Page 20 of Fragile Kiss (Fragile 2)
Chapter 05
Lillian sat on the living room couch, working on her laptop. There was work to do, and mourning over not having Cayden around wasn’t going to make the work go away. It should be a welcome distraction. When the phone rang, she didn’t recognize the strange number on the screen or the area code. Figuring it was a potential client, she answered. She did no advertising; her business ran solely on word of mouth. It was probably a friend of Claire’s. Usually it was, since Claire hardly ever stopped talking and was more obsessed with organizing her home than Lillian ever could be.
Except this time, it wasn’t a friend of Claire’s. It was a girl with a sultry accent who lived in Los Angeles. She did acting, singing, producing, all the things, and desperately needed her help. Her first name was Katharina. She almost forgot what the woman’s last name was.
Naturally, Lillian was curious how this established woman had found out about her, so she asked. The answer was the last thing she expected.
“My trainer,” gushed the woman. “We, uh... never mind,” she giggled, “Anyway, he came by my place last night and saw my mess. I moved in three months ago and have barely unpacked my shoes! I don’t know how you know him, since you aren’t near Los Angeles, but he wouldn’t stop talking about how good you are at organizing. You make chaos simple, he said. He also said you could help me. Can you help me?”
At the word “trainer” she froze. It couldn’t be him. When I told him to see other people, I meant for him to detach from me. Except, her heart rate quickened at the possibility. He told another woman about her? Her racing heart skidded to a stop. Was he trying to rub it in that he’s seeing other people? Slowly, she asked, “What’s your trainer’s name?”
The woman laughed daintily into the phone. Lillian heard her take a sip of something. “You must know. No one can forget a face—or body—like his. It’s Cayden. Cayden Manos. And let me tell you he’s simply incredible; he convinced me in about half a second that hiring you would help me.”
Cayden Manos. The name echoed in her mind and bounced off the sides of her skull. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
“Well, do you think you can come here?”
The question was so direct she had to take a deep breath. “I’m actually quite busy with my other clients here in my town—”
“Don’t be silly. I’ll paying for all your transportation and accommodation, so if you think money is an issue it most certainly is not. I’ll pay double what you usually charge, on the short notice.”
Paying for everything? In all the time she had been doing this, no client had ever offered her this sort of treatment. “What sort of time frame are you looking at?”
“I’ll fly you here tomorrow, then. Excellent.”
“Whoa—uh, sorry, Katharina.” The name felt clunky as she said it. “I need to think about my appointments booked this week.”
“Meet with them next week.”
Lillian’s first reaction to the demand was defense, but then she entertained the thought of dropping everything and going to get this woman’s house in order. It wasn’t an eventful week. She had all her usual appointments, no new ones, and no variations in her schedule.
Could it actually be done?
“Honestly, darling, I’m so desperate. I have a large antique bookshelf in the middle of my living room. One of my couches is still covered in plastic. Nothing’s unpacked. I go shopping so I don’t have to do laundry.”
She winced. The mess in Katharina’s house sounded awful. How had she only gotten her shoes unpacked in a whole three months? Despite the connection to Cayden, she couldn’t help but be intrigued by this opportunity. It was far too tempting. But she didn’t want to think about Cayden being in the house with Katharina to see this mess with his own two eyes. Except, she couldn’t stop thinking about it either. What would he say if he saw her in L.A.? Would it hurt too much? Or would it be worth the risk?
“I’ll tell you what.” She thought carefully, trying to balance her left and right brain. “Let me talk to my clients here to make sure I can come. Since they’re counting on me here, and all.”
“Do you own the business?”
Lillian thought it was a strange question. “Yes, it’s mine.”
Katharina grunted. “But you don’t make the decisions?”
“I do make the decisions. I want to honor my clients here, who have been with me for a long time.”
“I see. Call them now and ring me back.”
If anyone else had said these words to her, Lillian would have been greatly offended. Something about Katharina’s accent and gentle, feminine voice didn’t irritate her, oddly enough. “I will. Talk to you—”
“Yes, later, then. I’m so excited to meet you, Lillian. You seem like such a wonderful girl.”
The phone beeped, and Lillian looked at the screen. Katharina had hung up. A bit confused at everything that just happened, she stared at the screen until it went black.
“Are you all right?” Andrew’s voice floated in from the kitchen, along with the smell of chicken.
“Yeah,” she called back weakly, but her voice carried no further than the room. She slumped on the couch to gather her thoughts, but there were too many. Overwhelmed, she leaned back and pulled an accent pillow against her chest, hugging it tightly.
