Later that morning, Georgia stood at the large desk in the middle of the office area, as she waited for her private office to be entirely clean.
"Everything is cleaned up now," Rachel's voice called out. "It only took me half the night, but I did it."
Georgia saw Rachel standing across the room. "That was kind of you to do that. I'll have to pay you back sometime."
"I'll remember that," Rachel replied, as Georgia watched Rachel smile at her and then walk away.
'I wonder if Trey is in yet,' Georgia wondered. As she began to walk toward his office, which used to be Kevin's, she felt someone place their hands on her hips and give her a kiss on the cheek. She was horrified at first, but quickly spun around and laughed, as she came face to face with James.
"Did I surprise you?" James wanted to know.
"Yes, you did," Georgia informed him. "But, it was a pleasant surprise. I thought it was Trey."
James looked alarmed. "Why would Trey do what I just did?"
Georgia remembered how flirtatious Trey could be at times. "No reason," she replied with a laugh, to get off the topic. "Where you this morning? I woke up and you weren't next to me nor were you anywhere else in the penthouse."
"I have a little surprise for you," James let her know. "Remember how I said that we should turn in early last night? Well, I had to get up and be an early bird for something."
"Well, I don't think it was to catch the worm," Georgia replied with a smile. "So, what was it?"
"How was your morning first?" James asked her.
Georgia remembered her run-in with Vivian, Frankie and Lalie at the post office. "It was quite unusual," she vaguely replied. "It was good after the initial shock wore off after I didn't find you next to me."
"I'm sorry if I scared you," James apologized. "Are you ready for my surprise?"
"Bring it on!" Georgia urged, as James led her upstairs to the penthouse.
"Surprise!" Georgia heard familiar voices shout, as James opened the door. She walked in to find her sister, Savannah, and her mother, Marietta, standing before her with smiles on their faces. Her father, Grant, came out of the kitchen and stood next to his wife.
"Oh, I've missed you so much!" Georgia exclaimed, as she ran over and embraced her family members, even her father… though, she had already seen him since he had arrived in town a few days earlier.
"Georgia, is that a new fragrance?" Savannah wanted to know. "I don't remember sampling that scent at my perfume club meeting."
Georgia shook her head at her and laughed slightly. "Savannah, dear, if not being up to date on the latest perfume is the worst thing that happens to you, then you're pretty well set!"
"We are so excited to be here for the wedding, Georgia," Marietta spoke up. "I adore what you've done to this penthouse. The last time I was here was when… actually, was I ever here, Grant?"
"No, darling," Grant answered, as Georgia thought about the invitations.
"Now you're not going to get my invitations since you're not at home," Georgia lamented.
"We're sure that they were enthralling, but your father called us the other day and here we are," Marietta explained.
"I picked them up from the airport this morning," James told Georgia.
"So, that's where you were!" Georgia realized. "Well, I'm glad that you're here."
"We weren't busy, so we just thought-" Savannah began.
"Savannah, are you ever busy?" Georgia questioned, cutting her off abruptly, in a joking manner.
"Well, I have my manicure every two Wednesdays," Savannah informed her.
"I see you didn't take my advice about getting a job after I left town!" Georgia exclaimed, not surprised by her actions.
"Georgia, I had no idea that you told Savannah that," Marietta cut in. "Savannah, why didn't you do as your sister told?"
"I don't know," Savannah replied, nonchalantly. "I'm here to help now, as long as I don't break out a sweat. You know how much I hate that. Is there anything you want me to do, Georgia?"
"Well, I guess that rules out moving my furniture up and down the stairs," Georgia teased, as she looked at Savannah's stunned reaction. "No, Savannah, everything seems under control. Now, we're just waiting for Saturday. Nothing will ruin it now."
Trey stood in the doorway of the penthouse and noticed who was there. "Caldwell family reunion?" he called out, as he watched everyone turn to him, especially Grant, who seemed to run over to him.
"Leave!" Grant ordered, a look of rage in his eyes.
"It's okay, father," Savannah's voice called out, as Trey watched her walk up to them. "I know all about it and I am absolutely livid."
Trey and Grant were both equally taken aback by her statement. What exactly did she know?
"Savannah, what do you know?" Grant demanded to know.
Savannah seemed surprised by his tone. "Just that Trey has done everything in his power to work here," she explained. "Trey, what you did in Minnesota was loathsome. You should be embarrassed to be begging my family for your job back."
Trey sucked in his breath, as he looked at Savannah for a moment, and then glanced over at Grant. "It was all worth it," he noted.
Georgia watched Trey, Savannah and Grant by the door, and then turned to look at James and her mother.
"He's nothing but trouble," Marietta muttered. "How can you stand working with him, Georgia? The thought makes my skin crawl."
"You know that Trey and I have always had a strange relationship," Georgia explained. "I can handle him, and I know how to push his buttons if I have to."
"Just don't let him unbutton your buttons, Georgia," Marietta suggested.
"Marietta," James chimed in. "Georgia's getting married to me. Remember?"
"I know, darling, it's just that I know how relentless Trey can be," Marietta justified her statement.
"Mother, nothing like that would ever happen," Georgia assured her. "I'm relentless, too. James can attest to that," she continued, as she glared over at Trey. "Nobody will get away with trying to hurt my family. Nobody."
Trey's eyes met with Georgia's across the room, and noticed as Georgia quickly turned back to James and Marietta.
"I came to speak with Georgia, would you mind unblocking the doorway?" Trey requested.
"Can't you see that we're in the middle of something?" Grant asked him in an angry tone. "You can see Georgia downstairs later."
"Much later," Savannah added.
Trey felt Grant push him back out into the hall, and the brown door met his face with a thundering sound. He didn't bother knocking again, as he figured he'd just handle Darryl Lake, who was waiting in Georgia's office, by himself.
Vivian took a deep breath and forced a smile as she sat down in front of Kevin, who looked like he was half-asleep.
"Thanks for meeting me here on such short notice," Vivian told him, as she looked at his expressionless face. "Do you want your donut?" she asked him, but didn't get an answer. "How about some coffee?" she wanted to know, only to get no answer. "Why do I get the feeling I'm having a one-sided conversation?" she muttered, as she reached over and shook Kevin's arm. "Wake up!"
"Mom," Kevin finally came to. "I didn't get to bed until four, and then you call me at nine. I'm sorry if I'm not alert."
Vivian took a sip of her coffee as she watched him do the same. Perhaps, it would be best to tell him her confession as he was in such a groggy state. "Kevin," she began, softly. "There's something that I have to tell you."
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"
"You probably should," Vivian figured, thinking that if Kevin found out that she lied to him again from someone else, that he'd hate her even more. "I lied to you."
Kevin blinked a few times. "What else is new?"
Vivian pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth, as she tried to begin her explanation. "I know you told me that if James and Georgia invite Lalie to the wedding, that it would be okay with you," she began. "Kevin, I saw the way you looked when you said that."
"Oh, no," Kevin muttered, putting his hands over his ears. It was as if he didn't want to hear where this was going.
"I know you needed my assistance, so I, once again, took it upon myself to help!" Vivian exclaimed. "I told Lalie that if she does get invited and tries to attend, that I wouldn't let her anywhere near the ceremony."
"Why did you?" Kevin demanded to know. "Did she get invited?"
Vivian decided not to tell him that Lalie did get invited because of Vivian's error, and how she hired Frankie to get the invitation out of the mailbox. "Probably not," she cautiously replied. "I just knew that if Lalie told you what I said, then you'd be even angrier at me than you already were, and I couldn't stomach that. Not again."
"Thank you for being honest," Kevin replied. "I still don't like what you did, though."
"Her beau was there," Vivian mentioned, knowing that would get him angry. "Taking out the trash."
"Oh, I can't believe her!" Kevin shouted.
"See, you don't want to see her!" Vivian pointed out.
"Maybe not, but she still shouldn't be blackmailed like that!" Kevin shouted.
"There was no blackmail going on," Vivian let him know. "Just a true display of emotions," she continued. "Now, are you all set for Saturday?"
"I guess so," Kevin replied in a careless tone.
"Well, you better KNOW so soon!" Vivian demanded. "My son is getting married to a Caldwell… in my house. We have to make an image. And I'll be sure it's one that the guests will never forget!"
Later that afternoon, Frankie rolled up along the curb and stopped a few houses away from Lalie's. The mailman was finally coming up the block. It had took him long enough. Frankie had circulated the block at least eleven times looking for him!
Lalie turned off the television and looked at Phil in thought.
"What's on your mind?" Phil questioned.
Lalie gave him a surprised look. "How do you know something is on my mind?"
"I know that look," Phil informed her. "So, tell me what it is."
Lalie sighed before answering. "The wedding invitations."
Phil hung his head. "Are we back to that?" he wanted to know. "That's all you talked about all night."
"And now I'm thinking about it again since Vivian was trusted with those invitations," Lalie muttered. "I just get the feeling that something is wrong," she continued, as she got up and looked out the window. "I wish that mail would hurry up and get here already," she eagerly awaited, as the phone rang. "Oh!" she exclaimed.
"I'll be on watch for the mail," Phil informed her. "You go answer the phone."
"I love you!" Lalie whispered, as she walked over to the phone and picked it up.
Frankie slowly walked up the sidewalk, as she saw the mailman put the mail in Lalie's mailbox.
Lalie's house looked still. Maybe no one was home, although the car was on the driveway.
She walked up the path and quickly looked at the window and door to make sure there was no movement. She eyed the mailbox for a moment, and opened the top.
As she reached into the mailbox, she felt a man's hand latch onto her wrist. She widened her eyes and began to panic, as her eyes slowly traveled up the man's arm and continued to go up until her eyes met the man's face.
"Hello, Frankie," Phil greeted. "What have we here?"
Frankie dropped her jaw, as she felt Phil tighten the grasp on her wrist, before relieving it. "Would you believe me if I told you that I was trying to be a friendly neighbor by getting the mail for a friend?"
"No," Phil replied, matter-of-factly. "I may be new to the neighborhood, but I'm not stupid!"
"Frankie?" she heard Lalie's voice ask. "What the hell are you doing with your hand in my mailbox?"
Frankie removed her hand, as she looked like a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar. Only, this time, it was caught in the mailbox.
Chapter 25
Non-Nsync Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email Tracia