It felt like James was pulling away from her.
ChapterOne
Present Day
“Lenora, I don’t want to change my color scheme and to be honest, adding orange will only throw off the theme entirely. Jennifer said she’d already spoke to you about this.” Rory pinched the bridge of her nose and rested the back of her head against the wall. Her eyes were tightly shut, her brows drawn together in exasperation. She could feel a headache coming on as she tried to reason with the obstinate woman at the other end of the call. The only thing left for her to do was huff in annoyance at how difficult the woman was being.
“I thought you were okay with me offering input in this wedding. After all, it’s my one and only son’s first nuptials.”
Rory’s eyes flew open, only so she could roll them in irritation.
Lenora continued, “As much as I wanted the wedding to take place here, it’s not, and I have come to terms with it. I would therefore expect a little bit more gratitude. Yet, it feels like you’re bent on excluding me and my ideas even though I have taken into consideration your situation and Richard and I have chosen to take care of everything, foregoing the tradition where the bride’s parents pay for the wedding.”
Rory felt like screaming at the woman in that instant. Instead, she turned and bumped her forehead against the wall with enough strength to feel the impact but not enough to hurt. She wished she didn’t have to wait another couple of months before she could get her hands on the inheritance left to her. Then she wouldn’t have to take Lenora’s snide comments and her always throwing the fact that she and her husband were the ones paying for the wedding.
“All right, Lenora, if you think orange should be a part of the wedding, we’ll find a way to incorporate it,” she conceded. She was tired of the back and forth, and it was already decided that she would not win against the woman.
“Perfect,” her mother-in-law replied, satisfied.
“I’m sorry. I have to go now. I have to mark some worksheets and prepare for my lesson tomorrow,” she said, her tone dismissive.
“No worries, we’ll speak more about the other changes I think you should make in the week,” Lenora replied cheerily.
Rory grimaced. “Okay, bye Lenora.”
“Bye, dear.”
Rory released a long, exaggerated sigh the minute she disconnected the call. It felt like she’d just gotten out of the ring with a heavyweight boxing champion. She sauntered across the hardwood, cherry-stained floor of the living room to station herself at the floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the luxury apartment. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the panoramic view of the city’s urban landscape. From her vantage point, she could see the summits of Twin Peaks, the dome of City Hall and the skyscrapers of the financial district that permeated the skyline. The orange-pink hue dancing across the horizon made it even more spectacular as the sun set just beyond the bay, casting the buildings into more colorful but shadowy shades.
She wondered what time James would be getting in. He’d already been on an unpredictable schedule over the past month, which saw him getting in even later as time progressed. After heaving another long sigh, she crossed over to the kitchen island, where her work for the evening was already out. Three hours later, she was finished, but James still wasn’t home. Packing up her things, she headed for the ensuite bathroom in their bedroom and ran herself a bath.
Rory heaved a sigh of relief as she submerged herself in the welcoming warmth of the water, the foamy bubbles settling over her. She rested her head against the tub’s edge as she became more relaxed. She could already feel the tingling from the essential oils she’d added, and the tight muscles in her shoulders and arms had begun to unwind. She spent the next twenty minutes doing nothing but focusing on her breathing as the warm water performed its magic.
Her mind switched to James. She wished her fiancé was here to share this moment with her. She missed him. It was as if something had shifted in him after their last dinner with his parents. He was different somehow, and it was affecting their intimacy. For the umpteenth time, the niggling doubt in the back of her mind surfaced. Shaking her head to dispel the thought, she released a heavy breath as she pulled herself up out of the water. After securing the towel around her, she pulled the plug to release the water and made her way into the bedroom. After donning her pajamas, she exited the room.
“You’re home,” she spoke, surprised to find James posted by the glass-paneled wall.
James inclined his head in her direction. “Hey,” he greeted, a barely there smile turning up the corners of his lips.
“Hey,” Rory returned, her voice just above a whisper. “Did you just get in?” she asked, heading for the kitchen just at the other corner of the open floor plan of the space. “I was in the bath for about half-hour,” she tacked on, opening the refrigerator, and removing the dish in saran wrap.
“I just got in a few minutes ago,” he revealed, still stationed by the wall.
“I made chicken lasagna,” she lifted off the wrap to place the dish in the microwave.
“I’m not hungry. I ate at the office,” James replied.
“Oh…okay.” Rory couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.
“I’ll just take it for lunch tomorrow,” James added.
“That’s okay. I know you’ve been busy. I should have expected that you would have eaten already.” She mustered a smile. It felt more like a grimace. She wondered what it looked like to him.
She took a seat by the island. Her gaze remained fixed on her clasped hands until she heard the movement of the chair on the opposite side of her. She looked up as James took a seat. His expression looked troubled.
“How was your day?” she asked.
“Busy,” he answered, his blue gaze cutting away from her.
