“Dartmouth, huh? That’s my alma mater as well. Small world. Even if Tessa hadn’t told me you are a lawyer, it’s written all over your outfit,” he says raising his glass to me with a chuckle.
I ignore his comment, but maybe Dartmouth is where I recognize him from. “Oh yeah? What year did you graduate?”
“2003,” he says as the waiter approaches. He goes over the specials, and we both settle on the seasonal fish Bouillabaisse.
“That was my freshman year. You do look a little familiar; I’m sure we passed each other on campus.”
“I’m sure if I saw a woman like you around campus, you would have remembered me.” He can’t help but laugh at his comment. I flash a fake smile as I chug my wine; this is going to be a long night. Another strike for Tessa.
Sadly, his asinine comments don’t let up, and neither does my drinking. I can feel myself start to loosen up a little too much as the wine goes straight to my brain.
“So, what brings you back to Chicago?” Not wanting to go into my recent breakup, I explain that I was bored and unchallenged at my old firm and wanted a change.
“I’m actually looking to get into corporate law.”
“Really?” His eyes light up. “I happen to be looking for new in-house legal counsel. Interested?”
“Yeah, absolutely. I—thank you.” I’m not sure what else to say, then I remember I have no clue what this guy actually does besides own a luxury hotel chain. “So, what do you do again? I know you own the Castille Hotel chain and that’s about it.”
“Didn’t do your research, huh? I’ll be sure to have my assistant set up an interview with you first thing Monday morning,” he says with that annoying chuckle.
I try not to roll my eyes; maybe it’s the wine, but his endless snarky comments are getting on my nerves. Maybe I don’t want to work for this guy.
“Yes, I am the owner of Castille Hotels. After I graduated, I managed to sweet-talk enough investors into backing me to purchase my flagship location on Michigan Avenue and then brought on my best friend Nate to be the financial brains as CFO, and the rest is history.”
Nate? And Vincent? It hits me. “Oh my god, you’re Vincent Crawford?”
A look of confusion registers on his face. “Yes, yes I am. Am I missing something here? Did you think you were going on a date with someone else this evening?”
“You…your best friend is Nate? And you guys both went to Dartmouth?” I can see I am completely confusing him at this point, or he thinks I’m completely out of my mind on drugs or something.
“Yes, I am Vincent Crawford,” he says, placing his hand on his chest and speaking slowly. “And my best friend who works for me is Nate Baldwin.”
Nate fucking Baldwin. I haven’t heard that name in ten years. Ten years and homicidal thoughts still pop in my brain when I hear it.
“Thanks for dinner, Vincent. I’ll see you Monday morning? Nine work? Great see you then.” Before I can even register what I am doing, I grab my clutch, throw my napkin on the table, and jump up before scurrying out of the restaurant.
2
Nate
“I don’t understand; she just walked out of the date? No explanation? No emergency?” I lean back in my chair as Vince paces the floor in front of my desk.
“Yeah, it was the weirdest date I’ve ever been on.”
I let out a hearty laugh. “Damn, this might be the first time in history Vincent Crawford has struck out with a lady before the date even finished.”
“And actually,” he glances at his watch, “she should be arriving here in the next ten minutes.”
“Any particular reason why?” I ask, confused.
“Tessa told me she’s a hell of an attorney and she said she was looking to get into corporate law.”
“Is that you rationalizing the fact that you invited her for an interview just to try to redeem yourself and get in her pants?”
Vince laughed, running his hands through his hair. “While that does seem like something I’d do, no. Since Walter retired, the paralegals have been swamped. I need to hire someone ASAP.”
“Well, I would love to meet the woman who turned you down,” I say with a huge grin on my face.
“Good, because I want you to sit in on the interview.”
Vince and I make our way over to his office just as a tall, gorgeous woman is approaching his executive assistant’s desk. Her dark hair is slicked back and tied neatly at the nape of her neck; her black dress is fitted but professional, hugging her curves without giving away too much. She’s paired it with black stilettos and simple gold jewelry. The woman has style, that’s for sure. My gaze follows her long shapely legs, hesitating briefly on her perky, round ass before settling on her face as she turns around. She’s stunning: piercing green eyes and full, pouty lips. Her long eyelashes fan out, accenting her almond-shaped eyes.
“Mr. Crawford, pleasure to see you again.” She steps toward him and thrust out her hand.
“You as well, Elise. This is Nate Baldwin, my CFO. He’ll be sitting in on the interview today,” he says gesturing, toward my direction.
“Pleasure to meet you, Elise.” She has an impressive handshake, firm. I’m sure it’s something she developed as a woman wanting to establish herself as a serious contender in a male-dominated industry. I try not to let my eyes linger on her mouth, but it’s damn hard. She offers me a curt, tight-lipped nod in response.
We make our way into Vincent’s office and Elise and I take a set across from his desk. “Mr. Crawford, I first wanted to apologize for running out the other night without explanation. Truth is I was just so excited for this interview that I wanted to get home and prep for it and thank Tess for introducing us.”
She sounds genuine, but I call bullshit on her excuse. Who the hell runs out on a date because of an interview on Monday morning? I chuckle audibly to myself, causing her to glance over at me with daggers in her eyes. I’m not sure what I did, but this woman seems to hate me.
We spend the next hour going over her resume, experience, and general small talk. She’s an accomplished and driven attorney. More than capable of doing the job here at Castille Hotels. I can’t help but get the sense that she’s jaded, overachieving to prove a point.
“So, what’s the verdict?” I ask, turning to Vince as Elise steps into the elevator.
“I’m going to hire her. She’s a bulldog, lots of tenacity, and she certainly didn’t put up with your shit either during that interview.” He gives me a hard clap on the back.
“Noticed that too, huh? At one point, when I made a joke about being married to the job, I thought she was going to rip my balls off.”
“As much as I sound like a pussy, I’m glad that date didn’t pan out with us. I couldn’t handle a strong-willed woman like that. I like them easy and quiet,” Vincent says with a laugh.
I poke my head into Elise’s office, scanning the room, but she’s nowhere to be found. Vincent had called her the same day, offering her the job, and she accepted. That was a week ago, and I still haven’t stopped by to welcome her. I step into the room, checking out her décor. A large, non-distinct black-and-white painting hangs on the wall to the right of her desk. A small plant sits in the window, and a small framed photo of her and another young woman sits on her desk. I pick it up and study it; it’s a photo of her when she was younger. She looks so carefree, a smile spread across her face, her eyes wrinkled in pure joy. She has her arm haphazardly around the other woman’s shoulders, and they’re both flashing peace signs. I look at the photo a moment longer; a sense of familiarity washes over me when I look at her face.
“Can I help you?” I jolt out of my daydream, turning to see Elise standing in the doorway to her office.
“I came by to officially welcome you and congratulate you on taking the position.”
“And that involves going through my private things?” she says, walking over and taking the frame from my hand.
“Uh, no, I apologize. I just got distracted when
you weren’t in here.” She’s tense, her back is stiff, and her hands are clasped in front of her at her waist. Her hair is down today; long loose curls frame her face, and her lips look pink and shiny. I glance down at them briefly, imagining what it would be like to run my tongue along the curve of them and then nip them with my teeth.
“If you don’t mind, Mr. Baldwin, I need to be getting to work.” She gestures towards the door of her office and steps back as I come around her desk.
“Right. Well, again, welcome. I’ll have my assistant set up a meeting with you this week. We can go over current contract negotiations, and I’ll fill you in on where I need your help. I’ll be in touch,” I say, tapping the door frame awkwardly before stepping out into the hall.
“I’m sure you will,” I hear her mutter under her breath. I stop in my tracks, turning on my heel and walking back into her office.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Have a good day, Mr. Baldwin,” she says, pushing me out and closing her door.
I stand there for a moment, confused as to what just happened. How could someone I just met hate me so much already?
“Mr. Baldwin, your eleven o’clock appointment is here. Should I send in Miss Taylor?”
“Thanks, Mrs. Swinson; yes, send her in please.” I stand, buttoning my suit coat before cracking my neck. Preparing myself to deal with another dose of Elise’s attitude.
When she enters my office, I motion for her to take a seat in one of the oversized chairs across from my desk. Her red dress hits just above her knee, accentuating her tanned legs and petite ankles. Her outfits are always professional and sensible, but at the same time, weirdly provocative. The way her blouses lay against her skin so seamlessly, how her dresses hug her curves and show off her tiny waist. Maybe I’m losing my damn mind, but I have a hard time focusing around her, and I hate it. She’s rude and uptight, a complete contrast to what I imagine her body would be like under my touch.
“So, Vince tells me we were all at Dartmouth together?” I try to make small talk, but she’s not having it.
“Yes. So, I went over the contracts you sent me, and I’ve highlighted some areas that could result in loopholes or could be thrown out in court. I’ve reworded them, removing that liability.” She reaches into the folder on her lap and hands me several stacks of paper. “I’ve also emailed you all this information as well.”
Very thorough. I’m not at all surprised. “Are you always this attentive to detail, Miss Taylor?” I toss her a charming grin, but she’s not amused.
“Yes, as an attorney, that’s a huge part of the job. I wouldn’t be a very reliable employee if I let stuff like this slip through the cracks, exposing us to severe repercussions.”
I don’t respond right away; I keep eye contact with her as I drag my thumb across my lower lip; I watch as she swallows. Her eyes drop from mine to what my thumb is doing before she squeezes her knees tighter together and sits up taller. She’s affected by me.
“Well, that is certainly something I can agree with. Protecting this company and its interests is tantamount to our success.” She nods, and silence hangs between us. I don’t have anything else to discuss with her, but I’m not ready to let her get back to work. “Speaking of the company, has anyone given you the full tour yet?” I slap the top of my desk as I stand up.
“Uh, no.” I can tell she’s scrambling for an excuse to get out of it, but I won’t take no for an answer. “I really should get back to my office, I ha—”
“You will. Just leave your things here, and we’ll pick them up on the way back.”
I take her around, giving her a tour of the corporate office as well as the flagship hotel across the street.
“So you grew up in Chicago?” I again try to make small talk as we ride the elevator back downstairs.
She lets out a long sigh, and I see her roll her eyes out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah, something like that.”
“This is probably going to sound really cliché, but have we met before?”
This time, she doesn’t try to hide her loud sigh and eye roll.
That’s it. I don’t know what I did to this holier-than-thou princess, but it ends now! I reach out and slam my hand against the stop button on the elevator, causing it to come to a screeching halt. She jolts forward, catching herself against the doors.
“What the hell, Nate?” She reaches for the button to start it again, but I jump in front of it. The look on her face tells me I have about four seconds before she hauls off and slaps me or screams bloody murder.
“No, I think that’s my line. What the hell did I do that requires you to treat me like I’m shit on the bottom of your shoe? I spoke very highly of you after you interviewed here. I’ve been nothing but cordial, but you seem to think you can’t be bothered to waste time with me.”
I can see I’ve struck a nerve. Her hands are balled into fists, and her jaw is clenched in a firm line. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
“What?” I rack my brain, trying to remember if I’ve met her before. I’m drawing a blank.
She crosses her arms over her chest, and I can’t help but look down at her ample breasts pushed together. “Tell me, Mr. Baldwin, how did you manage to pass tax law at Dartmouth? Was it perhaps with the help of a pre-law major? Someone who did your homework for you and who you copied off of to keep that 3.50 GPA?”
My mouth goes completely dry. What the fuck? “Wait…you’re Elise from college? The freshman that I copied off of?”
“Yeah, Elise, the freshman you copied off of. Anything else you might remember about me from college, Nate?” She’s tapping her foot with one eyebrow cocked. Clearly there’s something else I’m not remembering.
“Should I? Did we ho—” I stop talking immediately, the joking smile on my face faltering. Memories are flooding back to me, memories I am instantly regretting.
“The freshman you hooked up with, promised to call, and then you vanished off the face of the earth. One and the same,” she says, circling her face dramatically. “Now that we’ve had a lovely trip down memory lane, I’d like to get back to work.” She slams her hand against the button, and the elevator lurches back to life.
I don’t say another word the entire trip back to my office, and neither does she. She barges through my doors, grabs her things, and turns on her heel to leave. At the last second, she stops and turns around to face me like she’s about to say something but turns back around and leaves without a word.
I sit at my desk and let out a loud, long sigh. What in the hell just happened? Is she seriously still upset over something happened over a decade ago? Suddenly, it hits me; did she…did she stalk me and get hired here just to get revenge on me? I jump up from my desk and stomp toward her office; I am not done giving her a piece of my mind.
3
Elise
“Ugh!” I yell, slamming my folder down on my desk. I had promised Tessa I wouldn’t let this be an issue when I took the job here. I can still hear her words echoing in my head: “Elise, I mean it. Do not turn this into some dramatic vendetta and make a complete ass out of you and me. I vouched for you to Vince!”
I pull out my phone to send her a text but decide against it in the heat of the moment. I just need some time to cool off and let her words sink in. It isn’t too late to make things right and just let bygones be bygones.
I swivel my chair around to look out my window; the view overlooks Lake Michigan, and it’s a clear day. I close my eyes, willing my stress away, and take a few long, deep breaths. I definitely need to find a local yoga studio; I have a feeling I’m going to need it with this job. My mind feels like it’s clearing, and my anxiety has settled down to a much more reasonable level.
I let my mind wander to images of Nate. He’s still got that boyish charm he had in college, but now he’s all man. Tall and built with a jaw that could cut a diamond, and I’m sure a body that would turn me into a quivering mass of jelly. A body that changed since our ni
ght together in college. A body that towered over me in the elevator and filled out his suit like a glove. I had tried not to watch his thumb graze his plump bottom lip, but I couldn’t resist. I wanted to replace that thumb with my tongue.
“Where the hell do you get off?” Moment ruined. I swivel back around in my chair to face Nate, who has burst into my office without so much as a knock. So much for my anxiety; my blood pressure just shot back through the roof.
“Excuse me?” I shoot back.
“Are you seriously still mad about some meaningless night from ten years ago? Because you need to get the hell over it!”
It takes everything in my power not to leap over this desk and strangle him right now. Meaningless? Are you fucking kidding me? Of course, I meant nothing to Mr. Big Shot Nate Baldwin. I was just another conquest, a notch in his never-ending belt.
“Actually, Mr. Baldwin, I couldn’t care less about that night. In fact, I barely remember it,” I lie. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he stole my innocence that night…okay, stole might be a stretch since I willingly gave it to him.
“Then what’s with the attitude?” he asks, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Has it ever occurred to you that you’re just not as charming as you think you are?”
“Psh,” he scoffs. I stand with my arms crossed staring back at him without a word. He mutters something under his breath and walks back out of my office.
I shake my head and sit back down only to be interrupted again by Nate bursting back in through my office door pointing a finger at me and shouting.
Hate That I Love You (Castille Hotel Series Book 0) Page 2
