Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jordy

She’s not you.

What the fuck made me say that last night?

I’m going to scare Lola off if I’m not careful.

It’s true though. She isn’t Sienna, which I’m fucking happy about.

Shining outward, spontaneous, and kind, Lola is everything Sienna wasn’t.

Being with Sienna felt awkward at times, and clunky. As if we didn’t fit together, and something that used to bug me, but thought I was just imagining. Lola was right, her moving to LA was kinder than telling me she most definitely didn’t love me the way she said she did or the way I wanted her to.

The sun shines through the windows, signaling another beautiful winter morning in Edmonton. Protein shake in hand, which Lola made me while I took a shower, I’m walking down the hallway leading from my bedroom to the kitchen, Lola’s sweet voice filling the space as I round the corner.

Sitting at my dining table with her laptop open and looking like a million bucks, she leads the meeting with the executive team she said her and her father appointed before he died.

It’s epic and weird because I thought she was just Wade’s assistant, but she’s more than that. She’s a businesswoman who owns a chain of restaurants and cafes.

I’m desperate to ask her about what her connection to the Eagles is, but I can’t, because I promised her I would wait, and I will. It’s sort of irritating me now though. I could be wrong, but it might have something to do with Wade. I can’t even ask Kali about any of it, because Lola and I, well, we’re a secret and if I start asking questions she might become suspicious.

“Elizabeth, can you set up a meeting with my financial advisor, please?” Lola picks up her notebook to read the list I saw her making before she jumped in the shower this morning.

“Yes, ma’am,” a woman, who must be Elizabeth, replies. “It’s Christmas next week. Joseph might not be available.”

“Try anyway and if not push it into January for me.” I love watching Lola take charge. She looks beautiful today in a pale pink silk shirt tucked into high waisted jeans, her hair fully blown out framing her face that’s covered in light makeup.

“And Henry, I just remembered. When you pull the round-robin letter together, I would like to read it before you send it out.”

“Absolutely.” A male voice sounds through the laptop speaker.

“And put a photo of Graham in it too. He’s not to take one step inside any of my establishments.”

“We have CCTV in place, Ms. Ramsay. I can assure you we won’t let that happen,” another male voice interjects.

“Thanks, Matthew.” Lola nods authoritatively. “Next on the agenda. Remodeling.” She drops her notebook onto the table. “Moose & Mug.”

She owns Moose & Mug? Holy shit. I love that place.

“Brewbear.” She keeps calling out names of the coffee shops I visit regularly.

“And Grind & Shine.”

Fuck me, Grind & Shine? Is she kidding, they make the best apple pie in all of North America.

“I want to go back to basics with their look and feel. I envision cozy, dark wood paneling, real wood fireplaces, and wood burners. If we’re doing this, I want it done right to give our customers something to talk about. Creative working spaces, charging points, maybe collaborative work pods for people to conduct meetings. Somewhere customers will come to and stay for more than just coffee. I want their quick coffee and chat to become lunch.”

A chorus of voices on the video call approve.

“Could you have Northwood Interiors draw up some plans and ideas, please, Tim? I’m thinking we get things moving after the holidays. Remodeling could start at the beginning of summer, maybe?”

“That’s doable. I’ll pull a schedule together.”

“Excellent. That’s all I have. I think I answered all of your questions at the beginning of the call.”

I’m good.

You did.

All done.

“Meeting adjourned. Except for Elizabeth, I need your help with something.” Lola smiles down at the camera. “Thanks, everyone. Keep up the great work. I’ll be back with you full-time soon, I promise. Happy holidays.”

If she is leaving the Eagles it will mean I won’t get to see her every day, and I hate the sound of that.

“Happy holidays and enjoy your sabbatical, GeeGee.” An older-sounding man bids her farewell, followed by a disconnect chime when he leaves the call, along with another dozen or so more.

GeeGee? Who’s GeeGee? Shit is that Lola’s real name? What’s with all the secrets ?

I feel so connected to her, but the more time I spend with her, the more I realize how much she’s keeping from me. A niggling voice at the back of my head makes me wonder if I can trust her, but one look in her brown eyes and all my concerns melt away. She’s promised me she will tell me everything when she can. I just hope she isn’t going to destroy the blind faith I seem to have in her.

“How are you, Lola?” Elizabeth asks.

“I’m good, ish.” She shakes her head. “Not that great, if I’m honest.”

My heart sinks.

“You’re doing a fantastic job. Your father would be so proud.”

I can feel the buoyant mood she was in dissipating in front of my eyes.

“I’ve been so stupid, Lizzy,” she says, which makes me think Elizabeth is more of a friend than an employee.

“How could you have known? Even I bought into Graham’s charm, and I hate all men.”

This makes Lola laugh. “Stick to women, Lizzy, they are much easier to navigate.”

“Amen to that, sweetheart. So, how can I help you?”

Lola looks up at the ceiling as if asking for help from the big man before she says, “You have access to my email, can you please cancel all plans for the wedding for me? Knowing how much Graham has stolen, I don’t want to know how much more I’m going to lose in deposits.”

“That’s not going to happen, Lola. I’m going to get back every cent you put down.”

Elbows on the table, Lola rests her chin in her steepled hands. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d hire another assistant. You’d be just fine, sweetie.”

I’m filled with reassurance that Lola has good people in her life.

“True and maybe they’d make better coffee.”

“I changed my mind, I’m not helping you.”

Smirking, Lola holds her hands up in submission. “I’m sorry. I take it all back. You make great coffee.”

“I don’t, but nice try. Right, I need to get going as I have appointments all afternoon and I want to get these deposits back for you, stat.”

“Thank you, Lizzy.” Prayer style, Lola presses her hands together. “I’ll speak to you later.” Lola waves goodbye, and a chime confirms Elizabeth has left the call.

Closing the lid of her laptop, Lola stares at it, zoning out as if in a daze. “Happy lonely holiday,” she whispers. “Wish you were here with me, Dad.”

A bit of me dies inside. Is she spending Christmas alone? I doubt she’ll tell me if she is because she’s kind of stubborn when she wants to be, and this facade of how she’s got her shit together isn’t fooling me.

She might be all smiles and silliness with me, but in between those times, I can see her suffering quietly, as if not wanting to burden anyone with her problems.

Barefoot, I walk over to where she is sitting and kneel on the floor. “Tell me what’s going on in that busy head of yours, baby.” I break her from her daydream.

“Nothing.” She shakes her head, a small smile touching her lips that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Don’t lie.” I grab the dining chair and turn it around, making it screech against the marble flooring.

“I don’t tell lies.”

“Is your real name GeeGee?”

“No.”

“Why did the man in the meeting call you that?”

“My full name is Gladiola-Grace Ramsay. My father has always called me Lola, but Tim has called me Gee-Gee since he joined the company when I was ten. He was my father’s right-hand man and now he’s mine. He knows everything about the business and me.”

“Everything?”

“Everything, except why I am working for the Eagles. He thinks I’m taking a sabbatical to follow my dream of being an assistant to a pro athlete. Hell knows why he believed that.”

“And only you, Kali, and Marcus know the big why?”

“Yes. And Piper. Graham too, which I’m slightly panicking about.” Muscles tensed, she then runs her flattened palms down her jeans.

“Why are you panicking?”

“I can’t tell you.”

My shoulders drop with disappointment. “Okay, I won’t ask again. Are you spending Christmas alone?”

“No, I’m going to Piper’s.”

“Good.” I can’t handle the thought of her being alone.

“It’s not good. She has three Persian cats I don’t trust. They always look like they are conspiring to kill me. Plus, she’ll make me watch The Vampire Diaries again for the seventieth billion time.”

“That’s not a number.”

“It’s a haphazard guess.”

Hand gripping her knees, knuckles whitened, I can tell she’s not coping as well as she says she is today. “Tell me what I can do to help you.” I have training in half an hour, physio this afternoon, and two games before we break off for the holidays, but if she tells me to stay home with her today, I’d do it.

Tears turn her eyes watery, her bottom lip trembling. “I need to go to Wade’s as I have a list of things to do for him today, but could you, please, just, hold me before I leave?”

Fuck me, that’s the saddest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. My chest tightens with sorrow as I cocoon her in my arms, just as an idea hits me like a jolt of lightning, and I know exactly how I’m going to make her feel better.