A Business for the Broken

Chapter Forty Eight

Leaning back in his office chair, Kevin watched his cell phone ring for the third time. He'd sent Alex home an hour ago, and canceled all of his appointments for the rest of the day. It had only been a week since his failed proposal, and in that time, he'd let his friends try to cheer him up by taking him to the strip club, he'd let his mother try to convince him to go on one of her blind dates, and he'd left seven messages on Rayna's voicemail.

Rejection wasn't something any of the Millers were used to, in their personal or their business affairs, so getting over a breakup was already difficult. Aside from that, it was more difficult getting over the fact that the woman he fell fast and hard for took one look at the most beautiful engagement ring Zimmermans had ever displayed and said "no thanks".

It was the first time he'd put himself out there and every minute without Rayna made him regret ever playing poker at the Ironhorse that night. His thoughts and heartache had him alternating emotions, and his beaten heart was constantly caught somewhere between being broken or overflowing with regret.

After the fourth ring, he looked down to see the photo of his mother blinking on his phone. Rolling his eyes, and taking a swig from the small bottle of whiskey in the top drawer of his desk, he reluctantly answered - mostly just to stop her from calling a fifth time.

"Darling, I thought I'd get your answering service again. I was just going to pay you a visit, or send a search party," Vivian said, her failed attempt at humor falling upon deaf, and slightly intoxicated, ears. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Why? Are you going to suddenly cook your own dinner?" he sneered.

"No dear," she let the insult pass over, aware of what grief sounds like. "I ran into Margot Gellar today, and I'm sure you remember her lovely daughter, Mila? Well, Margot said Mila remembers you and would love to-"

"-no, mother."

"You haven't even given it a thought," she complained. "You can't mope around like this, Kevin, it's unbecoming."

"Oh I'm sorry, am I making brunch at the Berkshire uncomfortable for you, mother?" he snarled. If he had said that to her face, she would have slapped him for speaking out, and the smell of whiskey from his breath would have slapped her back.

"I know you're going through something, but you're a Miller. You can't just wallow in your own self pity. You owe it to yourself to get back out there and make the most of it. You only knew that girl for a few months," Vivian reasoned. She felt that she'd given him his space to grieve, and now she was ready to help him get back into the groove. Letting him choose the last two women, she hoped that he'd take her advice after they both ended poorly.

"Her name was Rayna and I loved her. I'm not interested in your games, mother," he said honestly with the sound of sheer exhaustion in his voice. "I'm not in the mood to jump into something else right now."

"Suit yourself, but you're doing your image, and your future, a severe disservice, you know."

"I know that's what you think. Just do me a favor and stop calling me," he insisted before hanging up.

He wasn't surprised that she called, it was more so that she had the audacity to throw another potential wife at him without fully acknowledging the loss of Rayna. He had spent the last week replaying every move he'd made, trying to figure out where he went wrong, or what he could have done differently. He tried to think of a moment where he missed a sign that she hadn't fallen as hard as he did, but he kept drawing a blank.

Another few shots of whiskey and Kevin decided to call a car for the night. He'd lost two potential clients and missed a partner meeting, but he couldn't bring himself to care as much as he should. He slid the now half empty bottle back into the top drawer of his desk and turned the lights off, almost forgetting to lock the door on his way out.

He piled himself into the cab and had to argue with the driver whether to go home, or to the Ironhorse for more drinks. Last night, the driver took him to the Ironhorse, but tonight, as he was minimally functional, he got a ride back to his condo.

Barely letting himself into his home, he tossed the keys on the floor and walked out of his clothes. Looking around the walls at his staged family photos, he felt a slight tinge of resentment for the part they inadvertently played in Rayna's refusal to commit.

He could hear his phone sing the bird's cadence, but had no desire to answer anything that wasn't the Austin Powers ringtone that Rayna had chosen for him when she put her number into his phone at the game. He loved that story that made him laugh so hard, and she told it well.

He knew his friends would be relentless until he agreed to rebound with some girl they pointed out at the Ironhorse, but everywhere Kevin looked, he swore he could see Rayna, until one blink and she was someone else. They tried to tell him she wasn't right for him, but their words were meaningless, because they all knew that she was the perfect girl molded just for him. They'd never seen him in such a slump, but they were confident he'd snap out of it as soon as they found the right double D's to take his mind off of anyone else.

Falling into his king size bed, Kevin closed his eyes while the room darkened and spun around him. So far, whiskey was the only way he could get himself to fall asleep, and sleeping was the only way he could still see her.