“I just wanted to he—”
Olivia cut him off. “I never asked for your help. In fact, I thought I made it pretty damn clear that I didn’t want it. Again, and again, and again! Just stop already! You don’t get to decide for me. You don’t get to decide where I work or who I sleep with or who I take on dates to stupid fucking fundraisers. I’m not some pawn in your little game, that you can shuffle around at will. I can’t believe I trusted you. I thought you really cared about me, but you clearly don’t know me at all.”
Panic began to set in. What was he supposed to say? That he liked her? That he wanted to keep her around? It didn’t seem like anything he said would matter at this point. “Just listen,” he began, but Olivia held up her hand to stop him.
“I’m done listening,” Olivia said, her voice soft. “I’m the only one who’s been listening this whole time. It’s clear you’ve never listened to me or what I want. I thought maybe we had something, that maybe if I would just open up a little we could even have more, but this is over. We’re done.”
She rose from the couch and smoothed her skirt, suddenly cool and dangerously collected, the Ice Queen again. The little gesture that he’d seen dozens of times broke his heart. Over? Done? The idea of that hurt more than he’d thought possible.
Cole watched silently as the only woman he’d ever loved walked out of his life and out of his apartment, into the night.
Chapter Twenty
Olivia fidgeted on the soft, buttery leather of the chair in Vixen’s waiting area. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Ms. Rodriguez,” she muttered under her breath. “The reason I’m here today is—”
What exactly was she supposed to say? I have to leave my job at PBA because I slept with my boss and then he pulled some strings to do me a favor that I didn’t ask him for and now the entire freaking agency is convinced I’m the office slut they always thought I was?
Probably not the most auspicious way to start a job interview.
Natalia’s door swung open and Olivia rose to her feet, sucking in a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“Ms. Masterson.” Natalia smiled, stepping through the doorway looking every bit the powerful executive. “It’s so nice to see you again! I apologize for running late. Things have been rather busy with the spring fashion show just around the corner.”
Olivia smiled and extended her hand. “No apology needed. I’m pleased to be here.”
“Let’s get down to business then, shall we?” Natalia gestured for Olivia to follow her into the office, which turned out to be nothing like Jonathan’s. Sure, Natalia had a bank of windows with a killer view of the city, but her walls were plastered with prints of Vixen campaigns and catalogue covers stemming back to the company’s inception in the seventies. Olivia admired the artwork, wondering what it must have been like to build such an iconic brand, blazing trails no other retailer dared. The women of Vixen were cutting edge and the new campaign would catapult the brand back to its rightful place at the forefront of the lingerie industry.
Natalia motioned to a sleek leather chair in front of her steel and glass desk and then sat down in a single, fluid movement. “So, Ms. Masterson, tell me why you’re here.”
Olivia swallowed hard. She’d made an impression on Natalia and Vixen once before, right? She could handle this. “First, please call me Olivia. I want to thank you for your kinds words about our ‘Be a Vixen’ campaign. Jonathan told me you were impressed by our team.”
“He should have told you that I was impressed by you, since that’s what I actually said,” Natalia said with a smile. “But why don’t you cut to the chase, Olivia?”
Olivia’s heart thudded in her chest. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. All those hours of practicing and her carefully prepared speech had flown out the window. “I’m here because I want a job at Vixen Enterprises,” she said at last.
Natalia nodded but said nothing, just folded her hands together and placed them on the desk. Her gaze was almost as intense as Cole’s, even if it didn’t affect Olivia in quite the same ways.
“I realize your threat to steal me away from PBA during the pitch was a joke, but PBA is…” She paused for a moment. How exactly had she planned on saying it? “PBA and I have mutually decided that our futures lie in different directions.”
Natalia let out a short laugh and shook her head. “Trouble with the boss?”
Olivia felt herself turn bright red. She knew she needed to say something, but there was some sort of twelve-pound watermelon in her throat keeping her words at bay.
Natalia waved her hand in a careless gesture of dismissal as she smiled at Olivia. “Men. They always think they know what’s best for us. That they know what women want. And yet they are so rarely correct.” She leaned forward and looked directly at Olivia. “I’m glad you’re here, because I want you to work for me.”
Olivia blinked rapidly but felt unable to move. “Really?”
Natalia laughed again. “Really. I’ve been looking for someone to lead my Marketing and Consumer Insights group. It’s a new business unit for us, so you’d have complete freedom to build the department as you see fit, from the ground up. I think you’re perfect for it. The research in your presentation was absolutely convincing, and I like your style.”
Of all the ways Olivia had imagined this interview playing out in her head, she hadn’t anticipated this one. It was radically different from her first interview with Pritchard five years ago. But then, she reminded herself, she’d been fresh out of college then, not a woman with years of experience in one of the best advertising agencies around.
“I don’t know what to say,” Olivia replied. “It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m flattered you’d consider me for the position. I’m just not sure I’m ready to lead a whole department.”
“Nonsense,” Natalia said. She leaned back in her chair and studied Olivia, no doubt calculating her next words. “Modesty won’t get you very far in this business, Olivia.” Her stomach lurched as she remembered that Cole had said exactly the same thing to her once. “Jonathan Pritchard doesn’t hire incompetents. I know you led the team at PBA. Their loss is my gain. I fully expect you to be a good investment.”
“I’m sorry, I just—”
Natalia raised her hand, silencing Olivia before she could finish her thought. “You came to me. Don’t you think it’s because you knew I’d say yes?” She fixed her clear, forceful gaze on Olivia and smiled. “I’ve seen your work. Sign on with Vixen Enterprises and you will get the recognition you deserve. The recognition that so far, you have not gotten.”
Natalia’s words hit the mark, slamming through her with the force of cold, hard truth. If Pritchard truly valued her, she’d have Cole’s job and she wouldn’t be sitting there having this discussion in the first place.
Ugh. Cole. A wave of nausea rolled through her as she remembered their last terrible fight.
Natalia continued in her calm, steady voice, soothing Olivia’s nerves. Olivia could see why she’d been so stunningly successful. “Vixen is a publicly held company whose board of directors is almost exclusively female. Women do well here without interference. You could also help lead other young women in need of a strong role model. That, my dear, has been one of my own greatest joys working at Vixen, and I believe it’s something you would enjoy, too.”
Olivia squared her shoulders and drew a calming breath. She couldn’t argue with Natalia’s logic, and she really didn’t want to.
And besides, she desperately needed to get away from Cole and the toxic mess that PBA had become for her since news of her “partnership offer” had been announced.
What was she waiting for? All she had to do was say yes.
An hour and a half later, she found herself on a whirlwind tour of the Vixen offices. She matched the quick stride of her escort, nervous energy leaking from every pore on her body. Olivia smiled, drinking in the charged atmosphere of the busy office. It reminded her of her first walk through PBA. She’d been so yo
ung and hopeful and the office had seemed ripe with opportunity. Vixen had that same vibe and its own pool of bright-eyed young associates looking to make their mark in the city. Watching them, she could hardly believe how far she’d come.
Vice President. Not in a million years had she expected Natalia to offer her an executive position. It was a dream come true.
And she’d gotten the job without Cole’s help.
…
Cole sat at his desk, arms crossed, trying to figure out where the hell he’d gone wrong. Olivia’s resignation sat in front of him, a glaring reminder that he’d royally fucked up. Again.
She hadn’t even bothered to tell him she was leaving. Jonathan had dropped that bomb, delivering a copy of the resignation letter himself. He hadn’t been pleased. Not that he’d risk the Vixen contract over it. No, that deal would close without a hitch. PBA would make a hell of a lot of money, but they’d lose one of their brightest minds in the process. Filling her shoes wouldn’t be easy. There was no one on the current team who was as experienced, dedicated, or creative as Olivia. Her departure would leave a gaping hole at PBA.
And it was all his fault.
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Olivia was leaving because of him. She hadn’t said it, but she didn’t need to. Her actions spoke volumes. She hadn’t uttered a single word to him since their last fight. Hadn’t returned a single phone call, text, or even so much as looked at him in passing. As far as he could tell, she was ignoring his existence altogether. And as much as he hated to admit it, it hurt like hell.
Maybe he should go to her? Try one last time to talk some sense into her? She was packing up her office. It could very well be his last chance to plead his case. If he could just explain himself, maybe she’d understand. No, he’d make her understand. He was just trying to help. To make things right. To give her back what he’d unwittingly taken. What she deserved.
But would she even listen? It was unlikely. Given their history, odds were they’d just end up in another knock-down, drag-out fight, and he was already feeling shitty enough without making a spectacle of himself in front of the entire office.
He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. As much as he wanted to go to her, to beg for her forgiveness, now wasn’t the time. He needed to be patient, give her some time to cool off, and let the dust settle. Then maybe they could try again, because no way was he just going to accept that they were over.
At least now they’d be on equal ground. She wouldn’t have to worry about gossip and he wouldn’t have to worry about getting nailed for screwing around in the office. As much as he hated to see her go, perhaps Olivia’s leaving was for the best. She’d learn a lot, working with Natalia, and there would be no political baggage. It would be a fresh start, something she clearly needed.
His gaze jerked to the hall. Olivia. She was heading his way, looking as beautiful as ever with her honey-blond hair fanned out over her shoulders. She stood tall, back straight as she made her way down the corridor. He waited with bated breath, hopeful she was coming to see him. When she reached his office, she hooked a right without so much as glancing his way.
Cole’s gut twisted. If that wasn’t a big “fuck you”, he didn’t know what was. They were over. He was completely, totally, one hundred percent certain of it. Olivia had meant it when she said she was done with him. She wouldn’t be coming back, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Love sucks,” Olivia muttered, talking to herself as she tried, and failed miserably, to weed through resumes for her new team. She was doing her best to throw herself into her work as she’d always done, but it was a struggle. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cole.
It wasn’t fair. She’d turned in her notice at PBA and stalked proudly past Cole’s office, not giving him a single glance. She loved her new job as Vice President of Marketing and Consumer Insights at Vixen Enterprises. She was working for a boss who respected her, who wouldn’t try to seduce her or interfere in her career.
So then why did she feel like shit?
Cole’s actions had been beyond the pale, certainly. How many times had she told him that she just wanted to make it on her own, without somebody else swooping in to mistakenly save the day? And yet he’d refused to listen every time, convinced that he knew her needs better than she did.
Except, when it came to the needs that spiraled through her body every freaking time she thought about Cole, he kind of did know her needs better than she did.
But that was the problem, she reasoned. Sure, they were good in bed together. Scratch that—they were great. She couldn’t deny the immense pleasure he was capable of giving her with even a flick of his fingertip. But he couldn’t seem to understand her point of view about the really important things. Didn’t even seem to want to. She’d been a fool to think they could have had anything other than an insanely intense physical connection. Of course, she’d miss that. She missed his strong arms wrapping around her, pulling her close to him. She missed his kisses. She even missed their playful bickering.
But he’d ruined everything.
Every time she thought about how casually he’d talked about getting her the partnership at PBA, her blood boiled. He’d lied to her. How could she trust him when he’d purposefully gone behind her back and manipulated her career? How could he not have understood what that would do to her reputation at the agency? If he’d truly been looking out for her best interests, he never would have interfered. He would have respected her independence instead of using their relationship to give her a hand up.
She had to remind herself of that, or she’d go and do something stupid like forgive him.
Her assistant Greer came to her door holding a binder. Olivia cursed again under her breath, and Greer turned on her stiletto heel and left without a word. Leaning back in her chair, Olivia closed her eyes. What she just needed was a few minutes to collect herself. She sat like that for a while, unaware of how much time had passed until her phone vibrated.
Glancing at the screen, she saw a text from Chloe. Guilt tore through her like white hot lightning. She’d been avoiding Chloe, unable to give voice to her pain and talk about Cole. It was just too much.
Curiosity finally got the best of her and she reached for the phone. She swiped the screen and read the message: Cole hasn’t been to work in two days!
Good! she typed without hesitation. At least she wasn’t the only one feeling like utter shit.
Her phone buzzed again almost immediately. She read Chloe’s newest message and sighed. What’s going on?!? CALL ME.
She’d call Chloe later, but first she had to get through these resumes. With renewed focus, she plowed through the stack, sorting them into potential candidates and file 13. Despite the large applicant pool, there were only a half-dozen or so who were truly qualified and warranted interviews.
She scribbled a note to Greer with instructions for scheduling the interviews with potentials and took the rest to the shredder. As the machine whirred the pages into oblivion, her thoughts drifted back to Cole. Those sterling silver eyes. That dark hair that always dropped into his eyes. The way he’d smiled at her across her breakfast bar in her lonely little apartment.
She couldn’t have imagined it all, right? He had to have felt something. Even if it hadn’t ended up being enough.
“Girl, what are you doing here so late?” Natalia’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Just finishing up those resumes,” she explained, forcing a smile and returning to her desk. “There are some great candidates. With any luck we’ll be up and running in a few weeks.”
“So what’s the problem then?” Natalia crossed her arms, the look of concern on her face worthy of Olivia’s own mother. “You’ve been moping around here all week.”
“Everything is—”
“Stop,” Natalia commanded with a flourish of her hand. She strode across the room and slipped gracefully into one of the chairs opposite the des
k, looking every bit the powerhouse executive in her crimson suit. “I realize we don’t know each other that well yet, and it’s going to take time for us to get to a level of trust where we can be brutally honest with one another, but girl, you look like someone just ran over your puppy. So how about we just skip all the BS and you tell me what’s bothering you? I’m a pretty good listener.”
Olivia contemplated Natalia’s offer. She couldn’t possibly explain the messy situation with Cole. She wasn’t even sure what the situation was herself. Correction: what the situation had been. It was definitely nothing now.
“Besides,” Natalia prompted, with a spirited grin, “tomorrow is our biggest fashion show of the year, and I can’t have people thinking that long face of yours comes from working here. How would that look?”
Olivia sighed. “I’m just upset about what happened at PBA. Cole pulled strings behind my back to get Jonathan to offer me that partnership, even though he knew it would make people talk. He didn’t care. He just did what he wanted to do so I would sleep with him again.”
Natalia leaned back in her chair, studying Olivia. It was hard to read her body language and she had no idea what the other woman was thinking.
“I’ve known Cole Bennett for a long time,” Natalia finally said. “He doesn’t invest easily. I understand that his interference irritates you. It would irritate me too, frankly. But don’t be too hard on the guy.” Natalia stood and smoothed her jacket. “I think you know as well as I do that if all Cole had wanted from you was sex, he’d have gotten it without going to such lengths.” She pulled two all access passes for the fashion show from her pocket and tossed them on the desk. “Now chin up, sweetheart. You’ve got work to do tomorrow. Try and look happy. You’re a Vixen now.”
…
Cole groaned, cursing the throbbing in his skull. He felt around blindly and found a pillow, which he pulled down over his head. Would the incessant pounding never stop? He promised himself he’d never touch a bottle of Scotch again if it would just go away.
Once Upon a Dare Page 16
