by Gina Drayer
Mike wasn’t like that.
She wanted to hear his voice again, but she didn’t have reason to contact him now that the deal was done. So why did her fingers itch to dial his number?
It wasn’t the end of the workday yet, so maybe he’d still be wrapping up things.
Holly battled back and forth between calling and not calling until her eagerness to hear his voice again won out. She would call to make sure everything was settled. That wasn’t too far-fetched of a reason to contact him. It promoted good business etiquette.
She rolled her eyes as the phone rang. Why couldn’t she just admit that she missed him? There it was. She missed him already, and the distance between them was making her restless.
A woman picked up after she dialed his extension
“Brighton Security,” she said. “How may I help you?”
“Hi,” Holly said. “This is Holly Carver. I just was calling to follow up with Mike Brighton.”
“I’m sorry. He left yesterday.”
“Is he going to be in tomorrow?” Holly asked.
“I wasn’t clear. After the sale was final, he left. He’s no longer working here. His uncle took over. I’ll transfer you to him.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary.” The phone went to classical music playing on the line.
Great. What was she going to say to his uncle?
“Ms. Carver? This is Joseph Brighton,” the voice said on the other end.
“Hi, Mr. Brighton. How are you?”
“As good as can be expected. The office has been in chaos since the change in ownership, but luckily that’s not going to be my problem much longer.” His laugh sounded like it had a sense of relief to it. Then it stopped abruptly. “Wait. Are you calling because something is wrong? Did the papers not go through?”
“No,” she said. “Everything is fine. I just like to make sure I touch base with all parties after the deal. It helps to ensure there’s less fallout.”
“I see,” he said. There was an odd tone in his voice and a small silence. “You’re calling for Mike, aren’t you?”
“No. I just...I wanted to see if—”
“It’s fine, Holly, if you don’t mind me calling you that. I know you and Mike…” He hesitated. “Connected while you were here.”
Connected? She thought that sounded so impersonal.
“Is that what he told you?” she asked.
“He didn’t say anything. I saw the way you two looked at each other. I’m not one to say anything about my nephew’s personal life. His business is just that, but if you’re calling about him, he left Cleveland this morning.”
“He’s gone?”
“Left town right after the deal. Wouldn’t tell anyone where he was going either, but if I was a betting man, I’d say he’s on his way to see you.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she clutched her phone. “He doesn’t even know where I’m at. I didn’t leave on good terms. That’s actually why I was calling. I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“Can I give you some unsolicited advice?”
“Sure.”
“Mike has always been a smart kid. If you’re good for him, and I suspect you might be, he’ll find his way back to you when he’s ready.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brighton.”
“Please, call me Joe.”
“Then thank you, Joe.”
She found some comfort in what Joe said, but just because Mike was gone didn’t mean he was coming to see her. She could hope, though, but that hope wasn’t as reassuring as she wanted it to be.
16
Be persistent
The majority of negotiations are complex and long; therefore, focus and perseverance are key! Even if your first attempt is unsuccessful, don’t let the setback derail your confidence.
Mike didn’t have a plan, but that was the best part about it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do once his plane landed. At least he’d be one more step closer to getting what he wanted.
He’d never been to Chicago before, but it thrived and hummed like a place full of life. It reminded him of Cleveland in some ways, but this was more vibrant and in-your-face kind of urban rhythm. The buildings and skyscrapers had him in awe.
He couldn’t decide if this was the smartest thing he’d ever done or the stupidest. Mike was pretty sure he’d know which side Arnie would choose, but still, his friend supported him when he told him his intentions.
He tried searching the Internet for her address, but there were way too many Holly Carvers for him to go through without driving himself insane. His best bet was her job. He’d camp out there if he had to, anything to see her again and let her know how he felt about her. She needed to know that he wanted her. Maybe that assurance would allow her to admit she felt the same way. He wasn’t an idiot. Mike could tell there was passion between them, but he hoped it could turn into something more, something that could last for years. Something she could finally accept.
His flight had arrived too late to execute his grand plan, so his search for Holly had to wait until the morning when he could go to her office and seek her out. That gave him time to explore the city. He’d always love the skyline of Chicago. Now that he was here in the heart of the city it got his creative juices flowing. Coming here had been the right decision. Although Cleveland was his hometown, it was time for him to make a new start. That new start had to include Holly.
The next morning he woke up all nervous like a kid on his way to Disneyland… or maybe the dentist—because he felt like he was going to barf too. It was easy finding Western Financial the next morning with their big sign and tall building that rivaled the other skyscrapers.
He found Holly’s name in the lobby directory and hit the floor number in the elevator. His palms were sweaty, but his nerves wouldn’t stop him. He had to see her, or he was going to drive himself crazy thinking about all the things he could have said to keep her from leaving. Maybe she’d think he was insane, following her all the way to Chicago, but he had to try. If he didn’t, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
The floor he ended up on was fairly busy, people bustling along through the hallways and open areas to get from one side to the other.
He spotted a large counter desk with two reception workers sitting behind it.
“Good morning, sir,” one of the receptionists said. “May I help you?”
“I’m looking for Holly Carver,” he told her.
“I’m sorry, sir. She’s not in today.”
He couldn’t help the disappointment that washed over him. He’d gotten his hopes up, and now he wouldn’t see her.
“What about tomorrow?” he asked.
“Not tomorrow either,” the woman said. “She’s off for a couple of days. I can leave a message for her, or one of the other associates can help you.”
He leaned forward and smiled, hoping to use some charm. “Is there any way you can just give me her number?”
The woman looked unaffected by his attempts to sway her. “Sir, we can’t give you that kind of information,” the secretary said. “It’s confidential.”
“Can’t you give me a little leeway here? After all, we’ve worked together closely for the past few months.”
A woman with auburn hair pulled back in a bun leaned over the desk, interrupting them. “Who are you?” she asked.
“I’m Mike. Mike Brighton.” He didn’t care who helped him as long as he got the information he needed to find Holly.
The woman’s eyes lit up as she examined him closely. “Well, that explains a lot.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Explains what?”
“Never mind,” she said and held her hand out to him. Her voice seemed too cheerful for some reason, but he couldn’t understand why her being happy put him off some.
“My name is Rosalyn Kerr,” she added. “I’m a good friend of Holly’s.”
He took her hand. “Then maybe you can help me.”
“Sure,” Rosalyn said. “What can I he
lp you with?”
“I need to speak to Holly.”
“She’s not here. Maybe I can assist you?”
“No,” he said and ran his fingers through his hair. This was becoming a bigger issue than he thought. “I need to talk to her.”
“You came all the way out here from Cleveland just to find Holly?”
“When you put it that way, it sounds like I’m some kind of stalker, but I assure you I have the best intentions when it comes to Holly.”
Rosalyn grinned. “I’m sure you do.”
“Does that mean you’ll help me?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t help you much.”
“Why don’t you call her for me? Then she can let you know that I’m a decent guy.”
“It’s not that.” She looked over at the secretary. “Don’t you have work to do?”
The secretary scurried to make herself busy. Rosalyn pulled Mike to the side of the large counter, away from everyone else.
“The truth is I can’t help you. She’s gone.”
“Yeah, the secretary said she’s taking a few days off. That’s why I need her address.”
“No, it isn’t for a few days, Mike. Holly has been promoted. She’s opening a new branch of Western Financial.”
“That’s great. I’m sure she deserves it. I can congratulate her when I see her if you would just—”
Rosalyn rolled her eyes and sighed. “She’s left Chicago.”
“What do you mean she’s not here?” he asked. “She said she was going home.”
“They offered her a job in Texas as long as she closed her last deal.”
“Texas?” Mike could feel the world shift beneath his feet. He didn’t like where this was going.
“Yes, honey. She’s moving to Texas. She really wanted to get out of here. After the contracts had been signed, she didn’t even put in a full day’s work.” Rosalyn looked around them like she wanted to make sure no one else was listening. “Between you and me, I think she was dying to get away from something.”
“Why would you think that?” he asked.
“When she got back from Cleveland, she seemed really upset about something. It was like someone hurt the poor girl.”
Mike thought about his last time with Holly in his office. She ran away, but he didn’t think he’d hurt her. If anything, she’d been the one who’d insisted on pushing him away when all he wanted to do was hold on.
“She seemed hell bent on leaving here as fast as she could and going straight to Dallas, you know?” she said. With wide eyes, she looked up at him. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you say you were Mike Brighton?” She gripped her chest. “Oh, no. This doesn’t have something to do with you? She could get in trouble for fraternizing with a client.”
“I have to go,” he said. “Thank you for your help.”
Fuck. What was he going to do now? His whole plan revolved around coming to Chicago to win her over. He’d even convinced himself that Chicago would also be a great place to settle down, find a job with a small architecture firm and work on that dream of his.
He walked with no particular destination in mind, allowing the nippy air to clear his mind as he darted past storefronts, banks, restaurants, and other businesses. He’d made his way to Millennium Park.
Mike had always wanted to see the Bean sculpture. Although it was technically called Cloud Gate, everyone called it the Bean due to its shape.
He needed something visual to help him focus—plan his next step. He sat down on a bench and stared into the reflective surface of the sculpture. Maybe it was time to face reality. Holly didn’t feel the same way he did. Why else would she have left Cleveland without looking back? What other reason was there for her to immediately take off for Texas to forget everything?
17
Be a rule breaker
You don’t have to play by someone else’s rules in negotiations. Be bold. Make your own.
Holly didn’t do time off well. While others looked forward to those two weeks of vacation time, she dreaded it. Maybe it was because all she had was an empty apartment to look forward to. She lived for her job and excelled at it. Except for this one.
Holly never allowed a man to bleed into her workplace. She set solid rules in place to keep herself focused on her career. Work first; personal life second. Somehow, he’d convinced her to break her own rules. And the troubling thing was, Holly wasn’t as upset about it as she should’ve been.
A year or two ago, meeting someone like Mike and having him interrupt her plans would have made her furious. But now the strongest emotion Holly could muster was longing. She longed for him in a way she’d never wanted any other guy before.
She missed him, and she wasn’t in the habit of missing people. Even now, she could see his face, the small dimples when he smiled, the stray strands of hair that fell in his eyes.
Something was seriously wrong with her. She’d worked so hard for a career opportunity like the one Mr. Whitman had offered her. Everything she did had led up to that promotion. Yet, it wasn’t her future career she was thinking about. It was what her future would be like with Mike. More like what her future could have been like with Mike since she ruined her chance.
Holly saw herself as a no-nonsense kind of woman. She didn’t daydream about wedding dresses or make doodle hearts. And she didn’t allow a relationship to define her.
So why was this one disrupting her entire life? What was it about Mike that made her want to forget her entire career to actually consider doing something stupid, like jumping on a plane back to Cleveland and showing up on his doorstep?
Holly needed to get out of her apartment and clear her head. If she stayed inside any longer, she was going to drive herself crazy. She grabbed her coat and headed out to walk around the city.
It was chilly out, but it was still comfortable enough to not need gloves and a scarf just yet. She found herself walking mindlessly through the crowd of people.
For the first time in her life, she wished she had girlfriends. Most of the women at her job either saw her as a threat or too aggressive. Even growing up, most of her friends were guys. She never really related to the women in high school and college, but she didn’t have time to make friends. She had a life to plan for herself, and that meant planning her future as a businesswoman.
All of that seemed so superficial to her now. It was like someone had thrown cold water in her face to wake her up to what was really important. She still wanted her job, but that wasn’t all she desired anymore. She wanted companionship and someone to talk to at night when she got home. Most of all, she wanted someone to love. That was something hard to find in a big city like Chicago.
Even though she thought about her future, she couldn’t picture just any guy being a part of it. There was only one guy in particular that kept coming up in her mind, but she had left him back in Cleveland and was pretty sure she had upset him in the way she took off last time.
Without realizing where she was headed, Holly found her way to Millennium Park. It was one of her favorite places to visit in Chicago. In the spring and summer months, there’d often be small concerts or live performances. She’d come out and sit by herself and just enjoy the show. Just one more thing she didn’t want to do alone anymore.
Doing things like that by herself had never felt lonely, but now she knew what it was like to feel part of something. Maybe that’s why she needed to be surrounded by people now. She would still be alone but at the same time surrounded by many.
The nearby residents were walking their dogs and sitting out on park benches, enjoying the different colors of the trees turning into fall colors. She had to admit it was all very beautiful, but she couldn’t get into that with her head so scattered.
She was tempted to sit on an empty bench and just observe the coming and going of people in the park, but something pressured her to keep walking and searching. Holly listened to the inner voice and kept walking. She hadn’t had time to come this way in months. Now she was abou
t to go to one of the biggest tourist destinations in Chicago. What was wrong with her?
She made her way to the Bean. The last thing she wanted to see was her own miserable reflection in that silvery surface. She started to turn around, but then she saw a familiar figure reflected on the surface.
Even standing so far away, she’d recognize him anywhere. The masculine frame underneath the bulky coat, the way he walked with that confident stride, the pride in his stance without him even knowing what he was doing. Mike—as if her mind had conjured him out of thin air.
A lifetime of decision-making led to her standing still in the Loop without knowing what to do next. She was frozen in place, not sure whether to move toward him or turn around before he spotted her.
Her feet made the decision for her before her brain could comprehend it, and she was grateful for it. Every time she ran away from him, it was because her head was over thinking every single thing that could go wrong. Most of the time, her brains were able to help her succeed, but when it comes to relationships, it was useless.
“Hey,” she said.
He turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled the biggest smile she’d ever seen him give back to her. “Hey,” he said.
Even with that one word, his voice made her tingle inside and want to close the distance between them.
“I thought you were in Texas,” Mike said.
“Who told you about Texas?”
“Your friend Rosalyn.”
Holly regretted holding back from slapping bitch. “That woman is not my friend.”
Mike frowned. “So she wasn’t telling the truth about Texas?”
“She was. They offered me the job right after you signed the papers. Because you signed the papers.”
“Oh,” he said, looking a bit like she’d kicked his puppy.
Holly decided to show him a little mercy. “But I’m turning down the promotion. Actually, I was planning on going in tomorrow and quitting. I can’t work there anymore.”
