When I got off the phone with Toria, Lazer was off his call with Cam, shaking with laughter and shaking his head. “Cam really fucked up.”
“Cam told you what happened? What’s his side of this debacle?”
Lazer put his arm around me. “Poor guy. He’s miserable, really devastated.”
“No wonder, with such a sympathetic friend. Did you laugh while he cried on your shoulder?”
“Come on, you know me better than that. I’m the perfect wingman. I listened. I advised. I sympathized. I tried to get him to see the humor in that fact that I’ve been advising and backing both of them. I even gave him good business advice and brainstormed a way to fix this. But alone with you, I can laugh.” He wiped the corner of his eye. “You have to admit this is funny. If it weren’t Cam who was hurt, but a stranger—”
I gave Lazer my deadpan stare.
“Oh, hell. Cam didn’t mean to stiff Toria. He didn’t know she was the tenant he was bidding against. Hell, I didn’t know. That will teach me to pay more attention.” Lazer gave me a quick rundown of Cam’s side while holding me close and trying to compose himself. “On a serious note—Toria’s in a bad spot. A setback like this could do some serious damage to her business. A business I have an investment in, too.”
“Yes, it could,” I said. “And to the happy future she and Cam could have together.”
Lazer sobered up some. “Judging from Toria—does Cam still have a chance in hell? Can this relationship be saved?”
“I think so,” I said. “When she calms down and her rational side returns. Logically, she knows he didn’t mean to put her in this bind.”
“Good.” Lazer grinned. “Because while you were calming her down, my man and I figured out a solution.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re going to fix this?”
“Cam’s going to fix it. All I did was give him a few business pointers. He came up with the solution on his own.”
“Fixing something is such a guy thing to do.” I shook my head. “If he and Toria would simply communicate… I know she loves him. Toria’s a reasonable woman. Cam has to learn patience. When to push, when to back off. Give her some time to cool down and then listen to her—”
“That’s what I told him—give her some space, dude.”
My phone rang. I looked at it. “Cam,” I said. No surprise there.
“Advice to the lovelorn,” Lazer said. “How the hell did I end up in this business? I much prefer my gig at Flashionista. And my quiet Sunday mornings.”
“Liar,” I said. “You’re in your element. You love this. I have to get this before Cam self-destructs. Or does something else incredibly stupid.”
“He won’t,” Lazer said. “I got it.”
I grabbed the call. “Cam. I hear you’re in a relationship pickle. Screwed up big time, did you?”
“Lazer must have filled you in? I detect his bias.”
“He did.”
“Has he stopped laughing yet?”
I gave Lazer a disappointed side-eye. He shrugged and grinned charmingly.
“I’ve made him see the serious side of the situation,” I said.
“As usual, he’s not giving me enough credit,” Cam said. “I simply executed a brilliant business coup. A damn fine maneuver. One that Lazer would usually approve of. How the hell was I supposed to know I was working against Toria?”
I murmured a few words of sympathy. Poor Cam. He really was hurting. He was putting a good face on it, but his usually amused and stoic voice was filled with pain and frustration.
“She won’t take my calls or answer my texts—”
I took a deep breath. “The first rule of relationships—when you hit turbulence, give the other person room to breathe and time to calm down and see reason—”
“I don’t have time,” he said. “The more she looks for another space to lease in this tight market, the madder she’s going to get at me. The market is cutthroat.”
Lazer was listening in. He raised his brow and nodded his agreement with Cam.
“I have to fix this. Now,” Cam said. “Before any more damage is done. I need you to play intermediary and set up a meeting between us. Neutral ground. Business environment. Someplace she can scream at me if she wants and won’t draw a crowd.”
18
Toria
Ashley called me back to assure me that Cam was as upset as I was. And embarrassed. And frustrated by the circumstances we found ourselves in. And hurting.
All right. She knew how to hit me where it hurt. The Cam I knew, well, I couldn’t bear to think of him hurting. The guy who’d aced me out of my leased space? He could… Well, better not go there and work myself up again.
Ashley convinced me to meet with Cam, apologizing for pressuring me. But she said, without giving anything away, that Cam had made a good point, that time was of the essence in this particular case. Given the stakes, he was willing to take his chances with my temper and my understanding nature. She’d be there to mediate. She had loads of experience dealing with couples who were going through difficulties.
I would be giving up valuable time when I could have been, and should have been, scouring Seattle for office space. Time I could ill afford. But I couldn’t help myself. I let my heart lead me and agreed to meet Cam.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into Pair Us’ offices on Monday afternoon. I’d never actually been to their offices. I was immediately impressed and put at ease by the surroundings. And relieved that there were no other clients waiting.
The offices were beautiful and romantic, subtly perfumed with rich undertones of high-end coffee. The bridge sculpture filled with heart locks was the centerpiece of the room, and both stunning and encouraging. Look how many couples have been matched! You can be happy too. Red roses sat in arrangements on desks and coffee tables, emphasizing that this was an establishment made for romance. Pictures of happily matched couples, many of them engagement, wedding, or anniversary photos, adorned the walls.
I’d spent a miserable Sunday and Monday morning being furious and upset with Cam. Heartbroken. Despite all that, I longed to see him.
The heart is a fickle and capricious creature. But maybe it was as simple as mine knowing that what I had with Cam didn’t come along every day. That I might never find another like him. I’d already been lucky enough to find him and Adam. I was certain there were other men I was compatible with and could be happy with. But less certain that I’d be as passionate and happy with any of them.
My heart raced as Ashley’s office manager and assistant, Lottie, greeted me and introduced herself. I’d spoken to her several times on the phone. She looked completely different than what I imagined. Efficient and comforting at the same time. Middle-aged. More like one imagines a matchmaker looking than Ashley did.
“Toria,” I said. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, too.” She gave me a sympathetic and encouraging smile and took my hand. “Don’t worry, Toria, dear. Everything will turn out. Ashley’s an old pro at handling miscommunications. Take it from someone who’s seen a lot of matchmaking ups and downs. Let your heart lead you and be open to possibilities, and everything will fall into place.” She released my hand. “Now. Can I get you anything?”
I shook my head. Under ordinary circumstances, I would have had a cup of coffee. But I was jittery enough as it was without adding more caffeine to the situation.
Lottie nodded. “Let me just let Ashley know you’re here. Have a seat if you like. I’ll just be a minute.”
I sat, perched on the edge of a chair as if ready to bolt, and watched her walk to the corner office. She said something to someone inside.
Ashley stepped out, looking beautifully turned out, as always. And calm and reassuring. Her face lit up when she saw me. If she was nervous, she certainly didn’t look it or show it.
She greeted me with a hug as Lottie winked at me and went back to her desk. “How are you holding up?�
�
“Fine.”
“Good,” she said. “Cam’s waiting for you. Are you ready?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“You’ll do fine. Cam wants to make this work. And so do you. That’s the main ingredient for success.” She squeezed my shoulder and led me to a closed door to a conference room next to her office.
How did I know it was a conference room? It had a little sign that said so.
My mouth was suddenly dry. My pulse raced.
“Deep breath,” Ashley said, her hand on the door handle.
I made a show of taking as deep a breath as I could. She was right. It helped. She smiled at me and pushed the door open.
Cam sat on a sofa in the beautifully appointed room, perched, much as I had been, on the edge. My heart leaped at the sight of him. I had to resist the urge to smile at him and grin idiotically. My spirits lifted just from seeing him. And his contrite look broke the ice around my emotions about him.
He hadn’t meant to hurt me. That much was clear.
Ashley stepped inside and closed the door, indicating for me to take a seat on the sofa next to Cam. I sat next to him, but not too close. Not as close as I would have two days ago. Not as close as I longed to. Ashley took a chair opposite us.
Cam had a file, a bunch of paperwork, and a pen, spread out on a coffee table before him. He nodded at me, looking stoic. “Toria.”
“Cam.” I had to fight to maintain my composure.
“Before we begin,” Ashley said, “I have to apologize to both of you. This is the first time in my matchmaking career that I’ve run into a situation like this. It’s always been my policy to let the matched couple share the details of their lives as they become comfortable enough with each other to do so.
“In this case, that came back to bite us all in the butt. If I’d told Cam the name of your business or the location, he might have acted differently and none of this would have happened. We wouldn’t be here now trying to make things right.”
I felt a pang of guilt. Ashley shouldn’t be taking the blame. “This isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your understanding.” She looked at Cam. “No one could have known.”
She was right, and even though the implication she made wasn’t subtle—Cam wasn’t to blame either—it was effective and right on the money.
She continued, “I’m not exactly sure how to make certain this doesn’t happen again. Not while maintaining my ideals about privacy and allowing couples to share the details of their lives as they’re comfortable doing so. But it’s something I’m going to take into consideration in the future.”
Cam was so quiet, looking down, studying his feet and the table. It was odd to be so near him and not touch him.
“Cam asked me to set up this meeting,” Ashley said. “He has a proposal for you, I believe, Toria.”
I must have looked startled. My heart did a sudden jolt.
Ashley smiled at me, looking mildly amused, and encouraged, by my reaction. “Not a marriage proposal, as I understand it. Not yet.” Her tone was warm and confident. “He’s asked me to tell you that he’s prepared to present his proposal in front of me. But he’d prefer to speak to you privately. I’ve handled many of these types of meetings. They can work either way, with me involved directly or not. What’s your preference, Toria?”
I glanced at him. His hands were balled in his lap. He was still looking down, but he threw a curious, pleading glance at me.
“I think we’d do better alone.”
Ashley nodded and got up. “I’ll be right outside if either of you need me to step in.”
Cam waited to speak until Ashley left. We sat in awkward silence an instant. He cleared his throat. I had something to say to him, too. We both spoke at the same time.
“Please, Toria,” he said. “This breach, this gap between us, has been eating me up. Let me go first and get this off my chest.”
“As long as I get my turn?” I smiled softly.
The edges of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly. It was clear he wasn’t sure whether my turn would go well for him.
He took a deep breath. “First of all—I’m sorry. I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry. I didn’t know I was bidding against you—”
Impulsively, I reached out and took his hands, unable to meet his eye. “Nor I you.” I took a deep breath. “Look. All’s fair in love, war, and business—”
“That’s not how the saying goes—”
“It is if you consider business its own type of warlike competition. As long as it’s legal.” I took another deep breath and looked him in the eye as I screwed up my courage. “I’ve had time to think about our situation. I’ve had too much time alone with my thoughts, if you want the truth.” I licked my lips. “I’m not lily white. I was trying just as hard to keep the space as you were to get it, knowing how hard it would be for my competitor to find comparable space to lease. Knowing he could be set back just as much, or maybe more, as I would be.
“Not knowing who you were doesn’t really excuse my behavior, either,” I said. “I was fighting to win. You were fighting to win. I’m not happy that you used my beautiful swing as ammo.”
“Toria—”
I held my hand up. “But I’ve spoken to Miles and I know why you’re so passionate about what you’re doing. Your motives are pure, even if your tactics are underhanded.”
“Miles?” He stared at me, his brow furrowed. “You know Miles? That’s how you found out?”
I nodded. “He’s Adam’s younger brother. My former fiancé‘s younger brother. You’re responsible, at least in part, for bringing Miles back to being the kid he was before Adam was wounded. To the guy he should be. Giving him a purpose and a goal, something to be excited about. Helping him discover his passion. It’s made all the difference. ” I swallowed hard. “I’m grateful for that. Miles called me, all excited, to tell me about how his mentorship program finally had a home, and where. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”
“Wow.” Cam looked stunned. “So we’re two cutthroat businesspeople, is that what you’re telling me?”
I nodded. “I’m afraid so. Two competitive douchebags.”
One corner of his mouth turned up. “I wouldn’t go that far.” He paused. “Our lives and our passions are more intertwined than we knew?”
I nodded again. “We’re both trying to help others, especially military families and those dealing with trauma and rough circumstances.”
“Do you think,” he said, sounding more tentative than I’d ever heard him, “that if we stopped fighting each other and teamed up, we could both succeed?”
I froze, studying him. My heart raced at the thought. “If we decided to get on the same side, I have no doubt we’d kick butt and take numbers.”
“Good. Because I have an unconventional proposal for you.”
I lifted an eyebrow.
“I feel like crap for being the reason your business will soon be homeless.”
“As well you should,” I said with a tease and a dose of seriousness, hoping he was going to offer something magnanimous, like helping me find a new space.
“I’m sorry about that.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “As soon as I realized what I’d done, I tried to undo the damage.”
“Out of curiosity,” I said, “how did you realize it?”
“You didn’t listen to any of my messages?”
I held my hands up. “Sorry. No. I deleted them without reading or listening to them.” I winced.
“I guess I can’t blame you. When you knocked your purse over at my place, one of your business cards fell out. I found it after you left. When I saw the address—”
“Ah.” I nodded. “How careless of me.”
“Yeah,” he said. “How could you? If not for that, we could have come to real physical blows and had a great screaming match we’d never recover from when the truth came out.”
I actually lau
ghed. Weren’t we supposed to be fighting? Wasn’t I supposed to be raking him over the coals?
“Yeah. Missing a great fight,” I said. “Devastating. You were saying you tried to undo the damage?”
He explained about the lease and the clause against subletting.
I listened patiently. “From a business perspective, I understand.”
He nodded and tapped the folder in front of him on the table. “This is where my proposal comes in. I can’t lease, sublet, or give the space to another business that I don’t either own or manage.”
I frowned and scrunched my mouth to one side.
“Yeah,” he said. “Look, I don’t want to evict you. From the space, or from my life.” He took both my hands in his. “I want to be with you. I want to have fun with you. See you every day. Be part of your life. I think we have something special. Something once in a lifetime. If we give it time to grow, who knows where it will go?”
“Yes,” I said, heart thumping in my ears. “And? What are you driving at?”
“I had my lawyer draw up this contract.” He released my hands, opened the folder, pulled out a dollar bill that was on top, and held it in front of me. “You sell me a miniscule piece of your business, a non-voting, non-managerial, non-profit sharing, definitely non-majority piece of your business for this dollar. It changes nothing.” He tapped the folder. “It’s all laid out in here in legal terms. The only thing that changes is that now I technically am a part owner. And you can stay in the space.”
My eyes went wide. My mouth fell open. I had to snap it shut. My eyes filled with tears of joy. I sniffed.
He gave me a concerned look. “Toria?”
“That’s the nicest thing, the sweetest thing…” I wiped the corner of my eye with my fingers. “Yes.”
He wrapped his arms around me. “You haven’t read the contract yet.”
I laughed. “I’ll have my lawyer look it over before I sign.”
He tipped my chin up. Our eyes met.
“I love you, Toria.” His eyes pleaded with me. His heart was in them. “Make up?”
“I love you too. Yes.” I leaned in and tilted my head to kiss him. “Wait. I can’t—”
“What?” He looked alarmed.
Mr. Accidental Rival_Jet City Matchmaker Series_Cam Page 16
