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“No, they star two very different sexy men,” she argues.
“I do love me some Noah Centineo,” I offer as I grab the Sherpa blanket that hangs over my couch and wrap it around me.
“See, I knew you still loved love,” Cassie adds as she heads into the kitchen and bangs around until I hear popcorn popping in the microwave.
“The Recruitit is then.” Stella grins, flipping on the remote and getting comfy on the couch next to me.
And that’s how we spend the rest of the day, binge-watching some clueless hottie lawyer getting himself into deep shit episode after episode. But it does the trick. It allows me to forget about all the messes I have to clean up tomorrow. And it will be tomorrow, because I’m a big girl and don’t need more than a day to wallow in my misery.
Even if that’s all I want to do.
Chapter 18
THE HORTIZONTAL TANGO
LAYLA
Waitingat the coffee machine in the break room, I close my eyes and take in the silence. And the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Happily Ever After is closed today, so the whole place is quiet. Which is ultimately why I’m here. I pull my mug from under the machine once it’s done and head back to my office.
Stopping in the hall, I look around the main floor at the cubicles and gathering spaces. I begin to tear up at the thought of how Cassie and I were able to make our dream such a success and somehow, a decade after first having the idea, we own this amazing businesses in a prime location, in the heart of a wonderful city. We employ a team of twenty, who are proud to call this place home.
And I may have mucked it all up because I couldn’t keep my pants on when around Cole Reed.
I don’t hide the verbal gawk I give myself as I book it back into my office. Leaving the door open, I take a seat at my desk and look at my list for the day. I need to contact Mina and Natalie. Check some emails and look through some potential clients. I’ll keep it light today as I don’t want to alert any of my team to the fact that I’m working. Holidays are a hard limit for me. A healthy work/life balance is important, so we make sure everyone spends time away from work on holidays. And normally I do too, but I needed something to occupy my mind.
I craft a stellar email to Mina and apologize as professionally as I can but still sound personable for what she walked in on. I tell her that it’s not how I conduct business and that I shouldn’t have allowed personal history to get in the way of my client’s future. Wrapping it up, I tell her that I’m hopeful that she continues to allow HEA, Inc. a chance to match her.
What I don’t tell her is that if she’s still interested in matching with Cole, I’ll make it happen. Because I won’t. I may have ended things, but I know in my heart that Mina is not his match.
I don’t send the email quite yet. I’ve always found that it’s best to come back to an email that may be emotional after letting it sit for a while.
Cassie called Natalie last night between episodes ofThe Recruitand was able to confirm that Natalie was not planning on running any kind of news on what she saw. Thank goodness for that. But I still need to personally apologize. So I write up another email, this one not quite so rocky in nature. The email is sent and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
“Why am I not surprised that this is where I find you?” I startle at Ruth’s voice in my doorway.
So much for lightened load. I figured I had a few more hours until she found me.
“Because I’m a workaholic?” I offer her as she walks across the room, joining me at my desk, taking a seat in one of the chairs.
“You, my darling, are not. You think you are because you have nothing else in your life you value higher than your passion for your business. But if something else were to come along, you would have no issue reorganizing your priorities. A true workaholic will struggle with that. Trust me,” she says with authority.
“I do.”
“Which is why I still sit here wondering why you didn’t trust me enough to tell me you had feelings for Cole.” She drapes one slack-covered leg over her knee. Even at the end of May on a holiday weekend, she won’t be seen in jeans or shorts.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Grams. It’s that I was ashamed.” I bite back tears.
Her face softens. Must be because I’m not bothering with my business formalities and calling her Grams.
“How so?” Her head tips to the side.
“I had feelings for Cole back in college and never acted on them. When we crossed paths again in February, I was caught off guard by how much he still affected me. I fought it because he was your client and you were bound and determined to match him.” All my truth flows easily now.
“And you undermining my matches by getting that man to fall in love with you? It doesn’t bode well for my match rate, Layla.” A smile plays on her lips, but her tone is firm.
Elbows on my desk, I bury my face in my palms. “I know. I’m so sorry.”
She makes a noise that tells me she finds this amusing.
