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“My hands are tied,” he’d said 10 minutes earlier, regret in his expression. “The partnership agreement is quite clear.”
Quite clear.That’s the way he spoke, professional, polite. Now, he picked up his briefcase. Alanna noticed that his brown suit jacket was tight in the shoulders. The cuffs rose just above his wrists. It was an old jacket, and he’d gained weight, Alanna guessed.
He should toss it,she thought. Why didn’t he throw away the jacket? Was he ignoring the truth? Did he hold out some hope he’d slim down and fit in it again? Then they were both fools.
“I wish you all a good day,” he said, nodding, before leaving the conference room.
Alanna choked on a laugh. This was not a good day. This was, in fact, a very bad day. If it rained shit from the sky, if an asteroid plowed through the planet, if the world’s last unicorn died of pesticide poisoning, the day wouldn’t be worse than it already was.
“We knew it was a long shot,” Thomas said next to her as he slipped his laptop into a leather case. He looked none the worse for the wear despite having had a ringside seat to the complete demolition of her world.
How had it happened? Alanna replayed the arbitration hearing in her mind. She’d insisted on presenting her argument herself, and she’d been glorious. She’d laid out every piece of evidence and clearly shown that refusing to take on Jordan Boon as a client had been the right decision. She’d pointed to the number of women who’d come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, six and growing each day, and listed the number of clients by name who’d left Fresh Perspective. Hadn’t Chip’s face gone red with fury when she’d correctly estimated the lost revenue and mentioned the recent round of layoffs? He’d probably give himself another ulcer trying to ferret out her sources.
She’d argued so passionately, so fiercely, that Thomas had put a hand on her arm, encouraging her to lower her voice and possibly drop fewer f-bombs if she could manage.
Chip hadn’t said a word. His pert little attorney had laid out her argument with quick efficiency. The partners had voted Alanna out of the company. The partnership agreement was ironclad. Everything else was beside the point.
The arbitrator had spoken.
And then that slimy smile had oozed across Chip’s face.
Chip and his lawyer were standing now. He shook her hand, and she pulled it away quickly. The lawyer glanced past Chip, her brown eyes locking with Alanna’s. Was there a hint of regret in her gaze, a silent apology that sounded something like,I was just doing my job?
Maybe. The woman spun around, her phone already at her ear, her white Valentino heels clicking into the hallway. And now Chip’s eyes were on her. His skin looked more sallow than usual, his eyes tucked behind blue-tinged bags. Not even the top medical spas in Los Angeles could chemical peel away a failing business.
“Well, that was fun,” he drawled, patting his round belly. “It’s going to be such a pleasure to pay my lawyer’s bills with your severance package.”
“Don’t you have a sinking ship to drown on?” Thomas responded. It would have been a good jab if that sinking ship weren’t Alanna’s company.
“Fuck off,” Chip spat, then walked toward the door. He paused at the threshold and turned back. “Don’t forget about the non-compete clause,” he said to Alanna. “You come after any of our clients or try to build a new agency in this field and I’ll destroy you… again.”
He walked out the door.
Alanna felt so numb inside. Empty. She probably should have felt furious or heartbroken or vengeful, but those emotions took energy. She had none to give.
“Well, he’s just as pleasant as a peach,” Thomas said. He put a hand on Alanna’s back and rubbed gently. “You ready to go or do you need a minute?”
It was a sweet gesture, though Alanna noticed him glancing at his phone, already flipping through emails.
“Is it really over?” she asked. “Can we appeal?”
“Arbitration doesn’t work like that, honey.”
Then it was done. She had lost Fresh Perspective. Everything she’d built had been taken from her. Worse, she’d broken her promise to Renee, to all the employees who were counting on her for their jobs and their livelihoods.
“Look, why don’t we get out of here,” Thomas said, his voice lowering into that sexy purr she recognized all too well. “I can take a long lunch and we can grab a hotel room. It’s not Thursday, but I’ll make an exception if you will.”
Alanna stared at his handsome face, at that cocksure grin that made lesser women swoon. Was he serious? He wanted a screw after she’d just lost everything?
“Or…” Thomas’s hand lowered, his fingers tickling down her back, “we can go to my place. Traffic shouldn’t be too bad. I’ll get your mind off this whole thing. I’ve got a paddle and a whip I’ve been dying to try with you.”
Alanna stood roughly, stepping away from his hand. Was this all a game to him? The answer was obvious. He couldn’t care less about her agency or her feelings. What did she expect? Hadn’t that always been their unspoken agreement? Just sex, no connection. In fact, she’d always appreciated their arrangement.
Until now. Something had changed.
Unbidden, she thought of Sully. Their kiss yesterday had felt so different than anything she’d experienced before. It’d been passionate.Dear lord, yes, but there’d also been something deeper in the connection between their lips. Something honest and true. Something that filled a part of her she’d never known was empty.
“Don’t leave me hanging,” Thomas said, his dark eyebrows quirking. “Also, let’s get some food first. I’m starving.”
