The Height Of Happiness

Edward waltzed up behind them, chuckling, “I think you being gay gets in the way of that plan, Patrick.”

Patrick scoffed, “I’ve always been flexible.”

Serena’s heart fell as she turned to look at him. Edward took a lemon tart off his friend and colleague’s glass plate before smiling down at Serena. They hadn’t laid eyes on each other since she’d yelled at him in the hallway. After spending all day avoiding him, it seemed that their meeting had been inevitable.

 “I’ve been trying to speak with you all day, Serena Beauchene. Someone with a paranoid mind would argue that you’re avoiding me, but I know you’re a busy woman.”

Serena sighed, “Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Daphne laughed once and then said, “You know of our interest then? Eddie dear, I was hoping that we could all sit down together. You always have jumped the gun, so to speak. I hope you haven’t scared her out of consideration.”

Serena turned to Daphne. Somehow she’d struck a nerve inside the corner of Serena’s soul. Her insolence in assuming Serena could ever be persuaded made her mad, but what put her over the edge was the way she spoke Edward’s name. “Eddie” wasn’t Serena’s to be possessive over, but at the same time Serena knew this Daphne woman didn’t use her words unintentionally. Serena had sensed it as soon as they’d first exchanged glances. Daphne was testing her.

The woman matched Serena’s height in the strappy heels she wore, meaning that Serena was able to stare her foe down as she spoke. Her face remained blank, but Serena wanted her words to cut into the incorrigible business woman.

“If you must know, I knew exactly what you wanted when I saw your names on the registry, and as I said to your employer here, I will never part with my business.”

“Even if we buy out another and just beat you out? Will you sell then?”

Serena looked at the woman who now smiled at her own threat. She wanted to see Serena squirm, but no Beauchene had ever bent to such a bully. Serena wasn’t about to be the first.

“I have no competitors. I am on my own level, and while you’re my guests I hope you can see that the only person who will ever make this place a success is me. Every detail of this vineyard, the inn, and even this party have been looked after by me. No amount of money forced into this place could replace what I know.”

“Which is?”

Serena looked at Edward then with hate in heart for the man she once dreamt of night after night. Now, he’d brought this snake into her grass, and Serena could only blame him for Daphne’s presence. Their eyes met, and for a moment the pull of Edward’s electric green gaze softened Serena. However, it didn’t stop her.

“I know his soul.”

Serena turned away, knowing the event was dwindling down and she could use the moment to make a dramatic exit. Using the service halls through the barn, she made her escape. Coming out into the quiet she found a few cases of wine stacked against the brick wall. The kitchens for the grounds were in the distance, and everything was quiet from where Serena stood, but she could gaze upon the party as if it existed in a fishbowl.

“I was bringing you a peace offering, you know.” Serena turned to see Edward had followed her. Two glasses balanced in one of his hands, and a high-end bottle of champagne was clutched in the other. “It’s my way of apologizing for the… surprise.”

“For what?” Serena scowled at him. “The shock of your arrival or the shock I had when I realized what a fool I’d been ever liking you?”

Edward suddenly looked angry. It boiled just beneath the surface, but as he relaxed his shoulders Serena could see his refusal to erupt. Fixing his own tie, he sighed heavily and let his own facade fall. All that was left seemed in Serena’s mind to be disappointment.

“Did you know I stayed up half the night waiting for you? I sat there hoping and hoping like a young fool, as you say, until I finally fell asleep from exhaustion.When I woke up those few hours later and the sunlight hit my face like a hard slap of reality, I was honestly heartbroken.”

“You got me some drinks, so you had an expectation of s*x?” Serena interjected.

“No! I would never do that. I just thought we were… getting along. It seems I was in for a rude awakening. I knew you were boarding a flight somewhere, and I thought I would never see you again. My colleague Daphne suggested the offer to buy you out as a way to bring our own company into the Southern United States, and the board loved it. I’d just wanted them to try the wine and see if we could make our own version of it for mass market. I thought it would be a good excuse to find you again, but business got in the way.”

“So you don’t want to buy me?”

“Not exactly, but it makes the most sense to just buy this place over attempting to duplicate the product. I have to do right by them if I can. What I mean to impress upon you Serena Beauchene is that while I did hide who I was, you weren’t the only one hurt from whatever this is between us. I have my own scars too.”

Serena bit her lip, “That just wasn’t me. I’ve never done anything like that in my life, and I didn’t know you. I find it important to know someone when…. I’m a proud person Edward. I didn’t want to be tricked by a fantasy, so I think I may have made you l foolish in the process of protecting myself. I apologize for that.”

He sighed, “Oh, you don’t need to apologize. I think my ego deserves a bit of bruising. After all, I think you might be the first woman to leave me hanging like that. At the very least it was refreshing.”

Serena couldn’t help but scoff as the comment and add, “How many women have you pulled that move on?”

Unashamed Edward admitted, “I’ve passed my room key to enough women to know how to do it without looking like a creep. Like I said, it’s typically a surefire shot for me.”