Page 43 of Would You Rather

He let out a low whistle. “Someone’s in a bad mood. What, the wife didn’t put out last night?”

Noah was out of his chair instantly, bent forward with his palms flat on the desk. “Don’t talk about her like that. Ever,” he warned. “I wouldn’t put up with it anywhere, but don’t think just because we’re at work I won’t break your jaw.”

David appeared delighted. “Sure would make things easier for me if you did. Then I wouldn’t have to use the fact that you’re committing insurance fraud against you.”

Noah schooled his features, still on his feet. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on, Noah. Let’s not do that. I heard you and Mia talking.”

Noah hated hearing her name come out of this asshole’s mouth. “Whatever you think you heard, it’s not true.”

“You didn’t marry her so she could quit her job and keep medical insurance? The timeline of events suggests otherwise. Seems a little too good to be true that two friends who have never had a public relationship up and get married within weeks of one quitting their job. Especially when that person has a costly medical condition.”

Noah straightened and slid his hands into his pockets. “Regardless of how it looks, that’s what happened. We’ve known each other forever and have been dating for months. I don’t give a shit that you weren’t aware. Your head is too focused on your own business to care about other people. Had we planned on getting married so soon? No. I’ll give you that little piece of honesty. She had an opportunity that required her to quit, and yes, we moved up the wedding for logistical reasons. But it was happening either way.”

“The conversation you two had doesn’t jive with that. Nice try, though. It almost sounds plausible.” He paused. “Almost.”

“Why do you care?” Noah asked. “What is it you want?”

“Sure, I’ll cut to the chase.” He checked his watch. “I have an appointment that started...five minutes ago, anyway.”

Noah’s back teeth snapped together.

“We both know your dad’s retiring, and the string of promotions will open up an associate position.”

Noah’s spine straightened. He’d meant what he said to Mia—he didn’t expect an automatic promotion and he’d worked his ass off to prove his worth at the firm independent of his role as the boss’s son. Either way, Noah was ten times the architect David was. Between the two, Noah was unquestionably the better fit.

“I’m the better candidate,” he said. It may not be the best decision to outline David’s professional shortcomings, but it was the only objective way he knew to explain why he deserved it. “Everyone knows you’ve made some questionable decisions on your projects. Code violations, accessibility issues related to ADA regulations, and vague notations. It’s no secret they’ve required you to have drawings reviewed by a more experienced architect before they’re passed to the engineers.”

David’s cocksure expression slipped a fraction. “That only happened twice, and it was years ago.”

“That’s not what I heard.”

“I guess we’re both eavesdropping on conversations we shouldn’t, huh?” David propped his elbow on the armrest and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. “I’ve put everything I have into my career and I deserve a shot at the top. I’ve been here longer and have more experience. You shouldn’t assume it’s yours based on nepotism alone.”

“I never assumed that.”

“No?”

“No.”

James McKinley, one of the principals, who would become CEO after the senior Agnew left, had been a key mentor in Noah’s growth and development as an architect. He hadn’t cut Noah any slack. If anything, he’d made him work harder because he was an Agnew.

Did Noah hope to carry on the legacy? Of course. It was far in the future, but he’d always hoped the company might be passed down to him one day. A dream his father shared, especially after Nathan had planned on a completely different career path in Public Relations. The only means to keep the company in the family was through Noah, but even so, he’d never assumed it a foregone conclusion.

Noah resumed his seat, suddenly exhausted with the conversation. “Someone who does their job well doesn’t need to resort to blackmail to move up. It takes hard work and dedication, plain and simple.”

“Things I’ve demonstrated, but people seem so focused on the boss’s son they overlook it.”

“The other principals are in their sixties. Another position will come along.”

“If you’re so sure, it won’t matter if I’m promoted this time, will it? You can wait.”

Noah met David’s stare head-on. “It’s not my decision.”

“No, but your dad listens to you. So does James.” David stood, evidently deciding to honor the time of the client he’d kept waiting. “It would probably be a good idea for you to tell them both you’re not ready, or you think I’m the best fit. You’ve noticed my success and...dedication to the company, as you put it. I don’t care how you do it, but if you want your secret to stay safe, you’ll figure something out.”

David left, and Noah put his elbows on his desk and dropped his head into his hands.

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