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“What?” Maia was supposed to let a courier into Felicity’s house today, so he could pick up the greenhouse to return it. Apparently, Maia had been working with Austin behind the scenes.
There was no need to make a scene. She would assess the situation when she got home, but in her gut, she knew that if the greenhouse had already been installed, there was probably no sending it back. The only thing she could do was be gracious as Austin gestured toward the rosebush and leaned in for a kiss on the cheek.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” he whispered as everyone else in the room applauded.
“I’m sure you will be fine, Austin. You’ll be just fine.”
* * *
“What’s going on?” Savannah asked after she and Austin were in the car and on the way to the airport.
“Do you mean right in this moment, or with life in general?” Austin asked her, though he knew exactly what she meant.
“Don’t be a smart-ass. You know what I’m talking about.”
Austin slanted a glance at his sister, trying to figure out the best way to skirt the subject. He did not want to talk about it right now.
“Eyes on the road, buddy. Drive and talk.”
He was silent for a few beats too long.
“Why is Felicity quitting? Tell me the real reason.”
“She is graduating with her MBA tomorrow. She’s overqualified to be my handmaiden. It’s time she moved on.”
Savannah was quiet in that way people were when they weren’t buying what you were trying to sell.
“I mean, think about it,” he tried, desperately needing to fill the skeptical silence. “It would be a colossal waste of her time, talent and energy if she used that expensive education working as anybody’s assistant. Even mine. Especially mine.”
“And what happened to the advertising director position Dad was supposedly creating for her? It sounded like a dream job for someone in her position. It sounded like Miles was pretty gung ho about it. He was going to have her work with Georgia and between the two of them—”
“I know that. It didn’t work out.” He didn’t mean to growl.
“It didn’t work out for who?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Dad. No. Don’t ask Dad.”
“Well, I am going to ask Dad. In fact, I’ll call him right now, if you don’t tell me what’s really going on.”
Austin stared ahead at the ribbon of highway that stretched out in front of him. There was remarkably light traffic for a Friday evening. His heart felt very heavy as he relayed everything that had transpired between Felicity and him to his sister.
When he finished, she sat there for a moment without saying anything. Then he wished she would’ve remained silent because all she said was, “You’re an idiot. I love you, but you’re still an idiot.”
“Yeah, I suppose I am. But that’s not going to change anything. It’s a whole hell of a lot more complicated than that.”
“What are you talking about? You are in complete control of the situation. You are the one who is keeping the two of you apart. My God, Austin, sometimes you are your own worst enemy. Don’t you see it?”
“Obviously not.” His voice was monotone, because if he didn’t keep it calm and level, he really felt like he was going to lose it. Not on his sister, but just on life in general.
The past two weeks he had been mad at the world because of the catch-22 he had found himself in. “If I would’ve defied company policy and continued to pursue the relationship, she not only would’ve lost the advertising job, but Miles probably would’ve fired us both. Then irony of ironies, she ended up turning the job down anyway.”
“So...” Savannah dragged out the word. “I don’t get it. What’s keeping you apart now? The minute Felicity walked out that door, she was no longer a Fortune Investments employee. What’s stopping you now?”
Nothing.
Everything.
Austin’s head swam, and his aching heart thudded in his chest.
“She doesn’t even want to talk to me. I screwed it up as I always do with things like this. It’s over. It’s done.”
