Emily got on the phone at once, rushing into the house along with the two dogs, who thought maybe this was a fun game of tag. "Yo," Carter answered in his charming way."Carter? Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow?" she asked while the dogs panted by her side, waiting for more playtime."Um... I might have a thing tomorrow..." Carter said vaguely."Are you sure?" she asked in a sing-song voice, "Because you might miss an opportunity to meet Nova Summers.""Get out of here!" Carter cried. "Nova Summers, the hottest actress in the world, is going to be at your house tomorrow?""That's right, and she's every bit as fabulous in real life," Emily said, rolling her eyes, "So are you in?""You bet I'm in, baby."Emily was very pleased with her plan. She really did want to annoy Byron. It was one thing to have friends that one's partner might not approve of, but he insisted on seeing Nova so much, and hadn't even asked her before inviting Nova to the house. She was hardl
While the men inspected each other's motorcycles, Emily took the opportunity to talk to Nova about something else. She didn't want her to get too carried away when it came to Carter."Please don't take Carter seriously," Emily advised. "He's a bit of a clown, for lack of a better word.""I don't believe it," Nova whispered dramatically. "You want all the men to yourself, don't you? It's not enough for you that you're engaged to Byron!""That's not true," Emily protested, "I just wanted to warn you about getting too interested in Carter. I've known him ever since he was young. All he does is putter around, never having a real girlfriend or a real job.""Well, thank you for the Employment Bureau report," Nova huffed, "But I'll make up my own mind.""Suit yourself," Emily said. Everyone had a chance to sober up while Emily and Nova played with the dogs and discussed fashion news, and the men went to Byron's home gym to compete in bench pressing.They gathered in the living room fo
Emily worked overtime on her new collection to have everything prepared for Fashion Week. She hardly even saw any of her friends, so she was a little annoyed when none other than Nova Summers strode gracefully into her studio wearing an extravagant sun hat."I hope you're happy!" Nova said with no preamble. "Carter dumped me."This was shocking news considering how much Carter seemed to adore Nova. One would think a guy like him would be lucky to date a movie star, but then again, it was Carter. Emily even forgot her annoyance for the moment. "How could he?" she asked.Nova rolled her eyes. "He said something about being a lone wolf or something stupid like that.""I told you," Emily replied, "he's an idiot."Nova made a dramatic gesture with her hands. "I know, I should have listened to you." "You are way out of his league, so it's probably for the best," Emily concluded."That's true," Nova agreed, "I couldn't see it as a long-term thing anyways. He's always trying to climb m
A couple of Byron's security agents went on ahead to check out the hotel on the day of the meeting. They found nothing at all suspicious about the premises, and so Emily and Byron arrived at the appointed time.They sat down at a small table. The security agents were still around in case anything went wrong, but Emily still felt a little jittery.It was already seven, but no one had shown up."Maybe it's Quinn Faines!" Emily suggested."Yeah, you wish, naughty kid," Byron said, "Still planning to run away with him?""If I was, I wouldn't tell you," she replied.At five past seven, the bar was still mostly empty, and no one came to greet them."Maybe it's a practical joke, and they just stood us up," Byron said after another couple of minutes had passed.Just as he said it, his eyes alighted on a man who had entered the bar and was heading straight towards them.He was a good-looking man, possibly in his sixties. His hair and stylish goatee were both grey, but his skin looked h
"I'm really sorry about all of this," Emily said, "especially my part in it.""You don't have to be, really," Byron said. His driving became less rough, although Emily could tell he was tense. "My dad is the one who decided to come back after these years, uninvited. I just don't want to relive the old trauma...""Then don't," Emily said. "I know it's easy for me to say, but try not look back at the past."Byron laughed with a touch of bitterness. "You're right. I'm sure my father will just bring some new troubles into my life, so I can focus on present trauma instead.""You're such a sweet ray of sunshine! How about we get some pizza?""Sure!" Byron agreed at once. He often enjoyed caviar wrapped in the finest crepes prepared by his personal chef or making his own gourmet creations such as eggplant lasagna or sauteed scallops. But once in a while he craved fast food burgers or a good old fashioned pepperoni pizza from some humble family restaurant. It might have been temporary ins
"It's my birthday, and I want to die," Byron groaned as he struggled out of bed in the morning.Emily was horrified for a moment. "Don't say that!""Oh, sorry, I don't mean literally," he corrected, "I promised I would tell you if I ever felt suicidal again.""And you haven't?" she asked tensely."Not yet. I just don't want to celebrate growing older."Emily got up too and searched her dresser for some clothes fit for the occasion. She wanted nothing too dressy, but something casual yet fun. She chose a flouncy yellow blouse with a white skirt. "We don't have to celebrate much," she said. "Maybe just have a nice dinner, watch a movie."But their plans were derailed when the doorbell rang that afternoon and Sylvia showed up with a big strawberry cake. Emily regretted not making an escape plan since Byron clearly didn't want his birthday to be a big deal, but now it was too late. Byron was very sweet, though."Thanks for coming over, mom," he said, "and for giving birth to me
Much to Emily's surprise, Teddy actually made it to the fashion show on her invitation. It was the show of another designer, a friend of hers, so Emily could relax and sit in the audience. Although she was still not sure whether she was doing the right thing by encouraging the reunion, she was glad of the chance to talk to Teddy and get to know him more. When she spotted him at the entrance to the fashion show, he was blending in with a fashionable shirt and faux leather trousers. "I'm glad we could do this," he said, "though I don't want you to get in trouble for supporting Team Teddy. Not a very popular choice right now.""It'll be fine," Emily said. "Byron knows I'm trying to help him. I've had to fight him on certain issues before... But he was upset about you coming to his birthday.""I didn't mean to upset him," Teddy said. "I wish I could take a more gradual approach, but I don't have much time. I can't be away from my work too long."They entered the bustling lobby an
Byron tried to steel his heart against the inevitable pain that spending time with his father would bring. But no matter how he tried, he knew there was no way to avoid the suffering. It was kind of like putting his hand deliberately into a fire, knowing it would scroch him.Maybe Emily was right, and it was a good thing to be vulnerable. The feelings of nostalgic affection he had for his father couldn't exist without the pain of abandonment. The memories were too intertwined. He had to accept the good and the bad as an inevitable part of life.They walked on the beach together, and in some ways it felt as if his dad had never left. They used to have deep talks like this back in the old days, ranging from tractors to the meaning of life.It was a misty day, with just enough sun filtering through the pale grey clouds. "The last time I saw you," Byron said, "when you got mom to loan you that money... Why did you disappear again for so many years? We never heard from you.""I though