“I’m serious.”She let out a soft laugh, but it was laced with something heavier.
His enthusiasm and lingering glow were rapidly evaporating. “I’m a healthy, single man in my late-twenties. Getting laid is serious business.”
She sat up, taking the throw with her, holding it in front of her chest. “Don’t do this.”
“Do...?”
She grabbed her shirt off the coffee table and put it on. “Don’t play stupid. You could at least hear me out.”
He was torn between keeping her there longer and not wanting to delve into something that would definitely send her away pissed. He sat up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m listening. Especially if you’re talking dirty.” That was probably the last thing he should say if he didn’t want her angry.
A low sound that was something between a sigh and a growl vibrated through her chest and back.
He flopped back against the couch. “I’m listening.”
“Promise?” She glanced over her shoulder, expression softening.
No, he wasn’t giving in to that look. Even if it did gnaw at something deep inside. “Of course.”
She relaxed a little more. “You start over.”
All the pieces clicked together at once, as the meaning and consequences of those three words slammed through his thoughts. Starting over meant finding investors again, risking the same thing that happened last time: one of them screwing the company over.
And if it was her suggestion, it probably also meant getting her involved. After all, she specialized in making the numbers work, and she didn’t the idea out there so they could let someone else do it.
“No.” He slid away from her.
She shifted on the couch to face him completely, one leg tucked under the other knee, and her eyes narrowed. “You said you’d hear me out.”
“Nothing to hear.” He should have listened to the instinct that told him this was a mistake, and never for a moment indulged the part of him that thought he was falling for— No, wrong, that thought didn’t exist. “If that was an option, we would have already done it.”
“You don’t know if it is or not. Just give me a few hours with your books—”
And there it was. “No.” There was no way he was repeating what had happened with Kelly. “It won’t work.” He grabbed his clothes from the floor. This wasn’t how he wanted this day to end.
She was on her feet in an instant, anger and hurt flashing in her eyes as she collected the rest of her clothing and yanked it on. “Tell me why not.”
“Because it won’t.”
She clenched her jaw, staring him down. The moment stretched between them. She turned on her heel and stormed toward the door. The entire house shook when she slammed it behind her.
He sank back into the cushions. That had been painful, but it was the right thing to do. Thinking with his dick last time had cost them everything; he wasn’t making that mistake again. Even if Rae hadn’t been a fling. Even if they’d never slept together. Or dated. Or fantasized about the relationship becoming more...
Don’t go down that road. Starting over isn’t an option. He and Scott needed to sign the buy-out offers and move on.
Chapter Eleven
Zach dropped into the chair in his office, and air whooshed out through the seams in the leather. He rested his head on the cool glass of the desktop and took a deep breath. There was no reason to leave anything behind. He wouldn't be coming back. But the office had been his second home for so long. It was going to take more than a couple minutes to pack it all up.
Note to self—ask Legal if he was still entitled to the furniture, or if that was company property.
He came in early to clear out before anyone else got in, but reluctance made him drag his feet. Nostalgia was hitting him harder now he’d had a chance for everything to sink in. His focus drifted around the room, eventually falling on the table in the corner where he'd negotiated some fantastic deals, including hiring some of the most talented people in the industry.
He couldn't see the scratches in the polished walnut from where he sat, but he knew it was covered with them. More memories flashed through his mind. Talking to Scott about rehab. The night he and Kelly decided to test out how sturdy the furniture was.
The memory morphed, and it was Rae instead. Her legs wrapped around his waist. Her almost too-thin shirt shoved up, turquoise bra loose. The tiny sighs she made when she was content...
He shook his head to banish the thoughts. Maybe he wouldn’t miss the table after all. It could stay and haunt the new management for all he cared. A knock drew him out of his thoughts. Scott claimed the chair across from Zach’s desk. The familiarity of the moment brought a sad smile to Zach's face.
Scott looked around the room, gaze lingering on the modern art decorating the walls. “It'll look strange in here when you're gone.”
“Not like you'll be around to notice.” Zach didn't try and keep the bitter tone from his voice. It wasn't worth the effort, and Scott would know it wasn't directed at him. “You done packing up?”
“As much as you are.” Scott slid down in the seat and settled his arms on the rests, legs sticking out in front of him. “I grabbed a couple of personal things. My laptop. I'll get the rest when they force me.”
Zach frowned. The longer he lingered in the room, the more it settled in...it was all over. The only job he'd ever had. The only real one, anyway. What were they going to do now? People didn't actually retire at twenty-eight. How boring would that be? He dropped his forehead into his hand, shoulders slumping.
“Gentlemen.” Vance’s stern baritone sliced the lingering cloud in the room.
Swell. Is there even any reason to be civil at this point?
Scott shifted so he was half facing the door.
“I'm glad you're both here.” Vance didn't wait for an invitation. He made himself comfortable in the empty chair next to Scott. “I was hoping to talk to you before my flight and before, well...”
Zach clenched his jaw. He'd put up with condescension from Vance and older businessmen like him for years without a problem. But this morning, it was the last thing he wanted to hear. Pompous dickwad. Zach kept the thought to himself, his forced smile growing bigger. “Have a seat.” He let a hint of sarcasm slip into his offer. “We've got a few minutes.”
Scott crossed his arms and sat up straighter, clamping his lips shut.
“Fantastic.” If Vance sensed the hostility radiating in his direction, it didn't show. “The letter this weekend was so formal. I wanted to tell you both in person what a difficult decision these layoffs were for us. If we could have seen any way around letting such talented people go, we would have gone that direction instead.”
The words felt hollow. Zach didn't like the tone or delivery. Was that what everyone they were about to fire would hear? Empty reassurances that meant nothing and held even less sincerity? Instinct told him not to burn this bridge. That wasn't how business operated. Wasn't how he operated. But almost half a decade of geezers telling him what he could and couldn't do was culminating in a single moment of frustration. He bit the inside of his cheek to measure his response. “I'm sure. Anything else?” Venom slid in anyway.
Scott's brow rose.
Vance didn't flinch. “I understand our Legal has agreed with your man on a final draft of the buyout offer. I'm sure you've signed by now.”
Scott coughed.
Zach stood. He wasn't interested in salvaging this relationship. Not with the man who had spent the last twelve months threatening them, only to make real on those threats with cash. Not with the company who was forcing them away from something they'd built from the ground up. “We've got a couple more things to clear up here. Are you done?” Ice coated his words.
Vance smiled, not moving. “Throw your tantrum if you'd like. Get it out of your system. If those people are still working here in a week, they lose access to their severance offer. You wouldn't do that to them, would you?”
>
Where did that come from? Zach blinked, trying to shift to keep up with the new threat. “Our Legal—”
“Is going to get expensive if you’re no longer working for the company retaining him.” Vance cut him off. His phony smile vanished, and his eyes narrowed. “You’re really going to pay out of your own pocket for a bunch of kids to fight a legitimate layoff? No wonder you’re here now.”
“We’re here now”—Scott's angry exclamation was loud amid the quiet threats— “because you have some really shitty ethics. Those people out there deserve more than your callous brush-off and a form letter attached to a goodbye check.”
Zach glared at him but didn’t feel as much relief as he wanted when Scott backed down with a scowl. There was a lot about this deal that didn’t feel right, but technically there wasn’t anything they could do now besides thump their chests.
Anger seethed under his skin, prickling his arms and making his muscles tense to the point his neck ached. He turned his attention back to the older man. “You're making some big assumptions about what we are and aren't doing.”
“I assume nothing.” Vance uncrossed his legs. “I know you haven't accepted our buyout offer yet. I know”—he gestured at the walls— “you haven't cleared out of here yet. I know I saw at least one person from the layoff list at her desk when I got here.” He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “Walk away now. You'll be under our roof long enough for our Legal to make sure all your paperwork is in order. You're a smart kid; I'm sure you'll make some sales team somewhere a lot of money.”
Zach didn't know which infuriated him more: the knock against his age and skills, or the implication their lives would get difficult if they didn't just roll over and play nice. “I appreciate the advice.” He stepped around the desk and stopped halfway to the door. “Now if you'll excuse us, we have important things to take care of this morning.”
Vance smirked and stood. “Of course. It was great to get to know the staff last week. I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances.”
Zach kicked the door shut after the him, dwelling on the twinge of disappointment it hadn't hit him in the ass. Fury gnawed at his senses, and he fought back the urge to punch the closest wall.
“We're fucked, aren't we?” Scott's angry question sounded distant. Desperate.
Zach took a deep breath, pushing back his rage and feeling it shift. Misery crawled through it. “Yes. No. I don't know. You done here for now? Let's get the fuck out of here.”
Scott didn't move. “Because leaving the office at eight on a Monday morning for a stiff drink sounds like the best way to handle this.”
“Exactly.” Zach didn't know where the sarcasm was directed, or even how much of it was sarcastic and how much was sincere. He didn't care.
Chapter Twelve
Nervous energy thrummed through Zach. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and parked in front of the café. The white wrought iron, and candles on the middle of every table screamed trendy.
Every time he brought the buyout offer up with Scott, the conversation deteriorated into inaction. But Scott had extended the invite to lunch, so maybe they could reach common ground about why they needed to walk away from Cord now. That ought to take Zach’s mind off Rae. Since she stormed out a week ago, her memory had moved into, and taken over, portions of his imagination...
The thought vanished when he saw the woman seated at a table outside, head bent close to Scott’s, the two of them laughing about something.
God damn it, what was Rae doing there? He tried to pull his attention away from her. Her hair was in twin pigtails, leaving her neck exposed. Her opaque black T-shirt might have been a disappointment if it and her cutoffs didn’t hug her curves perfectly. Besides, stripping the shorts off would solve the issue of what he could and couldn’t see.
He cut off the fantasy before it could run rampant. At least he’d worn slacks; he hoped that would hide his reaction. Rae was done. In the past. If any of him thought otherwise, it was a bizarre reaction to the fact he got—no, had—to see her on a regular basis.
He dropped into the empty seat at the table. “Funny running into you here.”
The pink in her cheeks darkened, and she ducked her head. That wasn’t attractive. Or alluring. Or completely compelling and intoxicating. And the last thing he wanted to do was brush a thumb over her cheek and kiss her.
He pushed ice through his veins, wrapped in the word Kelly. He wasn’t going to let his dick drive them into another business mistake. It didn’t matter how badly he wanted Rae. That would pass.
“Not really.” At least Scott sounded normal again. “I invited her.”
Awesome. Fantastic. Why did Zach feel like he was being set up? He grinned, keeping his expression pleasant. “Epic. Anyone else coming?” The table wasn’t big enough for more people, and there were only three chairs—he should have noticed that up front—so probably not. But the entire situation had him off balance, and he wasn’t sure he could trust his instincts.
“Nah.” Scott waved a hand. “I figured since we’re all such great just friends now, we should hang out.”
Rae winced, grabbed her water, and then took a long swallow. Condensation dropped from the glass. It landed on her chest then trailed down between her breasts until it collided with her V-neck collar.
Zach forced his attention to Scott, searching for a hint of where the not-so-subtle dig had come from. “Just friends. Interesting qualifier.”
“Not as interesting as you might think.” A light quaver ran through Rae’s voice. “My new contract doesn’t start for two weeks, and apparently someone...” She glanced at Scott. “...has too much time on his hands. You suffering from the same thing?”
She’d found new work. That meant she’d be gone soon. An ache grew in his chest, clenching his heart like a vice. Fuck. Zach kept his gaze on hers. No need to let it drift elsewhere. His imagination was already doing enough of that. “No. I’m suffering from something entirely different.”
She raised her brows and tilted her head to the side, the corner of her mouth pulling up.
He wouldn’t lean in and kiss her light smile. He wasn’t enticed by it. The faint scent of strawberries wasn’t wreaking absolute havoc on his brain.
“I bet.” Scott’s tone was flat. “I’m surprised you haven’t already booked a flight to Europe. Early retirement and all that.”
Zach turned back to his friend. More hostility crept out with each comment. He didn’t want to do this in front of anyone else, especially after the argument he’d had with Rae, but they needed to get over this. They’d lost, they needed to move on, and he wouldn’t let Scott wallow. “I was thinking I’d start with Italy. If it’s pretty, I might not come back. You made plans yet?”
Scott’s knuckles went white around his glass. Out of the corner of his eye, Zach saw Rae drop her face in her hand.
You’re being an ass.
If that was what it took to drive a wall between them, it was better for both of them in the long run.
“I thought I might not throw in the towel so easily.” A sharp edge ran through Scott’s voice.
This was bullshit. Zach was tired of dancing around it. He was irritated with himself for letting it go on so long, and Scott for not seeing they needed to stop pretending. “What are you going to do? Out of the five billion times we’ve had this conversation, what’s your brilliant plan this time that you didn’t have before?”
“I...” Scott faltered. “Something.”
“Brilliant. Not one of your better ideas, but they can’t all be best sellers.”
“That’s not fair.” All the hesitation vanished from Rae’s voice. The flush didn’t look shy anymore. Her eyes were hard. “Your only solution is running away, so you don’t have any room to talk.”
And there it was—the reason he didn’t want to do this here, in front of her. “And you’ve got a better plan?”
Shit. He shouldn’t have asked that.
Her s
mile didn’t reach her eyes. “Since you asked...”
“Wait, what?” Scott sat up straight. “You have an idea.” He leaned in, anger evaporating in an instant.
“Wrong.” Zach cut him off. “Remember Kelly?” Rae was actually doing this. She was going to hash out her painfully risky plan in front of the one person who would cling to any hope he could find, regardless of how unrealistic it was.
“The entire internet remembers Kelly.” Rae’s cold smile ate at him.
“Why is she here?” Zach asked Scott.
Scott shrugged, the hard set of his jaw softening a hint. “She asked if I was busy today. Said she had something she wanted to talk about.”
A vein pulsed in Zach’s eyelid as he watched the exchange. This was completely out of control. “What’s going on?”
“We’re listening to her idea,” Scott said.
“No, we’re not.” Zach had his phone out. “I’m booking a one-way flight to another continent.”
“Enjoy.” Rae slouched in her seat, arms crossed and lips pursed.
Zach looked at Scott. “Come with me.”
“What about Rae?”
Zach shrugged. “You don’t really bring your ex-girlfriend on vacation with you.” Each retort was measured, to be cruel and removed. And each word he spat out sliced deeper. He didn’t want to do this. He had to do this. Experience dictated anything else was stupid.
Rae slapped the table as she stood, irritation running under her words. “This was a bad idea.”
Zach’s fingers twitched, and he had to grab his own leg to keep from reaching for her. When Scott wrapped a hand around her wrist, an unfamiliar surge of jealousy seared through Zach.
“Wait, please?” Scott said. “Don’t listen to him. I want to hear what you have to say. Let him go whore around the Southern Hemisphere if he wants.”
His Long Shot Page 10
