Page 14 of Feel It in the Air

He chuckles, shoulders relaxing. “Not what I was expecting you to say.”

“Honestly?” I cross my arms, steeling myself. I am a badass businesswoman. I have an executive MBA and a JD. I can hold my own. And I have no problem doing so. Something I know Gus knows. “I have a lot more I’d like to say. Because I’m not the one who didn’t call. However, I’m also a professional, so I know when it’s best to leave things unsaid.”

There. I said it.

Okay, not really. I did not tell him all the things I want to. Like how badly I wanted him to call. How my heart leapt every time my phone dinged or beeped for weeks after getting back to LA. How I thought we’d actually had a connection—one that went beyond just killing time in an airport bar. That there could have been something real between us. Really real. That I had met someone who got me. Someone who could be my partner, celebrating the highs and navigating the lows. Whatever life threw at us.

And most importantly, how hard I had cried when I realized it had all been in my head. That I'd been as foolish as a teenager who believes she’s going to marry the A-list movie star.

“I’m sorry. I⁠—”

“Gus, I don’t need your apologies,” I cut him off. It's the truth. I don’t need to hear it. In fact, it’ll only make it worse. “Whatever lame excuse you have, keep it to yourself. I meant what I told you last year at JFK. I have career goals, and that’s my focus. That’s why I’m here. The fact that we happened to cross paths because of a thunderstorm is immaterial. In fact, no one ever has to know.”

I turn to go, my hand already outstretched toward the door to payroll. There are a couple of guest chairs in there, so I can sit and wait for Percy to finish his phone call, letting Gus get on with his day. And while I wait, I can do my best to focus on anything other than the fact that I landed my dream job with the company owned by the man who is unaware he broke my heart.

No big deal.

“How about I embarrassingly admit to being a dumbass instead? Complete with photo evidence.”

I freeze, hand hovering over the handle. What did he just say? Embarrassingly admit to being a dumbass? I’m not quite sure what he means by that, but I can’t say I’m not intrigued. And honestly, the man is the second-in-command of the whole company, so brushing him off on my first day is probably not the smartest move. No matter what he did.

Slowly, I turn, eyeing him suspiciously. One corner of his mouth quirks upward in a sheepish smile that simultaneously tugs on my heart and makes my tummy do somersaults. Almost instantly, I soften, his remorse cloaked over him like his own personal armor.

“Turns out, gel pens and pint glasses with condensation don’t mix. Something you’d think a guy my age would know, but…here we are.”

He holds out his phone, an image of the inside of a hand filling the screen. But not just any hand. His hand. And I know it’s his, because there’s a number scrawled across it in purple ink that I’d recognize anywhere.

Mine.

Only, it’s smudged. I can read it, but barely. And really, only because I know what those numbers should be. If you didn’t know, there’d be no telling a couple of those digits.

OMG…

“So you didn’t call because you couldn’t read my number…”

Saying it out loud still sounds weird. Like it still doesn’t fully compute. Slowly, my mind connects all the pieces, the evidence right in front of me.

“Yup,” Gus pops the p, looking away, clearly embarrassed. I hold in my laughter, not wanting to make him feel worse. “Because if that’s not the biggest rookie move you’ve ever seen…”

“Why didn’t you just…”

“What? Look you up online?”

I nod. It’s the twenty-first century. It shouldn’t have been that hard to find me.

“And do what? Call every law school in the greater LA area and ask if they have a third-year student named Marlo?”

“Marlo?”

He chuckles again, shaking his head. Stepping in closer, he nods, the guilty smile returning. “Yeah, I misheard your name in the bar.”

I bark out a laugh, unable to hold back this time. My hands fly over my mouth, trying to cover up the noise, heat rushing to my cheeks. I can’t believe I did that. Gus joins in, which eases my embarrassment.

“Not quite the smooth move I wanted to make. Borderline humiliating, actually,” he admits.

“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far.” I give him a playful nudge. “I mean, it was pretty stupid of you, but you admitting to it is…endearing. Certainly makes me feel better about how it all went down.”

“Endearing… I’ll take it.”