34. Have To Fall In It

34

HAVE TO FALL IN IT

“ I ’m having dinner with your girlfriend tonight,” Abe said when Easton answered the phone.

“What?” he asked.

“Dinner with Laurel,” Abe said. “Or do you have another girlfriend?”

“Not likely,” he said. And Abe knew that but was only busting his balls.

“Sorry,” Abe said. “Bad joke.”

“It’s fine.” It’s not like he thought that Laurel would do anything behind his back. He hadn’t thought it with Rachelle, who he lived with and worked with half the time. But since Laurel had gone through something similar, there was no way he’d believe it of her.

Least of all with his cousin.

“I saw her grilling on the deck when I pulled in.”

“And you made sure she saw you,” he said, grinning.

“Of course. I might have been jumping up and down when I waved.”

He laughed. “What is she making?”

“Chicken over a salad, but I get pasta salad with mine. After I shower.”

He could hear his cousin walking up the stairs while they talked.

“Did she tell you to take one?”

“She did,” Abe said. “I wasn’t even offended. She asked if I fell into a hole at work. I’m coated with dirt. I can barely tolerate myself.”

“I don’t think she would have said it to insult you,” he said. “She’s not that way. She doesn’t care about those things much. I’m sure it has more to do with you sitting next to her eating or going into the house and tracking the dirt.”

“I wasn’t offended,” Abe said. “Don’t think that. Mom would have said the same thing.”

But he knew his cousin had troubles with women in the past over his career. That he’d come home like that and they’d turn their nose. Like they thought Abe stood around with a clipboard and directed people and didn’t actually get his hands dirty helping his crew out.

It’d never been in their DNA to be like that to boss people around without doing the same work.

Though he was a partner now, it didn’t mean he bossed people around all that much. More like oversaw and directed workloads.

“She wouldn’t want to offend you,” he said. “Why did you have to call and tell me you were going there? I know she brings you food.”

His phone went off with a text and he looked to see it was from Laurel saying she was cooking dinner and Abe was coming over.

He smiled over that.

“Bringing me food and us eating together are two different things. I don’t want you to think anything is going on. Remember, she thought you were me in the beginning.”

He burst out laughing. “She knows the difference and it’s me she wants. Besides, she just texted me saying you’re coming over too.”

“Good,” Abe said. “I’m glad she did that.”

“I trust her and you. Both of you. No worries.”

“Glad to hear that,” Abe said. “Considering everything in the past.”

“That’s different. Or so she tells me.”

“Who?” Abe asked. “Rachelle? You still talk to her?”

“I don’t,” he said.

No reason to say he ran into Rachelle a few weeks ago. More like Rachelle saw him and came over. Not the same thing. If he’d seen his ex first he would have gone in the other direction.

Not because he was a coward but because he had nothing to say to her.

“Then why did you make that comment?”

“I meant from when everything was going on. No need to bring it up again,” he said.

“Nope,” Abe said. “You’ve got a good thing now. I’m going to get in the shower so I’m not holding her up.”

“Bye,” he said.

He texted Laurel back to enjoy entertaining his cousin and they’d talk later.

He'd finish the document he was reading through, then would get some dinner and call it a night.

Two hours later he called Laurel. “Hi,” she said. “Done working?”

“I am,” he said. “Long day. It feels as if I never can catch up.”

“I’m sorry for that,” she said. “Have you ever thought of leaving or do you love it there?”

“It hasn’t crossed my mind. Whether I work here or somewhere else, the workload will be the same. I get the benefit of working from home and that makes up for it. But sometimes I think I work more because I am home. It’s so easy to get lost in work because you don’t have to rush to pick up a kid or things like that.”

“When you worked in the office did you work this much?” she asked. “I’m not judging. We are just talking. I’ve always worked a lot too but never from home. My job doesn’t allow it.”

“When I went into the office I didn’t work as long of hours but still did things at home. I wasn’t a partner then either. Right now as a partner, I’m overseeing more work than doing it, if that makes sense. So I’m in a lot of meetings and conversations even if I’m not the one doing the day-to-day work.”

“I get it,” she said. “You didn’t say if you loved it.”

“I’m not sure I’m one of these people who was going to love my career. We work because it’s part of life. I want to enjoy what I do, and I do enjoy it. But to love it? That’s like comparing it to a good beer or pizza.” She was laughing on the other end. “Maybe a hot chick in my bed.”

“Now you’re being cute.”

“I’m trying,” he said. “Got to keep up with my cousin who you were entertaining tonight.”

“He’s so funny,” she said. “He pulled into the driveway and must have smelled the chicken and was flagging his arms around as if he was on a runway getting me to land.”

“He wanted your eyes to land on him and then ask him to eat. He’d know you’d offer.”

“And I did. I was even nice to not put it on a salad like I had. He thanked me and then cleaned up and washed the dishes.”

“He’s good that way,” he said. “My aunt would give him hell if he didn’t.”

“He asked if I had any single friends. I can’t help him out. I find it funny he’s jealous of you.”

“Hardly jealous of me,” he said.

“He said he was,” she said.

“Only joking.”

“No,” she said. “Well, I think he was but was serious at the same time. He said he’s jealous that you found something you both have been looking for. There was no joke there.”

“He’d be serious for that,” he said.

“He had a grin on his face and I joked with him. I wish I did know someone, but I don’t.”

“Sometimes you just have to fall in it,” he said. “Like I did.”

She laughed some more. “We both stepped in it pretty good. Did you find out where we are going yet on Saturday?”

“We are going to a place in Manhattan. I got us a hotel room so we don’t have to drive back.”

“I’ve never been,” she said. “That’s going to be so much fun. A place that you used to go to in the past?”

“Yes. There is going to be a bunch of people. I think they are still gathering headcount and are reserving a room in the back. It’s almost like a party at this point, just not an official one.”

“So I’m going to meet a lot of your coworkers.”

“A good number of them,” he said. “Don’t worry. And if you want to know how to dress, I’m wearing something similar to the wedding but no jacket.”

“So nicer than jeans but not as fancy as a suit,” she said. “Got it.”

“I’m sure Nicole can help you more.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll be texting her when we are done talking.”

He imagined that would be the case and it didn’t bother him. He was happy that they got along so well.

“How was your day?”

“It was good but not so good for Aster.”

Easton remembered the guy who worked with Laurel. River Scarsdale’s sister’s boyfriend. Some were six degrees of separation going on at Blossoms where people were connected by family members and spouses alike.

“What happened?”

He listened to Laurel talk about Aster and his past and that he’d be fine now. “That’s really scary,” she said. “I hadn’t known anything about him being shot. I’m not one for gossiping like that. I think Ivy just assumed I knew because Aster and I do work together on things and he did go out of town. I thought he went to help his sister move here. Daphne is Poppy’s new nanny.”

“Another one of those connections,” he said.

“It seems it,” she said. “And you’re yawning. It’s time for you to get some sleep.”

“It’s barely eight. You probably think I’m some old man.”

She snorted. “Hardly that. Just someone who works a lot. I don’t care when I’m not there. Because I know you do it so that you can spend time with me when I am there.”

“I’m glad you see that. I appreciate you not always harping on us having to talk nonstop.”

“I’m not that way,” she said. “I’m going to do some yoga and then get to bed myself. I’ll watch some TV in bed and then it’s another day closer to seeing you. Now that I know we are going to Manhattan on Saturday, what do you think about me coming a little earlier on Friday?”

“Come any time you want,” he said. “You know that.”

“Then I might leave half day. If you’re working, it’s fine.”

“I’ll get done when you get here. I promise.”

“I won’t hold you to it, but I appreciate the offer. Night, Easton.”

“Night, Laurel.”

There were no “I love yous” when they hung up and he liked that too.

He loved her and he didn’t doubt her love for him, but he wasn’t the type to say it at the end of every call.

He just couldn’t be someone he wasn’t.