CHAPTER ONE
Blood! That was exactly what this waitress was going to see running down her nose after I punched her, because she was either daft or just trying to get on my nerves.
"For the last time, ABIGAIL," I emphasized the name on her tag to make my point. "I ordered iced tea and cookies, not coffee. Just get me the iced tea and cookies so I can get out of here while we're both still young, okay?" I said okay like I was talking to a child, because clearly she had the brain of one. Mind you, even children today were smarter and better with simple orders.
"First off, I'm young and you're not. Oh, and also, I'm not getting you iced tea and those damn cookies, because if I do, who would pay for the coffee, hmm?"
This stupid girl did not just call me old.
"I don't care about who is going to pay, because it's definitely not me." Now, paying for coffee was something I could have easily done, but someone needed to teach this girl a lesson. Besides, I had a feeling I wasn't going to get my iced tea or my cookies regardless.
I was just about to drill some sense into her head when my phone rang, clearly my cue to leave and probably never return to this shop.
"Hello?" I answered.
My assistant's voice immediately cut through. "I have big news. We might have just hit our biggest gig yet."
Biggest gig? I was confused. I knew Lily, and she didn't just throw words like that around.
"Lily, what are you talking about?"
"Just come to the office and you'll find out."
"I—"
Before I could question her further, I heard the beep indicating the call had ended. She was going to hear from me when I got to the office.
It hadn't been long since I started my business. Real ones knew interior design had been my thing since forever, not because of the money or whatever other reason people had these days, but because there was a fulfillment that came with knowing you contributed a little part to that family's house, their home, their life. Well, unless, of course, it went sideways.
I remembered how my mom and I would paint and plan out various designs for our house. The joy we had doing that. The joy my dad had coming home and calling us out: "My girls were at it again, huh?" Just beautiful. Nothing more, nothing less.
The smile on my face only grew wider when I entered the office and everyone was buzzing with what I could only call excitement.
---
"What!" was the only thing I could say after the news I had just received.
Lily continued to stare at me, most definitely expecting me to reply with more words than I actually did. But you couldn't truly expect one to say much after they had just been told that the one and only Mr. Kingston, CEO of Kingston Groups and Companies, wanted their company to be interior designers for his new project.
He was well known for his taste and preferences, a successful businessman who owned various hotels and restaurants in the country and beyond. His hotels were renowned not only because reservations were hard to come by, but also because one had to check their budget at least five times to be able to afford them.
"Why us? Don't get me wrong, I'm over the moon, but there is a need to ask this."
"Well, he saw the work we did for the café and the other projects we had undertaken, and he decided we were the right people for the job, I guess."
Oh my days. Never in a million years would I have dreamt about this. This company started a few years ago, and although we had become a reputable name when it came to interior design, there were still people who doubted our abilities. So for a company as big as this to want us? I was stunned.
"Okay, what are the additional details of this project, Lily?"
"Well, the project is based in Oregon. Well, not exactly, but Costa Rica. We would just meet the rest of the team there. I mean the architect and..."
The words that followed became a blur to me, because that one mention of that one state wasn't what I expected. Of all the places... No, I couldn't accept this deal. I wasn't prepared. I mean, what if I saw him?
"Are you listening at all?" Lily snapped her fingers, quite literally in my face and that brought me out of my spiral.
"Yes, I am. I'm going to call it a day, you know, prepare and all that."
I was already up and packing, not even waiting for her to respond.
I sat in my car and drove to the one place, the one person I knew I could vent to.
