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Chapter 31 : Right On Cue
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Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 32 : Grandma Knows Best
**Callan"You don't have to come, Dad," I said, glaring over my shoulder. My father was huffing about taking Grandma back to the nursing home. It wasn't that he didn't think she belonged there; we both knew with the way her mind was fading that she was better off under the care of professionals. Instead, he just didn't want to go to a place where death happened pretty much every day. My mother's unexpected passing had really done a number on him. "That's right, dear," Grandma scowled. "You don't have to come with. Of course, if you refuse to see me anywhere that reminds you of death then I guess you'll never be seeing me again."For as often as she was confused, Grandma was pretty sharp, too. "Ma..." Dad groaned. There was nothing like a sarcastic, guilt-trip-fueled comment from mother to son to make a grown man revert to childlike tendencies. If only he could grasp the importance and the memories of those little moments, he might be less upset. He mig
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 33 : Don't Pass It Up
**IsaI leaned back in my office chair and stared at the papers sprawled all over my desk. An hour and a half past lunch, and I was already basically down for the count. It seemed like every other minute someone came in with a new report or a question or a meeting note or a phone call. Never had I seen a Tuesday be this busy. I removed my blue light blocking glasses and rubbed my face. The last thing I needed was coffee… but I was in desperate need of some kind of pick-me-up.A slow flash of purple passed by my office window again. I had grown familiar with the dash of Myalin's pant suit going by my office that day.Myalin had passed by my office too many times in the last hour, eyeing me suspiciously. It was making me nervous, and I wished that she would just text me or come in and confront me with whatever was on her mind. About the sixth time she walked by, I hopped up out of my desk chair and stuck my head out into the hall to yell at her.
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 34 : Going Deeper
**CallanI couldn't remember the last time I brought a girl to my place. Honestly, it had to be close to five or ten years ago when I was at the peak of my early twenties and didn't have a care in the world. Now I had a few really important cares. I'd picked up Isa from her house and driven her across the city to my place. We drove by the Space Needle, which was lit up brightly against the backdrop of the night sky. Here in the city, though, it was too bright to see the stars. I had been nervous to bring Isa over, even though it was my idea, and it was something that I had been wanting to do for a long time. I made sure to text Mary, my housekeeper, that I was having a guest so it would be clean. But really, it probably would have looked similar. I spent most of my time at the office, after all. When I came home, I would maybe go for a swim or lounge in the living room, but other than that, I didn't see most of my house. "Do you want a tour?" I asked
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 35 : Say Cheese
**IsaWhat the hell was she doing here?I tiptoed toward the sound of their voices but tried to remain hidden. If she saw me here.... What kind of connections did she have to ruin me or get me fired?"Catherine, you're going too far with this," Callan said gruffly. "You can't just show up at my house whenever you want, especially this late at night.""It's not my fault. I tried to call, but you never answer anymore," Catherine whined.I heard Callan groan. "Maybe there's a reason I didn't answer. Maybe there's a reason why I don't want you showing up unexpectedly at my place this late.""What, are you afraid of a scandal with your fiancee?" she asked. I could hear the smugness in her voice, and it made me want to go out there and slap her across the face. "It's not like it would be a big story. That's what people expect from two people who are soon-to-be married.""That may be true, but we're not soon-to-be married. And you need to stop calling yourse
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 36 : A Bromantic Beginning
**CallanAt least she's at work, I thought, when Isa walked through the office doors on Monday morning. I went in extra early and hung around in the coffee shop, waiting for her to come through. She was dressed normally, but her hair and makeup weren't her usual style. She wore her hair down and pinned back loosely, and her makeup was muted, no lipstick and no eyeshadow. I wasn't even sure she was wearing any. I watched her walk to the elevator and stand there alone, waiting for the doors to open. Now's my chance, I thought. I got up from the chair I'd been sitting in and walked casually over to her. As I approached, I could sense her stiffen, but she didn't look at me. I wasn't even sure what to say—where to start. Well, actually, to start I was rather upset with her for walking out on me like that, but I couldn't come at her angry. Nor did I want to. "I made some calls. We won't be seeing any of those pictures she took," I muttered. No express
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 37 : Buddies
**CallanSomehow, I had gone over the top. The last time I drank this much, I nearly forgot Isa. This time, I almost forgot that David and I sort of became friends. The last thing I recalled was hugging him in the middle of the street while people passing by just stared at us. How I got back home, and why David was with me, I had no clue. I ripped the blanket off of him, and he nearly tumbled onto the living room floor. "What the hell?" he grumbled, half asleep still. He curled up into a ball. "It's cold.""Why are you here?" I asked him. I looked down at my watch. "Shit. It's already almost eight. I'm going to be late for the first time in my life because of you."David rose up from the couch slowly, his hair a mess and his shirt mostly unbuttoned. His eyes were thin, tired slits. "You're the one that wanted to go out for drinks. Don't point fingers at me."I rolled my eyes and dashed into my room to get changed. I brushed my teeth quickly and mad
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 38 : Doctor's Note
**IsaMy eyes hurt, my face hurt, my lungs hurt, my stomach hurt.Everything hurt. I had been feeling the stress of my situation with Callan, but it really hit me when Catherine visited that night and took our picture. I felt doomed, trapped, hopeless, beat. Everything that I wanted seemed to be just out of reach. I knew that Callan didn't understand where I was coming from regarding my wish to keep up my image and his image. I didn't want to taint him with my unpolished past, and I didn't want to burn myself in the future by ruining my reputation as a hard worker who did things on her own.But at the same time, I was so close to duct taping my own mouth shut and giving in to Callan's wishes. He said it would be easier, that things wouldn't turn out like how I imagined they would. But I was too afraid to give him, to give us, the chance. And now I was really feeling the stress. "Are you okay?" Myalin asked, peeking into my office. I wa
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 39 : Fog
**CallanI watched Isa and Myalin leave my office, both of them looking back over their shoulders with concern. Just when I thought Isa and I were going to have our final breakthrough, my father had to come bursting through the door. And I didn't have the chance to tell her about the tabloids that would inevitably be coming out soon, especially now that I'd offended Mr. Evanchron and called him out for his hypocrisy and ill intent. "What is it, Father?" I asked, sticking a hand to my hip. "I have more important things—""The hell you do," he spat at me. I was taken aback. He hadn't been this passionate about anything in a long time. Ever since Mom had died, he was barely a breathing corpse. I stared at him and waited for clarification. But, gauging his facial expression and the timing of his visit, I could probably safely conclude his reasoning for being here, especially in such a triggered state. "What is more important than ensuring the succes
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Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 48 : Ground Rules for the New Norm
**IsaRather than being exhausted when we got back home from Portland, I felt lighter. I had been amazed by Callan this weekend. He got along so well with my friends, he handled my father with silent and stern strength and composure, and even if my mom didn't say anything, I thought he might have had a positive effect on her too. I was really starting to feel like things were going to be okay now.Callan was so much more than I thought from the first night I met him. But my first impression of him was right: he was special. I was glad that my feelings lingered as long as they did, and that, when he finally came around to remembering me, we found a way to become part of each other's lives. Yeah, for too long I'd let myself get knocked around by the fear of what other people would think of me, but now, especially after the weekend, I really felt Callan's love. I really felt my appreciation for him, too. It made me realize what him and Myalin and even his aunt
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 47 : Non-Father
Chapter 47 - Non-Father**Isa"It's my dad," I said. The muscles in Callan's jaw tightened. I hadn't talked much about my dad with Callan, and I never told him about the last time I met with my father or his demand to give me the inheritance money. But I guessed learning what kind of guy he had been during my childhood was enough to make Callan dislike him. "He didn't say what was wrong exactly, but he said it's urgent, and that he needs to speak with me in person as soon as possible. He even… mentioned that my mom is with him and that they want to have a family discussion," I said. I felt like I was in a daze. If my mom was involved, it must be something serious. That thought scared me.Callan patted my hand. "Should we go? I can go with, if that's okay."As much as I didn't want Callan to have to meet my father, I was more afraid of another scene breaking out between us. If Callan was there, I knew I'd feel safer, and perhaps my dad wouldn'
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 46 : A Good Day
**IsaEven if I didn't exactly get Tevin's blessing, it was still worth it to go to Alyssa's birthday party. By the end of that day, Alyssa and I felt like sisters, and Veronica felt like my aunt, too.I even got to talk with Veronica's husband for a while, as well as a couple of Callan's cousins. Roman showed up at the end, and we were able to get fairly acquainted.To be honest, I was on a high after that weekend. A happy high.Even the continued whispers at work weren't enough to bring me down. Yes, it was discouraging to hear people say that I was using Callan, or even that he was being irresponsible by dating someone who worked under him, but I really took Veronica's advice to heart.She had told me that people wouldn't understand or come to accept our relationship if we kept trying to hide it. Well, now that it was out in the open, there wasn't any reason I thought of that should keep us remaining in the dark.So even if we weren't holding hands or o
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 45 : The Little Sister
**Callan"I guess that means it's you and me again this year," Aunt Veronica said with a sly smile. She slid her hand through the crook of my elbow and tugged me towards her. I glanced at Isa, who looked both surprised and nervous. She was watching Alyssa skip towards us wearing a big smile like Alyssa was taking a jaunt down the yellow brick road. "Isa," I asked, "are you sure you're okay with this? If it's too much then—""No. No, it's fine," she replied with a small grin. "It'll be a good chance for me to get to know your sister. I just hope she doesn't hate me for never having made a cake before.""The only way I could hate you is if you did something to hurt my brother," Alyssa said nonchalantly, popping up behind Isa. "Contrary to popular belief, I actually kind of like the guy–most of the time."Isa startled. "I don't think you have to worry about that, dear," Aunt Veronica told her, winking at Isa. "We had a good talk earlier.""I gues
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 44 : Meeting the Family
**IsaI wondered if it was really okay for me to go to Callan's sister's birthday party as his girlfriend when I hadn't yet met any of his other family members. The only one I'd seen was his father, and last I knew, he didn't seem to be a big fan of mine. "Won't your dad be upset that I'm here?" I asked when Callan opened up the passenger side door for me to get out of his car. Callan helped steady me on the grass as I was wearing my new purple Gucci heels. "I've talked to him," he said. "He won't make you feel uncomfortable. I have his word."I intertwined my fingers with Callan's and let him lead me up to his family's house. It still felt too soon to be meeting his whole family at once. "And what about everyone else?" I asked as we neared the house. My whole chest was vibrating with my anxious heart. Callan stopped me and spun me gently to face him. He placed his hands on my hips and planted a little kiss on my lips. "They're gonna love you, I'm sure
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 43 : The Drama After the Drama
**IsaI hung up the phone and headed to the printer to grab the new documents that had just been sent to me for another client SoulMode had picked up. Earlier that morning, Callan and I had filled out the HR paperwork signifying that we were beginning a serious relationship, but that we would remain professional in the workplace, and there would be no favoritism played between us. It was a strange thing to do, I thought. It was as if we had to get permission from his place of work. But on the other hand, I felt a great sense of relief. Since the documents were so official, it felt like I would have a good defense if anyone asked me about our relationship. On my way to the printer, I watched everyone out of the corner of my eye to see if any news about Callan and I had been leaked yet. Considering all of the rumors I'd heard about him when I first got here about him being a playboy and having had something to do with the last few people who worked here, I assumed
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 42 : Promise Fulfilled
**Isa"I'm putting this all in your hands," I told Callan.He grinned and handed me my bag as we started our way out of the door. "Oh, I've been planning this for a long time," he said with a little chuckle. "And first, since it's still early and you happened to not bring any extra clothes, it gives me a good excuse to take you shopping to find a nice outfit for today."I blushed. It touched my heart that he had been planning this for a long time, but it also made me feel kind of guilty. I thought perhaps if I let him do whatever he wanted today I'd be able to pay him back for making him wait so long. "You're taking me shopping?" I asked. "Are you sure that's your idea of a date?"He nodded and shrugged. "I know people might hate it when people with money say things like this, but I just want to spend some money on you," he said.I laughed out loud. "I don't care about the money, but if that's what you want to do then we can do it."He kissed me on t
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 41 : Promise
**IsaI shook my head. "I'm not going to run away anymore, I promise."Callan looked up at me doubtfully. "I'm sorry to say this, but I have a hard time believing that since you tend to change your mind a lot."I walked around the front of the dining room chair and settled myself in his lap. He rested his hand gently on my thigh and looked up at me. "I mean it this time," I said. Seeing how upset he had been before, and realizing that I had been way too wishy washy with him, I wanted to show him that I really did care about him and that I wanted to take our relationship seriously. "It seems like you should have done this a lot sooner, and maybe then it would have saved you from some of this trouble," I said, glancing at the newspaper. Though the article mentioned his and Catherine's ending the engagement, he was still catching a lot of flak for flaking as soon as he found out that she and her father were bankrupt. "All of that is nothing that I ca
Not Just Another New Girl Chapter 40 : The Drama Unfolding
**IsaI hadn't been this nervous in a long time. My hands were sore from me trying to wring them of my anxieties. My chest was so tight, I wasn't even sure if I was breathing unless I made the audible sound. And my stomach ached and pinged with reminders that I was supposed to be laying off of stressful endeavors. But this seemed unavoidable. And frankly, I was curious. This man who my mother and I had managed to escape over ten years ago was there on the other side of a dingy diner window waiting for me to meet him. The man who'd caused me and my mother so much trauma, he was here. I hadn't seen a picture of my dad, let alone seen his face in person, since my mom and I got away, but I recognized him in an instant. He was a little rougher around the edges, dressed in a ratty bomber-style jacket with patches and with oily ringlets of hair hanging over his forehead. I took a deep breath and entered the diner. It was small with worn leather barstools and booth
