Page 56 of A Lone Star Love Affair
She placed her hands on her hips to look intently at him while her foot tapped. “Have you talked to Isabelle?”
“No. It’s over between Isabelle and me. We’re not talking at all.”
“You really are in love with her,” Sydney said, a note of wonder in her voice.
“I am not in love with Isabelle,” Tony snapped, his temper rising. His sister was annoying him as she sometimes could and had since they were small kids. “Sydney, you’re getting bratty.”
“You’re in love and you won’t face up to it.” When she giggled, he frowned, his cheeks burning and trying to hang on to his rising temper.
“My, oh, my. I knew this could happen, but I really expected you to make a bargain with some woman and have a marriage of convenience where you both profited from your union. I expected any marriage you would have would be a business contract. Instead, my brother is in love. Face it, Tony, you love her. What’s so wrong about that? I know you’re not holding out to marry one of those women our folks have picked out for you.”
He glared at her. “Syd, you can be downright annoying sometimes. I thought you were outgrowing that, but you haven’t. I’m not getting tied up in marriage until I reach my financial goals, and marriage is all Isabelle wants. End of story. We can’t possibly be together.”
Sydney laughed. “Of course you can be together. Why are you making yourself miserable, Tony? Wait until you see her someday with another man. You’ll regret this beyond belief.”
“I’m doing exactly what I want to do.” He bit off his words, his anger increasing. “I have a goal of billionaire by forty. I have to keep Dad off my back and that will do it for all time. She has her own goal—marriage by thirty. Those goals are definitely not compatible. It’s not like you and Dylan—you two are in love. We’re not.”
“I think you won’t face the truth yourself.” At his glare, she quickly added, “Hey, okay.” And held up her hands as if surrendering. “Back to my wedding, then. Is this all right for a place for you to stay?” she asked, holding out a brochure.
“It’s fine,” he said, barely glancing at it. “You decide, Syd. All this wedding hoopla is not my deal. Do you need help paying for it? I’d be glad to.”
She shook her head and gathered up the papers and brochures. “Thank you, Tony. Dylan wanted to pay for it. With you picking up my school tab, it’s not placing him in a bind. Now remember, you wouldn’t look at the brochures. I’ll have to remind you that you told me to make the choices for you. Do you know how unlike you that is? Tony, face the truth. You’re in love.”
“So what if I am. I might be a little, but I want to reach my goal and that means staying single.”
“You’re not just a ‘little’ bit in love. I’ve never seen you like this. By the way, Isabelle very politely turned down my asking her to be a bridesmaid. She thought it would cause tension at my wedding. Actually, on the phone, she sounds as if she is getting along better than you are. Maybe she’s met someone new.”
“Sydney, dammit—”
She laughed. “Just pulling your chain. You are in king-size knots over Isabelle. You are in love and blind and in denial.” She grabbed up her brochures to dash toward the door. “I’m going. Your choice though about love and marriage. I’ll get out of your hair, which, by the way, is badly tangled.”
“I didn’t tell you how yours looked not long ago.”
“That was sweet. Messy hair—mine, yours—both for the same reason.”
“Syd—” he said threateningly, and she laughed, reaching for the door.
“See you later, Tony,” she called over her shoulder, rushing out. He followed in long strides to watch her climb into her car and turn down his driveway. He waved, closed the door and walked back to his office with his mind on Isabelle and his sister’s words ringing in his ears.
He was in love with her and he might as well face up to it. He was thinking about her most of his waking hours. He’d get over it and it wasn’t that big a deal. As fast as that thought came, he could remember Isabelle’s cutting remark about enjoying his money through the years and what an empty victory he would find it. Were his goals misplaced, blown all out of proportion? Was he ruining his life chasing the dollar when he was already enormously wealthy? The thought of seeing Isabelle with someone else chilled him. Sydney had put him in a sour mood, something she had rarely ever done.
It was even worse when he went to bed. He was lonely, missing Isabelle terribly. He picked up his phone and stared at her name at the head of his list of contacts. He wanted her, yet he always got over breakups, so the feeling of missing her should pass.
Right?
The following day at the office wasn’t any better and then grew worse after the mail delivery. He looked at the thick cream-colored envelope in his hand. It had been opened in the mailroom and he slid out the announcement and invitation, scanning it swiftly, certain it was Isabelle’s work.
It was from Tralear with Vernon’s signature at the bottom inviting Tony to the Grand Opening Reception of the new Tralear Building under Vernon’s new presidency. They would also introduce four new executives, including Isabelle.
Thinking about her, he hurt. How had she become so vital to him? Tony ran his hand over the embossed invitation, looking at the RSVP and then scrawling across it, “Please decline.” He tossed it into a stack of mail for his secretary to handle. It was a week from Friday night. He thought about the sacrifices he had made, the long, grueling hours of work he had put in to become wealthy enough to keep his father off his back and to earn the man’s respect. Was he sacrificing the love of his life for this goal? Was it going to be an empty victory? He missed her more each day. How much worse was it going to get? Was he losing the true love of his life?
He couldn’t go back to letting his father constantly interfere with him, yet maybe he shouldn’t worry about that and let it wreck his life. He missed and wanted Isabelle in his life. Tony made a mental note to get out of Dallas, go someplace away from work, where he could think straight about Isabelle and his future.
Isabelle couldn’t resist stopping at the cubicle of the secretary who was keeping track of the reception RSVPs, and she learned that Tony had declined the invitation. Disappointment filled her even though it was what she had expected.
She missed him and the hurt wasn’t lessening. There were moments now she was tempted to call him, accept his offer and forget her plans. She wouldn’t meet someone else she wanted to marry. It was Tony she wanted and if not him…suddenly marriage didn’t sound all that great.
Before long, the decision would be out of her hands, because he would find someone else. Tony would always have a woman in his life. On his terms.
