Page 75 of Surviving the Break
With the whole house aired out and renewed, I stood in the kitchen staring down at Pluto, who refused to meet my eye. “I guess I have some making up to do with you too, huh, buddy?” I asked. He gave me his back before sitting and issuing a low whine. When I remained quiet, he looked over his shoulder to make sure I was there. “I guess I deserve that.” My lips twitched. “How about a bubble bath—” Before I finished my sentence, he barked and shot up the stairs. I didn’t often indulge in his strange enjoyment of baths, but I supposed he’d earned it. While I’d neglected him, he’d beenman’s best friendin my time of need.
Pluto lay submerged in the water with his chin propped on the edge of the tub, while I sat running a hand along his back. “You’re a strange dog, Pluto.”
He cracked one eye open, then closed it, going back to his serenity, not caring about the suds resting on the top of his head. “It’s been fifteen minutes. Are you ready to get out?”
He growled in answer.
I wiped my wet hand on my pants and pulled my phone from my pocket. “Well, at least be useful and help me choose the best picture of me and Ash.” I went through my film roll and held the screen up to him. If he didn’t like a picture, he opened an eye and then closed it with no other response. If he liked a picture, he pulled a wet paw out of the water and rested it on my wrist. After I’d narrowed it down to two, he barked twice at the winner. “Yeah, I like that one too.” Ash and I on Christmas Eve. We stood on the steps of The OBH after Pete’s performance. So proud and happy. He wrapped me in his arms from behind, and I’d turned my head to kiss him on the cheek as Justin snapped the shot. I touched his face on the screen, his eyes bright with love. We were both sharp in our tuxedos.
I grabbed a towel, and when I turned back, Pluto was standing with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Pluto… don’t you dare—” I held the towel in front of me as he shook his body in the tub full of water and bubbles. I frowned at the floor. “Pluto…” I groaned.
Sitting at the kitchen table, I gazed at my phone like it held all the answers. When I’d laid out my plan to Justin earlier, his response was, “Ash is going to kill you.”
Damon gave a toothy smile at that bleak prospect and said, “I’m in.”
Sam was all cartwheels and giggles when I’d asked for her help, and Ash’s executive assistant was up for anything that would make him less grouchy.
I called Mr. Jack, The Center’s landscape architect, and I called Kristin from The Center’s video and photo lab.
I had one more call to make. My finger hovered over the button for some time now. I wasn’t ready to do it. Besides, that conversation needed to be had in person. Instead, I went into the backyard and crossed over to my neglected woodshed. Pulling up the metal rolling gate, I stepped inside.
Time to get to work on the finale.
THE NEXT MORNING,Damon, I, and a slew of Mr. Jack’s helpers showed up as planned to Ash’s office. His assistant, Debra, gave me the thumbs up and threw Damon a hard glare as we crossed her desk and entered the empty office. “What was that all about?” I asked him as he sat in Ash’s desk chair and went to work. The others piled in, did what they were there to do, and left.
“She loves me,” he said.
“Uh-huh.” I hovered behind him, watching him work. We didn’t have much time before Ash would return from his rounds, so we needed to finish up and get out of there. “Wait...”
“Having cold feet?” Damon asked.
I bit at my thumbnail, pacing the small area behind Ash’s desk. “What if this has the opposite effect? You're his best friend. Exactly how pissed do you think he’ll be?”
He kept working as he spoke. “He’ll be upset, but not for the reasons you think.”
What did that mean?
He finished and headed for the door. “He’ll be pissed that his heart is winning the fight with his head. Stop second-guessing yourself and let’s go.”
Debra promised to call me with his reaction once he returned. I told her if things went badly, I could always use another assistant down at my office.
She called before I pulled out of the parking lot, and in the background, his booming voice shouted her name before the call dropped. My resolve weakened a fraction; putting someone else in jeopardy to obtain my goal would keep me up tonight. Then I imagined a life without Ash in it, and I shored up my armor and decided to stay the course. I texted Sam to ensure we were still on for the end of the week, then drove to The Center.
I didn’t have a class to teach that night, but Ash did. What he didn’t know was I’d convinced some of the staff members to take his kids out for pizza that evening, so he’d be showing up to an empty classroom. Well, empty of children.
I parked my truck in the grassy area behind the greenhouse, not wanting Ash to know I was there. Then I went into the office, turned off the lights, and watched the front entrance of the building from the security monitor.
Maybe this was all too much, I overthought. Then he jogged up the steps in his charcoal-tailored suit, and if anything, my efforts weren’t enough at all. I would fall on the sword for him. Risk it all because he was worth it.
Time to face the most important person in Ash’s life. And then get back to my woodshed.
31
ASH
Ishowed up to the office today in an even worse mood than yesterday. Poor Debra. She must have been counting down her days to retirement. I made myself scarce for most of the morning.
With my rounds now over, I came back to find a nervous Debra making herself busy. Once inside my office, I understood why. Covering every surface were flower arrangements. The room resembled a botanical garden. Getting around the trail of vases was an exercise in agility.
