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“You left that part out when you told me about your history,” he pointed out, his voice sharp.
“Yes, I did. Because it’s in the past. It just didn’t seem important since there’s nothing going on between me and Dylan now.” I laced my fingers together on the table. “We had a thing once upon a time. But that’s it. Nothing’s going on now aside from me working on the brewery account.”
He didn’t say anything, so I forged ahead. “In fact, we’re going to Colorado next week where I’ll present a pitch I need to work on. If it’s successful, the brewery will collab with Emberox Spirits. It’s a really great opportunity for me to prove myself.”
He almost choked. “You can’t go to Colorado with him!”
“You make it sound like I’m we’re going on a weekender alone. We’re going as a team, with Beth and Brent. The four of us. In separate rooms. On a business trip.” I emphasized each point.
“I don’t care if there are ten of you,” he snapped. “You can’t go. I’m not going to have you make a fool of me by going on a trip with your ex. I won't just ignore another man trying to stake some claim over you.”
“No one is staking a claim on anybody. He’s a client. We work together.” I rubbed my palms on my eyelids. “And he’s not my ex. We spent one night together. How exactly does this make a fool of you?”
“He knows. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and he’d happily taunt me that you were with him states away while I was here alone. You have to cancel the trip,” Austin spat.
My blood boiled at his demanding tone. "Absolutely not. This is a huge opportunity for me."
“You’re so ambitious you'd put your career above our relationship?”
His words stung. I had worked damn hard to get to where I was. I wasn’t about to feel bad about it.
"There you go again, making me feel guilty for prioritizing my job," I shot back. "What if the tables were turned? Would you put your career on the backburner for me?”
He flinched and pressed his lips together. I knew that he wouldn’t.
He tapped the table with his pointed index finger. “You can’t go, Lana. I won’t be humiliated this way.”
I couldn’t believe how he was acting. I threw my hands up in exasperation.
“It’s a business trip. If that humiliates you, I’m not sure what to say.” I kept my voice firm.
Austin stood his ground. "If you go on that trip, we're through. I mean it."
I stared at him in disbelief. “It's not your call who I work with. I’m damn sure not going to sit here and listen to you give me some kind of ultimatum. Don't you dare try to control me like that.”
"It's him or me, Lana," Austin said coldly.
I shook my head in disgust. "I won't be manipulated. Get out."
After a few seconds of staring at me, he slowly stood and left without another word.
I was tempted to take the flowers he’d brought and run them out to him. Tell him I didn’t want them. Tell him where he could put them.
I grabbed the bouquet and walked over to the trashcan instead, throwing them in with a huff.
How dare he try to tell me what to do.Again.
I felt no desire to smooth things over or comfort him. Any feelings I had for Austin seemed to be rapidly disappearing.
As I cooled down, I could see why it wouldn’t make a boyfriend happy to have his girlfriend going on a trip with someone she’d slept with. Even if it was for business. But we were going as a team. This was my career.
No, the trip was fine. Austin would just have to live with it.
I took a long hot shower to wash away the tension in my muscles after my spat with Austin. I settled on the couch with a glass of wine when I heard another knock on my door. It had better not be Austin coming back for another round.
I put my remote down from scrolling through shows and opened the door.
Dylan stood there holding a paper bag in his hand.
