The Big "O": A Romantic Comedy (24 page)

I
NSIDE OF THE GYM, Edwin whaled on a heavy punching bag while Max watched. Victor held the bag.

“Nice,” Max said. Victor gave Edwin the thumbs up.

“Isis is not making time for me,” Edwin said between hitting the bag hard.

Max and Victor exchanged a meaningful glance. When you love someone, Victor thought to himself, you’ll do anything for them. He decided not to say anything. He’d given Edwin so much shit that he knew that the guy wouldn’t take him seriously.

“Maybe you better take her off the market, before somebody steals her,” Max said, as it was clear that Victor was purposefully avoiding saying anything. He'd already goaded Edwin about this exact issue.

Edwin panicked at his friend’s words. Max's suggestion that someone might steal Isis made him wonder if Emily had said something.

He tried to remember the last time that he and Isis had spent quality time together.

Sure, they’d had drinks a couple of nights ago. She’d looked stunning. They’d made out afterward on her little sofa but then she’d subtly given him the cues that the evening was over. In his desire to please her, he hadn’t pushed the point.

Edwin nodded to Victor and pulled off his punching gloves. Victor slipped on his own gloves and got ready to hit bag hard. Goddamn if he didn't have some serious emotion to unload on the thing. What do people who don't hit the bag do with all of their rage, he wondered.

“Has Emily or Juliette said anything?” Edwin said, breathing hard still, “she’s not… I mean… there’s no other guy… or—”

“Aw, hell, no,” Max said and grabbed the bag and held it still as Victor began to pound the everlasting shit out of the thing.

“Nothing,” Max said. As far as he knew, she hadn't said anything specific to Emily either but, then again, he and Emily weren't exactly having heart-to-heart convos lately.

Edwin fretted as Max and Victor each, silently, ardently hoped, for Edwin's sake, that Isis hadn't taken a better offer.

Victor wasn't sure he should say anything as he'd repeatedly tried to make himself clear to Edwin on this point. Plus, he'd heard that the only thing people dislike more than good advice is bad advice. But still, the guy was a friend and he had really been there for him, especially lately. Here goes nothing, he though and, between punching the bag, he sharply gave his opinion.

“You want my advice?” Victor asked to Edwin, “ You've almost left it too late. You've been playing it safe. It's like your life MO but that shit doesn't work in every life game. You love Isis, I know you do. I can see it. She's not a play it safe kind of chick, she's a wild thing... unusual, like an orchid. So, if you really want to spend your life with her than you had better get your wild game on and lock it down with this wild beautiful thing that we know as ISis. I know men, the way life works, and I figure that other guys are probably circling your babe already. Just because we haven't heard about it doesn't mean it isn't happening. She's a good woman. I'm sure she's not cheating on you. But these dudes are probably playing the
I just want to be your friend and support you in your life
card... when the fuckers are wolves, circling, really waiting for an opening. Some of them might want to nail her but somebody might want her to rule by his side. You know what I mean?”

Edwin took in Victor's words. They rang utterly true. What the hell was he waiting for? His woman was a wild, exotic creature of rare beauty. He could just imagine what might happen if some other man discovered how fantastic she was... Jeez. She could be gone in weeks, days, or even hours. The thought made him feel entirely ill.

Edwin looked at Max and raised his eyebrows. Bam! Bam! Bam! Victor hit the bag hard again and again. Max nodded and finally spoke.

“Well, man, to be honest, not everybody is as careful...” Max said slowly. Edwin interrupted him.

“Meaning slow moving?” Edwin asked. He looked back at Victor whaling on the punching bag. The guy's no bullshit bottom line, take no fucking prisoners attidue, was just what he needed right now.

Bam! Bam! Vic hit the bag hard and it was all Max could do to hold it steady. Edwin looked at Victor and something flickered between them. It was like a newfound respect grew between the two of them in an instant. Vic spoke again.

“You'd better put a ring on your bootylicious babe or someone else will, I'm just saying...” Victor said firmly. Edwin nodded.

Inside of her former bedroom turned design studio, Isis showed Roberto her completed mock-up clothing designs, look book, as well as a few in-progress samples.

As Roberto touched her various samples and flipped through her book, her entire body buzzed with energy and excitement. Isis literally felt her body vibrating with joy and positive energy. She could hardly breathe.

Roberto was as handsome as she remembered. Her heart pounded at the idea that this handsome, powerful man might want to place a small order with her. It would be a small thing for a man who owned multiple boutiques to buy from her. If this man invested in her fashion design busines, it would change her life entirely, for the better, and be a huge part of making all of her dreams come true.

All of her wildest, happiest imaginings were in this man's hands, the hands of a total stranger.

He looked at her and smiled and his dark eyes flashed.

He turned to Isis and stepped close to her, a little too close. She nervously picked up some swatches and showed off the small squares of fabric and took a couple of half-steps to create a bit of distance between them.

“I'm limiting the color palette, it's a bit eclectic… so who knows who'll want what I've got?” Isis said and laughed.

“I want what you've got,” Roberto said in his impossible-to-place accent. Brazilian? she wondered to herself, not for the first time.

Isis laughed nervously, flustered, overwhelmed and excited.

“Any particular item?” Isis asked with wonder.

“The whole lot. I want to feature you, in all of my locations… and if you'll be exclusive to me, once you've got your manufacturing in place, I'll use my connections to get you some place much bigger. I want to be your friend and support you. I believe in you, beautiful,” Roberto said.

He stared into her eyes intensely. He wasn't creepy but he was definitely making a play for her attention. Isis pondered his words. She had done her homework and learned that he had ten locations in the state of California, including one in Ojai, one in Malibu, and two in San Francisco. It was almost impossible to imagine that in a few short weeks, well a few short months, she could go from wannabee designer to fashion designer with finished designs on sale in a number of upscale boutiques.

“That would be… amazing,” Isis said breathily and smiled. She heard the front door open and figured the door man was dropping off a package or that maybe Emily had stopped by.

“No, you are amazing,” Roberto said and hugged her as she gave a little squeal of joy. Isis carefully tried to disentangle herself.

“Thank you,” Isis said and pushed at Roberto. Instead of letting her go, he held her more tightly. She didn’t feel frightened, it seemed to be a cultural thing, his embrace and response to her.

“If you want it, I’d like to back you, too,” Roberto said.

Stunned, Isis stared into Roberto’s eyes and stopped struggling.

“Backe me?” she said, then at the sound of footsteps approaching called out, “Hello?”

Edwin walked in and, as she was stunned with surprise and hadn't moved, caught Isis in Roberto's arms.

“Edwin!” Isis exclaimed and pushed Roberto away right away but Edwin had already immediately turned and walked out of the room.

Isis ran after him.

“Edwin!” she called after him. Roberto followed the two of them into her front room. He gave Isis a look and mouthed the word, “Sorry.” She smiled, shrugged, and nodded.

“I’ll be in touch, Roberto,” she said. If he continued to pursue her romantically then she would, of course, choose to avoid all contact. Maybe Roberto was a super affectionate and enthusiastic guy who embraced people that he did business wth but, then again, his interest in her clothing line could be a ruse.

“Absolutely,” Roberto said and kissed her on both cheeks and let himself out.

Isis held onto Edwin, and prevented him from leaving.

“Don't go,” Isis pleaded.

“Why shouldn't I?” Edwin asked and his voice was filled with sadness. His jaw was slack and he appeared to be utterly shocked.

“Edwin, Roberto's a buyer. I went into business. I designed and created a line of clothing. He’s placing a large order and he might invest in my company,” Isis said.

“Your company? You're a fashion designer?” Edwin said and Isis nodded.

Edwin stared at her and tried to process all of this. He was obviously hurt. Seeing Isis in someone else’s arms had made his heart feel the size of a small stone. He felt like he could hardly breathe.

“I would want to back your company,” Edwin finally said, in a hurt tone.

“I want to create my own success… you know, be my own woman,” Isis said defensively. Now that she had said it aloud, the idea—of not telling Edwin what she was up to until she achieved some success—didn't sound as logical as it had seemed in her head. Isis stared at Edwin, half fearful that he was ready to dump her on the spot.

It had to have looked bad, her in Roberto's arms. She doubted if Edwin had seen that she was awkwardly struggling, moments before, trying to back away from the guy and disentangle herself. She tried to remember if she'd been moving when Edwin entered.

“He was hugging me. I was excited about the deal. He'd just said he was placing a really big order, and then he grabbed me and offered to back me.”

“No other guy's backing my baby,” Edwin said roughly. He was stunned by what he had seen, and to realize that Isis had obviously quit her job to go into business for herself and had found success so soon. She was a fashion designer. It didn't seem possible. His reaction time seemed to have slowed to a crawl.

He looked at her and tried to remember how she had seemed moments ago. It had appeared that she was leaning backward and pushing away from the guy.

Isis was terrified to make a mistake. Edwin had a strange look in his eyes.

What if he thought she was cheating on him with the exotic Brazilian who'd just left?

She decided that she shouldn't try to explain it further, he would think she was guilty of something. She hadn't done anything wrong. Still, it terrified her that Edwin was staring at her so strangely.

“No other guy's backing my baby,” Edwin repeated then added, “You are still my baby?”

“I am your baby, of course, I am. J'taime,” she said and leapt into Edwin's arms . They kissed.

Her heart thumped in her chest and her mouth felt dry. Isis felt panicked over the idea that she might possibly have lost Edwin just then over a potential business deal.

Her business wouldn't have mattered at all if she'd lost her true love over a bizarre business meeting that appeared comprising.

What good was money, creativity, a beautiful life, with no one to share it with?

Even worse, she really didn't know Roberto at all. His word might not be any good. He may have merely wanted to get her into bed.

Edwin realized in that moment that he was in a maddening situation of his own co-creation.

Sure, he'd been seeing Isis regularly for some time, a couple years or so, and he loved her deeply. Yet, he was so out of the loop that he had been oblivious that his woman had quit her job and had been spending her time creating her dream life... without him.

One thing he knew was that he trusted her. If she said that guy was hugging her and she hadn't expected it and was trying to push him away, then it was the truth.

What was also the truth, he decided, was that he'd been an idiot.

Victor had been right, all along. His delivery of the message wasn't the kindest or politest, but then again Vic was known for his no BS communication style.

He figured he'd better follow Vic's advice ASAP and put a ring on Isis' finger and seal the deal. He'd have to remember to thank him for his advice.

Edwin hugged Isis harder then and kissed her frantically. She tangled her fingers in his hair and he pushed his mouth more eagerly against hers. They kissed deeper until they couldn't breath and then, intertwined, they stumbled backward to her pullout.

Never taking his lips from hers, Edwin gently held onto Isis, lowered her onto the small sofa, and pressed his body eagerly against hers. She melted in his arms.

Isis felt her stomach fill with butterflies as hot tingles spread through her body.

She kissed Edwin deeper and harder and felt incredibly grateful that, from day one, she'd earned and kept his trust and love. She held him tighter to her and pressed her lips into his neck. He groaned with love and desire.

She needed him and he, it seemed, needed her.

Emily met with Leslie Chan at Astro Cafe.

“Xavier Roberts heard me working with a client and close personal friend, on her marketing plan, and decided to have me recruited on the spot?” Emily asked incredulously. It was certainly flattering, she decided, and only polite to give the woman a brief listen.

“Yes, he researched your web-site and read the book that you co-authored,” Leslie said to Emily, “and I believe he’s had a look at your second manuscript.”

“But it’s not out yet, only my editor has seen it,” Emily replied.

“That’s not strictly true,” Leslie said, “apparently several assistants and some assistant editors, other employers of the publisher, had a copy of the document.”

“Oh, I’m really surprised to hear that, I didn’t think that Kathryn Daniels would let anyone else see it,” Emily said.

“It’s unlikely that she had any knowledge that the document was shared, very exclusively, with Mr. Roberts. He has friends in high places, you know,” Leslie said.

“At my publishers?” Emily asked.

“Everywhere,” Leslie replied.

“In any event, it’s very flattering,” Emily said.