Bride 2 Be

Chapter 17 - Familiar Feelings

Chapter Seventeen
Familiar Feelings



LISA STARED AT HER phone, wondering if Cal would be calling to let her know how things went at the office building the men had gone to look at. His words will be good for us, replayed in her mind on a loop, sending her thoughts in multiple directions. She wondered if he was discussing the businesses or them as a couple. Her heart lurched at the word couple. She liked the sound of it, though she didn't want to jump ahead of herself just yet. Everything was happening so fast. She wasn't sure how she felt about the recent changes in her world, and her sister hadn't even bothered to call her since uprooting her life to New York, leaving Lisa restless. At the very least, Lisa expected her sister to come home and pack up her belongings, yet she didn't even seem to miss them.

Lisa sighed. Several times, she'd picked up the phone to call Penny but had yet to follow through. In a perfect world, her sister would realize Lisa's every sacrifice over the years, be grateful, and want to make contact. But she hadn't. Not one text message or call in days, and that fact began to eat away at her. Does Penny even miss me?

"Don't look so worried," Anna said, "one of them will call and give us the skinny."

Lisa shook her head. "It's not that."

"Oh," Anna said smiling, "it's about that kiss."

Heat rose to her cheeks. "There is that, but I'm actually thinking about something else."

Anna stepped up beside Lisa. "Do tell."

These were the moments she missed her sister, having someone to bounce ideas off of and talk to when she needed someone to converse with. Though the sisters didn't seem to agree about much, Lisa still missed their verbal sparring matches.

"I haven't heard from Penny."

"Really?" Anna asked, surprised. "Well, you know Carol and John will take good care of her."

That was true, though it didn't make her feel any better. "Yes. Cal told me they insisted she see a doctor the moment they learned of her pregnancy."

"See," Anna said, draping her arm around Lisa's shoulder. "Though I know what it's like not having a great relationship with your sister. Please don't take this the wrong way."

Lisa pulled away and stared at her, steeling her spine for what her business partner would say. "Go on."

"You have to admit Penny's a little immature, not to mention impulsive. This change could be exactly what she needs."

Lisa knew Anna was right, but it didn't ease the pain. Lisa was always there, ready to bail Penny out of every mess, ensuring she had a job, a home, and whatever she needed. Maybe she'd over-protected her sister or should've done more. All she knew right now was that Penny didn't feel the need to call and share her new life. A sharp twinge ran through her. Hell, her sister loved to brag, and she hadn't even bothered to do that.

"It's only been a couple of days. If you don't hear from Penny today, call her in the morning by all means."

Lisa nodded. "You're right. I'm just used to seeing her every day," she admitted. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"I'm sure it will." Anna's cell phone rang. "It's Nolan," she said, pressing the green answer button.

Lisa turned and headed to the breakroom. She didn't like listening in on other people's conversations, and hearing one side of that phone call would have her asking a million questions. She could wait for Calvin and Anna to clue her in as long as she kept herself busy. Lisa went to her locker, opened it, pulled the lip gloss from her purse, and reapplied it. Next, she headed to the back room to grab a box of stock.

She opened the box, pulled the garments out, and hung them on the straight rack. One by one, she pulled the plastic wrap off the dresses, determining if she would need to pull out the steamer to take care of the wrinkles caused by shipping. All in all, they looked rather good. She found the navy and cream floral pattern appealing for fall and thought the dress should be on display in the front window of the Boutique. There were a dozen other boxes to open and inspect, keeping her busy for the rest of the afternoon.

"Hey," Anna said, coming through the door. "Looks like it's a go."

Lisa turned and smiled. Calvin would be spending more time in Endurance. His heart fluttered at the delicious thought. "That's great."

Anna lifted the skirt of the dress. "This is pretty."

"I thought so, too."

"Front window?" she asked.

Lisa nodded. "Definitely."

"Great. I'll help."

They rolled the straight-line rack out of the door and to the front of the store. Megan helped a customer in the dressing rooms, and Jill worked at the register. Lisa loved it when there were people in the store shopping. It wasn't about making money but making people happy by helping them choose the perfect outfit. Making the sale didn't top her gratification of making someone feel good about their appearance. Anna moved to the mannequin and began pulling off the summer outfit while Lisa searched for the perfect shoes to compliment the dress.

She wished they had a pair of short boots to match, but the fall stock was just now coming in, and she couldn't remember what she'd ordered for the season as the winter stock order was still fresh in her mind. Within the next few days, she would need to double-check the fall orders and add to them if necessary, and the thought of a cute pair of navy boots definitely needed to be at the top of the list if she'd missed them. She grabbed a box that contained navy pumps and carried it to the counter. She pulled the shoes out of the box, put the lid back on, and slid it down the counter toward Jill.

"Jill, please add this box to the display drawer."

"Sure thing. I'll pull out the boxes for the old display and have them ready to return to the floor when Anna finishes."

"Thank you."

Some people found this part of the job boring, but not Lisa. She loved making decorative changes to the store, though she tended to go farther than that. For Valentine's Day, she'd decorate the Boutique in red, including the display window, and she had big red and white hearts that would hang from the ceiling, which were replaced by green shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. Spring sometimes created a challenge as trends changed with the times, but it was still easy to obtain pastels for spring and Easter. Summer was a free-for-all, with bright colors and dozens of lightweight dresses for those warm summer nights. By August, she had gone with darker tones for fall. When Christmas time rolled around, it was an array of colors with blue and white snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. She had strands of LED lights in various colors to go with each theme that would hang around the two display windows, over every doorway, and on the counter. These changeouts always put her in the mood to celebrate throughout the year.

When she returned to the display window, Anna had already stripped down the mannequin and pulled the lights and decorations down. Lisa really liked Anna. The woman had spunk and always made quick work of any task. She'd always been thankful for that day when Anna walked through the door of the Boutique in search of a job three years ago. They made a good team over the years, though they had butt heads on occasion; it never interfered with their working relationship or friendship.

"That was fast," Lisa said, setting the shoes on the floor.

Anna laughed. "You know me. Besides, I always get excited when the seasons change."

"I know what you mean. Nothing like fashion to jump-start your excitement."

Anna nodded. "What did you find to go with the dress?"

"I was really hoping we had a pair of ankle boots in navy, but they haven't come in yet," Lisa said. "So I went with navy pumps." She picked them up off the floor and handed them to Anna. "You know, I believe the wraps and shawls have come in. What do you think about adding one around the arm or the neck?"

"That would work. We need a good handbag as well. I think we should leave the soft white lighting here. We can go a little flashy in the other display," Anna said.

"Great. I'll start pulling the rest of the stock and see what I can find." Lisa turned and headed to the counter. "When Megan is finished with her customer, tell her to meet me in the backroom. If possible, I'd like to get the new stock opened and out on the floor today."

"You got it. Are we moving them to the front of the store?" Jill asked.

Lisa nodded. "Yes, after we check the shipments to see what's arrived today, we can start marking down the summer stock and move the clothing to the sale racks."

Jill squealed. "Great. I've had my eye on that little red and white number but have been waiting."

Lisa shook her head. "You know, all you had to do was ask, and I would've cut you a deal on it."

"I know," Jill said. "But I love my job and don't want to take advantage of your kindness."

Lisa laughed, "That's not kindness, it's a job perk."

The rest of the afternoon flew by and kept her mind occupied. She was happy that the new stock made it onto the floor and that most markdowns were complete. Now, all she had to do was go home and relax.

"Are you two going to be fine tonight?" Lisa asked.

Jill nodded. "Megan and I can handle it."

"If either of you know someone looking for a job, have them come in. We are down two people now, and the sooner we hire more staff, the easier it will be for all of us."

"Hey," Megan said, "I know I didn't have any experience; if it's not a requirement, I have someone in mind."

Lisa smiled, "I'm looking for a hardworking person right now with flexible hours."

"Great," Megan said. "Have a good night."

"I'll see you both tomorrow," Lisa said, heading toward the front door. Her car was parked right in front of the Boutique, and she couldn't wait to get home to see what Cal was up to.



LISA WALKED THROUGH THE door to a wonderful buttery aroma wafting through the air from the kitchen. She slipped her heels off, set them under the bench seat in the mudroom, and turned the corner to find Cal leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of wine and an enormous smile plastered on his lips.

"I've been waiting," he said, holding the glass out for her to take. "I hope you don't mind, but I made dinner for us."

Lisa blushed. "So I see. It smells delicious." She took the offered glass, turned to the stove, lifted the lid, and looked down on two steaks. She had no idea he knew how to cook, primarily when she'd heard so much about the chef they employed at the penthouse. Calvin was definitely a man of mystery, one she was enjoying unraveling. She sipped the red wine and turned back to face him.

"Surprised?" He asked, his eyes dancing with amusement.

She nodded. "Yes, and thankful."

His eyebrow rose. "For?"

God, she loved how he looked at her, even with a confused expression on his handsome face. "That you're here," she said boldly, stepping toward him. "That you have dinner waiting for me. Not to mention the fact that you can cook." She took another sip of the wine, wanting nothing more than to be near this man in his arms, kissing him and showing her appreciation.

She set her glass down on the counter, stood before him, and looked into his eyes. "I take it you've had a productive day?"

Calvin smiled. A smile that stretched across his lips and lit up his soft brown eyes. She couldn't help herself as thoughts danced in her mind of coming home to him night after night, of getting to love him, to be engulfed in the pleasures she found with him. For once in her life, she could concentrate on her own happiness and her well-being instead of putting others wants and needs ahead of her own. He gave that back to her, and she was grateful for that tremendous gift.

Cal reached out and rested his hand on her cheek before lowering his mouth to hers. He pressed his mouth to hers ever so gently. It was an innocent kiss, a welcome home type of kiss. A kiss that stimulated a long-buried memory of her parents to flash through her mind. Lisa pulled back and averted her eyes to the floor.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

Lisa shook her head. "No."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Then what's wrong?"

She picked up the glass and took another sip of the wine. She couldn't remember the last time she thought about her parents, what life was like when they were alive, and she was growing up surrounded by love and laughter, a complete family unit. "Nothing's wrong. I was just remembering the past."

"Oh?" Cal said. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Good or bad?"

Lisa sighed against his warm chest. Being in his arms was like heaven, for she found such comfort there. "Good. When you kissed me, it reminded me of my father coming home from work and kissing my mom as she prepared dinner."

Cal began to sway with her in his arms. He stroked her hair. "Well, I'm glad it's a good memory, though I suspect it's still painful sometimes."

She nodded. "I haven't thought about them in a long time."

The oven timer beeped, and they separated. "Go have a seat," Calvin said. "I've got this."

Lisa carried her glass to the small table, dishes already set, and a fresh salad waiting in a bowl on her plate. She shook her head, still amazed that he had done all this for her.

Cal came to the table carrying the steaks on a plate, with two baked potatoes steaming out of their tin foil wrapper. He set the plate in the middle of the table and sat. He took his knife, cut into the potatoes, and topped each with a dollop of sour cream.

Cal glanced at her. "Go on, try the salad."

Lisa lifted her fork, speared some lettuce, and took the first bite. The raspberry vinaigrette tingled on her tongue, and the sweet taste was heavenly. When she polished off her salad, she looked up and saw Cal delightfully watching her. Lisa blushed, picked up her bowl, and moved it off her dinner plate.

"I guess I was hungry."

Cal chuckled, leaned forward, and kissed her again. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He speared a New York strip, set it on her plate, and added the potato. "I'll bet you'll love this as well."

Lisa smiled. "I'm sure I will. How's the proposal coming along?"

"It's done," he announced, pride etching the faint lines around his eyes.



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