by Len Webster
“Will—”
“Think about it,” he insisted as he pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway. “I have to go. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
He smiled at the hope in her voice. “Goodbye, Savannah.”
“Goodbye, Will,” she said before she hung up.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Will slipped his phone into his suit jacket pocket, ready to face Savannah’s ex. He wasn’t sure what was in store for him, but as he walked past the conference room and saw Walter sitting at one end of the table, his jaw clenched and his body tensed.
He caught Emerson’s attention, and he pointed at their office, signaling that he would get his files and laptop. That, and he needed a moment to compose himself.
To see Walter Vidović as his client and not as the man who lied to Savannah. Who hurt Savannah. Who broke her heart so many times.
Once he was in his office, he inhaled three deep breaths before he grabbed his files and laptop from his desk. It didn’t matter how many breaths he took, he was nervous. He would just have to endure the meeting.
“I’m sorry about the wait,” Will said the moment he entered the conference room. Then he sat next to his partner and opened his laptop, ready to take notes for Emerson, who was in charge of the meeting. “What have I missed?”
“Actually, we thought we’d wait for you,” Emerson informed.
He smiled his appreciation. Then he glanced over at Walter who had a drunken glaze to his gray eyes. “Hello, Mr. Vidović. How are you today?”
Walter stared at him and then slowly nodded. “Fine. Let’s get this meeting started.”
Emerson slapped her hands together. “Yes, let’s. What has brought on this sudden meeting, Mr. Vidović?”
“I’m signing with the Knicks. It’ll be announced in a few days once the contract is signed. I’d like for you both to be present at the signing celebrations.”
Will saw Emerson’s tight grin from the corner of his eye. “We’d be honored to represent Coates and Jackson.”
“Congratulations,” Will said, trying to hide the disbelief in his voice. He couldn’t believe a drunk like Walter could get signed. But Will wasn’t stupid. He knew Walter was one of the best players in the NBA.
“Thank you,” Walter said. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.”
“Oh?” Emerson glanced over at Will and then back at their client.
Walter nodded. “I want to talk about making an investment.”
“An investment?” Will asked, pleasantly surprised. This was what he wanted from Walter. He’d been reckless with his money lately, so Will was happy to hear that he was going to be responsible with his millions.
“I want to invest in someone’s future.”
“That’s excellent,” Emerson said as she began to type on her laptop. “Charity is a tax write-off and would look excellent—”
“No,” their client interrupted with a shake of his head. “This isn’t charity. It’s an investment for her future.”
Will tensed.
Her.
His heart ached with each struggled beat it made.
“A family member?” Emerson asked as if she sensed Will’s disbelief and shock.
Walter shook her head. “No, my girl,” he answered, lodging his knife in Will’s chest.
My girl …
“I want to pay off her student loans from Duke,” Walter added.
Duke …
“I see,” Emerson said in a low voice. “And why do you want to pay off her student loans? It sounds like such an unusual investment for you.”
Walter clenched his fists, his nostrils flaring. “I fucked up. It’s the only way I can show her how serious I am and get her back. I wasn’t when we were at Duke, but I am now. I’m prepared to take on all her debt. I want to prove to her how much I love her by investing in her.”
He loves her.
“That’s sweet,” his partner said in a dull voice. She did not sound at all excited for Walter and his desire to invest.
He loves her.
He loves her …
He doesn’t love her.
Will could tell because he could see he was still intoxicated.
Walter nodded before his lips splayed into a sly smile at Will. “Miss Calvart, do you mind getting me some water?”
“Oh,” Emerson breathed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize there wasn’t any in here. Let me get you some. I won’t be long.” Then she left, leaving Walter and Will alone.
Will cleared his throat, finding it unbearably tense in the room. “So, the Knicks?”
The alcoholic NBA star’s jaw clenched as he laced his fingers together. “Leave her.”
Will winced. “Excuse me?”
“I said, leave her.” His chest rose as if it was heavy with rage. “I want you to leave Savannah Peters,” Walter repeated himself, but this time, he said her name.
Her entire name.
He knows.
Twenty-three
Will
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vidović, I don’t know—”
“Don’t play fucking dumb with me, Will,” he chided.
Will sat still, not wanting to provoke his client further. He had no idea how Walter found out about him and Savannah. Will had never said her name. He had been careful. Could Savannah have said something? He doubted it. So how did Walter find out?
“I assure you, Mr. Vidović, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Walter slammed his palms to the wooden table surface and pushed himself up from his chair. The rage on his face had Will wary. He knew Walter was an alcoholic, and he could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he had been drinking today. Will had to defuse the situation—especially with Emerson returning soon. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t in harm’s way should Walter become violent.
“Stay away from her!” Walter warned.
Will shook his head. “I don’t—”
“YOU WORK FOR ME!” the NBA star yelled loud enough for Will to notice people outside the conference room stop.
But he wasn’t going to give in to Walter’s demands. Will wasn’t going to give up on Savannah. Not when he gave her better than what Walter ever could. “I don’t have to work for you.”
Walter leaned back, surprised by Will’s statement. Then he inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly as he walked around the table and stopped next to him. “No, you don’t have to work for me, but your partner likes working for me. Stay away from Savannah. I don’t even know how you managed to take her from me. Did you honestly think you could come into my apartment and steal my girl without anyone noticing?”
His lobby …
One of the building’s employees must have recognized them. Will had signed in several times to visit Walter, so it shouldn’t have surprised him that he was recognized. Will shouldn’t have been that stupid. He should have had Savannah meet him outside.
“You don’t love her,” Will said, truthfully.
That seemed to be Walter’s breaking point as he grasped Will’s shirt and pulled him up from the chair. “Fuck you, Will!”
“Let go of me, Mr. Vidović.” He hoped the calm tone in his voice would assure him that Will wasn’t going to stoop to his level.
But it didn’t.
Instead, Walter tightened his grip and brought his face closer to Will’s, allowing him to smell the sickening stench of whiskey on his breath. “Should I remind you that not only can I get you fired for even touching my girl, but I can get Emerson fired, too.”
All blood drained from his body.
Emerson.
It wasn’t just about his job but also his partner’s. Emerson loved working for Coates and Jackson. It was her dream to become an executive someday, and Will wasn’t going to take that from her. She wasn’t just his partner but also his best friend. She had also just moved into a bigger apartment with her girlfriend, so there was no way Will was going to let her suffer. It would hurt
him to leave Savannah, but maybe this was their fate.
Savannah was right. She lived in Vermont, and he lived in New York. There was no reason to ruin three lives for the chance of one with each other.
“Don’t be stupid, Will. She isn’t worth ending not only your career but also Emerson’s.”
His decision was a knife to his chest, killing the Will who had been so happy with Savannah. That version of himself had to die in order for Emerson to keep her career. Will didn’t care about his as much as he cared and wanted to protect hers.
And then there was Savannah. Walter was going to take care of her student debts. He might be a drunk, but he cared for her.
Loved her, even.
He had said it. He did love Savannah. It was what she had wanted. Should Will stop her from having the love she had always wanted because he thought he could treat her better?
Wasn’t Savannah’s happiness more important than his own?
Wasn’t that what love meant?
“Then tell her,” Will said, his voice emotionless, not wanting Walter to know how much pain he was in at the thought of losing her. Raising his palms to Walter’s chest, he pushed him away.
Walter’s eyes widened as his jaw fell open with shock and realization. As if Will had given him all the answers he needed to win Savannah and her heart back. Will might have fallen in love with Savannah, but he knew Walter had loved her longer. Will couldn’t have her heart if it wanted another.
It was about Savannah’s happiness.
It was about Emerson’s career.
It was never about Will. His happiness didn’t matter. He was doing it for Savannah. He was doing it for Emerson. Two of the most important women in his life.
Will corrected his shirt and suit jacket as he took in Walter’s swaying. He shouldn’t make it easy for him, but Savannah deserved what Will couldn’t give her. And that was the love she had spent years waiting for. “Sober up, Mr. Vidović, and go to her.” Then Will collected his files and closed his laptop before he glanced up at Walter. “She deserves better than a drunk at her door. So sober up and then tell her you love her.”
Walter nodded. “If you—”
He grabbed his laptop and stood straight, shaking his head. “I can assure you, Mr. Vidović, I will not interfere. Miss Calvert will handle the rest of this meeting when she returns.” Then he spun around and made his way toward the conference room door.
“You’re not even going to fight me for her?” Walter asked, sounding surprised.
Will paused and glanced over his shoulder to see Walter still swaying. Still goddamn drunk at eleven in the morning. He might be rich and famous, and he might be successful in his own right, but as Will spun back around, he knew who he was compared to Walter.
He was the better man.
Because a better man put others first.
The better man always put Savannah’s happiness first.
And that was who Will would always be.
“I’m the better man, Walter. I know she needs to hear you tell her you love her. I know my partner needs to stay here and be your advisor. I know what the people I love need. You should figure out what the people you love need from you, too, before you drink yourself to death.”
Then Will turned, grasped the door handle, pulled on it, and walked out of the conference room.
He would always be there for Savannah. That, he was sure of. But to be the man she loved wasn’t in his cards. He knew that in Massachusetts, and he should have known it in New York. So Will walked away with uncertainty in his blood. Uncertain of his career. Uncertain of whether he had made the biggest mistake of his life.
And uncertain if Savannah would ever forgive him.
Twenty-four
Savannah
It had been a week since Will’s last call.
An entire week and Savannah had heard nothing from him. She broke three days ago and called, but he never answered. Savannah had no answers. She knew work must be crazy for him. Her ex was his client, and from what she saw on the news, Walter was signing with the Knicks, which meant he would keep Will busy.
Too busy to call her back.
It wasn’t as if Savannah wasn’t busy either. Monty was not only up for an industry award but had also included Savannah on her team for a big four publishing company who wanted to outsource. For Savannah, it meant more hours and more money. It also meant the opportunity to join more teams and deal with more clients instead of shadowing her boss.
But no amount of work kept her mind off Will. She wondered if he was okay or if he changed his mind about her. He had told her that she could never bother him, but she felt like she did. Felt it the moment she reached his voicemail and continued to feel it with every thought she had of him.
“And I’ll need a copy of Rolins’ paperwork, and we can go from there,” Monty said as she set another file on Savannah’s desk.
Savannah nodded as she picked up the file and added it to her copy stack. It might seem like boring copying, but it meant Savannah could read all about the clients so that Monty could test her later on. It was nice to learn about the different marketing strategies her boss and other marketers at the company used in order to achieve their clients’ vision.
“Is that okay?”
Once again, Savannah nodded. “Of course it is, Monty.”
Her boss sighed. “Savannah, if I’m giving you too much work, you have to let me know. You look more tired every day you come into the office.”
She felt tired every day.
Though her ex’s calls had stopped, her mind didn’t when it came to Will. She was close to calling Evan to see if he had heard from him, but she refrained from doing so. It was a conversation she didn’t really want to have with her best friend’s husband. That, and she didn’t want to spoil Evan’s good mood with her troubles after his return from visiting his wife in England.
“I’m fine,” she assured as she attempted a smile.
“You sure?”
Savannah nodded. It seemed to be all she did lately. “I’m sure.”
“My office is always open. You can talk to me. I’m not just your boss, okay?”
That had Savannah’s chest warming. “Thanks, Monty.” Then she stood and picked up all the files she had to read and copy. “I better get started on these.”
It was Monty’s turn to nod. “Okay. But don’t work through your lunch break, all right?”
“I won’t,” Savannah promised as she brought the files to rest against her chest and made her way to the copy room on the other side of the office.
When she opened the door, she stumbled back at the sight of Mark and Kelsey, personal assistants to two of the senior marketers, kissing against the copier. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She took a step back to give them privacy.
Kelsey wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and shook her head. “Oh, God. No, Sav. Jesus. We’re sorry. That was unprofessional.”
“Please don’t tell HR,” Mark pleaded as he adjusted his tie and then combed back his hair.
Savannah let out a bemused laugh. “As if I would tell HR.” She stepped into the copy room and shrugged a shoulder. “Plus, I think that it’s great that y’all are whatever y’all are. I knew y’all’s ‘let’s go grab a drink and bitch about our bosses’ would lead to something.”
Kelsey with her dazzling green eyes smiled. “Right? I can’t believe it. We should probably let you use the copier.”
“You want some help with those?” Mark asked as he pointed at the files against Savannah’s chest.
Shaking her head, she stepped away from the door so the two PAs could leave. “I read each file before I copy them, but I appreciate the offer. Y’all better get back before someone wonders where their PAs are.”
Kelsey and Mark nodded, then slipped out of the copy room and closed the door behind them. Savannah walked up to the copier and set her bundle of files on the table next to it. She reached over and opened the paper tray, ensuring the paper was loaded before she
opened the first file to copy.
Savannah pulled out the sheets and began to read some of Monty’s handwritten notes and minutes from meetings with clients. Her boss liked to handwrite so that she fully comprehended and understood what her clients were after. Monty hadn’t just taken notes on what the communication company was after; she also wrote down her thoughts on what would work with every desire as well as all the pros and cons. It was incredible to see how Monty started and ended a marketing campaign with a client. Her notes were incredible. Her ideas were revolutionary. Monty Carpenter was one of the best in the business, and Savannah was grateful to be mentored by her.
As Savannah added a small stack of the report to the tray, she couldn’t help but think of the way Mark looked at Kelsey. He was embarrassed to be caught kissing her. He also seemed to be embarrassed that he allowed himself to get so lost in their kiss that it could get them in trouble.
Savannah recalled her last kiss with Will. It had been in his bed. She had selfishly wanted one more, but he never kissed her again. That bed housed the last of their memories. The last of their touches. It was where she was the happiest.
No one had made her feel as beloved as Will, and no one made her ache the way his silence had.
“You should just call him,” she said to herself as she watched another page of the report being fed into the copier.
Savannah wondered if his meeting with Walter had affected him. It certainly surprised her when she heard Emerson announce that Walter was at his office. Just before his meeting, Will was asking her to give someday a chance. She had been, but now she wasn’t sure. She might feel strongly for Will, but the distance between them felt like years and not miles. States separated them. Their lives differed. There were many factors against them, but she believed in their connection and the time they spent together.
She believed the beats in her heart when he was around. She believed in the sure breaths of air her lungs inhaled when he smiled at her.
