Page 110 of Last First Date

The thought of Waverly believing Benjamin’s twisted narrative sank deep. He was playing dirty, using Waverly as a pawn to get even with me for an old feud between us.

I shook my head in disbelief as Benjamin continued to spit lies. If I could have gagged him, I would have done it. Or knocked him out. The latter was far more appealing. But that would definitely land me a night in jail.

“Get him out of here!” I shouted, doing the only thing I knew to do to stop the madness.

Benjamin kept hollering as security dragged him to the elevator.

His words echoed around the room. What he had done was about as low as he could get. To hurt Waverly was beyond the pale. She had done nothing. I would never understand how anyone could be so cruel to another human. I was far from perfect, but I had never, nor would I ever, treat someone like that. Waverly had done nothing to him or anyone else. There wasn’t a nicer, sweeter, kinder person than she was.

My heart felt like a lead weight in my chest. I couldn’t believe what had happened. That bastard Benjamin had poisoned Waverly against me based on an old grudge. It wasn’t even a worthy grudge. He didn’t like me because I didn’t like him. As far as I was concerned, I was right not to like him.

The aftermath of Benjamin’s departure left a bitter taste in my mouth, a mixture of disbelief and anger at the audacity of his lies. The callous words he flung at Waverly were unforgivable. It was a low blow. It was a calculated attempt to tarnish her reputation because she rejected him, and I refused to play by his rules. I couldn’t fathom the depths to which he had stooped.

“Waverly,” I called, but it was pointless. She wouldn’t even look into my eyes.

Waverly’s departure from the office was fast. Everyone was frozen in their places. I felt the same way. I considered following her, wanting to offer an explanation, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. The fear of adding fuel to the already raging fire kept me anchored in the office. Chasing after her would only make things worse. How could I ever make her believe that his words were lies? This was a mess, a colossal disaster of epic proportions that no amount of explaining or apologizing could fix.

“Get back to work and mind your own business. Benjamin is someone I’ve known for a long time. He’s not to be trusted. He’s just being a jerk. Marcy, I need to see you in my office.”

I could sense the doubt lingering in their expressions. Everyone loved Waverly. She was the office sweetheart, and I was the new guy. I had no doubt whose side they were going to take.

The line between truth and fiction had blurred. Convincing them of Benjamin’s deceit seemed like an uphill battle. I knew my reputation, whether it was deserved or not. I was the playboy from a good family that went rogue. The truth was, I couldn’t blame them for questioning my motives. If I was in their shoes, I would think I was a dick as well. Waverly was way too good to be treated like that. I wouldn’t believe me.

Marcy followed behind me.

“Close the door,” I said to her.

I walked to my desk and flopped in my chair, taking a few minutes to get control of my raging emotions.

Marcy was staring at me, waiting for me to say something.

“Where are we with Benjamin’s party?” I asked.

“I have everything done,” she replied quietly. “Waverly and I had most of it done before you got on the case. The vendors were hired, the decorations were already ordered, and he had signed off on everything.”

“Has he paid?”

“Not in full.”

“Send an invoice,” I said harshly. “Make it a final notice. If he doesn’t pay, cancel with all the vendors. Get our name off it. I don’t care if we lose a deposit. We’ll charge him. If he doesn’t pay, I’ll file a lien against his business.”

“Seriously?”

I gave her a harsh look. “Yes.”

She nodded, looking very nervous. “How long do we give him?”

“Fourteen days.”

“Understood,” she said, nodding.

“If there is any correspondence, send it to me. I’m not taking you off this event, but you aren’t dealing with that man. I don’t want you having anything to do with him. If his assistant tries to schedule a meeting, I want to be in on it and you will not be sitting in. I don’t say this to be a dick, but that man is not to be trusted. You might not believe me, but he’s a liar. He is not a good man. I would never make a bet like that.”

“Understood, Knox,” she said softly, clearly taken aback by my stern tone.

I nodded and looked away, staring blankly at the wall. Part of me wanted to apologize for my outburst but I held back, knowing it was necessary. I didn’t want anyone from the office to be caught in Benjamin’s web of lies. I had to find a way to get the truth out, even if I had to scream it from the rooftops.

“Can I say something?” she asked quietly.