AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I subtly shook my head, and my lips pinched together in frustration when none of the notifications were from her.
I was so fucking pissed that I allowed myself to go this deep with anyone—especially her. I couldn’t explain this shit. I never gave two fucks about someone getting back to me. And I sure as fuck didn’t care if someone thought to dump my ass and move on. But now, here I was.
“Spencer,” Jim said, snapping me out of my head. “Why didn’t you tell me anything was wrong after we spoke with Jenkins?”
“I’m sorry about that. It wasn’t my intention to withhold,” I said. “It took me a lot longer to understand that Jenkins will fuck us in the end. He’s bad news, and I suggest you make today’s meeting with him your last.”
“Is this because Nat hasn’t called you?” Jim questioned.
“What? No,” I said, pissed at my best friend’s assumption. “I might be a bit more no-bullshit than usual, but that woman blowing my ass off has nothing to do with this. You either buy the company and its debt, fire everyone in a chief position and replace them, or never speak to that dick again. He’s already buried in debt, and if you move about this the way he wants you to, we’ll be dealing with law enforcement and undercover stings from the Feds, guaranteed. I’m sick of you wasting money on these chump companies, using you to get out of the debt they believed they could afford.”
“So, that’s your official assessment?” Jim asked, nodding as he intently listened to my warnings.
“Yes, officially. Don’t do this shit unless you purchase that place outright and replace nearly everyone in that overly lavish building. This is just a fucking nightmare.”
“And if I purchase it and replace every living, breathing human in the place?”
“Then you start from the ground up,” I answered, shocked Jim was this interested in the company.
“I would need a great CEO, that’s for fucking sure.”
“No shit,” I answered. “One who could run that place with an iron fist and didn’t have a problem dropping the hammer on people.”
“Sounds like you,” he teased.
I stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “I’m not going to head up that fucking media company,” I said. “It would probably give me great pleasure to clean up shop over there, but fuck, I don’t think I’m in the mood.”
“Did you just say you weren’t in the mood to become the CEO of Jenkins Media?”
“You heard me,” I said.
“Well, consider getting into the mood. I’ll see what I need to do to pry this business from that dipshit who’s annihilating his family legacy. That company has untapped potential, and I want you to spearhead it. If all falls into place, moving pieces on the chess board, of course, then there’s a lot of money to be made.”
“I think you’re getting too greedy and using your heart instead of your brain,” I answered truthfully.
“Nah,” Jim brushed me off with that damn smile he had whenever he won something. “You’re the one using too much heart right now. You want to talk about what’s going on with Nat?”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” I answered him. “We’re on separate paths. That’s it. She either comes back or moves on. I, for one, am moving forward.”
“How do you feel—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” I cut Jim off. “I refuse to talk about feelings with you. So, let’s grab some lunch. I’m starved, and I think you’ve lost your goddamn mind, wanting to purchase that media place.”
* * *
Buzz.
The harsh sound cut through the pleasant dream I’d been having about the beach outside my house, featuring someone with long blond hair and the most perfect body I’d ever enjoyed. In my dream, I looked up at my home, thinking someone was at the door trying to get through to the private beach and cove protected by my house. I blinked a few times as I tried to figure out who would’ve come over unannounced.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
I groaned as I lifted my head off my desk. I raised my hand to my face and rubbed it over my eyes, trying to clear away the sleep that’d accumulated on my face since I’d put my head down a few minutes ago. I think. Honestly, it could’ve been weeks ago, for all I knew.
I looked at the small clock on my desk and barely registered that it said one in the morning. I’d come home after work and promptly gotten ready for bed, but I’d found it too difficult to sleep, and it wasn’t because Jim wanted me to take on that media company. It was her, and this was so fucked up I could hardly admit it to myself, much less anyone else.
The door buzzer rang again as I headed over to the small screen that allowed me to see whoever wanted to get into my house so badly.
I turned on the screen and felt my blood run cold when I saw Nat standing there, waiting to be let in as she fought off the cold that set in every night in Southern California. The sleep must not have worn off yet because I couldn’t stop blinking as I stared at her before I hit the button that would allow me to speak to her.
