Page 52 of Sincerely, Mr. Braden

“Yes, you did,” Aubrey says gently. “Babe, think about it. Seth’s a great-looking man, and a billionaire to boot. I’ve been to events with him. Women fall all over him, telling him whatever they think he wants to hear. You did the opposite. You told him what he didn’t want to hear. That’s a shock to the system for a man like that.”

Becca nods. “She’s right, Tay. You dropped a truth bomb he didn’t see coming.”

“Plus, he thought you were a man,” Aubrey says, sitting back with a mischievous look in her eyes. “Which means you know how he thinks without his man mask on.”

“I never thought of that,” Becca says. “That’s got to be a little unsettling for him.”

“Man mask?” I ask, shaking my head. “What do you mean?”

“You know, when a guy doesn’t realize a woman might be in earshot,” Aubrey explains. “What they say to other guys is unfiltered. We do it, too, with other women.”

I mull that over. “I guess, but it’s not like he’s ever said anything about other women or that type of thing.”

“That’s not surprising either,” Aubrey says. “From what I know of Seth, he’s a pretty private guy. And for what it’s worth, he’s out of his damn mind letting you resign.”

“I don’t know if I agree with that. He needs to trust his right hand explicitly.”

“I’m sure he does,” Becca says. “Unless he’s a lefty. Then that’s the one he trusts.”

Aubrey and I laugh.

“That makes me feel a little better, but I need to figure out what to do about a job. I don’t even know if Seth wants me to help him find a replacement or if he’s going to tell me I’m done.”

“He hasn’t replied to your resignation letter?” Becca asks. “That’s a dick move.”

“Becca, don’t do that,” I say. “This is on me, not him.”

“Here’s the thing, Taylor,” Aubrey says authoritatively. “We’re strong women, right?”

“Usually,” I say.

“Strong women don’t wait for a man to make a move, even if we’re the ones who screwed up. Assume you’re done with him. What do you want to do now? What’s your next career move?”

I swallow against the lump in my throat, hating that it’s come to this. I don’t even want to think about it, but here we are. “I want to do VA work and design. I need to maintain a flexible schedule for my father. I hate the idea of starting over and learning the habits and quirks of someone new, but I’ve done it before, and I can do it again. I just…My head is a mess. I am usually on top of things, but I can’t figure out where to start.”

Becca smiles. “That’s the easy part. You start with people who’ve got your back. Like me. We’ll make a list of your contacts, and you can reach out to spread the word that you’re available again.”

“Or,” Aubrey interrupts. “You can fill in for Mila while she’s on maternity leave.”

Mila is Knox’s assistant who I trained years ago. “Mila’s pregnant?”

“Not anymore. She had a little girl last month,” Aubrey says. “She’s been trying to keep up with Knox’s schedule part time. She’s doing a pretty good job of it, but he’s got big projects next month, and I’m sure Mila would love to spend that time with her baby. That is, if you think you can put up with Knox again for two months.”

“Maybe you could have led with that,” Becca says.

“I had to see where Taylor’s head was,” Aubrey says, like the exemplary businesswoman she is. “I couldn’t offer up my husband’s sanity if she needed to be ankle deep in tequila.”

I smile. “I respect that, and I appreciate your help, but do you think Knox would be okay with it?”

“Are you kidding?” Aubrey waves dismissively. “He’d be thrilled.”

“What do you think, Tay?” Becca asks.

“I think there must be a guardian angel watching over me,” I say. “I would love to work with Knox again.”

“Great,” Aubrey says. “I’ll talk to him and have him reach out to you to work out the details.”

“Thank you.” I try to smile, but as grateful as I am to have this opportunity, and I know at least my bills will be covered, there’s no escaping what this really is. Two months to get myself organized, keep my father out of the hospital, and learn to live with the black hole in my chest.