Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2)

by Aubrey Bondurant

  “But why the resignation if everything was taken care of?”

  Josh sighed. “Because he feels like his personal decision to contact Vanessa Saturday night instead of following my direction is what made it go to hell in a hand basket. I don’t disagree, however I never would’ve fired him for it.”

  There was only one reason he would’ve called her Saturday night. Because he’d wanted to fix things for me after I’d left that hotel room. “Shit.”

  “I told him I wouldn’t accept it, but I’m not quite sure how I go about enforcing that.”

  I swallowed hard at the fact that he would go against his best friend and boss in an attempt to fix things for me. “Where’s he now?”

  “Stuck on a tarmac, waiting to fly back down to Charlotte. I guess there’s a delay with my private plane.” His smirk made it obvious what the real interruption was.

  I didn’t even think. I dialed his number on speaker.

  “Brian Carpenter,” he answered.

  I froze the moment I heard his voice. Sasha-B-Fierce had dialed that phone without hesitation and was ready to give him hell. But if I wasn’t really her, what would I have to say to him?

  “Hello?” his voice came again.

  Swallowing hard, I stopped over-thinking and went with my gut. “It’s me. What the hell’s going on?”

  “Sasha, I heard you did an amazing job with the NASCAR pitch. I’m hoping you had a chance to speak with Josh to find out you’re back on the Tryon account.” His voice sounded flat.

  “I did. Matter of fact, he’s here with me. And your presence is required.”

  He sighed. “That’s not happening.”

  The panic from his response started to fuel my temper. “We can either do it the easy or the hard way, Brian Carpenter. Either you get your ass in here right now, or I hand in my resignation this very minute.” I met Josh’s shocked expression.

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “The hell I don’t. If you think you’re the only one who would sacrifice your job for someone you love, think again.”

  He inhaled audibly. “What did you say?”

  “If you want me to repeat it, then I suggest you figure out a way to get here quickly.” I hung up before he had the chance to respond.

  I turned toward Josh. “I guess now might be a good time to tell you I probably need a new supervisor. Hopefully, you’re not too shocked to learn that I happen to be in love with the one I have now.”

  He chuckled, amusement showing in his expression. “Sasha, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that eight years ago Brian told me that someday he hoped to have a conversation by which he informed me that his relationship with you had changed. He’s been my best friend since we were five years old. Whether he wanted to hide it or not, I’ve always known that you’ve been the one for him from the moment he met you. Regardless of that, though, your career here has always been separate from his feelings for you. I value your talent and I hope you know me well enough to know you’ve always earned your position.”

  I bit my lip at the fact that I’d needed that confirmation. “I appreciate you telling me that.”

  “By the way, I’ve been entertaining the idea of creating a new VP position for someone who does nothing but client presentations. It would take the pressure off the VP’s who are better suited towards the client care aspect and allow our very best people to win the business. This person would have to travel a lot, but could relocate to any office of their choosing. Do you know of anyone who might be interested?”

  I smiled. “I can definitely think of someone who would consider it a dream job. That is if I don’t have to resign to prove a point to Brian first.”

  He chuckled. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  Nancy’s voice interrupted via the intercom. “Josh, I have Haylee on the line. She said she only wants me to interrupt if you’re done speaking with Sasha. But considering she admitted her water just broke, I told her that you were finished.”

  We both looked at each other wide-eyed until Josh finally recovered. “Okay, uh, yes, put her through. Shit.”

  He picked up my desk phone and swallowed hard, his eyes going wide. “Yes, I’ll be right there. Okay. Are you having contractions? Okay, I’m on my way. I love you.”

  He hung up with a panicked look. “She’s early.” His hands were white-knuckling the desk.

  How ironic that I was the one attempting to calm someone else down. “Each of my nieces and nephews was early. The first one was four weeks. A week or two is nothing, Josh. Get it out of your head and go get your wife. You’re about to become a dad.”

  His face split into a grin. “Come on, you’re getting in the car with me. You can help keep Haylee focused while I freak out. I’ll text Brian and tell him to meet us there.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  Haylee was an absolute champ, getting into the town car all prepped and ready. She looked beautiful and relaxed, but when she gripped my hand, I instantly knew it was a show to keep her husband calm.

  I offered her a reassuring smile.

  While Josh was on the phone with his mother, she leaned over. “I’m kinda flipping out.”

  Huh. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who’d ever faked my emotions to give a different impression from what I was actually feeling. “My go-to solution for that problem is off the table considering it would involve an alcoholic beverage.”

  She giggled and then was in a fit of them, finally tensing when a contraction came.

  It apparently passed, and Josh squeezed her hand. “Nigel is making the remainder of the calls. I did text Brian. He’ll meet us at the hospital.”

  Haylee sighed. “Does that mean he’s retracting his resignation?”

  Josh winked at me. “Oh, I think Sasha will make sure of it.”

  ***

  I knew the moment that Brian arrived in the waiting room, my body sensing his presence.

  Our eyes met, and then he glanced at the clock. “What’s the latest?”

  “They think within the next hour,” I responded quietly. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Can we talk?”

  Our simultaneous requests bounced off one another.

  Nodding, I led him down the hall into the chapel. One look around the small room confirmed we were the only two people there.

  I didn’t give him a chance to speak first. “Why did you resign, Brian?”

  He sighed. “I screwed up with Vanessa and instead of doing as Josh had asked, I made it a lot worse.”

  Blood pounded in my ears. “How did you screw up with her?”

  He shifted uncomfortably which only heightened my growing anxiety about what he was going to tell me.

  “Last week she kept calling, saying she was in Charlotte and wanted to get together for drinks or dinner. I blew her off, going so far as to claim I was traveling. Then she showed up at the office on Thursday night, waiting by my car. She came on to me, and I told her that I was involved with someone. She guessed it was you; I don’t know how. I wouldn’t confirm it, but it didn’t matter. I think she saw it on my face. The next morning, she took you off the account.”

  I put my hands over my face. She’d known because of the way I’d reacted to her personal shots toward me.

  “You have to believe nothing happened with her. The cameras proved that.”

  “I do believe you, unequivocally.” I knew in my heart Brian would never lie about something like this. “But why would you need cameras to prove it?”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “Josh and I spoke on Friday and we both agreed that once Michael Dobson knew about you being taken off, he’d fix things. He told me to have no contact with her and leave it alone until he could meet with him.”

  “But you called her Saturday?”

  His jaw clenched obviously unhappy that Josh revealed that much. “Unfortunately I did. I told her that she could make it right and if she didn’t we’d go to Dobson. I made it personal wantin
g so badly to be able to call you that night and tell you I’d made things right. Instead I tipped our hand and on Sunday all hell broke loose. She told the chairman that I’d come on to her. That we’d slept together the night we met for drinks in New York and that once you’d found out, you had a personal issue with her which is why she couldn’t work with you any longer.”

  “Jesus.” I was shaking with rage.

  “Josh was able to do some serious damage control before Monday to get both the hotel footage and the recording from outside the office building to show Michael that Vanessa had been lying.”

  “But why did you resign?”

  “Because I screwed up everything. I not only went against Josh’s advice, but I put the company in jeopardy. And let’s not forget the NASCAR pitch that got punted to you last minute because I had to be in New York first thing instead. Lucky for me, Josh resolved the first problem and you stepped in and fixed the second one.”

  “He doesn’t want you to quit.”

  “I know, but that’s because he’s my best friend, not because he’s thinking as a boss.”

  I was absolutely shocked that Brian would believe this. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am. Take our friendship out of the picture, and I would’ve been fired. Hell, I might not have been given this job to begin with.”

  “You’re crazy if you think the only reason Josh hired you or wants to keep you on is because you’re his best friend. You’ve helped him build this company. There isn’t one person who knows you or works for you who believes you have the job because you’re the friend of the owner. You earned it.”

  “That’s not what my mother thinks.”

  How could I never have picked up on his vulnerability when it came to his career? Had I been so selfish in my own insecurities that I’d never supported him through his? It would appear so. “Your mother would also like nothing more than for you to drop me. Are you going to listen?”

  “I don’t have to. You dumped me, remember?”

  I exhaled heavily. “I was kind of a sucky girlfriend for the couple hours I wore that title in public, wasn’t I?”

  His lips curved into a small smile. “I wasn’t going to win any awards, either, keeping the truth about Tryon and Vanessa from you. You should know, I really did want the break from work. I didn’t think that Vanessa would actually say anything over the weekend to let you know. That’s part of what set me off too. I still can’t believe she made it so personal towards you.”

  “Yeah, well in the spirit of that, I should tell you that the last time we met one-on-one, she asked me if I was fucking you either now or in the past. I denied it, but I’m pretty sure, like you, she could see it on my face.”

  “And you’re only now telling me this?” His frustration was evident.

  “It was a personal attack, and you had a lot going on with Juliette at the time, but I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kept it from you. And obviously you should’ve told me about her coming to see you.”

  He regarded me for the longest time. “Apology accepted and given right back to you.”

  How could I stay mad when we had both been picking and choosing what to tell one another at some point? “You’re going to have to withdraw your resignation, you know.”

  He arched a brow. “Are you really going to quit a job you’ve worked your ass off for if I don’t? Your career makes you happy.”

  “You make me happier, Bri. And if that means we’re both in the unemployment line because you don’t realize how great you are at your job, then so be it. I’m pretty stubborn when I want to be.”

  His eyes widened with my admission. “You realize that for someone who professed not to be Sasha-B-Fierce, you’re doing a damn good impression of her at the moment.”

  “Turns out she may have rubbed off on the real me over the years.” I hadn’t given myself enough credit that she was part of my personality all along.

  He stepped closer. “Tell me what you said on the phone earlier.”

  “Before I do, you should know what you’re in for. I’m serious when I say there’s a lot you don’t know—”

  He cut me off with a kiss. “I need to hear that you love me.”

  “I love you, Brian.” I watched a shudder run through him. “But—”

  He put his thumb to my bottom lip. “No buts. Do you really think I don’t know you, Sasha Jayne Brooks?”

  My breath caught with the seriousness of his voice.

  “I may not have known that you had anxiety attacks or what initially triggered them, but I do know that it makes you even fiercer. The fact that you’ve battled an anxiety disorder your whole life is remarkable. You think that I don’t know what that must’ve cost you, how many times you must’ve fought it, and how lonely that must have been. But now that I do know, it only makes me more in awe of you.”

  His hands held my face so that our gazes were locked. “Bri—”

  “I know you. How you listen to Titanium or other chick empowerment music before your pitches. That you go home on Friday nights after the gym and become a hermit until Saturday with some sort of chocolate indulgence. How you like to hear the bad news before the good because it’s easier for you to trust the bad. I know that you love the beach when it’s winter or early in the morning because it’s where you can clear your head. And I know you told me you don’t believe in fairy tales or happily ever after, but fuck if I’ll accept that.”

  A tear slipped down my face. “You don’t see anxiety disorders or panic attacks in fairy tales.”

  His mouth twitched in amusement. “You could dissect Cinderella or any of those other princess chicks. They all have flaws.”

  My brow arched. “Did you just call Cinderella a chick?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. And I’d argue, in my completely unqualified opinion, that her being a grown-ass woman and letting her stepmother and stepsisters abuse her speaks of a deep issue with self-worth. Think about it. Why didn’t she move out and get a job that paid?”

  “Are you really psychoanalyzing Cinderella?” I smiled through the tears.

  “If it makes you feel better, I’ll go through all of them. Sleeping Beauty couldn’t stay away from a simple needle on a spinning wheel? Seriously?”

  I burst out laughing.

  He kissed my nose playfully. “I love hearing that sound. My point isn’t that I’m trying to bash princesses but that we all have flaws, and finding out that you have some is frankly a relief.”

  “That’s the second time I’ve heard that in the last twenty-four hours. My sister said the same thing. It dawned on me that may be the reason Juliette hasn’t reached out to me.”

  He shrugged. “You’d have to ask her, but I do know it’s hard to admit faults to someone who doesn’t appear to have any.”

  “That’s my line for you. By the way I’ve had a therapist since I was sixteen. I only see her about twice a year, but I do have someone.” Suddenly I didn’t mind telling him all of it.

  He winced. “I shouldn’t have suggested that you needed to see someone. It wasn’t my place.”

  “I blindsided you with a lot of information on Saturday, and you were only trying to help. I felt like, with all of my issues, I didn’t deserve you.” Admitting this out loud was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

  “Honey, I almost hate to burst this misconception that I don’t have my own issues, but in addition to never admitting my insecurity about working for my best friend, it’s pretty damn clear that I’m the one who’s screwed up the most in this relationship. If there is anyone who doesn’t deserve someone, it’s me not deserving you or a second chance for the fourth time.”

  It was a tremendous relief that he didn’t see me as less for having an anxiety disorder. “It bothers me that I made you feel like you had to call Vanessa on Saturday.”

  “That’s not your fault. My calling her on Saturday is more attributable to the fact that I can’t stand it when issues are left unresolved. Another flaw in case you’re counting
. And it’s the reason I couldn’t be reminded about work over the weekend. I was already on edge, wanting to repair it.”

  “I’d resent you if you tried to fix me.” My voice was barely a whisper. There was so much hanging on his response.

  “I’ve never seen you as broken, honey. I may not know everything about your history, but anything you could tell me is something I’d accept because I already love you. All of you, unconditionally. What you may consider an imperfection only makes you more perfect for me.”

  His hands skimmed down my back, and he captured my lips in a consuming kiss.

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. “That girl who moved away that you said you may have loved.”

  He grinned sheepishly. “It was you. It’s always been you.” He buried his face in my neck and inhaled my scent deeply.

  “We’re in the chapel,” I reluctantly protested, feeling his lips run behind my ear, halfway tempted to continue this despite that fact.

  He groaned in objection but leaned back. “Come on, our friends are having a baby. We’ll continue this later, though.”

  I nodded, taking his hand and going with him back into the waiting room.

  ***

  Abigail Marie Singer made her way into the world approximately one hour later. Friends and family were on their way from all over the country, but for now only Brian and I were going into the room to see the happy couple and their new baby.

  “We won’t stay long,” Brian said softly, peeking at the tiny little face cradled currently in Josh’s arms.

  I walked over to the hospital bed and hugged Haylee. She looked absolutely beautiful despite only just giving birth. Considering that most women ended up with hours upon hours of labor, I couldn’t believe it had happened so quickly. “She didn’t waste any time coming into the world, did she?”

  Haylee blushed, and Josh gave her a half attempt at a disapproving look. “Seeing as her mother had been in labor since this morning and didn’t say anything for hours, it’s a wonder we made it to the hospital in time.”