Page 45 of Bloom and Burn
Speaking of that, she and I are on our way to a meeting with a potential land seller in Denver. The conference room is on the first floor, just off JE Pharma’s reception area. Mr. Bailu, the seller, stands up to greet us when we enter. He’s dressed in a designer suit and his chubby, wrinkled face is framed by a full beard.
“Hello both, it’s so nice to finally meet you in person.”
I shake his hand and then so does Emily. While I am brimming with nerves to get things going again, I can’t say I like the man. He was a bit pushy in our conversations, reminding me of those salesman types I hate to deal with.
“Thank you for making it to Portland on such short notice,” I say, taking the free seat opposite him.
He rubs his beard and smiles. “It’s no problem. I had work in the area. Besides, I am thrilled at the opportunity to do business with JE Pharma.”
I bet he is. But if he thinks I’ll agree to extortionate prices just because I am desperate, he’s in for a disappointment.
We spend the next few hours negotiating the property I am interested in. He’s eager to sell, and he’s even prepared a few other options for me along the east coast in case I like one of them more. I’m don’t. In fact, I’d stay in the Portland area if I could, but alas, there was nothing that fit our criteria aside from the location in Estacada. Which is a bust.
I’m disappointed. A part of me wants to go back and talk some sense into Ryan’s parents, but I know it’s a lost cause. They’ll never agree after he up and left, and I guarantee they will probably blame me for his decision to do so, too.
Honestly, I’m glad he did it. Ecstatic even. I think it was the right decision for him, but that’s not why I’m happy. It’s for selfish reasons, because I don’t have to worry about us. Because we can be together and explore the attraction we share.
Does that make me a bad guy? I smile to myself as Mr. Bailu drones on about some property he has in Savannah. Long-distance would’ve sucked. Big time. I know that moving and starting a new job are stressful as hell, but I’ll be there to support Ryan in any way I can.
I glance at the clock above the door as Emily manages to knock the price down by fifty grand. Man, what would I do without her? She’s a guru when it comes toanything related to running the business, while I’m mostly here for decoration. Still, I’m doing my best in my own way. I am listening to the important bits. And as for the non-important ones… I just remind myself that Ryan is hard at work applying to jobs right now. He’s already got an interview in the afternoon.
“Thank you for your time. My team will be in touch,” Mr. Bailu promises when we see him off.
Emily scrunches her nose. “I don’t like him.”
“Me neither. But the location is decent, and we can get things moving along as soon as we close the deal.” I catch her gaze and ruffle her black curls. “I’m sorry. I know you really wanted Estacada to work out. Hell, I did too after meeting Ryan, but sometimes things just don’t go our way no matter how hard we try.”
Maybe once we kick off the treatment, and if it works as well as I hope it will, we could move back. I know Ryan said he’s happy to work for a while and start his own business once he feels ready, but I could see it in his dimmed smiles yesterday that he misses the Orchid already. I contemplated bringing it up, but I think that what he needs now is some time.
The next few days are busy and stressful, but thankfully I have Ryan’s company to enjoy once I wrap things up in the office. He’s already landed a job at the Clements Garden Center, and he’s loving it so far. Since the center is close to JE’s HQ, we often have lunch together too, which motivates me to tackle my afternoons with a smile on my face even when I have to deal with bullshit.
Like the Denver deal, which is currently on pause until Mr. Bailu sorts out some legal stuff on his end. Great, it’s just what I needed.
A knock on my door drags my attention away from my screen. It’s Emily. “Hey. Ready to head out for lunch? Alistair and Josh are waiting outside.”
I shoot up from my chair. I was so busy with meetings this morning that I forgot today they are finally meeting Ryan.
Mood improved drastically, I lead the way. We quickly catch up with our friends before we pick Ryan up from work and head over to this cozy hole-in-the-wall restaurant that Alistair and Josh love.
“It’s great to meet you, Ryan,” Alistair says as we settle at a table on the patio at the back of the venue. Plants and a stone wall surround us, offering both a splotch of color and privacy.
“Likewise. I’ve heard so much from Jack. I hope the opening went well?”
“Honestly, it could’ve been worse,” Josh cut in, snorting. “We didn’t expect that amount of rain.”
He and Alistair launch into an explanation of their trip to Indonesia, where Devon Holidays just opened its latest hotel. Josh and Christy designed the interior, making this the second hotel that Alistair has opened since taking over as the CEO and marrying Josh.
I half-listen, mostly just observing the ease with which my best friends and my boyfriend interact. They all laugh at a joke Emily says, making my heart swell with joy. I love how they are all getting along.
“Wait, didn’t your folks go on a camping trip across Europe?” Emily asks Alistair with incredulity when he mentions they were also at the opening.
“Yes, but they put it on hold and flew over because, and I quote, ‘we can’t possibly miss Josh’s second hotel opening’. I swear they love him more than they love me,” Alistair laughs, draping an arm over Josh.
Ryan shifts next to me, pulling my gaze. He is smiling as he asks a follow-up question, though I can tell it’s a little forced and I think I know why.
Despite things going well for us, he misses his family. Emily and I have each other, so for me it’s never been such a big issue that our parents moved south. Plus, we keep in touch and visit each other regularly. In Ryan’s case though, things are still tense. His parents haven’t reached out, and he’s not planning to budge either. It makes him a little sad.
I hate seeing him like that. It was a huge step for him to stand up to them and move—I’m glad he did it—but they’ve not spoken since. He didn’t get into much detail, but it seems he had an argument with them again just before he left Estacada, and I bet I was probably part of the reason again.
