Tears obstructed my vision. “I don’t know.”
He ripped his gaze off me. “Well, in that case, there’s nothing more for us to discuss, is there?”
“Dylan, wait. I do know,” I digressed, “there’s so much I need to say to you, but right now all I can manage is I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to be sorry,” he said. “You’re an intern. I should’ve known better than to become involved with you in the first place.”
I stepped back, wounded by his crass words. I tried my best to stand up straight and regain some semblance of my professional composure.
“Well, maybe you should have known better,” I said jutting my chin. “But you won’t have to worry about that anymore. Tomorrow, I’ll pack up my things and be on my way.”
Dylan glared at me. “Fine,” he spat. He started the car. “I’ll expect a letter of resignation on my desk by twelve o’clock.” With that, he sped away.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dylan
‘Profit Over Pussy’
My secretary looked in. “I have some paperwork for you,” she said. “It’s from the intern.”
My jaw tightened at the term I had grown to hate for more reasons than one. “Thank you,” I said, and then I paused. “Please, have her come in.”
“She’s on her way out, sir.”
I lifted my eyes for the first time and bore holes through the secretary’s body. “I would like to see her. Have her come in.” It wasn’t a request.
The secretary nodded and excused herself.
A few seconds later, Laila stood at the threshold of my office.
I observed at her for a second, trying to erase images of her naked body on top of my desk or the hopes I’d had for us from my mind.
I had to let her go. She didn’t want me, so it made no sense to want her.
“Close the door,” I instructed looking back at the papers on my desk.
“Mr. Hamilton, I have to go, and I don’t have a lot of time. I have an appointment for which I cannot be late.”
“Close the door,” I said firmly. “Please...”
She huffed and pushed the door.
I ran my hand over my face trying to control what would come out of my mouth before it did. I inhaled. “I have a letter recommendation that I would like to offer you. You have been...” I steadied my breathing, “an invaluable member of this team and I want to be a part of your unquestionable future success.”
Silence.
“I don’t want it,” she said.
“I knew you would say that.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she whispered through clenched teeth.
I got up from my desk and stalked over to her. “Perhaps you’re right,” I agreed shoving my hands into my pockets. “Maybe I don’t know a damn thing about you, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I valued you here, despite what you may think, and I want to do this for you. You didn’t complete the internship at Hamilton Associates – ”
“No, I didn’t, thanks to you.”
“Thanks to a choice you made last night,” I replied resentfully.
“A choice you forced me to make.”
“A choice you made, nonetheless.”
She squared her shoulders and took a step back. “I’m going to assume that you didn’t call me into your office at quarter of twelve on a Friday afternoon to argue, Mr. Hamilton.”
I looked at her, hating her misguided determination. I took another step toward her, closing the gap. I lowered my voice. “No, I didn’t, so let’s start over.” I inhaled. “Unfortunately, you were unsuccessful at completing the internship, but Johnson and Wales doesn’t need to know that. I can cover for you. I can write a letter to them stating that you completed and should be a candidate for graduation.”
“I told you, I don’t need your help,” she reminded me.
“If you don’t accept my help you won’t graduate,” I said, “and everything that you have worked so hard for will go down the drain. The e-Insurance concept has been operationalized so your chances of using that platform at another firm are drastically reduced.”
She stared at me.
“However,” I continued, “if you accept my offer, including a recommendation to another firm, none of this will matter. You’ll still be a huge success and all of your values and goals will remain intact.”
Our faces were pleasantly close, and I secretly relished in the ambience of her beauty.
I continued. My voice trembled. It was low. “And the fact that you and I had what we had will be of no importance because you will have moved on to obtain your dreams.”
Laila shifted, but didn’t back away from me. “My dream, Mr. Hamilton, was to work for you as a respected employee; someone whom you valued and considered a force to be reckoned with on your team.” She shook her head and her mouth bunched. “That was my dream and I can’t have that. I never will. So,” she backed away again, “while I am grateful for your generosity, we both now know that you cannot give me what I really want.”
I stared at her reading through her verbiage and all I could think about was taking her on my desk. I could swipe the files to the floor.
We could fix them later.
“Laila...”
Her eyelids flitted. “If there is nothing left to discuss here, I respectfully ask for your permission to leave so that I can get on with my life.”
I stared at her, heat generated deep within my chest.
She stared back at me, the emotion in her eyes shining like the sun through a clear window on a perfect summer day. “Is that all, sir?”
No.
“Yes.” I said and walked away from her. “I wish you all the luck in the world. Good bye.” I returned to my desk and started flipping through the files.
She turned on her heel and walked out of my office.
Now, I was walking through the hall towards my office with Max hot on my heels. We had a presentation in six hours and we were trying to fill in the gap that Laila had effectively created with her emotional and impromptu resignation.
I entered, and Max closed the door behind me. “You seriously let her go?”
I hissed my teeth and fell into my chair. “Could you sound a little less happy?” I asked clasping my hands in front of me and rocking in the chair.
“Happy? This is a disaster.” He dragged a chair up and sat across from me. “I didn’t want you to fire Laila Renaud, Dylan.”
“Cut the bull, Max, of course you did.”
“I wanted you to stop screwing her. Those are two totally separate issues. We’re talking apples and oranges...”
I rolled my eyes and threw my head back. To fire her was to stop screwing her, I thought bitterly. If I saw the woman, I wanted her, it was that simple. It had taken every ounce of willpower to not waylay her in my office.
“I know you cared a lot about her,” Max said. “You said you loved her. I believed you.”
“Profit over pussy, Max,” I reminded him. “It’s the cardinal rule, right? We have a void to fill and work to do. We need to move on and that means forgetting about Miss Renaud. Both of us.” I exhaled. “Where is Hanson? We’ll get him to take this thing on.” His name in my mouth made me want to spit nails, but what had he done other than fall for the same woman as me? He wasn’t to blame. He had done nothing wrong.
“Are you sure?”
“Sure about what?”
Max sighed and lifted himself from the chair. “That you don’t want to reconsider letting her go? Maybe you can send her to a different office. You’ve done that before. You wouldn’t have to see her as much. She’d be happy and so would you. And the door would always be open if the two of you decided to...”
I rolled my eyes shut. Max didn’t understand the magnitude of my feelings for Laila. I didn’t want to have to hide her. “I’m sure,” I finalized. The subject was closed. “Get Hanson in here.”
Max sighed and reached over to a phone that was on the table. When
his secretary answered, he instructed her to send Ryder in.
The door opened, and Ryder stood before us. Bitterness was plastered over his face like a bad paint job and our eyes locked like bulls in a ring. Testosterone swirled in the air.
“Hanson, good morning,” Max greeted him. “Take a seat, son. We’ve had an interesting turn of events.”
Ryder sat, and I walked over to the window as Max briefed him on the updated status of the internship.
“She resigned?” Ryder asked.
I walked over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of water despite wanting something a lot stronger.
“Yes, she did,” Max looked at me. “Something else came up, and with Mr. Hamilton’s blessing, she decided to take it. Now, we need you to wear two hats,” he said. “Not only that, we would like you to consider working at Hamilton Associates upon graduation.”
Ryder’s mouth dropped opened. “Are you serious?”
“I’m sure you’re aware of what an achievement this is,” Carter said. “Your peers will be green.”
Ryder’s eyes moved from Max to me. “Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Carter, I’m honored,” he said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. My parents are going to go wild.” He grinned, but after a second it waned. “If I may be so bold ...” he paused and turned to look at me. “What about Miss Renaud?”
My eyes narrowed. “What about her?” I asked. “She doesn’t work here anymore.”
“I understand that,” Ryder said, “but I’m interested to know the details of her resignation.”
Irritation and incense flashed through my body.
Now it was getting personal.
“That’s confidential information, Mr. Hanson,” I said. “It has nothing to do with your continued efforts or potential future employment.”
Ryder looked at me. His demeanor had not shifted. “I appreciate that, Mr. Hamilton,” he said, “but Miss Renaud was my colleague, one with whom I worked very closely.” He glared at me. “I wouldn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize our relationship.”
The silence was deafening. Max shoved his tongue in his cheek and rubbed his brow.
I looked at Ryder, my hands clenching and unclenching. “Max, we need the room.” I instructed.
“Sir, perhaps I can try to explain to Mr. Hanson – ”
“I’ll handle it,” I replied.
Max bowed his head. “Of course,” he said and walked out.
I shoved my hands into my pockets and paced the office. “Mr. Hanson, your concern about Miss Renaud – ”
He interrupted. “I simply want to know why she left,” he said with raised hands. “Like I said, we may not have gotten along when it came to work, but we had history and if her leaving and my getting a job compromises anything between us, I might reconsider.”
I laughed out loud while he startled in the seat. “Are you serious?” I demanded of him. “Who the hell are you trying to fool?” I asked with narrowed eyes. “I’m offering you an attractive remuneration package at the job of your goddamn dreams,” I said sarcastically with arms outstretched, “a job that people with tens of years of experience do not obtain as easily. Are you telling me you would consider casting it all aside because of your loyalty to another student? For a girl with whom you had history?”
Ryder’s gaze wavered as I called his bluff.
I moved around and sat in the chair directly across from him, our knees almost touching. The hem of my pants rose, revealing my expensive socks. I stared into his stupid face. “Mr. Hanson, understand quite clearly that I’m the CEO of this firm, the firm that you’re banking on to give you the edge you need to be successful in this business. I have the power to make or break you. You don’t strike me as a fool, Mr. Hanson. My advice to you is to choose your steps wisely.”
The muscle in his jaw twitched. He lowered his voice. “Perhaps I should rephrase, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Please don’t,” I said hopping up from the chair. “Don’t waste my time or yours, and especially not mine. We have reviewed your performance and believe you’re capable of carrying the e-Insurance project through to completion. Yes, Miss Renaud was wonderful. She was super-talented and did an awesome job while under my supervision; however, she is no longer a part of the team and we are asking you to step up to the plate.” I paused. “The circumstances surrounding her leave are none of your business, and like I told you last night, you’re out of order. Your disrespectful attitude will not be tolerated at my firm.”
“Let’s talk about last night, sir... if that’s okay with you.”
“Excuse me?” I said, shocked by his contempt.
“Last night,” he started nevertheless, “I was with Laila. She called me because someone had hurt her deeply and she was in the process of getting over that person.”
My jaw tightened.
“She was telling me because she knew that I was in love with her – have been for years - and I wanted a real relationship with her, but because of this person, she had been unwilling to pursue one with me.”
We were silent.
“She was actually thinking about working on us. She was saying that she wanted to restore a friendship with me and I had hope. I saw a light at the end of a long and dark tunnel... And then you show up.”
“You think I was sleeping with Laila Renaud,” I responded unable to take any more of his sob story. “You believe there was something going on between me and her under the table. Perhaps you think that was how she obtained favor with upper management, but you’re wrong.”
“I don’t believe you, Mr. Hamilton.”
“And that’s your prerogative,” I said. “There’s nothing I care to do to change how you feel or what you think. Miss Renaud was a remarkable woman who earned every accolade she received while she was here. If you have a problem with anything that has occurred over the course of this internship, real or imagined, I suggest you go to a therapist and sort it out. Or you can hand in your letter of resignation like she did, and I can find somebody else to do the job. Make your choice,” I walked away from him and sat behind my desk. “You have until five o’clock to do it. This is a place of business, Mr. Hanson. It’s not the Jerry Springer show. There’s work to be done and money to be made. If you’re unable to commit to the post let me know so I can hire somebody who can.” I began sorting papers on my desk.
Ryder hadn’t moved an inch, but when he spoke, something in his voice was different. “I don’t need until five o’clock,” he said. “Sir, I am... prepared to pick up from where Miss Renaud left off and I would be honored to work for you and your company.”
I didn’t look up, yet I was surprised that he didn’t have a problem throwing Laila under the bus. Despite whatever feelings he had for her, he was able to separate business from pleasure. It was the profit over pussy principal all over again and he was working it way better than I was. Obviously, I was the only one having a tough time following the golden rule.
I moistened my lips, jolted by the entire conversation. “Good,” I said. My throat was dry. “I trust there will be no other issues.”
“No. I humbly apologize for any insubordination, I just...” he sighed and shook his head.
I looked up and cleared my throat. “That will be all then.”
He was dismissed.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dylan
‘Another Plan’
I sat at the bar with Stefan next to me, my body rigid and my emotions in flux. I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days. Stefan stared at me, swishing his beverage around in a glass.
“You look like shit.”
“Thanks,” I said. “You always know just what to say.” I put my glass to my mouth.
“I’m sorry, Dyl.”
“What are you sorry about?”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out with you and the intern,” he said.
“Laila,” I mumbled. “She was more than an intern, Stef. You knew that.” I released a dry chuckle. “Remember when I cal
led you after my first time being intimate with her?”
“I felt like we were in high school,” he said laughing.
“I told you every detail.”
“Like when you lost your virginity on prom night?”
“Yeah,” I chuckled again. “And when I told her that I loved her, I sent you a text message letting you know I thought the feelings were mutual and that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.” My mouth tightened. “And when it all came crashing down... I called you.”
Stefan hung his head.
I drew in a deep breath. “The relationship,” I said. My voice cracked. “Everything I thought I’d been building, it slipped into a state of disrepair. I hurt her, Stef. I said things to her that I’ll never be able to take back. I told her I should have known better. I called her an intern.” The word was caustic on my tongue. My head fell and I rubbed my eye. “Even if I had the opportunity, there’s no way I could undo the damage I caused. And then she lied to me.”
“About what?”
“Hanson,” I said. The taste of lemons filled my mouth.
“What about him?”
“She said there was nothing going on between them, but it wasn’t true.”
“How do you know that?” Stefan asked shifting on the barstool.
“Because I found them together last night.”
Stefan’s mouth dropped. “You found them in bed together?”
“No,” I grunted. “I’d be in a totally different space if I’d seen something like that.” I picked up my glass. “They were walking, talking, hugging.” I shook my head, trying to get the image out. “Either way, it makes me question her authenticity. The time we spent together, the things we did... were they even real?”
Stefan shifted in his seat.
“But I can’t chase after her, Stef,” I continued. I shook my head, resolute. “At the end of the day, I did what she asked me to do. I was being the CEO. How could she allow the drive and ambition of success to blind her to the fact that she could have it and me at the same time?”
Oui: A BWWM Romance (The French Connection Book 1) Page 17
