by Mia Madison
For a moment, I frowned, but then an image of it popped into my head. “Yeah, I’d forgotten that.”
“I think you must’ve been about four when they replaced it. I know because—”
“Because you and Alex made the box into a little playhouse for me. God, I’d forgotten that.”
“How could you? You practically lived in that thing for a year.”
“And mom made little curtains.” I shook my head, lost in memory. Then I smiled at Tyler. “It’s nice to reminisce. Usually I can only talk to Alex about things like that.”
“I have a lot of fond memories of this house. I’m always up for talking about that kind of thing with you.”
“That’d be nice,” I said.
“So how about tonight? Let me take you out to dinner and we can continue our conversation there.”
I drew in a sharp breath. He’d said that so casually, like it was a normal thing to offer. But… was it a normal thing? After all, a man and a woman going out to eat on a Friday night? That sounded like a date.
But it couldn’t be, could it? And then I realized that even if it was, I couldn’t go. My heart sank. “I’m sorry. I’d love to, but my roommates are upstairs, and one of them, Sierra, had a really bad day, and she’s upset.”
Tyler didn’t even hesitate. “Okay, I’ll take all three of you out for dinner.”
I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out if he was serious. “Really?”
“If you think she’s up for it. I don’t know her situation, but I know that sometimes when I’m upset, it does me good to go out and get my mind off of it.”
11
Tyler
“You’re right, this pizza is delicious,” Tyler said, helping himself to another huge slice.
“Told you! Best pizza in town except for mine,” Gabi said.
“It’s true,” Sierra said.
She’d been skeptical when we made her wash her face and come out with us—especially when she found out my boss was going to be there. But Tyler had been funny and charming, and by the time the pizza came, she was participating in the conversation. Maybe part of that was the beer, but it seemed to me that a lot of that was Tyler. He was being so solicitous and kind. It touched me that even without knowing the whole story, he was trying to make my friend feel better.
Gabi was obviously impressed too. Once, she went to the restroom and a moment later my phone buzzed. Her text read: Wow, he’s the best damn date three women could ever hope for. I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake my head about that. It was just so surreal. The man of my dreams sitting here eating pizza and drinking beer with me and my two best friends.
Tyler lifted a basket off the table. “There’s only one breadstick left. Who wants it?”
“I’m full,” I said immediately. I didn’t think I could eat another bite.
“Me too,” Gabi said.
“Sierra, you only had once slice. Why don’t you take it?”
She looked up at him, seeming ready to refuse, but then like so many women, she apparently became lost in his green eyes. “Thanks,” she said, and took the breadstick.
Tyler kept his gaze on her. “I know I don’t know you well, but Kait can tell you I’m not a bad guy. And it looks like she and Gabi have your back no matter what. So is there anything you want to talk about?”
I sucked in a breath, a little shocked by Tyler. He was basically a stranger to Sierra. A nice, hot-as-hell one, but a stranger nonetheless.
I expected Sierra to say no, but to my surprise, she looked a little torn. Then in a quiet voice, she said, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Gabi and I exchanged a quick look—she was as shocked as I was.
Sierra took a deep breath. “Part of it’s my boyfriend, and I don’t want to talk about that. But another part of it is work. And I figure… you’re a boss, maybe you’ll have some suggestions about what I should do.”
“I’m all ears,” Tyler said, his voice gentle.
Sierra was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Is it… normal for bosses to scream at their employees? For, like, missing quotas and things?”
“It’s certainly not a valid management technique,” Tyler said. “What kind of quotas?”
Sierra explained about the call center and how she had to conduct a certain amount of surveys per hour. “But most people just hang up. Or cuss me out and then hang up.”
“It’s not fair,” Gabi added. “It’s like her company personally blames her when she wasn’t even able to get more than a few words out before they hang up.”
“We have scripts, but most people don’t listen past the first few words.”
“Sounds rough,” Tyler said. “I can’t speak for all management styles since I run the least formal company on the planet, but blaming workers for factors beyond their control isn’t right.”
Sierra’s eyes watered for a moment. This validation from a source that wasn’t one of her two best friends seemed to mean a lot to her. It made me want to reach out and squeeze her hand—as well as Tyler’s.
“And then, um, they’re going to dock my pay.”
“What? When did this happen?”
“Today,” Sierra said. “I was upset about Joe, and my stomach was killing me. I was sick in the bathroom and then I felt so weak.”
“Have you eaten anything today?” Gabi asked.
“Not before the piece of pizza.”
“Yikes. No more beer for you.” Gabi swiped Sierra’s glass and set it on an empty table nearby.
“So why are they docking your pay?” Tyler asked.
Sierra toyed with the breadstick as she spoke. “I just felt so bad. Not just upset, but physically bad. And I made this call and the guy who answered called me a… well, I’m not even going to say it, but it was really bad. It starts with C.”
This time I did reach out and take Sierra’s hand. Gabi patted her arm. Tyler said nothing, but his expression darkened.
“My supervisor came over when he saw I was crying, and I explained that I wasn’t feeling good and that I was sick earlier. So he told me to go home. At first, I thought he was being nice, to send me home two hours before my shift ended. But after I got home, I got a text from the company saying that my pay would be docked for a half day.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
“Those jerks,” Gabi said. She rarely used strong language even though she often had strong opinions.
Tyler, alone, was silent. But I could see that he was listening. He took a long sip of his beer and then set it down. “I have a friend who heads a pretty large company. Every few months they hire a half-dozen people for entry-level positions. If you wanted to submit a resume, I could give them a heads-up to keep an eye out for it.”
For a moment, I stared at Tyler in surprise, just like my two roommates did. But then my gaze swung back to Sierra. Would she take him up on it? Under normal circumstances, she’d jump at a chance like that, but ever since she’d met Joe, her self-esteem had plummeted.
“That sounds like a red-hot opportunity to me,” Gabi said, and I could tell she shared my fear of how Sierra might react.
Finally, Sierra nodded. “That would be fantastic. Thank you.”
Relief washed through me. Sierra hadn’t really been herself in a long time. Maybe if she got a decent job—and if Joe somehow fell off a cliff—she could turn her life around.
“It’s Callahan Communications,” Tyler said. “I’ll send Kait the information and she can pass it along to you.”
“Communications,” Sierra repeated. “That was my major.”
“I can’t guarantee anything, but I’m sure they’ll want to talk with you when they’re hiring again,” Tyler said.
Gratitude filled me as I looked at Tyler. He caught my gaze and grinned. “Our girl Kait here already has a job with the best company ever. But what about you, Gabi? Are you looking for something else? I could put in a word for you, too.”
“No, thank you,” Gabi said. “I don
’t really know what I want to do yet—but I figure I’ll know it when I see it.”
“Fair enough.”
The rest of the meal passed quickly. We coaxed Sierra into eating a little more, and Tyler took care of the bill. When it was time to leave, Gabi and Sierra walked a few feet of Tyler and me. There was a moment, just one fleeting moment, when they exited the front door while Tyler and I were still in the entryway. Immediately, I turned to him. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. You were right, it’s a nice restaurant.”
“Not for the meal. I mean, not just for the meal. But for everything. Getting the three of us out of the house. Giving Sierra hope. Thank you.”
His smile was kind, and for a moment, he didn’t look like my boss. He didn’t even look like the hot-as-hell guy with the movie-star looks.
Instead, he looked like my friend.
Spontaneously, I stepped toward him, put my arms around him, and hugged him. He responded immediately, pulling me toward him, holding me tight.
The top of my head barely came up to his chin, but I knew he could hear me when I whispered, “I really missed you.”
His breath was warm as it brushed over my hair. “I missed you too, KB.”
12
Tyler
“Monica? When is that awards dinner?”
A moment later, she walked into my office. “This Friday night.”
“This Friday?” That didn’t sound right.
“Yes,” she said, her sigh nearly inaudible. “That’s why I’ve reminded you of it—daily.”
“Sorry. I can never remember stuff like that.”
“Yet you remember four trillion details of the new app you’re working on.”
“That’s different,” I said with a grin. “That’s a challenge and an important part of our new line, and—”
“And fun,” Monica supplied.
“Exactly.” I’d been working with professionals in a variety of fields to develop an app that did it all—budget, schedule, to-do lists, you name it. Instead of using a handful of apps to do those things, people would be able to do everything from one app.
“Have you decided who you’re going to bring to the banquet? After all, it’s in your honor. What about that woman you took to the Callahan dinner in January? You know, the model with the legs that were like eight feet long each?”
“She’s busy.”
Monica rolled her eyes, knowing full well I hadn’t asked her about it. “The department heads will be there, and me, but you really should have someone with you. This is a great honor. Don’t you want someone by your side?”
I did. I really did. And I knew exactly who, too. But it’s not like I could invite my newest employee to something like this. Except… well, actually, maybe I could. “How many people can I invite?”
“As many as you want, I’d say. Again, the entire thing is for you.”
“So let’s invite some of the rank and file. Give them a free dinner and a chance to wear their fancy clothes.” An image of Kait’s red teddy flashed through my mind followed quickly by an image of what Kait might look like in it. Entirely inappropriate, but what can I say—my mind had a mind of its own.
Monica was checking her notes. “Unfortunately, there won’t be room for everyone. The ballroom isn’t that big.”
“So we’ll have a lottery. A drawing for a few people from each department to come.”
“If that’s what you want,” Monica said doubtfully. “I’ll set it up.”
“No, I’ll do it. Just get the names to me and I’ll make a little program to randomly pick some names.”
“All right, if that’s what you want.”
“It is.” And it really was. And I had a funny feeling that by an amazing coincidence, Kait was going to be picked from her department.
After all, I was going to write the program myself.
“You look nice,” I said automatically to Monica. I almost hadn’t recognized her in a long dress with her hair up, but her efficiency was the same. She flitted from person to person, showing people to their seats, flattering our investors, and being her usual competent self.
“You too, Boss. Glad you were able to find an actual suit.”
“They weren’t lost, just banished to the back of the closet where they belong. Where are the employees sitting?”
“The tables back by the bar.”
“That’ll keep them happy.” The formal dinner hadn’t started, and people were mingling, walking around and greeting each other. The moment Monica left, I was swept up in the crowd, surrounded by people who wanted to congratulate me on winning one of the industry’s highest awards.
This kind of thing wasn’t as interesting to me as designing programs, but I went into autopilot, hopefully saying the right things at the right time. But as I moved around the room, I kept my eyes out for just one person.
And then finally I saw her. She was on the far side of the room, a glass of champagne in her hand. My first thought was that she was too young to drink, but of course, that was ridiculous. She was twenty-three.
Then all my thoughts came to an abrupt halt as I saw what she was wearing.
It was the dress. The dress from the wedding. The one she’d been wearing when I took her in my arms and twirled her around the room. The one she’d been wearing when I hadn’t wanted to ever let her go.
My mouth went dry. I couldn’t believe she’d worn that here. Then again, none of the employees who’d won the so-called lottery had had much warning about this event. And I had to admit—she looked like she belonged here.
The dress was beautiful, hardly a monstrosity like bridesmaids sometimes had to wear. Alex’s wife had good taste. Kait’s dress had thin spaghetti straps that showed off the smooth skin of her shoulders. A band of fabric covered a few inches of her upper arms before plunging loosely in front of her creamy white breasts. The dress showcased her hourglass figure to perfection. It nipped in at the waist and then flared out at her hips, all flowing and flouncy until it reached the floor.
She must’ve been wearing heels because even from a distance, she looked taller than usual. She looked stunningly beautiful.
And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so. A big guy in an ill-fitting navy suit moved to her side, said something to her, and made her laugh. A new thought occurred to me—had she brought a date? And one who was her age, that was obvious. He looked to be in his early twenties, like her.
I snagged Monica as she was passing by, doing twenty things at once. “Who’s that guy? Over there by the bar with the curly hair. The one who kind of looks like a brown-haired version of Ronald McDonald.”
Monica squinted in the direction I indicated. “Patrick Finn. You know, I knew he reminded me of someone. Ronald McDonald indeed.” She chuckled.
Relieved, I let her get back to her tasks. I recognized the name. Patrick had been one of the names drawn from the programming department. That meant that Kait hadn’t invited him here. That was good. Still, I didn’t like the way he was hovering around her. It dawned on me that I’d seen him sitting next to her at the weekly meetings, too. Were they a couple?
If so, I should back off and let them be happy together instead of glaring at Patrick like I wanted to grab him by the lapels of his cheap suit and shove him into the champagne fountain.
The CEO of a competing firm arrived to congratulate me which helped to curb my murderous impulses—a little. The CEO was an ass, too, but unlike Patrick he wasn’t interested in Kait.
Dinner finally started, and I sat at the head table while various people talked about me and my corporation. Depending on who it was—and how much they’d had to drink—their comments were a mix of complimentary, backhanded compliments, a bit of jealousy masked as snark, and some pretty weak attempts at humor.
And as I smiled, and drank, and responded in kind, all I could think about was how I’d rather be sitting at a table with Kait. She was so far in the back, I couldn’t even see her. I wanted all these p
eople to disappear and then it would be just the two of us.
Or hell, compared to this crowd, I’d even take dinner with her and her roommates again. Kait didn’t have any family living nearby, and it was clear her best friends had been there for her when I sure as hell hadn’t.
But no, as nice as those girls were, I wished it were just Kait and I. Hell, I wished I could even see her. That dress brought back so many memories of our first, only, and last dance. I’d give anything to hold her in my arms again. Perhaps that proved what a bastard I was—as a competitor or two had implied—but at this point, I didn’t care.
Much.
What felt like a hundred hours later, this shindig was winding down. Catering staff were clearing things away, and only the most determined people—mostly newbies looking for advice—had stuck around.
Monica dragged me away from a young entrepreneur who could easily have won an award for worst idea ever for an app.
“The limo’s out front.”
“Limo? This is an industry event, not the Oscars.”
“The organizers apparently expected you to booze it up. And there’s champagne waiting for you in there, too.” She cocked her head to the side and looked up at me. “Perhaps they knew that you usually don’t come to these kinds of things alone.”
Ignoring that, I said, “My car’s here.”
“We’ll get it tomorrow. Go act the part of an entitled, pompous ass, and it’ll all be over soon.”
I grinned. “It’s a stretch, but I’ll do my best. Thanks for all the work you did this evening. Someone should give you an award.”
“I’d settle for some more of those brownies you had last week.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” And, of course, her words made me think of Kait. Had she left? A quick scan around the room didn’t show anyone wearing shimmering blue.
A dark thought hit me. What if she’d gone with Patrick back to his place? She had every right to do what she wanted with her life.
But I sincerely hoped she hadn’t.
