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"At least you didn't get fired. Look on the bright side. It could be so much worse."
"Maybe. Katherine said they might not be finished with me. It depends on Natalia when she finds out what happened. Who knows? Maybe they'll be so wrapped up in dealing with Drake's mess they won't have the time or energy to deal with mine."
"I'll cross my fingers." Romeo eyes me strangely, then clears his throat. "Not that you need this right now, but a deliveryman dropped off some flowers while you were with Katherine. I put them in your office."
"From Dane?" I perk up, seeing a flicker of hope on the horizon.
"No, sweetie. I'm sorry. They're from Troy. This is the fourth time he sent you flowers since you left for Europe. He even tried to get a hold of you by going through Ruby. She told him you were out of town on an assignment and wouldn't be back until today."
"You're right. This bit of drama is not what I need. Troy must be desperate if he's going through Ruby to get to me. I blocked him on my home, cell, and office phones. Ruby must be his last resort."
"If you don't want to look at the flowers, I can come and take them."
"No. It's fine. I feel so deflated. I don't even care right now. I better go through my emails. I already saw my in-basket is full."
"All right. If you need any help, let me know."
"Thank you for being so sweet. Oh, and I almost forgot. I brought you back something. It's in my bag in my office."
"Ooh, what did you get me?" Romeo says excitedly.
"A bag of Manner's Mozart Balls."
"Oh, sweetie. You didn't?"
"I did. Unless you don't want the chocolate."
"No, no, no. I want it. And I'm following you right now to get them."
Romeo accompanies me to my office. I can't miss the vase in the middle of my desk when I walk through the door.
"That's a rather large and colorful bouquet." I can't help frowning at Troy's floral bribery.
"They're getting progressively bigger. It must be because you're ignoring the man." Romeo grins at me. "The idiot must realize he lost a goddess when he blew it."
"A goddess? I guess my status in this world has shot way up there. Too bad I wasn't Medusa. I'd enjoy turning Troy into stone."
"It certainly would be fitting since he was dumb as a rock to cheat on you. Although, sweetie, I don't think Medusa was a goddess. I believe she was a mortal. Her hair got turned into snakes as a punishment."
"I forgot you have a thing for mythology and other lore. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Here's your chocolate." I pull the foil-wrapped treats from my bag and hand them to Romeo. "You should probably hide these."
"Oh, I will. I'll add the chocolate to my stash." Romeo gives me a big hug. He's practically drooling over the bag in his hand when he pulls away. "Thank you, sweetie. I better get back to my desk. Let me know if you need anything."
"I will." I watch Romeo walk out, then sit at my desk, studying the mixture of beautiful flowers. They're far too gorgeous to come from someone so horrible. I bite my lip as I think about the ladies—Iris, Rose, Marigold, and Dahlia—and the shitty way I left them. Then my mind drifts to Dane. I miss him, and admitting it after his deception is painful. But Romeo is right. I was just as bad.
If only Dane had tried to contact me. Leaving the ship far earlier than needed, I sat in the Munich airport for hours, hoping for a call or a text asking me not to go. But I received neither, and the fact he didn't care hurt like hell. I wanted him to give chase, fighting for me rather than letting me disappear. Instead, I came home to Troy's floral shit show.
I cringe when I think about Troy. Our relationship was such a farce, but so am I, telling everyone I'm happy with my life whenit's the opposite. Embarrassed by my repeated romantic failures, I lived in a bubble of denial, using it to lessen my loneliness and disappointment.
In truth, I wanted a relationship with someone special who would appreciate, love, and dote on me—someone who treated me like I mattered and wanted to share my life.
And I thought I'd found what I wanted and needed in Dane.
But I was wrong.
Chapter Twenty
Dane
