Choices of the Heart Read online

  Megan elbowed Tiffany in the side. “Not that dip; the other dip.” Her eyes bounced not-so-subtly towards the kitchen.

  “Oh, yeah. Right, the other dip.” Tiffany nodded her head, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

  Lauren could hear the pair giggling as they whispered to each other on their way to the kitchen. A flush of warmth began to spread over her cheeks.

  “Megan’s sort of obsessed with fixing your love life isn’t she?” Andrew, who had been watching the two sisters pretending not to notice exactly what they were doing, laughed good-naturedly. His deep, friendly chuckle did nothing to cool Lauren’s cheeks, but she rolled her eyes in good humor.

  “Obsessed might be a little strong. Driven sounds better,” she replied.

  Andrew studied her for a second. “It must be nice to be raised in a family that looks out for each other.”

  Lauren smiled. “We have our moments, but for the most part we’re really close. Well, maybe except for Katie.”

  “Katie?” Andrew raised an eyebrow.

  “She’s the youngest but she’s not here tonight.” Lauren also wanted to say “the most rebellious,” but she bit her tongue. There was no reason to air her sister’s dirty laundry in front of a complete stranger.

  “Well, maybe I’ll meet her sometime in the future,” Andrew said.

  Lauren gave him a smile, changing the subject, “So, tell me more about your restaurant. What kind is it?”

  “Well, I love to cook Italian so I’m trying to buy an Italian restaurant,” He answered, taking another sip of his water.

  “What a coincidence!” Lauren’s jaw dropped. “Me too! Where at?”

  “Newport Beach.”

  Lauren hesitated. The smile faded from her lips. “What’s it called?”

  Andrew’s face lit up at her interest. “Emilia’s Ristorante, why?”

  Lauren pursed her lips and remained silent. His words landed like a slap across her face. Her competition had unknowingly revealed himself. But instead of letting him know, she would keep quiet and put the knowledge to her advantage. She could feel her body begin to tense. An ache began to form in the pit of her stomach.

  Why did he have to be so good looking?

  She fought her attraction to him. Her goal of owning Emilia’s was too important to sacrifice. She wouldn’t give this stranger a chance to steal her dream. She needed a plan of action to outwit her competition.

  Don’t do it! You’re ruining your chance of getting to know Mister Right.

  “Emilia’s? That sounds like such a romantic restaurant.” Lauren gave him a forced smile.

  “Oh yes, it’s the perfect place by the beach. If I get the place, I’d be happy to have you stop by for dinner sometime.” Andrew smiled back.

  Are you willing to risk losing a potential soul mate?

  Lauren ignored the voice in her head. “I don’t want to get personal, but would you mind sharing with me how much you’re buying the place for?”

  Andrew gave her a quizzical look. “Of course not. I’m offering $490,000 for it.”

  Lauren’s eyes widened. She let out a faint gasp. The guy had outbid her by fifty thousand dollars. Indignation began to rise up within. She wanted to speak her mind so badly, to tell him he had no right to steal her childhood dream away, that he needed to find another restaurant. But instead, she exhaled and bit her tongue.

  “Everything okay?” Andrew placed his hand on her shoulder, noticing her odd behavior.

  She could feel the heat of his hand on her body. But instead of a reassuring warmth, she only felt tension. She clenched her teeth and forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine. Why?” For a second, she wished she had chosen Drama over Cooking in high school for the first time in her life.

  “You seem kind of tense.”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped. “You’ll have to excuse me. I promised to help Megan in the kitchen.” She turned and made her way toward the kitchen.

  “Maybe I can help.” Andrew began to follow her.

  Lauren held up her hand. “Thanks for the offer, but I think we can handle it.”

  With that, she marched into the kitchen, leaving Andrew behind with a look of stunned confusion.

  Chapter 4

  “What’s wrong now?” Megan set the bag of chips she was holding down on the counter as Lauren stormed into the kitchen. She knew that look on her sister’s face.

  “I can’t believe this is happening!” Lauren cried through clenched teeth.

  “What is?” Tiffany asked, exchanging a glance with Megan.

  “That friend of yours, Andrew. You know that perfect Italian restaurant I’m trying to buy? He’s trying to steal it away from me!”

  Tiffany finished loading the shrimp cocktail platter. “Lulu, aren’t you exaggerating a little?”

  “I’m serious. He already outbid me for the place.”

  “Did you tell him you’re also trying to buy it?” Megan asked, studying her sister’s face.

  Lauren shook her head. “I’m not giving away any information that could risk me losing that restaurant.”

  “You’re being a little obsessed, aren’t you? It’s just a restaurant,” Tiffany looked at her sister, concern showing in her eyes. She wanted her sister to succeed in fulfilling her dream, but blowing things out of proportion wasn’t going to help anything in this situation.

  “You don’t get it. It’s not the restaurant I care most about. It’s a place for all of us to hang out, to build memories as a family...” Lauren trailed off. The ache in her stomach hadn’t left.

  “So what are you going to do?” Megan asked.

  “I need to beat his offer. I’m fifty thousand dollars short. My broker says I need a partner to make it happen. What do you two say to joining me as silent partners on this restaurant?”

  Tiffany raised her eyebrows. Megan ran her fingers through her shoulder-length blonde hair. “Gee, I never thought about being an entrepreneur. Organizing weddings is my specialty.”

  “Come on, Megan, it’ll be fun, just like the good ol’ days growing up! Remember how we used to do everything together as sisters?” Lauren was desperate, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized owning the business with one or two of her sisters would be kind of fun, even if it wasn’t what she had originally had in mind.

  “Of course I do. But you’re talking about buying a restaurant. It’s a lot of work.” Megan loved her sister and for her to be happy, but she wasn’t sure if she had thought this through enough.

  “You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Lauren encouraged. “I’ll be the one to handle the day-to-day operations. You just get a percentage of the profits each month. Besides, it’ll be the perfect tax deduction.” She paused, silently begging her sister with her eyes. “What do you say?”

  Megan looked at Tiffany, who gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Well, my accountant did suggest looking into a business that would help with tax deductions.”

  “There you go!” Lauren exclaimed, her eyes beginning to light up. She turned to her other sister. “How about you, Tiffany? Can I count you in?”

  Tiffany pursed her lips. “Not sure, Sis. My practice is just taking off and I need to devote all my energies to keep the momentum going.”

  “All I need is a financial partner. I promise you won’t have to spend any time dealing with the restaurant. Plus you’ll be earning extra money every month. Please . . . this is really important to me.” Lauren touched her sister’s shoulder.

  Tiffany took a deep breath. “You promise to handle everything?”

  “Everything.”

  Tiffany looked her sister in the eyes, considering for a moment. “Alright then. You can count me in.”

  Lauren danced in a circle, clapping her hands together like a little girl. Her sisters laughed, enjoying seeing her mood back up again. The last thing they needed was for one of the sisters to cast a cloud over this special time of the year they were meant to be celebrating together
.

  Lauren grabbed her sisters in a hug. “I promise you two won’t regret this.”

  “Are we going to let Andrew know?” Megan asked after a second.

  Lauren looked at her and shook her head. “Absolutely not. We’re going to catch him off guard. Now, here’s our game plan.”

  Chapter 5

  Andrew took a sip of his Kona coffee and glanced at the line of people at the register. It was mid-morning on New Year’s Day and the Starbucks was still bustling with customers desperate for their fix of coffee after their late night celebrations. He made eye contact with Megan, who was sitting across from him, sipping on a Frappuccino.

  “Do you think Lauren likes me?” He questioned in a serious tone.

  Megan hesitated. She set her cup on the table. “You know what, Andrew, now that I think about it, I’m not so sure you and Lauren are suited for each other.”

  “What?” Andrew’s forehead creased in confusion. “But you’re the one who was so sure we would be perfect for each other. And I quote you, ‘A match made in heaven.’ Isn’t that what you said before I came out here?”

  Megan put up her hands up in surrender and helplessness. “I know that’s what I said. But that was before I saw the two of you interact with one another.

  Andrew was perplexed. From his perspective, the two of them had had a special chemistry, one he had never experienced before with another woman. Even from their brief interaction the day before, he had felt that she would definitely be someone he would love to spend more time with. From her passion for God, food, and her beautiful smile, she embodied everything he desired in a Godly woman. Perhaps Lauren treated him with a less-than-receptive attitude towards the end of their conversation, but he wasn’t about to let her slip away without a fight. If he had said or done something to offend her, he would gladly make it up to her. He figured if she got the opportunity to know him better, she would change her mind. He certainly wasn’t going to pass up the chance to get to know such a beautiful young lady. Besides, he had known her sister, Megan, for years, and Megan and said nothing but good things about Lauren. He trusted Megan.

  Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he pushed on, “Did I say something that offended your sister?”

  Megan diverted her attention to the cars speeding past the building outside. “You could say that.” Her gaze dropped to her Frappuccino.

  “Well, aren’t you gonna tell me what it is?” Andrew stared into her eyes, desperate for some kind of answer that would help him better plan his next move with Lauren.

  Megan cleared her throat. “What’s the most important thing you look for in a woman?”

  “What does that have to do with what Lauren said?”

  “Don’t take the rejection personally. She just didn’t feel the same spark as you. But don’t worry. You’ve got a stable job, know how to cook, and you love kids. I’ve got other friends that would gladly go out with you.”

  Why is she trying to brush this off so quickly after all she’s been telling me about Lauren and how well we’d get along together? Andrew could see he was not getting anywhere. He’d have to be more straightforward. “That sounds great. But I really want to date Lauren,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  “Why are you so obsessed with her?” Megan frowned. “I love my sister and I wish it could have worked out. But there are plenty of other Christian women who would gladly take her place.”

  “I can’t explain it. There’s just something about your sister . . . that kind of thing you just know when you feel.” Andrew leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. “Please, could you at least talk to her and tell her to give me one more chance?”

  “I don’t know.” Megan looked away. Lauren had sort of put her in an uncomfortable situation. But she had already agreed to help her sister and she was going to do whatever it took to keep that promise.

  Andrew persisted, “Please, Megan. I promise if I can’t impress her, I won’t bug you anymore.”

  Megan pursed her lips, her face deep in concentration. “Andrew, there are some things you don’t know about Lauren, and I made a promise not to tell.”

  It was Andrew’s turn to frown. “She’s not a multiple personality or an obsessed stalker is she?”

  “Of course not!” Megan shook her head and let out a small laugh. “Nothing like that. I mean you two have major differences that may not work out to be compatible.”

  Andrew raised an eyebrow. “But you know I’m patient. How difficult can your sister be? All I’m asking for is just another chance.” Andrew could see he was starting to soften her resistance, that he was one step closer to getting his second chance.

  “Oh, alright.” Megan leaned back into the booth seat. “She’s going to kill me for doing this though. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to talk her into giving you another shot. If I can convince her to go out on a date with you, you promise you’ll leave her alone if things don’t work out?

  Andrew sat up and raised a hand. “Hey, I promise.”

  “You owe me for this favor,” Megan smiled at her friend.

  “You won’t regret this,” Andrew felt a surge of excitement sweep over him as he contemplated his next move to win the woman of his dreams.

  Chapter 6

  “Lauren,” a man’s voice called from the doorway of Lauren’s dental operatory.

  Her pulse quickened at the sound of her boss’s deep voice. She lifted her gaze from her patient’s teeth and smiled when she saw him at the door. “Yes, Doctor Miller?”

  “When you’re done with Mister Cooper, would you please come into my office? I want to discuss Mrs. Finkle’s case with you.”

  “Of course. I’m almost done with his cleaning.” She gave him a smile. Ever since she started working as a dental hygienist three months ago, the sound of his rich voice still caught her breath. How could she ignore his slicked-back hair and captivating eyes? She wondered if he ever took notice of her. There were a few times during the last month when she caught him staring while she worked on patients. The thought of Doctor Miller taking notice brought butterflies to her stomach. She wondered what it would be like to date her handsome boss.

  After finishing with her patient, Lauren stepped into her boss’s medium bedroom-sized office. “Yes, Doctor Miller?” The smell of his woodsy cologne brought tingles down her spine.

  “Let’s not be formal. You can call me Justin.” His hand motioned to a chair. “Please, have a seat.”

  Her boss was sitting behind a black executive desk, making some last-minute documentation on a patient’s file. Judging by the stack on his desk, Lauren knew he would be making overtime tonight.

  “You can shut the door.” He gave her a smile. “Go ahead; have a seat.” He motioned to the black leather chair next to her.

  Lauren’s heart beat faster. In all the times she had come into his office, he had never asked her to shut the door.

  What is he up to?

  She held her breath in anticipation. “You wanted to discuss Mrs. Finkle’s case with me?”

  “Yes. How are her gums going? Do you think we need to refer her to the periodontist for surgery?”

  “Her gum pocket measurements have stabilized and many have shown improvement. I think we should wait until her next recall before we evaluate her for surgery.”

  “How were her bleeding scores?”

  “Minimal bleeding in all quadrants.”

  “Sounds good. I trust your judgment. You’ve done an excellent job with our patients over the last few months. I’m very impressed with your skills.”

  “Why, thank you, Doct—Justin.” The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. “Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?”

  He cleared his throat. “Yes, there’s something else I need to discuss with you.” Justin navigated himself until he was mere inches away from her, perching himself on the edge of the desk.

  “Yes, what is it?” The words hung on her lips as the scent of his cologne grew stronger, bec
koning to her senses. She took a quick breath, waiting for his next words. Would this be the moment she had been secretly waiting for?

  While she knew Justin professed to be a Christian, his relationship with God didn’t seem that serious. He would occasionally mention going to church, but she never saw him pray or carry a Bible at work. Several times a month, she would often observe several different women come by the office to see him. Whether he had any romantic interest in them, she could only guess. But for the moment, she hoped there was none.

  Justin leaned in towards her. “I’ve been watching you since the day you started working here. And I can’t seem to take my eyes off of you.”

  Lauren fidgeted in the chair.

  You need to take it slow! What about all those women? Don’t do something you might regret!

  She stared into his eyes, stammering a reply. “I—I’m flattered. I don’t know what to say.”

  Justin cradled her chin, tilting her head back. She could feel the energy pulsating in his hand.

  Remember what the pastor said. Start a relationship by being friends first!

  “How about saying ‘yes’ to dinner with me tonight? I know this beautiful seafood restaurant overlooking the Newport harbor.”

  He’s trying to impress you. Don’t fall for his trap!

  But she ignored the voice in her head. She would be crazy to pass up the opportunity to date a successful and gorgeous man like Justin. What woman wouldn’t be impressed with his beautiful house on the beach and his Mercedes? If he wasn’t the committed Christian man she wanted, surely she could get him to change.

  She drew a quick breath before replying, “I’d love to.”

  Chapter 7

  “Absolutely not! Are you crazy?” Lauren glared at her sister. “After all we just talked about on New Year’s, you’re asking me to go out on a date with him?” She stopped at the red and orange carousel located in the center of the crowded South Coast Mall. The place was bustling with shoppers hoping to take advantage of the after New Year’s sales. Lauren continued, appalled and a little shocked at what her sister was saying, “I thought you were on my side.”