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He’s a coward.
Anger rises in me again, and I reach my drink and take it to my lips.
I’m enjoying it when I see Charles walk up to me. He’s told me he’d be working with his team until late on a small gathering they’re throwing the next day for people of the trade. I wave at him, and he comes to my table with a determined expression, and long strides like he knows what he’s looking for. Who he’s looking for.
My gut clenches. Something isn’t right.
Was Dan an ass to him too, on the way back? Did Dan say anything bad about Whitney?
Or did a bastard like me do something bad to Whitney?Like fuck her, again and again? I feel color draining from my face, and when Charles gets on the table with a disappointed look on his face, I already know it.
“You jerk! I trusted you all those years. My daughter, really?” Charles says, flushed.
My throat is dry and tight.
Somehow he found out, and denying it will only make him angrier.
Guilt crawls its way into my chest, and it’s hard to breathe. How can I defend what I’ve done? “I am sorry for deceiving you,” I say. “It wasn’t my intention. It’s not Whitney’s doing… it’s all mine,” I say, ready to take all blame. I’d hate for him to take any of his anger on her, because at the end of the day, I was the seasoned adult. I should have known better.
He groans, and makes a hand gesture for the waitress. When she comes back, he orders a double whiskey, and turns to me again. “Why with the billions of women in the world, did you choose her? Haven’t you thought of me for a moment?”
Not enough, obviously. Though listing the reasons why I slept with Whitney won’t do this conversation any favors. “How did you find out?” I ask. It’s useless at this point, but curiosity piques my interest. If he hasn’t talked to her yet, I need to warn her.
“A friend of mine texted me. He saw you a picture of you two on some gossip page on Instagram. I had to see it to believe it.”
I swallow. Shit.
He glances at me with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “I guess it was pretty out there for you two to be brazen like that in public without even letting me know.”
I look down. “I’m sorry.”
“I bet you are. Don’t you see how this looks? You contracted her services. You’re my boss. So what am I supposed to just accept this nonsense not to get fired?” he asks, and realization falls on my shoulders like maximum power dumbbells.
I always considered his position as a friend of mine and her dad, but failed to remember he also works for me. The last thing I want is to create a toxic work environment, but maybe it’s too late now. “No,” I say quickly. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“Good, because I feel like clocking you right now.”
I swallow. “Do it.” If this will make him feel even a degree better than what he does now, then I’m all for it. The repercussions of me getting involved with Whitney are of course greater than I first imagined. She will stop working with us when her contract is over, but the same can’t be said about Charles. If he really hates me and wants out of my company I’ll let him go, but I wouldn’t want to if I had a choice.
He raises his fist, then looks at it and shakes his head. “I’ve never been the macho guy, and now it’s probably my only regret.”
I let out a sigh, my shoulders dropping just a notch. I can’t relax yet.
He shakes his head, then narrows his eyes at me. “Well, not my only regret. Having her work with us is right up there.”
The waitress returns with his drink, and he takes a swig.
“You have to end this, Maddox. Do the right thing.”
I square my shoulders. “I love her,” I say, unsure if this is the right time to say it or not, but after all I’ve done honesty is the least I can give him.
He takes another drink, skepticism crossing his face. “What? This is nonsense. Look, I get it. Dating someone younger makes you feel rejuvenated. Life is better, everything is more vibrant. But she’s my daughter,” he says, pointing at his chest for emphasis.
“I’ll never hurt her. I promise.”
“Can’t you see that you already have? She’s probably infatuated by you, because you’re more confident and smarter than the guys she meets. But that doesn’t mean jack, Maddox. She’s young and has her life ahead of her. It would be really selfish of you to pick a woman like her, on her prime, successful, beautiful, and use her for your enjoyment.”
Annoyance crawls through me, but I will it away. He’s a father, and I’m not. He has his reasons for thinking this way. “I’m not doing anything against her will. She has her own mind,” I say evenly.
