Crossroad to Love (Fab Five Series)

chapter 11

The Texas sun shone brightly through the windshield as Michael Gray prepared to drive his rental car the short distance from the hotel to ‘Chloe’s Place.’ This is quite a bit different from the weather I left behind in Iowa yesterday morning, he thought as he donned his stylish sunglasses. He was early, but was anxious to get through this meeting. He had plans to surprise a special brunette later today. He reached his destination and parked the car. As he grabbed his briefcase and tube of blueprints, he was humming to himself. Oh, what a beautiful day it is.

He entered the restaurant, removed his sunglasses, giving his eyes time to adjust after being in the bright Texas sunlight. A tall man walked out from what Michael assumed to be the kitchen area. As the man extended his hand, he introduced himself, “I am Ryan O’Grady, and you must be Michael Gray.”

“Good morning, Mr. O’Grady, it’s good to meet you, finally.”

They were joined by another man and a woman who introduced themselves to Michael as Shane and Chloe O’Grady. Chloe poured large mugs of coffee for the four of them and after setting out a plate of bagels and various flavors of cream cheese, she sat down with the men to look at the blueprints Michael had spread out on the table.

“After speaking with you last, Mr. O’Grady, I came up with some other ideas based on some of the concepts you mentioned, and I would like to discuss them with you.”

“Great. And you can call me Ryan.”

“Okay, Ryan. This is what I think we should do with the stage area. I’ve made a few adjustments from what we previously talked about. The lighting will work better if we place it here, I believe.” He proceeded to tell the group his reasons for the changes and followed that with some other ideas for the overall expansion of the restaurant. When he was satisfied that the owners were happy with those plans, he began to discuss the corporate office. “It was a sound decision to purchase the lots on either side of this building. The stage area will work well over there and the office on the other lot.”

“I want a test kitchen in the office so I can try out recipes. I will mainly be working on menus and overseeing the chefs at all the new restaurants once they’re in operation,” Chloe informed him.

“That’s very workable with the plans I’ve drawn up. How about we put that in the back behind the actual offices and reception area?”

“Perfect.”

“Let me know exactly what you want and I can certainly make it happen.” He smiled at the pretty co-owner.

After another hour of reviewing and exchanging ideas, the group was pleased with the outcome of their work. The plans were taking shape and the O’Grady’s dream of expansion was definitely becoming a reality. And once they got the Dallas renovations completed, they could begin work on developing their chain of restaurants in other cities. Mr. Gray seemed like the perfect choice for the job, based on the work he had done for them so far.

“I think we will work very well together. We also happened across a lovely interior designer yesterday. She had some marvelous ideas for us,” Chloe said, giving Ryan a sideways glance as she spoke of Katy. She knew there was something going on there. She was sure of it.

Ryan ignored his sister-in-law and followed with, “We also started a new campaign to advertise the expansion, so we should be in good shape now. We are finally ready to begin.”

“Is that right? Well, sounds like it’s all systems go now, then.” Michael continued, “I am working on another project as well, so I’ll be splitting my time between two cities for a while, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve done it before. Rest assured, your project will be completed on schedule. You needn’t worry about that.”

“You came highly recommended to us, Mr. Gray. We have no doubt that you will deliver as promised. It has been a pleasure meeting with you today. Your work speaks for itself.”

“I’ll be in touch later in the week before I fly back to the Quad Cities.”

“Oh, look, here is our designer now, and her friend from the ad agency. I see you have brought your other friends with you. How wonderful it is to see y’all again.” Chloe liked these four women. They were good people.

“We are just finishing our meeting with the architect. You girls timed it exactly right,” Shane added with a smile.

Ryan was staring at Katy. How could one woman look so beautiful all of the time? Today she was wearing white bermuda shorts with a coral and white striped blouse. As always, her jewelry and nail polish matched her outfit. Coral and white leather sandals completed the picture. You could tell she was a designer. Her outfits and accessories always matched perfectly. She smiled at him and he thought his heart would melt. No, Ryan, you can’t do this to yourself. Never again, period.

“Girls, I’d like to introduce you to our architect, Mr. Michael Gray,” Shane said, completely unaware of the connection between the ‘Fab Four’ and Michael.

Michael turned around with a smile and stopped dead in his tracks. Oh, my God, he thought to himself. It was none other than the ‘Fab Four.’ They were standing right in front of him. His secret was out.

“Hello, girls, fancy meeting you here,” he said, quickly hiding his surprise.

“Y’all know each other? That’s great,” Chloe said.

Angie was in utter and complete shock. He had said something about a restaurant client in passing the night they had had dinner, but who in a million years would have thought it would have been in Dallas and at the restaurant owned by the O’Gradys? What kind of strange karma was at work here? It was as if the universe was determined to bring them together at every turn. Angie had always laughed at the idea of fate, but now she was beginning to wonder.

“Hello, Michael, you failed to tell me your other client was in Dallas,” she said accusingly.

“Your hotel is Mr. Gray’s other client? Now how strange is that?” Chloe was finding this all very amusing and secretly wondered what the connection was here. There definitely were sparks flying between those two. It could be felt by everyone in the room.

The other three girls were speechless as they stared at the man standing in front of them.

As Katy looked at him, she thought, Michael’s certainly still got it in the looks department. A little older, of course, but he is still very dashing. Angie would be crazy to let him get away a second time. After the three women greeted Michael, they left the couple to discuss whatever it was they needed to discuss.

What in the world is he doing here, in Dallas, seeing a client, the same week Angie was here on vacation with them? Katy wondered. It was almost too bizarre to comprehend. Katy looked from Lizzie to Mari and shook her head in disbelief as they followed Chloe to the other side of the room for their quick meeting.

Chloe looked at Lizzie. “Is there something wrong with us both being his clients at the same time? We don’t have a problem with that.”

Lizzie replied, smiling, “No, no, Chloe, nothing like that. You see, there is a bit of a history between those two. Let’s just say they have some unfinished business to work out, other than the hotel expansion.”

“I see,” Chloe smiled knowingly. She had been right. “They certainly make a striking couple, don’t they?”

“The problem is, they belong together and both of them are too stubborn to admit it. Everyone can see it but the two of them,” Marianne chimed in. “Or maybe they do see it and are too stubborn to do anything about it.”

“Well, I think I know a few people like that,” Chloe replied with a glance at her handsome brother-in-law. “Take that one for instance, sworn off women for ten years now. He needs to get over it and find someone special to share his life with. I keep trying to tell him not all women are like that hateful Marnie he thought was so great. I could have told him she was not the princess he thought she was. I didn’t like her from the first day I met her. But luckily, we lived hundreds of miles apart and I didn’t have to deal with her often. She was not my idea of a perfect sister-in-law… or wife. She was out for everything she could get, that one.”

“But I thought I heard his wife had died. Are you saying they split up?” Marianne asked, surprised at Chloe’s outburst.

“Oh, she died all right. She was killed in a car accident on her way home from a so-called business trip with her boss, who turned out to be her lover. Ryan found the divorce papers and a pretty impressive engagement ring in her purse after it was recovered from the accident. She’d already signed the papers. He sold the ring when he got rid of her things. He had no idea she’d been cheating on him for over two years with her boss. He was devastated by that and by her death. He got hit with both barrels.”

“So that’s why he has sworn off women for all these years,” Katy said thoughtfully. It made more sense now.

“Yes, poor guy, he sold everything, lock, stock, and barrel and came out here to start over. He’s done well with the business, but never could let himself get serious about anyone. And believe me, plenty of women have tried. I wish so much for him to be happy with someone who deserves him.” The younger woman smiled in Katy’s direction. And you might just be the one, she thought, smiling to herself.

That explains a lot. It’s no wonder he had such a hard heart when it came to the fairer sex. I wonder if I could change his mind. Silly girl, many others have tried. You heard what Chloe said.

“I need to quit gossiping and get back to the kitchen. The lunch crowd will be coming in soon. Lizzie, did you talk with your husband?”

“Yes, he will be flying out on Thursday. Can you meet with us?”

“Why don’t y’all come here for dinner Thursday evening? Then we can meet on Friday to sign the contract.”

“That sounds good,” Lizzie replied happily.

Ryan walked over to Katy. “I am going to take a big chance here, little lady. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? We could go over some more of your ideas for the restaurant designs and talk about your future trips to Dallas.”

Katy was quick to reply, “That sounds lovely, Ryan. Would you like for me to meet you here?”

“No, I’ll pick you up at your hotel around seven, if that is agreeable? Where are you staying?”

“I’m at the Prava, I’ll meet you in the lobby at seven, then.” Katy’s stomach was churning as a delightfully warm feeling spread throughout her entire body at the thought of an entire evening with him.

“You’re on. See you then.” The man with the gold flecks in his eyes winked at her as he turned to walk away.

“I’ll look forward to it, Ryan.” I am going to get my chance. Tonight she could try to draw him out, maybe get him to open up to her about his grief. She could even share her story with him. He might see that it was finally time to move forward.

And as Katy pondered the evening ahead, across the room, Michael was staring into the beautiful brown eyes of the woman he loved. “Angie, I didn’t tell you because I had planned to surprise you and take you to dinner tonight. When you told me you were coming to Dallas, I almost fell off my chair. It was all I could do to not tell you that I would be here this week as well. My surprise didn’t quite work out the way I had planned, but how about it? Will you have dinner with me in the Big D tonight?”

“Okay, Michael, I will have dinner with you tonight, but the rest of the week is for the ‘Fab Four,’ got it?”

“I will be good, I promise. I’ll leave you alone with your friends until we get back home. I’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel around seven-thirty then, if that’s all right with you.”

“Okay, I’ll see you then. Now I have to go. We’re planning to do some sight-seeing today.”

“Have fun,” he yelled after her as she joined the others. He watched her every move as she walked away from him toward her friends.

Why did Angie let him get to her? Just the thought of spending an evening in Michael’s company sent chills running up and down her spine. He said he would be good. But could she say the same? Yes, they would be good, alright. We could be so good together, if we let ourselves. She had not forgotten how it had been for them. She would never forget his touch, his kisses, lying in bed on lazy Saturday mornings all those years ago. The heat between them was still there, she was sure of it. How would she get through tonight and all the days that were ahead of her without giving in to that heat? I can’t let it happen. She was going to have to be very strong. They were once husband and wife, but that did not mean she was willing to start an affair with him now, all these years later. She could not settle for that when she had once had it all.

As the group of four drove to their next stop, two of them silent, each one was deep in her own thoughts of the evening that awaited them.

Katy looked at her friend, Angie, wondering what thoughts were going through her head. Anyone with eyes can see that she still loves Michael and he still adores her. What was it all those years ago that tore them apart? Had she really chosen her career over her love for Michael or was there more to it than that? Michael had never fully understood. Michael had been her world. What changed so suddenly? It must have been something major. I really need to talk with her, but my own life is in such turmoil right now, would I really be able to help her? These thoughts, jumbled with thoughts of Ryan O’Grady and his tortured past consumed her mind for most of the afternoon.

Little had she known when she embarked on this adventure with her friends a few days earlier what changes were in store for them in Texas. Lizzie had an exciting future to go home to, her feelings of uselessness behind her now. Angie had the chance for a new start with the love of her life, and Katy had a chance for a new career and a new life. Katy’s thoughts went to Marianne. My heart goes out to her. I wish there was a way I could help her save her marriage. She loves Jon and I know she doesn’t want to give up without a fight. I need to find a way to give her the strength to fight for what she wants.

Over the years, all of the women had seemed to call on Katy whenever there was a problem. And at times it wasn’t easy being the one in the group that everyone turned to for guidance. She would find a way. She would find a way with Angie, with Ryan, and with Mari. She wouldn’t be Katy if she didn’t.