out the details when your vacation is over. Lizzie, why don’t you sit over here with Chloe and me and we’ll discuss your advertising ideas while Ryan brings Katy up to speed on the plans and what we are looking for as far as designs. Then we’ll compare notes,” Shane suggested.

“Sounds like a plan.” Lizzie smiled as she spread her work on the table and began her presentation to the O’Grady couple. Going over each slogan, she watched their faces and saw immediately that they liked her work.

They spent the next two hours going over the entire advertising campaign together. They liked her general concept, and combining her idea with some of their own, the three of them were able to come up with what they all agreed was a good campaign. Lizzie was ecstatic.

“I think we will be able to work together,” Shane finally said after they had reworked the last of the details. “You really have some great ideas. I can’t believe you came up with that in one night after only being in our restaurant the one time. You have a natural knack, that’s for sure.”

Lizzie beamed after hearing Shane’s words of approval. She could not wait to tell Rex. “Thank you, Mr. O’Grady.”

“Call me Shane. When can we draw up the paperwork?” was his next question.

“Let me give my husband a call this evening and see what we can work out.”

“It will be a pleasure working with you and your husband if he is as talented as you are. Your ads are very tastefully done,” he added as he shook her hand.

“Oh, yes, he is very talented. He’s been in the advertising business a long time.”

Chloe stood up and said, “The dinner crowd will be coming in soon, we had better let Ryan take a look at the slogans and see how he and Katy are coming along.”

Ryan had given Katy an overall idea of what the new expansion entailed. It was to be a party room, where wedding receptions, company parties, and other group events could be held. He also discussed the plans for a new corporate office to be built on the lot next door. After those two projects were completed, work would begin on the new restaurants that were to be built in several cities around the country. He was very excited at the prospect of opening the chain and Katy could tell he had worked hard to make this business the success it was today. Together they pored over the sketches she had worked so hard on the night before.

“Now keep in mind, there wasn’t time for me to order color samples and swatches. You’ll have to imagine what I’m talking about. But these rough sketches should give you some idea what of what I have in mind,” Katy explained nervously.

Ryan was blown away with her work. She is really good. Her ideas for the upscale establishment were exactly what he had been looking for. He had mainly agreed to this meeting to please Chloe and to see Katy again. When she had told him that Katy was thinking of starting a design business, he thought it was probably just a whim and that there probably was not much talent there. But Katy had surprised him with her good taste and she had proven him wrong. She was, in fact, very talented. For reasons he could not explain, he was pleased with this turn of events. Intrigued by the woman from Chicago, he wanted to learn more about her.

They spent the last hour of their meeting talking and getting to know each other a little better. “So why is it that you are just now, at this stage of your life, starting a business? Why isn’t this something you’ve done before now, if you don’t mind my asking?” Ryan ventured, hungry for more details about this lovely lady’s life.

Katy paused before she answered. How much should I tell this man I’ve just met? How much of her life was she ready to reveal to a virtual stranger?

“Oh, you know how it is. Life got in the way. I was raising a son alone and didn’t really have the time to take on anything like this.” There, that was a good enough answer.

“I take it you’re divorced, then?” he asked. What man in his right mind would let this little lady get away?

Katy winced at the question. She was silent for several seconds before she quietly answered, “No, my husband passed away several years ago.”

“I am so sorry, Katy, I didn’t know. I’m also a widower,” he said with a grimace. “Well, I think your business will definitely be a success if all your work is as good as what you have shown me here today. Since you don’t officially have an actual business yet I guess we need to find Shane and Chloe and work out some details. Then you can get back to your friends. There will be plenty of time for us to make arrangements for you to come back to Dallas when we are ready to start ordering things.”

Katy’s breath suddenly caught in her throat. She had not even thought of what would take place if they liked her work. She would be coming back to Dallas and working with Ryan. Her heart jumped at the idea. She would be seeing him again.

Ryan patted her hand and smiled. The gold flecks in his eyes were jumping out at her. Katy thought she would die on the spot. How can a simple touch from this man make me feel as if my insides are on fire? He was going to be one dangerous man to be around. That was for sure. She would really have to watch her step when she was around him. Better not let him see how he gets to me.

He looked into her eyes and smiled that special smile of his again and said, “I have the feeling that working with you is going to be one hell of an experience, little lady.”

Katy smiled back. I am sure you’re right, she thought.

This was the scene the other three walked in on. Shane and Chloe looked at each other in disbelief. Surely Ryan was not flirting with their new designer.

Lizzie watched her friend closely. She seems to be very much at ease with this man. If Katy was nervous, it did not show outwardly. Is she falling for his playboy ways, or is he being genuine in his obvious attraction to her? Surely he wouldn’t play with her emotions if they were to work together. Or would he?

“Ryan, take a look at these ads Lizzie created while we look over Katy’s designs. We probably need to schedule another meeting to work out the details. It’s getting late.” Shane reminded his brother. “We were very satisfied with Liz’s work, by the way.”

Ryan came back to reality and told the couple that Katy’s designs were right on target for what they wanted. He began talking with Lizzie about the ads and he too was impressed with them. Shane and Chloe liked Katy’s work as well. Chloe could not believe her good fortune in finding Lizzie and Katy right here in her own restaurant. Her little joke about fate might not have been too far off track.

“I’ll stop by tomorrow, after I speak with my husband, to schedule a meeting between the three of you and the two of us,” Lizzie said as she gathered her materials, silently wondering how Rex was going to react to this new development.

“That sounds good. And, Katy, we need to decide how to handle your contract, since your business isn’t up and running yet,” Ryan added. “If you’d like, I can give you some pointers on how to get set up.”

“I will give it some thought and stop by tomorrow with Lizzie, then, if that’s all right.”

“It’s more than all right,” Ryan said under his breath.

“What was that, bro?” asked Shane with a quizzical look at his older brother.

“I said that will be fine.” Ryan cleared his throat and shook hands with both Lizzie and Katy, holding Katy’s just a bit longer. “Welcome aboard, ladies.”

And as Lizzie and Katy exited the restaurant, Ryan was shaking his head. I may have just met the woman who will be the undoing of Ryan O’Grady.