Dirty Boss: A Second Chance Romance (4 page)

“Athens, Georgia.” She said at last.

He knew why she was hesitant to tell him. It was where he had fallen in love for the second time in his life. It was where he met her, Emily Wilson, a woman he’d only spent one night with and yet he felt he knew everything about her. Seeing her at the dinner party organized for high achieving graduates, she had touched him with her naivety and guilelessness. He was an entrepreneur himself and had no need for such parties but he had gone to see if he could scout someone for his own company.

Bored with the party, he left his manager, whom he had come with at their table and gone wandering. That was when he saw her, staring at her drink as if she couldn’t decide what to do with it. She was the most delightful woman he had ever seen and he felt compelled to talk to her.

He had felt an instant connection and longed for her almost instantly. She couldn’t be held accountable for her actions of getting him into her bed and he should have tried harder to stop her. But he was halfway in love and more than halfway in lust already and he had yielded to her wiles.

When he found out that he was her first, his heart had melted, feeling deeply for the woman beneath him. When the morning came and she was still sleeping, he was uncertain if he should wait for her reaction or not. Judging by her words the previous night, she wasn’t the type to be impulsive but she had slept with him, a stranger; there was no doubt that she would regret it and blame him when the effect of alcohol was gone. At last, he decided to save them both the trouble by leaving first. He took the first flight home that very morning.

He hadn’t been back there since that night.

Both Nina and Claire suspected that something had happened when he arrived at home. Not wanting Claire to feel threatened by any lady, he always ensured to keep all his affairs with the ladies secret. His relationships were always short-lived and for sex only. So he hadn’t told her about Emily at first even though they told each other everything. But his daughter was smart and knew him like no other. She got the story out of him only a few weeks later and laughed as he told her and Nina about Emily. He knew that Claire meant that he should get married to Emily when she made him make the promise to her.

The thin blonde girl he met that night never left his mind afterwards and only Claire’s death drove every thought out of his mind recently. Nina’s mention of Athens brought the memories rushing back at him despite his grief.

She would long have left Georgia, he thought to himself.

“I think you should go, maybe you would find
her
and fulfil your promise to Claire in one fell swoop.” Nina said quietly.

Ryan sighed again. He knew that Nina would hassle him to death if he didn’t go. She would play on his guilt and sense of responsibility by bringing up his promise to Claire at the slightest opportunity.

It seemed like he would be going to back to Athens after all.

August, 2016

Everything was different, yet nothing had changed. Emily looked through the window of her hotel room at the streets that were once so familiar. She had once walked through these streets as a student of Georgia. This city had been her home for four years. It had also been her place of rebirth. It was where she had done an entire about-face and become who she was today.

It was where she had fallen in love with a stranger.

It had taken her another three months after that night to come to the realization that she had fallen headlong in love with the mysterious, quick-to-grin Ryan Jones. She never forgot his name too.

In light of the drastic change that came over her - spiky, short hair, lenses instead of glasses, a better dress sense, it was Shannon who finally declared that she had fallen in love with her mysterious one night stand such that she was making an effort to change herself into the image he suggested she did. Emily had emphatically agreed with her. If that was love that she felt that night, then she would keep it close to her heart forever. However, she hadn’t been able to experience that feeling with any other man. She had dated a couple of times in the last four years but they all seemed empty. It was like Ryan Jones had spoilt her for other men.

Still best of friends, Shannon kept hooking her up with some of her husband’s colleagues (to Emily’s delight, Shannon and Greg finally tied the knot two years ago) but none ever lead to anything serious. However, Emily still hoped for the man that would sweep her off her feet (again) someday.

Sighing deeply, she turned away from the window to sit on the bed. It was just morning and it was the first day of rehearsals with her models and other props. The attachment that was mailed to her as an update for the Show had informed her that she would be provided with one top brand producer (along with three other participants) three models for her designs, two makeup artistes, one photographer and an optional assistant/apprentice designer if needed. She wouldn’t be in need an assistant as she came with her own assistant designer, Marianne who was her right hand since she joined her one year ago and a great designer in the making.

Emily mentally checked everything she had prepared for the Show. She ticked items on a mental list, nodding in satisfaction at each item ticked. Registering for the Show had been one of her numerous spontaneous decisions and she wanted it to go well so badly. Since she started her label right out of college, it would be the first time that she would be entering into something as big and as serious as the Show and she was just a tad nervous. She was just three years in the industry and would be showcasing her outfits against industry veterans. However, she had supreme confidence in the uniqueness of her brand and knew that she would do well with her outfits. At the very least, she thought to herself consolingly,
I would be gaining international recognition
.

The door of her hotel room opened unceremoniously. She knew who it was before she raised her eyes to see.

“Everyone is going crazy over the Show. I swear, there are more clothes here than I have seen in my entire life.” Marianne gushed, plopping on the bed beside Emily.

Her assistant was a twenty-one-year-old girl, full of energy and park. She was a college drop out of her own decision who wanted to be a designer and not some lawyer like her parents wanted her to be. What Emily liked about her, was her sharp mind and eye for detail. In the fashion industry, those two could never be amiss. She had never regretted employing the girl despite her lack of experience.

“But of course, that is to be expected. This is the International Fashion Show, Marianne, you can’t help it here.” She explained to her.

The organizing body had secured the biggest hotel in the city for the event where all the participants were lodged. There was a display room in place already where the bestselling outfits of previous winners of the Show were displayed and sold at ridiculously high prices. For that privilege alone, many salivated at the honor of winning at the Show. She guessed that Marianne had gone for a morning tour of the display room and was impressed at what she saw.

“Head Turners will soon be sitting with those outfits.” She said confidently.

Marianne’s unending boost of confidence was another reason that Emily liked the girl. She was a go-getter and was always optimistic.

“I hope so.” Emily replied.

They chatted about this and that for another minute before the time came for rehearsal.

*********

“Emily, meet your photographer, Ryan Jones. Ryan, meet Emily Wilson.”

Her producer, Jamie Langdon was a busy man and he turned away quickly to see what the other designers were up to as soon as the words left his mouth. He did not see the shocked expression that came over the faces of both Emily and Ryan as he introduced them.

Emily was shocked speechless and immobile. She had been in the little room provided for her and her props all day, rehearsing with the models. She found the models and makeup artistes to her satisfaction and was making quick progress with them. However, her photographer had yet to show up and she had been worried. Each participant needed their first photographs on display first thing tomorrow morning. The other props were now on break and she was left with Marianne in the room talking about their missing photographer and what they should do if he didn’t turn up for the second session. Marianne was just suggesting that they ‘borrow’ one of the other photographers for a brief period when the producer walked in with him.

“Ryan Jones, a fresh graduate of this grand school and a photographer by hobby.”

It was obvious that her one-night stand had made his hobby a profession.

She swallowed as she allowed her eyes to meet his. Her heart almost flew right out of her chest. His eyes were still the same brilliant shade of gold that she remembered. She had thought that the excess wine she had that night must have surely exaggerated his features in her mind and that he couldn’t be as handsome as she thought him to be. It so happened that the wine had
understated
his handsomeness. Ryan Wilson was looking more handsome, more masculine, more mature and more everything than she remembered in a cream, designer T shirt rolled up at the sleeves and a pair of chocolate brown pants. He had a four o’clock shadow on his cheeks and the dimples she so much remembered and loved, showed blatantly on them. He was staring at her as if he had just seen a ghost.

She figured that she must be staring at him in quite the same way.

“Emily?” he asked in perplexed confusion.

“Emily!” her assistant whispered, jabbing her in the side to remove her boss from her obvious paralysis. “Hi, Mr. Jones. I am Marianne, Emily’s assistant.” She said, trying to give her obviously dumbfounded boss time to recoup.

The man however had eyes only for Emily. It seemed like there was a history here, Marianne thought, licking her lips in anticipation of a great love story. She was a romantic at heart.

“Hi Marianne,” he glanced at her briefly before turning back to Emily.

Marianne sighed at the two and crept out of the room, not that they noticed her leave anyway. It seemed like the two had a lot of catching up to do and her presence wouldn’t be required. She hoped that they would be through with whatever they had going before the next session which was to be in exactly forty-two minutes’ time.

Emily saw Marianne leave from the corner of her eye but her tongue was still locked to the roof of her mouth. It was too coincidental not to mention surprising that she would be meeting with Ryan in the first time that she came back to this place after four years.

“Hi Ryan,” she said at last.

A small smile came across his face at her greeting. She had no idea why she thought so but she couldn’t help but think that it was the first real smile that had crossed this man’s lips in a while. Now that she was released from the initial shock, she could see that there was something sad in his eyes, the brightness in his lovely eyes were dimmed and there were crows feet in the corner of his left eye. She wondered what had happened to him since she last saw him.

“Hi, Emily. I never imagined you for a fashion designer,” he said.

At his words, she got her savvy, cheesy-self back and dazzled him with a smile.

“Is that the only thing different you’ve noticed about me?” she asked him though her heart was still pounding hard in her chest.

He walked up to where she was seated and took the chair in front of her just like he did the night they met.

“You are more beautiful. Absolutely stunning,” he said, looking at her from head to toe.

The former Emily Wilson would have blushed at those words but this Emily Wilson of his making, even though he might not know it, preened at the compliment. She frequently got such compliments from men but it was the first time she was actually flattered upon receiving it.

“Thanks. You look dashing yourself, as expected of course.” She told him.

He laughed out loud at her cliché and stopped suddenly as if the sound of his own laughter was strange to his ears.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

Something was definitely wrong with this guy, she thought. In place of the carefree young man that she met four years ago was this brooding man that seemed to carry the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. Immediately, her heart reached out to him and she sought to help him, like he helped her those years ago.

“You seem to have done well for yourself,” he commented, looking around her tiny room.

She also looked around the room, trying to see her hung out outfits through a stranger’s eyes. They looked pretty good to her but then, she might still be biased despite her attempted detachment.

“Yeah, I guess so. I started a fashion line right after college; Head Turners and only just entered for the Show this year.” She informed him.

“Wow, that’s great. I guess you finally took that leap we talked about,” he gestured towards the room and her appearance. He looked like he was reliving that night just like she was.

“I did, thanks to you.” She confirmed.

He was nodding at her approvingly, comparing the new Great to the old Emily he met with that night and liking what he saw. She decided to test the waters.

“I didn’t wait too long for it either; I made my first bold step the next morning when I discovered you were gone.” She said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction to her words. She wanted to believe that he had thought of her at least a little just like she had thought of him, unable to forget him or how he made her feel in the years that followed.

His gaze turned to look into her eyes and her breath hitched at his eyes.
Would she ever be used to his eyes staring right into hers?
She wondered.

“I had to leave. I didn’t want you to hate me.” He said so quietly that she almost did not catch his words.

What was he saying? How could she hate him? He had given her the best night of her life! She was about to tell him exactly what was on her mind when the door opened and Michelle, one of the models walked in. She stopped short when she noticed the male company and smiled in pleasure. Emily could recognize the look that came over the girl’s face and she sighed in irritation.

Ryan Jones was a handsome man and it looked like he was getting his first female admirer at the Show. It also looked like their conversation had come to an end as Michelle walked up to him and introduced herself.

Emily shook her head to clear it. This wasn’t a dream, she told herself, she had indeed just seen Ryan after four long years.

*********

“I am telling you Emily, you are meant to be together. You are soul mates.” Shannon told Emily over the phone.

Emily rolled her eyes at her friend’s superstitious belief. She had called to update her about the day’s happening after the second session was over. Everyone had departed and she was waiting for Ryan in her prep room to bring the photos so they could submit them to her producer, before they retired for the evening in preparation for the next day. After telling Shannon of her journey to their old location as students, she had as nonchalantly as she could, dropped Ryan’s name and explained meeting him in her prep room.

Shannon had instantly latched onto the gist and started calling them all sort of names of which soulmates was most prominent. She could remember Romeo and Juliet too but she astutely ignored that one; she didn’t want Ryan to die for her.

“We only just met again, Shannon.” She reminded her friend.

Shannon snorted over the phone. She didn’t want to hear anything else apart from romance, weddings and love when it came to her best friend and now that the mysterious one-night stand that got her friend out of her shell was back, she knew her friend would soon have her own happily ever after.

“And I can bet my unborn baby that your heart raced four miles a minute when you saw him.” She said knowingly.

Her friend knew her too much. She and Greg were finally starting a family and Shannon could not string three sentences together without mentioning her unborn baby.

“Well, yes.” Emily allowed.

“Then, that’s it. If you are this hooked on him after four years, he surely is on you too.” She proclaimed.