Page 22 of To Fall or Not to Fall

Chapter Fourteen

T heo

“Theo, where are you? Theo? Are you okay? Theo? It’s Jenna, your assistant. I’ve been calling you for the last two hours, and I’ve sent you five text messages. Please call me back.”

I hang up the phone and groan. Jenna has called me multiple times. I’m sure she wants to know where I’ve been, but I can’t tell her the truth at all.

I look at my phone again and send a quick text message to Ava. I want her to know that I’m thinking about her. I want her to know that last night was special, that it meant something. I want her to know that I didn’t want to leave?—

My phone rings again before I’m able to call her.

“Hello?”

“Oh my gosh, there you are. I have been trying to reach you all day.”

“No need to exaggerate, Jenna. What’s up?”

“What do you mean, what’s up? We had a meeting.”

I ask, “Yeah? And?”

“I am outside the café, waiting for you.”

“Oh, shit. Sorry.” I rub my forehead. “I woke up late, and I guess I forgot. I can be there in ten minutes.”

“Okay, fine. Is everything okay? You sound kind of weird.”

“I don’t know why I sound weird, but yeah, everything’s fine. I am just leaving my hotel now.”

We hang up, and I grab my wallet and the door key and exit the hotel. I run through the streets until I get to Main Street, and I see Jenna waiting outside the café. We’d agreed to meet up. She looks annoyed as she sees me.

“Well, hello, Theo.”

“Good morning, Jenna. How are you today?”

“Not as good as you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just wondering what kept you in bed so late.”

“I don’t know. What do you mean?” I feign ignorance. She needs to remember that I don’t report to her; she reports to me.

“You know what I mean. I’m also wonderingwhy you are still in Coconut Beach.” She clears her throat. “Is there an explanation why you’re not back in New York, in your 58th-floor office, looking out at the Empire State Building and making life a misery for everyone in the office?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, this is a much more prolonged stay than I had envisioned when you first said you were coming.”

“I’m not really sure what you’re trying to say here.”

“I’m just wondering what’s going on. Rupert contacted me, and he told me that you no longer needed him and wanted to know if he should leave or not.

He wanted to know if the deal had already been closed because you informed him that you were handling things.

I don’t know why we paid him such a large retainer to take care of business when you now want to do it yourself. ”

“I didn’t like the methods that Rupert was using.”

She frowns. “Really? You didn’t like the methods he was using? And what methods would those be?”

“I feel like he was flirting with Ava and?—”

“Oh my gosh, that’s rich,” Jenna says, shaking her head. “You’re upset because Rupert was flirting with Ava in order to get her to?—”

I hold my hand up. “I don’t know what you’re about to say, but I would be very careful right now.”

“Theo, I’ve known you for a long time. I’ve worked with you for a long time. I don’t understand why you’re here. You don’t need to be here.”

“I am here because I need to purchase this building. I’m here because I seem to be in the best position to figure out what is going to make Ava sell.”

“So you’re saying that you’re here because you still want to buy the bookstore from Ava?”

“That is correct. Why else would I be here?”

I feel very guilty inside.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you like her.”

“I don’t like her. I mean, of course I like her, but—” I frown at her. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m going to ask you a question. Were you with her last night?”

“Excuse me? That’s none of your business.”

I feel ashamed of myself for a moment because I had been with her, but it is weird. That feels absolutely separate from business. My personal relationship with Ava is real, and it means something, yet I don’t know how to separate that from the business deal I’m trying to do.

“I’m just here because I want to see what this fall festival is like.

If it’s as town-defining and special as everyone says it is, I need to see it for myself.

Actually, that might be a really great selling point for the hotel.

And maybe that will be a great selling point for me to get to know people in the town— influencers, people who have a say.

I’m not here to ruin the town. I’m here to make it better.

“Maybe Ava doesn’t realize that because she’s so focused on making pumpkin pies and pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin muffins and pumpkin everything. But this town needs more than pumpkin-related beverages and baked goods to survive.”

“Have you said that to Ava?” she asks me with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry, what?”

“I mean, you obviously know Ava really well, and you know that she is not only trying to save her business, but she’s also trying to find a date for the fall festival, which is one of the reasons why she decided to create that matchmaking service.

And I feel like you are putting yourself out there as if you’re interested.

I just hope that she’s not thinking that you’re going to go with her to the fall festival and that you are a potential long-lasting relationship, when we both know that all you care about is business. ”

“I care about more things than business, Jenna.”

“What do you care about other than making money?”

“I don’t appreciate your tone, and I don’t appreciate what you’re saying. I will tell you right now that I care about Ava and her happiness. And that’s why I’ve even thought about opening a small bookstore inside the hotel that she could manage.”

“What sort of bookstore are you going to put in the hotel?” She just stares at me. “If you want her to have the bookstore so badly, why don’t you just let her keep her bookstore?”

“Because she’s the key to everyone else selling. And most of these businesses are not profitable.” I shrug. “And her grandma is very influential.”

I stare at Jenna. “You know this information as well as I do. We were in the same briefing meeting before we got here, and that was before these names and people meant anything to me.”

“I would feel absolutely horrible if I were you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, Ava likes you. She thinks of you as a friend. For all I know, she thinks of you as more than that. And you’re betraying her.”

“I’m not betraying her. How dare you?”

“Where were you last night?”

“Maybe I was with her. Maybe it’s none of your business. Maybe I think that she’s great.”

“Okay, so you’re saying that you’re falling for her, then?”

“No, I am not falling for her. I mean, yes, I like her. Yes, she’s the fall queen.

Yes, she loves books, and yes, she loves baking.

And yes, she’s easy to talk to. And yes, she’s always sunny and funny.

And yes, she smiles at me even when she’s mad at me.

And she listens, and she hums show tunes and goofy little songs that I’ve never heard of before.

“And yes, she loves to kiss and touch and make love, and she surprises me in all those weird ways I never thought possible.”

I pause as Jenna raises an eyebrow.

“I’m just saying that I’ve learned a lot about her. And one of those facts is that she also sucks with money. She gives away things she shouldn’t give away. She does not have an eye for business. And that’s got nothing to do with me.”

“So then you are learning all these things about her because you think that getting to know her will make her fall for you.”

“I’m not trying to make her fall for me.”

“You’re not?” she says. “Really?”

“No. I’m not falling for her, and she’s not falling for me.”

“So let me get this right. You’re not making her fall in love with you and then sell you the building?”

“No!” I snap. “I would never do that. That’s manipulative and gross and goes against everything I stand for.”

“Wow.” She looks taken aback and then smirks slightly. “I think I get it.”

“What do you get?” I’m really annoyed now, and I don’t appreciate her line of speech.

“You’ve never snapped at me like that before.”

“Okay. I’m sorry if I’ve hurt your feelings. Please don’t go to HR to complain.”

“Oh, shut up, Theo. I’m just saying you’ve never acted like this with any other business acquisition we’ve had. Are you falling for her?”

“No.” My shoulders stiffen. “Of course not.”

“Then why do you know so much about her? Why are you spending so much time with her?”

“I’m observing her like a scientist. She’s like an insect under a microscope. I’m just trying to understand where she’s coming from, what’s in her brain, and what makes her tick.” I pause, annoyed. “So that she’ll capitulate and take our offer. I don’t know.”

I’m annoyed. I’m distracted. And maybe I’m in denial; I just don’t know.

I stare at Jenna for a few seconds and shake my head.

“Look, I don’t know what you want me to say here. I don’t know the conversation we’re meant to have. You’re not my therapist, and you’re not my boss. You work for me. So frankly, what I do is none of your business. And you’ve asked me some very personal questions.”

“Because this is personal, Theo. I just want to be the voice of reason here, because you’re playing with fire.

I know that many CEOs play dirty—I get that.

They don’t care who they hurt. But I don’t think you’re one of those men.

So when I see you establishing a relationship with someone you’re trying to do business with, someone who doesn’t know who you really are, it makes me nervous.

It makes me worried. It makes me nervous for them , and it makes me nervous for you .

“I’m just saying, Theo, maybe you need to figure out exactly what you want from Ava, and how important this deal really is to you.”

“She lives in Coconut Beach. And I live in New York City. It doesn’t matter.”

I stop as she shakes her head.

“You’re thinking small picture, Theo.”

“I’m thinking realistically.”

“Well, were you thinking realistically when you were with her last night?”

“Do you like me or something, Jen? Is this your way of telling me you’re jealous? What’s going on here?”

She bursts out laughing. “We both know I’m not interested in you like that. And frankly, I think it’s pitiful that you would even say that. You’re not my type.”

“I’m everybody’s type.”

“You’re a jerk. And that’s certainly not my type.”

“I’m not—fine. Maybe you know me better than others, but I’m not a jerk every day of the week.”

“No, you’re not. That’s why I don’t want you to hurt her. Because I don’t even know the girl as well as you do, and I think she’s lovely. It would break my heart if you betrayed her.”

“I would never do such a thing. It’s just fun. She knows it’s fun. And that is very separate. You can have business on one side and personal on the other. That’s how life works sometimes.”

“ Is it, though? ” she says. “Or is that just something you’re telling yourself so you don’t feel bad for what you’re doing?”

I press my lips together because I know she’s right.

If Ava knew who I was, she’d hate me. Especially considering the fact that we’d made love, and we’d woken up this morning in my bed, kissing and holding each other close.

Especially considering the fact that she’d told me she’d never felt like this before.

And I’d just stared at her, wanting to say it back, but I was unable to. She was too honest, too sweet, too real. I wasn’t used to someone being so open about everything they felt. I loved it, but I wasn’t used to it.

And I knew, deep down, that if she knew the truth about me, maybe she wouldn’t feel the same. Maybe she’d think I’d betrayed her. Maybe she’d think I was a liar. And maybe I’d agree with her.

I don’t know what that says about me. I’ve never thought of myself as a bad man before, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ve crossed the line.

I’m starting to wonder how I could get out of this and somehow manage to get everything I want.

Because I want Ava. But I also want this business deal to go through.

And if it comes down to having to choose one or the other, I honestly don’t know which one I would choose. Because as much as I like her, as much as she makes my heart soar, I’m not the sort of man who makes decisions based on emotions. I’m not the sort of man who is made for falling in love.

And I’m not the sort of man who could actually make Ava happy. Because I could never see myself in a quaint little town like this. And I could never see her in a big city like New York.