The Perfect Someday (A standalone novel ~ Book three in The Mathews Family) (12 page)

Tracy’s head bobbed up and down,
tugging her trembling lip between her teeth trying to hold back more tears. “I feel like my bottom card has been yanked out from underneath me. I can’t find balance.”

“Look, I get it. I was there
that night and I saw how he kissed you. But the horrible fact still remains, he didn’t call. Aren’t you the one who believes that people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime? Maybe he came into your life to show you a good time, sis. Show you how it can be, so you don’t lower your standards. And you know what mom preaches, Never Settle!”

“What if I never find another man who makes me feel that good?”

“You’re never going to find another man who makes you feel the same way…unless you put yourself out there. Mr. Perfect isn’t gonna just fall like a star from the sky. Now, get dressed! There’s at least three ski resorts in a five-mile radius full of hot men. Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs to find prince charming.”

CHAPTER
FIVE

Depending upon whose standards she followed, Tracy definitely kissed her fair share of frogs over the next year. Although JC argued, stating three frogs in one year, including the two she hand-picked for her sister over Christmas, was hideous by any single woman’s calculations.

Tracy still yea
rned for an answer as to why he never called, but no longer dwelled on The Italian as she preferred to refer to him now. She took steps to get her life back in order and gain control of emotions, starting with getting back to the gym and school.

After quitting her
job at the library, she decided not to go back to work. Instead, she obstructed her pain with a grueling class schedule and rigorous workout routine. Tracy gave it her all, striving for excellence. If she received anything less than an “A” there was an internal hell to be paid. Occasionally she tossed her laptop aside to catch a movie or get together with friends, but these instances were rare and followed by guilt for abandoning her studies.

Everything collided her last semester. Achievements she should’ve been proud of,
like being the first woman in her family to graduate college and being at the top of her class, became suffocated in perfection. She graduated magna cum laude, but at a cost.

Graduating seemed easy compared to answering the loaded question everyone asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

After pushing herself so hard, small cracks of imperfection began to grow into giant crevices. Tracy began to realize that the tiny imposing inscription of perfection added to her diploma, failed to impress employers.

Trepidation loomed heavily and the idea of failing terrified her.
Tracy was ready to embrace her future, but for someone who majored in business, she ashamedly had no plan. No life strategy. No direction of which way she wanted her career to go. She researched several companies applying for jobs with enticing position titles of financial advisor, investment manager, or market research analyst, but nothing remotely hooked her interest.

A firm in New York offered her a po
sition, but she opted to turn down the dream job after interviewing. Though she loved the romance of New York City, the cuisine, the iconic skyline, the theater and the people, but the concrete jungle was not for her. Tracy recognized how much she truly loved the expansive great outdoors. It’s what lured her to Colorado in the first place.

While spending a
long weekend in Malibu with her mom and Tom celebrating her twenty-fourth birthday, Tracy read an article in the Wall Street Journal, titled ‘Six Reasons Not to Get a Business Degree.’ The article listing reasons such as You won’t make as much money as you think, followed by You don’t need a business degree to work in business, and her personal favorite Your quality of life could suck.

She
tossed the magazine on the driftwood coffee table and flopped back on the couch, covering her face in a throw pillow. Fluffy fibers absorbed her shrieking exclamations of disillusionment. “What was I thinking?”

Tom roared
reading number three out loud, “Your quality of life could suck.”

“It’s not funny
,” she groaned.

“I know it’s not.”

“I’m never going to find the perfect job.”

“Do you know what the tragedy of perfectionism is, sweetheart? It robs you of the ability to celebrate your accomplishments. You need to step back and relax. Be proud of yourself and stop judging so harshly.” 

She felt the magazine tap against her thigh.

“Aren’
t you the girl who wanted to go see the world through the lens of a camera before getting tied down to the real world?”

“Yep. That was me.”
Tracy nodded, mumbling cynically. “Young, adventurous, impressionable…and naïve.”

Tom cleared his throat
, lowering the pillow from her eyes with his pointer finger. The creases in his forehead deepened as his brows lifted, flashing Tracy an expression she dubbed The wise ole’ owl.  She let out a heavy exhale, wrapping her fingers around the corners of the pillow, holding it to her chest.

“Sometimes
life lessons can be more valuable than a degree written on a piece of paper.” He waved a stack of colorful travel brochures. “Go explore. Take the time for yourself, maybe you’ll find something you love.”

Her head fell back a
gainst the couch, and she rolled her eyes scoffing in protest. “I can’t just take off and travel. It’s time to live in the real world. Decide on a career. Get a job. Be responsible.” 

“
You’re more responsible than most of my friends.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
she snickered.

“
I insist. It’s your birthday present.” A calculated pause. “And if you don’t have an itinerary in a few weeks, I’ll make one for you.”

“Mo
mma?” Tracy lifted her chin, calling out as a warning, “Did you know about this?”

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,
” Tess hollered from the hallway.

“
Don’t bother arguing, you won’t win,” Tom assured, tone unwavering.

Tracy found Tom’s
parental solicitousness endearing, but his generosity was immeasurable. With every passing day, Tracy thought of Tom more and more as her stepdad, not just simply her mom’s new husband. The love and respect she felt for him had nothing to do with his celebrity status or his net worth. She had simply just grown to love the man inside.

S
unlight streamed through the windows, casting temptation onto the pages of gorgeous destinations rich in diverse arts and historical events. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Her mom sat beside her.
A comforting smile etched across her lips and the blue of her eyes glinting in the afternoon sun. She swept a loose strand of hair from Tracy’s forehead. “You’re burnt out, sweetheart.”

“You really didn’t know about this?”

“Not until a few days ago.”
Tess shook her head, gesturing toward Tom. “It’s all his doing. He…we…think it will be really good for you. Maybe you’ll find something that sparks your interest.”

“No Italy.
” Tracy fake gagged, making a sound of loathing. Enthusiasm beginning to build.  “If Italy is involved, I refuse.”

She hadn’t been able to force herself to go to Italy. Greece was hard enough. Tracy visited her mom and Tom twice in Greece since The Italian. She nearly drove herself mad, helplessly searching for any speck of resemblance in every man with
short dark hair, in need of a razor. And God forbid if he had grey eyes. She shadily followed men, on more than one occasion, through the streets of Santorini, nonchalantly asking them for the time. Allowing the smallest speck of hope to spark into her heart becoming too painful.

“Diversify your resume. This will challenge you more than a textbook. And no Italy.”

****

It was one thing to tell Tess and Tom No Italy, however refusing Benny and Lisa Levi would prove to be far more challenging.

“Tracy, you have to come.” Benny’s impl
oring smile resonated in his husky voice.

She expelled a long grumbled breath
into her phone.

This was the
fifth call she attempted to dodge from Benny. Two weeks prior, Tracy declined the email invitation, marking herself as Unable to attend. He responded by leaving her several pleasant voicemails, which she answered by text to avoid a conversation, fearing instant persuasion by his award-winning personality.

Flattery got Benny everywhere and anywhere. It oozed from him, naturally, on and off the big screen. America considered hi
m the ultimate iconic actor, beating out Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Johnny Depp, Tom and a host of twenty and thirty somethings to be listed as number one choice on the list.

“
Do you have any idea how much shit I’m going to be in if I don’t succeed in getting you here for our surprise twentieth anniversary party?”

“
Can’t you just tell her I have an interview?” Tracy’s job hunting hinged on nonexistent. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had no intention of hiding inside a building made of concrete and glass, working from nine to five for a large corporation. “She won’t even notice if I’m missing from the celebration.”

“
Oh, she’ll notice! You’re her favorite niece.”

“Umm hmm.” Sauciness
simmered. “What about JC and Shayla? Did you tell them the same thing?”

“They didn’t
try to give me some bullshit excuse of why they couldn’t show up!” Benny hesitated, his tone softened. “Look, I get it, you have an aversion to Italy, but—“

“Tracy, sweetheart
,” Lisa interrupted Benny.

Tracy shot to her feet from the chair she sa
t on, hearing Lisa Levi’s voice. Her warm tone bubbled over, drenched in forged sunshine and charm.

“Hey Lisa. I didn’t realize you were there.”

“I understand you’re trying to convince your Uncle Benny that you’re too busy to come to Tuscany for my surprise party?” 

Tracy didn’t
need to be standing face-to-face with Lisa to imagine the plump pout on her bottom lip.

“
I didn’t…no not really…it’s not that I’m too busy.”

“Oh good. So we can expect to see you?”

“Umm…ahh…I guess you can mark me attending.”

“You guess?”

Stifled by defeat, she conceded with a grumble, “Fine, I’ll be there.”

“
Wonderful. That’s what I hoped you’d say.”

“So, it’s not a real surprise party?” Tracy should’ve guessed that Lisa planned her own surprise party. The woman was a bit of a control freak, worse than her mom.

“Of course it’s a surprise.” Lisa teased. “I just have a brilliant husband who knows how to throw me the perfect surprise party.” 

“Benny is brilliant.”

“Oh, and by the way, you’re staying at the Villa. And it’s not up for discussion.”

“Like I have a choice?”

****

When Benny and Lisa
referred to their home as a Villa, it was really an unpretentious way of saying Castle. The Levi’s remained true to their common roots, but lived life to the fullest and always drove in the fast lane. The word subtle was nonexistent in Lisa’s vocabulary.  

Tracy grew up in
the comfort of a beautiful home on the outskirts of Las Vegas adjacent to Red Rock Canyon with an amazing view of the city of downtown. Her parents built a very successful commercial construction firm from the ground up in the midst of a thriving Las Vegas economy. Though Tracy’s brother inherited their father’s looks, their mom claimed Tracy inherited his drive for perfection. Before her dad died of a heart attack during her first year of college, he was awarded the prestigious title of Builder of the Year and made the Top 100 list in Entrepreneur Magazine. He strived to instill the importance of hard work to his children, wanting them to learn that nothing in life comes for free. They were skiing in Lake Tahoe the winter before he died and he advised, “Don’t outsmart your common sense, Peanut.” He winked and called her by the nickname he’d given her. “Work hard and honest, love what you do, and good things will come…like skiing.”

Nothing could’ve prepared Tracy for the drastic changes their family experienced after Tess married Tom Clemmins. Even with all of Tom’s fame and fortune, the man lived somewhat modestly for his means. He attempted to live discreetly, even though the world held an extreme fascination of his every move. And the paparazzi ensured a constant view into his life from behind their stalking lens.

The evening sky began to wisp in shades of navy blue as Tracy made her way through the countryside. The season of winter was defined by drab colors of the landscape and scents of crisp evening air. Vineyards dotted the scenery and clouds settled into the low ruts and dips of the land. The Levi’s private drive, visible for miles, was marked by two isolated rows of ancient cypresses. Acres of land were kept private, the estate protected by a ten foot tall wall surrounding the property.