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I turned my phone off and raked a hand through my hair. Christ. That was why I couldn’t get involved with Maddy. I still had Crazy Pants texting me every five minutes.
Madison deserved someone great, someone who would make her happy and had a clean slate. I wish I were that guy. I wanted to be that guy.
Maybe someday I would be.
When I woke up the next morning, I had one thought in my head:
Fuck this.
It was true, my crazy-ex-girlfriend had left the guy she’d left me for at the altar and hadn’t stopped calling me since. But you know what? That actually had nothing to do with me. I wasn’t still hung up on Katie. If she still had some sort of weird feelings for me, even after everything she’d done, that was her problem. She was just trying to make it mine.
I thought about what Ryan had said. You can’t let her win, bro. He was right. He was my best friend, but I hated it when he was right.
But what was I going to do?
Act like an adult, for starters. I poured myself a coffee and watched the sun come up. I’d done a few things I’d regretted. That wasn’t a great way to start a relationship.
I imagined my mother up in heaven, shaking her finger at me and tsking.
Sighing, I went and grabbed my hoodie. First things first—I was going for a run. The way forward required a clear head.
If I was going to lose big, I was at least going to give it my best shot.
Chapter Twenty-Two
MADISON
I straightened the collar of my blazer and went over my notes one last time, even though I knew my pitch by heart. If I won the brokerage account it would be huge for me. It would also be a large amount of work, but what else did I have to do?
I sighed, looking at the sleek lobby of the firm’s Financial-District building. People hustled by on the streets outside, the collars of their coats turned up against the wind. A UPS truck pulled up to the curb and my heart lurched—but then a young woman in a brown uniform hopped out, package and tablet in hand. Her ponytail swung behind her as she brought the package in and had the receptionist sign off.
I sighed, unable to tear my eyes from her. I missed Roberto Palmieri, a.k.a the Italian Stallion. I knew that if I called him, he might not want to talk to me. He’d tried to explain himself before and I’d refused to hear him out. The way things had ended after the wedding, and the ensuing silence, didn’t bode well for us as a couple. I probably wasn’t very appealing girlfriend material. And then there was my crazy family…
I smiled at the assistant who came to bring me to my meeting. But inside, my heart ached. I wanted to call Bob. I wanted to give whatever we had a chance. But I knew the odds were against me.
Being an A student wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“We’re really looking forward to working with your company.” Jesse, the VP from the brokerage firm, crossed his arms against his admirable chest. He wore a beautiful light-gray suit and had mocha-colored skin and dark-brown eyes. “Unfortunately, the contact will be from another department so I won’t be seeing you.”
“Well that’s a shame.” I smiled at him. “Thanks for setting up the meeting. You’ve made the whole process easy and fun.”
This was true. It was also true that Jesse was very handsome, and didn’t wear a wedding ring.
“Would you like to have dinner sometime?” he asked. He cracked a smile. “I don’t usually ask our partners out, but I’ve enjoyed talking with you, Madison. I’d love the chance to get to know you better.”
“That’s really nice of you, but I’m seeing someone. Thanks again.” I hustled down the hall before he could see my cheeks flame. I couldn’t believe I’d lied like that. Jesse was handsome, smart, and seemed like a good guy. I’d enjoyed talking to him over the past few months. He was also, literally, the first guy to ask me out this year.
I sighed as I got into the elevator. If I was knee-jerk saying ‘no’ to handsome and accomplished Jesse, I clearly had it bad for a certain unheard-from Italian.
In my professional life, I always knew my next best move. But I was at a loss when it came to addressing the current situation with Bob. Okay, Madison. If this were business, what would you do? I needed to think clearly about my objective. I needed to formulate a plan. I also had to accept that this particular pitch, so near and dear to my heart, could likely fail.
I didn’t go back to the office, even though it was early afternoon. I decided to pick up several pints of ice cream on the way home. I needed reinforcements. I lined the containers of Ben and Jerry’s up on my countertop as if they were soldiers I was about to call into battle.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, you’re up.
My doorbell rang and I jumped—I wasn’t expecting anyone.
“Madison! It’s me.”
