Entangled To The CEO

Tasha Then Rainer

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be descending into San Francisco International Airport soon.” The pilot’s announcement tore me from my head-in-the-clouds view.

It was still a shock to look around and find myself in first class. I lounged in a white leather seat with an array of menus in front of me.

I wiggled my toes in the complimentary slippers and took a sip of champagne. It felt sinfully wonderful to stretch out after all those years of flying coach.

“See? I knew you’d settle into this lifestyle,” Ivy said. She slipped into the wide seat next to me and signaled for a refill on champagne.

“Thanks for coming with me for the last leg,” I told Ivy. My friend flashed a glamorous smile.

“You’re welcome. It was a real hardship.” I glanced back out the airplane window and resisted the urge to pinch myself.

Not only was I flying in full luxury, but it was for work. My work.

“Now, before we land, I want you to take advantage of one more first class perk: the available businessmen,” Ivy said. She leaned closer and nodded towards a young man across the aisle ahead of us.

“I know for a fact that Mr. Gray Suit there is in advertising. As in he owns the largest advertising firm in the Midwest. I don’t know if you’re a snob about location.” I shoved Ivy with my shoulder.

“You know I’m not. Just like you know that I’m not in the market for a mile high hook-up.” Ivy sighed.

“I’m not trying to hook you up. I’m trying to help you find someone. A real match.” I leaned my head back in the comfortable seat.

“Can’t we talk about something else? Weren’t you supposed to teach me the finer aspects of caviar?”

“You want to change the subject? Big surprise.” Ivy sat up and raised her crystal champagne glass.

“Here’s to your outrageous success at work. Now that you’ve got your dream career, what else could you need?”

“A lot of people are happy just with their dream careers,” I said. “You’re right, and I love that, but you can also have it all,” Ivy said firmly. I shook my head.

“Watching my community building foundation go national is enough for me.” “For now,” Ivy said. I laughed at her heavy tone.

“At least until we hit the tarmac,” I compromised. While Ivy reviewed her contacts list for possible dates, I dug into my briefcase for the packet Topher had sent me.

Rainer’s old assistant was an amazing help. I’d been sad to let Amy go, but she assured me she was much happier pursuing a career in coffee preparation. I dumped the contents onto the spacious tray top in front of me.

Topher had sent all my mail because he knew I didn’t like to be idle on airplanes. I lifted the first envelope, and Ivy’s hand darted over to grab an elegant envelope.

My heart did a dive all the way to the distant ground. Had it finally happened? Had Rainer actually sent me an invitation to his wedding? I’d be dreading it for the last few months.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“It’s from the White House.” Ivy cooed over the gorgeous card stock and gold leaf embossment. She delicately opened it and grinned from ear to ear.

“You’ve been invited to the White House in order to speak about the core needs of communities and how we as a nation can build stronger communities.”

“Wow,” I said, but my voice came out shaky. The relief I felt after discovering it was not an invitation to Rainer’s wedding had left me weak. Ivy’s sharp eyes flew to my face.

“What did you think it would be?”

“Nothing. I’m just overwhelmed. That’s quite an honor.” I wiped my forehead. Ivy narrowed her eyes before going back to admiring the elegant invitation.

“It says you can bring a plus one. See? I knew there was a reason I was pushing you to start dating again.”

“Again?” I asked. “I never stopped.” My friend patted my arm.

“I know things were hectic after you left Hyperion, but you haven’t even been out for drinks since then.”

“I’ve been a little busy,” I said. Ivy wouldn’t let me off that easy.

“And now things are settling down. That’s why you invited me to join you in Chicago. Face it, Tasha, now that you have your dream job and your schedule is actually balanced, you have no excuse for not having fun.”

“We had fun in Chicago.”

“That’s was shopping,” Ivy said. “I’m talking about having wine with dinner. Meeting a man for drinks and seeing if it might go somewhere. I’d even settle for knowing you’d been out to brunch with someone halfway decent.” I laughed at Ivy’s frustration.

“I have fun. Getting a new wardrobe in Chicago was fun.”

“I know, I know, I shouldn’t try so hard to be a matchmaker. I just want everyone to be as happy as I am. You can’t fault me for that,” Ivy said.

“And I won’t. I appreciate it, Ivy, I really do. I’m just not ready to date right now.”

“Or have fun,” Ivy muttered. I leaned my head back against the seat and tried to think of the last time I had actually had fun. After Stan’s announcement, everything was a blur.

I’d seen Rainer here and there in the office, but we never got a chance to talk alone. I wondered if he was mad at me for accepting Stan’s offer and leaving everyone behind, but that didn’t seem like something he would do.

Still, he didn’t reach out to me, and the only conclusion I could reach was that he was moving on. With Ellison. I squeezed my eyes shut.

The last time I had fun was on Berger’s yacht when I knew Rainer was following me down the narrow hallway to that private cabin. It took everything I had to push that memory aside.

The rest of the flight was heavenly seeing as I was able to leave everything up to the first-class crew and Ivy.

A limousine was waiting to take me home, and though I cringed at the attention it garnered, I was glad when Ivy shut the door and waved my driver on.

One thing I was discovering as a businesswoman and rising CEO was how focused everyone still was on personal relationships.

I was turning out to be a very desirable bachelorette. That’s why, when the limousine stopped outside the quaint little white Victorian house on the hill, I had to stifle a groan.

My sister was stretching her sore back in the middle of the sidewalk but waved energetically when she saw me.

“What do you think?” Barbie called as I climbed out of the limousine. Only my sister could ignore the long, stylish car balanced precariously on the steep East Bay hill.

“I went with white and blue. Not too girly. Do you like it?” My limousine driver trotted over to help Barbie before she hefted a large flowering shrub. She laughed, pressing both hands to her belly, and then turned back to me.

“Welcome home.” I automatically glanced back down the hill where my little condominium was still nestled on the hillside.

I had moved all of four doors, but it was a big change.

Not only had my view improved to include three bridges and all of San Francisco, but I’d traded up for a five bedroom classic.

Barbie had raved about the bay windows and built-in window seats, the crown molding and the hand-carved banister up the polished stairs.

But I had bought it for the garden. Months after Hyperion had been sold, the only solace I had found was digging in the garden.

The white Victorian boasted an acre-sized lot broken into graceful terraces, and even a small orchard row. I had slowly been filling in the rolling garden beds, but Barbie had done wonders.

“I love it,” I told my sister. She rolled up her sleeves.

“Good,” she said. “Now, let’s talk about the interior.”

“Can I at least unpack first?” I asked. My limousine driver jumped to collect my bags and bring them inside. Barbie eyed my slim suitcase.

“You know you don’t even have a dresser yet, right?”

“So, it’s a little sparse inside. I just haven’t had time to buy new furniture,” I said.

“And maybe you’re just waiting.” Barbie followed me closely up the front steps.

“Furniture is a big decision.” My sister was right. I was hesitating because every time I went to look at furniture all I could think about was what Rainer would look like lounging on it.

“Actually, it’s such a nice day, why don’t we sit out here and work on the garden some more?” I asked.

Barbie waddled ahead to show me what she’d been working on. One garden bed was completely jam-packed with wildflowers.

“I mixed the colors so you can just cut a bunch and bring them inside.” She had plans to add fragrant plants to each bed, letting the scents blend before they breezed in my front windows.

Then Barbie showed me the sunny spot where she envisioned a raised garden bed for vegetables. “I was thinking a window box full of herbs would be nice right outside the kitchen,” I said.

Barbie heaved her rounded frame into the bushes outside the kitchen and pulled out a measuring tape. I started to laugh but ended up just admiring my beautiful sister.

No matter what she was doing, Barbie always had a contented and settled look to her smile. She knew what she wanted and appreciated what she had.

I had been pouring everything I had into work, and I still didn’t have the air of satisfaction that my big sister did. I stepped back into the sunshine and took in my heirloom house and blooming garden.

The idea of a house-warming party jumped into my head, and as Barbie measured for a window box, I imagined what it would be like to host my friends and colleagues.

Rainer would walk through the front gate and his head would brush the wisteria.

He would see me, and we’d embrace, normal for two close co-workers, but I would take an extra second to smell the flowers mixed with his cologne.

“Please tell me you’re not planning a presentation,” Barbie said. I helped her back onto level ground.

“No. But I was thinking about a house-warming party. I mean, I know it’s not the big flashy mansion that most of my colleagues have, but it’s a real historical gem.”

“Would you invite everyone from Hyperion?” Barbie asked.

“It would be nice to see that Rainer again.” I stiffened as if a bee had stung me. “Why do you say that?” Barbie smiled at me.

“He’s a handsome guy. A girl can look. Even pregnant ones.”

“Don’t tease me, Barbie,” I wailed. “Ivy’s already done enough of that.”

“She teases you about Rainer too?” Barbie asked. I threw my hands up in the air. “Why do you keep bringing up Rainer?” I asked.

“Why does it keep bothering you?” Barbie asked. I stomped back to the front steps.

“What, are we in junior high school again?”

“She teases you about Rainer too?” Barbie asked. I threw my hands up in the air.

“Why do you keep bringing up Rainer?” I asked. “Why does it keep bothering you?” Barbie asked. I stomped back to the front steps.

“What, are we in junior high school again?” Barbie looked down at her rounded belly.

“Thank God we’re not.” I plopped down on the front steps and glared up at her.

“I’m sick of matchmakers,” I said. My sister put her fists where her waist used to be and laughed.

“Tasha, when are you going to realize that you can’t fool me? All of your so-called problems stem from the same thing, and it’s time you admitted it.”

“What problems?” I asked. “The blank slate inside, the belief that you’ll never be content; it all comes from the same place,” Barbie said.

“Fine,” I groaned. “Just tell me. What is the root of all my problems?”