The Do-Over(65)

I’d been lost in my thoughts and when I returned to the popping sounds of our sweaty bodies, my legs sliding off his, Wes was smiling up at me.

Smiling back, “What?” I asked.

“You’re finally mine.”

The truth was, I was his about three hours into a conversation more than a decade before, the night I met the man it was clear I was destined to meet.

“Finally,” I whispered.



“Mom.” Scarlett broke my reverie and I jumped. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Holding my heart and breathing hard, “Oh gosh, I didn’t hear you come out here.”

Sitting down on the chaise next to me, she clutched her cell phone tightly and let out a big sigh.

“What’s up, sweetie? Is everything okay?” I sat up in my chair as there was clearly something she wanted to tell me.

“I just got a text from Wes.” I could see her trepidation as she waited for my response.

“Oh really? What did it say?”

Scarlett handed me her phone.

Saw your name on the guest list for the fundraiser.





Made my day.


Can’t wait to see you again.

Save the last dance for me.

I smiled at the message. I could now take the What if Wes treats Scarlett badly off the table. His message to her was very sweet.

“That’s nice.” Smiling, I handed the phone back.

“You’re okay with it?” Scarlett’s loyalty and protectiveness were coming through.

“Of course I am, baby. What’s going on between me and Wes is our deal to work out or not work out. But the two of you really like each other and I’m glad he’s not letting our stuff get in the way of that.”

“But Mom, he hurt you. Like really bad. I’ve like literally never seen you so upset, not even over Dad and I’m like really mad at Wes about that.”

“I understand. Sometimes people hurt each other unintentionally and things snowball and other factors get in the way and just make a bad situation worse. Well, I think that’s what happened with us.”

“Are you going to be okay seeing him?”

I thought for a moment before answering. The reality was probably not. My heart was going to burst the minute I laid eyes on the man. But this was a business function for me, a work event and the onus was on me to conduct myself as a professional and that is exactly what I was going to do.

“Yeah. I’m going to be just fine. And I’m going to look so damn hot he’s going to be drooling.” The minute those words were out of my mouth, I said a silent prayer that he did not have a plus one who was a date.

“Are you wearing that silver beaded gown?” Scarlett had a conspiratorial smile.

“I sure am.” I smiled back.

Throwing her head back with laughter, “He’s like literally so screwed, Mom. You are so right. He will be drooling. Dude’s not gonna know what hit him.”

“Good,” I laughed and fist-bumped my daughter.

“Love it.” She nodded her head and I could see her mind racing.



“This is like literally so cool, bro.” Scarlett said to Laynie in the back of our stretch limo.

“It’s impossible to drive in gowns. This is the only way to travel.” She sipped from her champagne flute, looking elegant in a sheer and beaded crimson dress that left very little to the imagination.

“Will my videos be shown tonight?” Jill asked. She had been involved in two of the videos: one PSA and then her personal story for their website profiles.

Shaking my head, “I have no idea what’s on the program for tonight. I’m assuming we’ll see all the PSAs throughout the evening, but I don’t know about the website videos. Once my part was done, I handed it off to Jamie and I don’t think even he was involved with any of the planning for tonight.”

As we pulled up in the long line of limos in front of the Waldorf-Astoria, waiting to drop guests off, Laynie commented, “A white-tie gala at the Waldorf. This has got to be costing Wes a pretty penny.”

“I’m sure it is. But they will raise a lot of money tonight and if our PSAs do the job I hope they’ll do, they will touch people enough to reach deep into their wallets.” I said, as our limo inched up to the entrance and I could feel my heart begin to beat quicker.

What if…

The ride up in the Ballroom Elevators had me taking deep breaths in through my nose and slowly exhaling through my mouth in an effort to calm my nerves. Standing tall next to me, I could tell my beautiful daughter was feeling very adult-like in her gown attending this chic New York City event. The elevator’s carved nickel doors opened to the third floor’s ornate Silver Corridor. This was it. The event for which we’d been hired to create the PSAs, C-Kickers’ Kick Breast Cancer to the Curb Gala.

“Oh my God,” Jill’s hand flew to her mouth. Three steps out of the elevator we were greeted by a life-sized cut-out of Jill wearing brightly colored C-Kicker workout gear and the quote, “I may be little, but I’m fierce and I’ve made it my mission to kick cancer’s butt.” And then there were instructions to watch Jill’s video and make a donation via the touchscreen computer monitor set-up on a table next to Cardboard Jill.

Immediately, we rushed over to check it out.