AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Could I go through with the deal as if nothing had changed?
Chapter 12
Martha
This was not how the night was meant to go.
Trying to steer clear of an over-familiar boss was one thing.
Pretending like seeing Albin again, after years of him existing only in mind, was another. It had taken everything within me, every ounce of self-control I had not to throw myself at Albin and beg him to take me away. Having to stand across from him and keep from confessing everything I’d spent years tucking away had been hard.
But Albin and I couldn’t go back.
Not if he found out about Jimmy.
As I sat in the VIP section, one leg crossed over the other and a glass of champagne in one hand, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to tell Albin the truth. Over the past six years, I had imagined every possible scenario, everything from the three of us becoming a family to Albin whisking Jimmy away and never allowing me to see him again.
In the end, it was the thought of losing Jimmy to Albin for good that kept me from seeking him out. For years, I had wondered if tracking Albin down was a good idea, with nothing but a first name and a vague memory of broad shoulders, silky smooth dark hair, and expression dark eyes. But I had always known that finding Albin again was like finding a needle in the haystack.
A very large and complicated haystack.
Seeing him again after all this time rattled me more than I wanted to admit.
And I had no idea what to make of it.
Was I supposed to find him and explain everything?
Years ago, when Albin and I crossed paths, I had been trying to escape from Louis and everything that had gone wrong in my life. Now, years later, I was still trying to escape from an ex and pick up the pieces of my life, with one key difference. Getting on Mr. Banks’ bad side wasn’t an option, not if it meant finally being able to provide a good life for myself and Jimmy without having to rely on Anne.
What other choice did I have?
Mr. Banks did not strike me as the kind of man who was used to getting no for an answer. Nor was he the kind of man who I imagined knew how to forgive. Turning him down would mean losing this job, and it was likely he would blackball me from every publication in the country as a way to drive his point home.
He had all but spelled it out for me on the car ride home.
Mr. Banks was not a man I wanted as an enemy.
And if staying on his good side meant putting up with his advances, I was going to have to find a way to make my peace with it. With that in mind, I downed all of my drink in one gulp and signaled for another. When the second drink came, and I glanced at the rope separating the lounge section from the rest of the partygoers, my heart gave an odd little lurch.
Albin stood on the other side of the rope, looking handsome in his tailor-made dark suit, with his white shirt tucked underneath and his dark hair slicked back. Once the rope was unfastened, he stepped through and scanned the dimly lit area. As soon as his eyes landed on me, I sat up straighter and gripped the glass tighter.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him there.
He walked towards me, taking small, even strides until he stood a few feet away. I set my glass down, stood up, and clasped my hands behind my back. “What are you doing here?”
“You ran off earlier, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I tilted my head to the side and cleared my throat. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. I’m sorry if I upset you earlier.”
“You didn’t upset me.”
Albin raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t,” I insisted, color creeping up my neck and spreading across my cheeks. “I just didn’t expect to see you, that’s all.”
And I really hoped my fear of him taking Jimmy away was based on paranoia and overabundance of caution rather than anything concrete. Considering my impaired judgment of men, I wasn’t sure I could trust myself or my instincts. Both Louis and Horace had tricked me into thinking they were something they weren’t, and I was still paying the price for my lapse in judgment.
