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“I gave three weeks of notice. I’m here until then. It’s actually good news. I got hired by Fresh Take Health and Fitness. It’s a great opportunity.”
A smile bursts across her face. “That’s fantastic. I’m happy for you.” She picks up her cup of coffee from the desk. “Now give me the Simon, ex, and roommate drama.”
I spend the next few minutes catching her up on all that’s happened, ending with Simon leaving, and the mystery woman answering his phone.
“You thought he was the only one falling,” she says, reminding me how I’d expressed worry over that before.
“Yeah, I was wrong.”
“What are you going to do?”
Isn’t that the question of the fucking day? “I don’t know. I’m going to talk to him. I just haven’t summoned the nerve up to call again yet.”
Ava gives me a sympathetic nod. “Another woman answering his phone is pretty suspect, but you really don’t know who she is. It could be someone who means nothing to him, you know?”
“Yeah, it’s possible.” I don’t want to get upset thinking about it at work. Time to change the subject. “Anyway, I hope we can still hang out and keep in touch.”
“Absolutely. I’d like that.”
Coach Bro sticks his head through the door. “Yo, Principal Franklin said to pass along the message that you’ve got afterschool duty tomorrow. And every day until you leave.”
Looks like I won’t need to call Simon. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be face to face when he comes to pick up Toby.
I have one day to get my head together and figure out what to say.
CHAPTER 19
SICILY
I’ve never been so nervous to do a presentation in my whole career. The butterflies in my stomach have turned to rabid bats trying to eat my insides.
Okay, that’s a little dramatic.
Maybe it’s because I don’t usually feel like I have so much to prove. This time’s different.
It’s no secret around the office that Anderson and I are together, and it’s a matter of time until HR gets involved. Which means I’m probably going to be moved to another team. Considering I’ve only been here a short time, it doesn’t look good. I need this to go well to show I’m an asset to this company.
“Hey, beautiful,” Anderson says, pulling me into an empty conference room. He plants a kiss on my lips that I feel all the way to my toes.
“Someone could see,” I hiss when he releases me. Didn’t keep me from kissing the hell out of him though.
His eyes graze over me. “You’re nervous.”
“All hail Prince Obvious.” I brush my hands down my sleeves, making sure nothing is out of place.
Anderson stares at me with his eyebrows raised.
“Sorry, I get bitchy when I’m stressed.”
“You’ll be great. You’ve rehearsed this a hundred times. I’ll be there, along with the team to support you.” He steps up close, and I lay my hands on his warm chest. “Then tonight we’ll go and celebrate. We haven’t been on a proper date.”
“I’d like that.”
“Then I’m going to fuck you real good.”
“I’m cool with that too.”
He chuckles and gives me a hug. “Okay, let’s go do this.”
“Fuck?” I glance around the empty conference room. I mean…maybe.
“Give the presentation.”
Right. I’m an idiot.
Fortunately, that fact doesn’t spill over into my professional performance. Once it’s time, my nerves settle. Back straight and chin up, I walk into the largest conference room. Everything is set up and ready. I’m well prepared.
At one side of the shiny wooden table sits the members of our team, along with Anderson. On the opposite side are the clients, which are all men except for the secretary. Because why would women know anything about beer? The misogyny is ripe before I even notice one of the men staring at me.
Whatever, I’ve been leered at before—oh my god.
No.
He isn’t leering. He’s staring. Like jaw hanging, in complete shock staring.
He recognizes me a few moments before I remember him. It took me a second. The last thing I saw of him was his bright red, lashed ass as he ran away, promising to call me.
He didn’t.
But that’s beside the point.
Why does the universe hate me?
I can’t remember his name. Gary or Larry, I want to say. What I do recall is going on a couple of dates with him, the last one ending with sex. Well, what I considered sex at the time. It included a leather strap.
We must stare at one another long enough for the others to notice because Anderson looks from him to me. “Are you prepared to begin?”
“What? Yeah, I mean, yes, Mr. Harper.”
Smooth as butter, Sicily. Get it together! There’s nothing I can do except forge on. I put on the professional veneer that has gotten me this far and bring up my first slide on the large screen.
I’ve never been so thankful for my obsessive rehearsal. The speech rolls off my tongue while I explain and present each section. I’m running on autopilot. Because every time I see…Harry?...again, my brain conjures other images.
