Page 28 of Seventeen Years Ago

“Was there something you needed?” I asked, not wanting her to see how the topic was affecting me.

“I just wanted to tell you how much fun we had last night. But I felt bad as though we monopolized the conversation. I want to make it up to you and Steven,” she said.

Please don’t invite us over again. I’m already considering backing out of the one dinner plan I have with him.

“No need. We enjoyed ourselves as well,” I stated.

“I have no idea why I was so worried about you having dinner with him alone yesterday. Getting to see the two of you together, I realized that I was worried for nothing.”

Worrying about me seems to be the theme for the day. It was appreciated, but not necessary.

Changing the subject, I asked, “How did your meeting go this morning? Were you able to finalize your project details?”

“It’s so strange. I have given Steven and Caydan everything I can think of, yet Steven seems reluctant to move forward. He actually said to me that he might not be the right fit. Can you believe that?” Reesa asked. “Even Caydan seemed shocked.”

So am I.

Why would Steven travel all this way and then say he’s not the right fit? It would help if I knew what the project was, but that still seems to be off-limits as far as anyone sharing with me. “Maybe he’s looking for something different.”

“Could be. I just have a feeling that it’s something more. It’s...something about Tabiq. I guess I didn’t present things the way I should’ve. Even last night, we spent so much time talking about Tabiq and our culture, that it might have been too much information. I don’t know. I can’t think of anything else that would have made him back off so quickly.”

“You mean that he’s made his final decision? He’s not moving forward with the project?” I asked.

“No. But this meeting wasn’t very promising.”

“I’m sorry. Did you want me to talk to him? Maybe he’ll tell me what changed?” I offered. I didn’t know if he would share with me since he hadn’t yet, but I was willing to give it a shot.

“Caydan said he’d talk to him. Although I appreciate your offer, I am not going to allow business to get in the way of your date again tonight,” she said.

“How do you know we are seeing each other tonight?” I asked.

She smiled. “I didn’t, but I suspected. What are your plans?”

I shrugged. “Dinner.”

“At New Hope?” she questioned.

If I told her the truth, then she would be all over it just like my grandmother. “I believe so.”

Reesa nodded. “Good. Have a great time and donottalk about work. You deserve a night off.”

She headed back into her office, and I grabbed my cellphone to send a text to Steven. My fingers didn’t move. What was I going to say? Changed my mind and don’t want to be alone with you? That sounded like an insult, not that I should care. Maybe I should just cancel altogether. If he wasn’t going to move forward with the project, then I didn’t need to obtain any information regarding his character.

Before I could send a text message, my cell phone rang. I expected it to be my grandmother again, but it came from an unknown number.Please don’t let it be about my grandmother.I knew she was worried, and I feared that the stress might be too much for her.

“Hello, this is Aiza,” I answered, holding my breath to learn who was calling.

“Aiza, this is Steven.”

“Steven? Whose phone are you calling me from?” I asked.

“New Hope. I can’t find my cell phone. Would you be able to check Reesa’s office and see if I left it there? I tried calling it, but I put it on silent for the meeting, so she might not even know it’s there.”

“Of course. I’ll check now if you don’t mind holding,” I said.

I put my cell phone down on the desk and walked to Reesa’s office. I knocked on her door and she called out for me to enter.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but Steven called and believes he may have dropped his phone in your office. Where was he sitting?” I asked.

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