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“Business?” I repeat.
She nods. “Did you hear about the fire breaking out in the Decant lounge bar down south?”
“No.”
“Well, news update. It was the place where I was supposed to hold my collaboration event with the lingerie brand, Deluxe.”
“Oh, fuck. That sucks. What are you going to do?”
As soon as the question leaves my lips, I know the answer. But before assuming, I wait with dread for her to confirm it.
“Well, if I don’t find a new location within two weeks, I’ll have to push back the launch until next year. So I’ve been searching and calling around for alternative venues all morning, but nobody has room to accommodate it on such short notice.”
“Oh,” is all I can let out, knowing she’s waiting for my reaction.
She ambles over, surprising me when she takes the drink from my hand and brings the edge of the glass to her lips. After a sip, she squints her eyes and clears her throat.
“Damn,” she says, blinking. “Strong, but good stuff.”
Then she locks eyes with mine and throws the bomb, “Can I do the launch here, Brian?”
I grab the empty glass from her hand and turn to refill it.Fuck. Thoughts race through my head.What am I going to do?Her business is her everything. But if I say yes, it means I’ll have her around me a lot to plan the event.What if I won’t be able to keep my distance? What if she finds out about my condition?
I have to start making arrangements for the operation.I can’t help her right now.With my back still toward her, I answer.
“I’m fully booked.”
“Are you sure?”
I grind my teeth, hearing the mix of hope and determination in her voice. I want to help her. She deserves it. But fuck, I can’t right now. The chance of me fucking up is too big of a risk.
With a knot in my stomach, I whirl the drink in the tumbler while giving her my final answer. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
When it stays silent, I place my drink on the cabinet and turn to find her still leaning on my desk, one hand planted on the wood next to her body. Her head tilts sideways as her eyes examine me through narrow slits.
“I haven’t told you a specific date, and you say no just like that? So typical, Brian Fox,” she says, pushing off the desk and walking away.
The moment she reaches the door, I stop her by breaching the last meters of space between us and slamming my palm against the wooden surface.
Being this close, I’m assaulted with an image of my fingers brushing her long chocolate locks aside and my lips nibbling on the skin of her neck.Would she moan if I did that?I push away the urge to find out. When she keeps her back toward me, I lower my lips near her ear. “I’m an entrepreneur who knows his agenda for the next couple of months, Amanda. So don’t accuse me of lying.”God, I feel like such a dick. But I have to do this.
She swallows before tilting her head sideways and meeting my gaze.
“I never accused you of lying. I’m only disappointed you’re not willing to help a friend.”
Her words hit home. “Amanda, I—”
“Don’t bother, I have my answer. I’ll find another solution. Now please, let me leave.”
Struck by her icy tone of voice, my arms fall to my side. Without another word, she opens the door and walks out, her heels clacking against the floor until there’s nothing but silence.
I slam the door so hard the impact sends one of my cityscape paintings crashing to the floor.
Out of the blue, an onset of vertigo sets in and I stumble to my desk, nearly missing my office chair. Thank God it only lasts a few moments, but when it’s gone, Amanda’s last words echo in my head. I rest my elbows on my black oak wood desk, massaging my temples with my fingertips.She’s disappointed in me… I close my eyes, tormented by a rampage of thoughts.
A while later, the phone rings, shattering the silence like a gunshot. My heart pounds in my chest and I lunge for the phone when I see who it is.
“Hey, Nick.”
