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I nod and smile in thanks then turn in my chair again. My gaze falls to the high-rise once more, my thoughts returning to Aria just that easily. I understand people, it’s why I’m good at what I do. But Aria, she’s the one person I can’t read. I like that. She’s a challenge. I also hate it, and I feel like I’m staring at a solid brick wall that I can’t break through.
“Has there been any word from Keller?”
I jerk my head to the doorway, surprised that Thomas hadn’t left yet. “No, why would there be?” Jackson is the last person I want to hear from.
Thomas shoves his hands into his pockets and studies me intently before he shakes off his obvious shock. “Ah, I’m sorry, I thought you heard. Keller represented the Pioneer Group.”
The Pioneer Group, a powerful and wealthy company, had been the leading contender on this deal—until I snuck in and stole it out from under them, of course. “What do you mean Jackson represented them?” As far as I knew, they were represented by the lawyers of Clark and Sacks.
“From what I heard this afternoon, I guess a few days ago, Pioneer decided Clark wasn’t doing a good enough job and canned him. Keller took over the deal, choosing not to tell any of us he represented the clients until this morning. Perhaps that was Jackson’s strategy.”
I snort. “If we thought we were up against some small-time firm we’d go easier on the deal.” Sounds like something smart and dirty Jackson would do. “It’s not a bad strategy.”
“Perhaps not.” Thomas grins. “Lucky for us it didn’t work.”
I nod in agreement but I’m lost in my thoughts, unable to speak. I absorb what Thomas has told me, the world slowing around me.
Jackson was on the other side of this deal. Aria had to know that. Sure, I could focus on the fact that she never told me when I mentioned the deal to her. I also don’t give two fucks about that.
However, there is something I do care about.
Over breakfast on Saturday with Aria, I had unknowingly given Aria the information she needed to close the Bakker deal for Jackson. She knew what we were going in with. She could have used that to her advantage to get Jackson the deal. “A quick thing before you go,” I say to Thomas, hands pressed flat against my desk. “Do you know the stipulations of Keller’s offer?”
“A cash deal,” Thomas reports. “Half a million more than our deal.”
“Nothing about employees?”
Thomas shakes his head. “Not that I’m aware of. That was your secret arsenal and damn, didn’t it work nicely.”
It did but I’m not thinking about Bakker right now in all this. Or Jackson. Aria, she’s all I’m thinking about.
Thomas slaps the doorframe. “I’ll get on the phone with Norcross now and get them in for the meeting.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Thomas.”
I watch him stride down the hallway through the glass walls, and glance at Mallory’s desk. She’s got her head down, focused on whatever task she’s doing. While I’ve never discussed Aria with Mallory, I almost wish I did now. She knows Aria better than anyone, and I don’t want to overstep. I don’t want to force her like Jackson had poisoned her. But I don’t want to put Mallory in that position either. She’s already being quiet with me today, telling me that Aria filled Mallory in on all that transpired this weekend. Perhaps Aria even shared her feelings, though I suspect she kept what Jackson had done a secret. Aria’s too loyal to share something so private about someone else.
Conflicted about what to do next, I rise from my seat and move to the bank of windows, staring off in the distance at the mountains. When I returned from Santa Monica, the world seemed different, changed now that I’d experienced what life with Aria would be like.
I didn’t want to choose for her.
I wanted her to come to me.
The thing is, I’m done waiting.
* * *
ARIA
Later that evening, after quite possibly the longest day of work that I’ve ever had to endure, I’m doing what any normal woman does when life is in the crapper. I’ve got mindless television on and a large bowl of potato chips in my hands. I haven’t even made a dent into the mound of deliciousness when my doorbell rings. I’m off my couch in an instant, whisking the front door open not a second later, still holding my bowl of chips, expecting to find Jackson.
That’s not who I find.
Dressed in his fine black tailored suit with a dark red tie, Liam’s gaze roams my face, a frown marring his. “You’ve been crying.”
It’s a statement, not a question, and Liam is obviously not happy about my tears.
My head hurts too much to take the road of gentleness. “Why are you here?” I ask bluntly.
