Meet Me at Taylor Park (16 page)

She pivoted and yanked the door open, and then slammed the door in her old boss’ face.

Steven stood up, but Katie ignored him and continued to march across the reception area.

She went past Cynthia’s office. The red-haired lady hurried out of her office. Cynthia asked, “What happened?” She looked genuinely concerned.

“I quit,” Katie replied.

“It’s just as well. I knew you couldn’t make it around here.” Cynthia’s expression turned gleeful.

Katie just realized what happened. If Katie’s heart were weaker, she would have had a heart attack.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I thought you were on my side.”

Cynthia waved a document in Katie’s face. On it were the words
Order Form
in large black letters.

Eyes widening, Katie grabbed it out of her hands. “How did you get that?”

Cynthia smirked. “I waited until you were on lunch and then I swiped it.”

Katie was flooded by so many emotions that she felt she would be knocked unconscious if she did not lie down soon.

“But why? You’re already Junior Assistant. You don’t have to do mindless intern duties like I do.”

Cynthia shrugged. “Yes, but I still don’t get to work with Mr. Prattico. I saw your designs. They’re good. Even better than mine.”

Katie stared into Cynthia’s vomit green eyes. “You knew that Mr. Defoe was a pervert?”

Cynthia nodded.

“You’re a bitch,” Katie spat out. “People like you make me sick.”

Cynthia threw her head back and laughed. “Welcome to the cutthroat world of fashion design.”

Katie curled her hands into fists. She considered punching Cynthia now that she no longer worked there. In the end, she decided it was not worth it.

Just then, Mr. Defoe opened his door. Cynthia looked over and grabbed the order document out of Katie’s hands.

“Mr. Defoe,” she said. “I found your document.” Cynthia shot Katie a dirty look. “Katie told me she lost it.”

Mr. Defoe beamed. “Thank you, Cynthia.” He then glowered at Katie. “At least someone’s useful around here.” The boss waved dismissively at Katie. “But, it doesn’t matter.

Kaylie has been fired anyway.”

Katie put both hands on her hips. “I wasn’t fired.” Her voice was controlled and even. “I quit.”

She whirled around and marched toward the door.

She paused and turned around. “And it’s Katie!” she yelled at Mr. Defoe. She stormed out of the office.

As she left, she heard Steven yell, “You people should be ashamed of yourselves.”

She heard footsteps coming after her.

Katie bolted around the corner and arrived in front of the elevators. She pressed the call car button repeatedly. The button lit up, but the nearest car was on the ground floor.

Unwilling to wait, Katie headed toward the stairs.

Just as she pulled open the door, she heard footsteps and heavy breathing beside her.

She stepped into the stairwell and Steven followed her.

The door banged shut.

Steven put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve never seen that before. I don’t know what to say.”

Katie stepped forward. “It’s fine.”

She turned around.

Steven’s glasses magnified his concerned eyes. “Are you OK?”

Katie nodded. “I’m fine. It’s OK.”

She felt tears coming. The only thing holding them back was her willpower.

Steven still had his hands on her shoulder. “The world is tough, isn’t it?”

Katie nodded. Her tears began trickling down. Her makeup was now totally clown. She looked like a circus clown with exaggerated mascara.

Steven shifted in his position. He held his arms up, but he didn’t quite know what to do with them.

He brushed his hangs out of his eyes. “Do you need a hug?”

She nodded and she leaned into him.

All her inhibitions vanished as she sobbed onto his shoulders. He smelled a bit like Brandon. They must both use Old Spice, she thought.

At first, Steven didn’t seem to know what to do. He stood there awkwardly, letting her hug him, but his arms were by his side.

Katie wiped her eyes and pulled back, studying Steven.

He was looking down, her arms hanging by his side.

“Steven?” she whispered.

He looked up. His face was a deep scarlet, even she was the one who had been crying.

Katie ran a hand with through her hair. “You don’t hug people a lot, do you?”

Steven nodded. “Are you going to be OK?”

Katie gave him a shy smile. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Steven looked concerned. “Where are you from? I don’t think you’re a native New

Yorker.”

Katie shook her hair. “I’m from Canada.”

“Do you know anyone here?”

Katie hesitated. “I have a father here, but he passed away in the hospital before I could see him.”

Steven nodded, and then looked down. He mumbled, “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but New York is a scary place and we all need someone. Do you want to go for coffee and talk?”

Katie thought it was cute that he was so shy and nervous.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

Side by side, they descended the stairs. From the corner of her eye, Katie caught Steven sneaking glances at her. He was also fidgeting with his hands. She got the feeling that he wanted to hold her hand.

She could see him reaching his hand out, almost touching hers, and then withdraw.

Their hands brushed briefly, and Steven withdrew his, as though singed.

Katie smiled at him, and took his hand.

Steven’s hand was warm and sweaty. He even grinned a little at her, and she grinned back.

As they continued down the stairs hand in hand, Katie felt a stab of guilt. She was reminded of Brandon and how he had said that he wanted to be the one to take care of her. He had said that life would be tough and that she would need love and support. And she had stupidly refused it.

But it was too late now. They had moved on.

At the same time though, she knew her justification was shaky at best. She was just too proud to contact him.

She looked at the man she had replaced Brandon with. Steven smiled shyly at her as they descended.

Katie could tell that he was nothing like Brandon. Katie could tell that Steven would not be able to hold a candle. But he was available. And he was the only person she had right now.

*

1994

Stasha looked like she was completely enraptured in the story. “I guess I was wrong. Steven does sound like he cared about you.”

Katie still had a far-away look in her eyes. “What?”

“I said Steven does sound like he loves you.” Stasha shifted in her chair.

“It was just in the beginning. Then, he tried to stop me from pursuing my dreams altogether. He claims chasing my dreams was dangerous and that he made enough to support the two of us.”

Stasha looked confused. “I see.”

“But I don’t know about Brandon either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if he really loves me.” Katie bit her bottom lip. “That day after we broke up was the last day of school. I saw him in the hallway with some blonde. They were holding hands and kissing. One day.” Katie held up one finger. “Can you imagine? One day.”

“Did he say why?”

“He hired some girl to make me jealous to get me to stay. I didn’t know that for six years.

For six years, I thought that he had moved on twenty-four hours after breaking up with me. Like our relationship meant nothing to him.” Katie had a painful look on her face.

Katie sighed. “I don’t know what to do. Steven’s a good guy. He loves me. He’s going to be a good father, a good husband and provide for his family.”

Stasha tapped her fingers on the table. “And why does that family have to include you?

Don’t lie to me. I can tell you’re not 100% satisfied with it.”

Katie moved her chair closer to her friend. “When I was a little girl, I watched a lot of

Disney movies. I would dress up as a princess for Halloween.” She looked down. “But fairy tales don’t exist in real life. I used to expect to find my prince. But I don’t anymore.”

“It doesn’t mean you have to settle.” Stasha put a hand on Katie’s shoulder. “It doesn’t mean you have to settle.”

Katie looked at Stasha with a blank expression.

Stasha looked somber. “So what happened after Prattico’s?”

“I couldn’t find another internship with a fashion designer. I was evicted because I couldn’t find a job, so Steven let me stay at his place. We eventually became a couple. We moved to Toronto when he was offered a partnership with an accounting firm there.”

“You just gave up on your dream?”

Katie stared out the window. The cherry giant tree was waving in the wind. She did not know how to answer her friend.

Just then, the phone rang. They looked around, but the house phone was silent.

The ringing was coming from Katie’s cell phone on the kitchen table.

Katie looked to see who it was, and felt her heart leap up.

She picked it up.

“Hi Katie. It’s me.”

Katie recognized her fiancé’s voice, but there was something different about his voice.

“Hi,” she said uncertainly.

“My sister told me about a little incident that happened on the plane.” His voice was brisk and cold. “I don’t know who this guy is, but I’m coming over on the next flight. We’ll deal with this when I get there.”

Before Katie could reply, Steven hung up the phone. She had never heard such decisiveness and authority from Steven. Shocked, she felt her heart beating louder.

Katie stared at the phone in her hands.

Stasha leaned forward in her chair. “What happened?”

Katie looked up at Stasha. “That was Steven. He knows about Brandon.”

*

Chapter 12

Meanwhile, in Toronto, Steven was packing in his master bedroom when he noticed a picture on his desk. He stopped and turned toward it. He picked up the picture and stared at it. It was a picture of him and Katie standing in front of their house.

It was the day that Steven had asked Katie to move in with him, and Katie had agreed.

Steven was staring into the camera with a slight grin on his face, but Katie was not smiling at all.

Instead, she looked like she was at a funeral. He had his arms around her, but her arms were at her side.

Steven frowned. He wondered why he had not noticed these details before.

He put the picture back on the desk and took a deep breath.

He was disturbed when his sister Tina told him about Katie running into her first love on the plane. He felt like he was losing Katie, that she was slipping out of his spider web.

She was a beautiful girl and he loved her. He worked hard to care and provide for her. He did not deserve this.

He felt his greasy face getting hot as he imagined that his Katie had once belonged to another man.

No, he thought. Just going to Vancouver will not do. I need to know more about my enemy before I leave.

He picked up the phone in his bedroom and dialed a number.

The person on the other side picked up right away. “George’s Private Detective Agency. Vancouver office. This is George speaking.” The voice was gruff and businesslike.

“George. It’s Steven.”

George’s voice changed to friendly and pleasantly surprised. “Steven, my old friend! How have you been?”

“Not good.” Steven gripped the phone even tighter. “I’m getting married….”

“Congratulations,” George interrupted.

“…and I suspect that my fiancée is cheating on me with her first love.”

“Oh.”

Steven breathed out. “Katie and this Brandon are both in Vancouver right now. I want you to follow this Brandon guy around and dig up dirt on him. I’m willing to pay top dollar for this.”

“No problem, my friend. I can dig up dirt on anyone. I’ll dig up enough to bury this guy alive.”

“My sister, the flight attendant, has all his passenger information, including full name and address. I will fax it to you before I leave for the airport tonight.”

“You can count on me, Steven.”

“Thank you.” Steven hung up.

He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his undershirt. His sister had told him that Katie and this Brandon looked really intimate together. And that they had been each other’s first loves. He found it funny that Katie had never mentioned Brandon before.

He put on his glasses and returned to his packing. After he had stuffed his suitcase with shirts, he reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a revolver.

Steven rubbed the handle and then cocked the gun. He did not want to use it, but if Brandon was stealing his girl, he was going to pay.