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That sounded cutting. Good.
“Oh come on, Mik. I saved him from a breach of contract issue or something.” He flashes a dazzling smile and I huff in return. “Right.” He grunts as he throws a hand in Max’s direction and his scowl returns. “Do you want me to go and apologise? Bring him back? I’ll do it. I’m just trying to makethisfriendly.”
Rolling my eyes as he waves a hand between us, I return to the manuscript I’ve been working through and shake my head. “Thank you for the coffee Haston, now if you don’t mind, I’m sure I’m not being paid to sit around talking to you either.”
Ben grunts an incoherent response and storms past me as I scribble notes on the page.
Despite every nerve in my body telling me to let him leave, I glance back at him as the blonde he’d left with earlier stalks in and glares at his retreating frame. His shoulders are hunched as he runs a hand over his face and mutters to himself.
“What a fucking waste of effort.” He glances back to me and I turn away quickly. “Kingford can do what he fucking likes. What am I even doing?”
I look down at the coffee in front of me. Oat milk caramel latte. Just like I used to order.
When I glance back he’s stopped in the middle of the office, glancing between my desk and his office, and I choke on the possibility of an unexpected realisation.
“Ben?”
He turns to me with confusion in his eyes.
“Max is gay, by the way.”
I watch his shoulders shake as he chuffs out a laugh and closes his eyes, shaking his head slowly. I can feel the amusement dancing off of me as I watch him turn back to his office and take another step away from me.
“Good.” The word slips from his lips in a whisper and the whole atmosphere shifts.There’s a tension in the air. Something unspoken hangs with the word, something unwanted and off-limits, and he moves away faster, slamming the door behind him.
I watch him throw his coffee straight into the bin.
AsIpackawaymy things and neaten the desk after the last few people have left, I hear the door to Jamie’s office open. He walks out laughing, his hand on Josh’s shoulder as they speak between themselves and I smile at the sight.
Sometimes it’s so easy to forget just how much time and effort went into Jamie building this business. How many sacrifices he had to make. How much this place meant to him when he really needed it. Especially seeing as I missed most of it. Now he seems to glow when he speaks with authors and agents, and I feel a swell of pride as I watch him.
In the corner of my eye I can see Ben, sitting with one hand running through the dark crop of his hair while the other holds his phone to his ear. He sighs in frustration at whatever’s being said, and I watch him close his eyes and lean back, as if trying desperately to remain calm.
Good,he had said.Good.
The approaching laughter pulls me back to the two men before me and I smile warmly up at them both. “Looks like the meeting went well?”
“Very well.” Josh smiles at me as if he’s known me for decades and my stomach flips a little.
When Josh turns back to Jamie, Jamie’s head is cocked to the side as he watches me intently. I glare at him, silently screaming for him to stop, and a slow smile slips over his lips when he turns back to Josh.
“It’s going to be good to be part of such a great group, James.”
I watch my brother as he takes Josh’s hand in a firm grip and smiles with the warmth of the sun, and happiness settles in my bones while I return to shutting down the computer and locking the drawers of my desk.
“I’ll get our team to draw up the contracts and have them sent over for you to have your lawyer to look over ASAP. Okay?”
“Perfect.” The gentle lift of that British accent settles into something soft, enticing me to look back to him and I hold my breath when our eyes meet. “You heading home?”
“I am, yes.”
“I don’t suppose I could tempt you with a drink?” His grin is wicked and my blush is furious as Jamie wags his eyebrows and backs away as my eyes shoot to him.
It’s one thing to imagine Josh might be looking at me with any form of desire, but it’s something else entirely to find out my imagination was right. My heart hammers in my chest and my breathing becomes light.
A drink is innocent enough. I could go for a drink.
“Go,” Jamie encourages, “I’m gonna drag Ben out for a few anyway. Have fun.”
