Austin started to object, but Miles cut him off.
“I was seriously considering promoting her. But I think you just killed that for her. Monday morning, you need to accept her notice and then keep your distance from her.”
“That’s not fair, Dad. Felicity has worked hard for us and deserves to be recognized for her hard work. You’re an idiot if you let her go.”
And so am I.
“I don’t know—” Miles started to say.
“Well, you’d better think about it, because if you deny her this promotion based on what you saw tonight, then you’re giving her every reason to sue your ass.”
“I guess that means you have some decisions to make, doesn’t it?” Miles said. “You have to choose, Austin. Do you want her to have the promotion? Or do you want to have your little fling? Because if you insist on fooling around with her, as far as I’m concerned, the promotion is off the table. In fact, she doesn’t even need to come in Monday morning. It’s your choice.”
* * *
At eight o’clock the next morning, Felicity rang Austin’s room. She hadn’t slept much after Miles had stumbled upon their late-night kiss. Instead, she’d stayed up all night contemplating what to say to him the next time they talked.
She’d considered texting him—actually, she wanted to text him the minute she’d closed the door between them, wondering if Miles had called or texted or walked across the hall and pounded on Austin’s door. Knowing Miles, it wasn’t so far-fetched.
If Miles had started the inquisition, the last thing Austin needed was her texts pinging his phone. If Miles had been uncharacteristically silent, she didn’t want to crowd Austin.
So, she’d forced herself to wait until the respectable hour of eight o’clock to ring his room phone. When he didn’t answer, she called the front desk and discovered that he had already checked out.
She could’ve kicked herself for not texting last night. Because even if she hadn’t wanted to seem desperate, she was feeling that way more and more with each hour that ticked on without word from him.
Checkout was at eleven o’clock. Felicity decided she wouldn’t leave a minute earlier. She took a hot bath in the suite’s garden tub. Then she took her time applying moisturizer from head to toe, styling her hair, putting on her makeup and getting dressed. She ordered room service and leisurely enjoyed the fruit plate, pastry basket and the entire pot of strong hot coffee.
She called the bellhop to assist her with her luggage and getting her car from the valet. She would not allow herself to check her phone until she was parked in her own driveway. Because by that time it was a quarter past noon. Surely, Austin would’ve made time to get in touch.
But there were no new texts waiting for her after she got home.
She had also imposed another moratorium on herself. Until she got home, she would not let herself fret over the fact that she had been the one who had initiated the kiss. Oh, sure, Austin had kissed her back, but what was he supposed to do?
No. She wasn’t going there. Austin had definitely been into the kiss. And he had been the one who had asked her to dance the second time, the one who had suggested the drink at Sazerac and had purchased the champagne and had walked past his own room to escort her to hers. Those were not mixed signals. Those were beacons. Spotlight-strong beacons. And that’s why she had leaned in and kissed him.
Felicity shored up her confidence. She let herself out of the car, hitched her handbag up onto her shoulder, grabbed her suitcase and the garment bag that contained the red dress that Maia had lent her for the gala. She carted her belongings onto the porch.
She had just put the key into the lock when she heard a car turn into her driveway. In the split second between hearing the sound and turning around, her heart leaped in her chest and possibility bloomed like the roses she loved.
But it was short-lived, because when she turned around, she saw that it was not Austin. It was a courier lugging a huge box up the walk.
“Felicity Schafer?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“This is for you. Please sign here.”
She did, and he set the large brown box inside her front door.
Who in the world would be sending her a package? Maybe it was something for graduation. That’s when her heart took a second leap of faith and imagined it was from her father.
But it wasn’t.
When she opened the box, there was a card, which she didn’t open right away. It took a moment to figure it out, but the pieces in the box were for a greenhouse. Inside the larger note there was a piece of paper with a number for her to call to make an appointment for someone to assemble it for her.
It should’ve been the most wonderful moment. It should’ve made her happier than receiving the most fabulous piece of jewelry or the most coveted designer bag. But it didn’t. Written on the note card in Austin’s own handwriting was a message that broke her heart.
I’m sorry, Felicity. I crossed the line. It will never happen again. I hope Monday we can carry on as before.
This proved her theory that love was definitely real, but once acknowledged, a clock started counting down to the end. She never dreamed it would end before it had a chance to begin with Austin.
Chapter Twelve
Austin had contemplated calling Felicity Sunday night, but he decided it would have made things worse. It would’ve felt too personal. As it stood, things were already personal enough. So, it was for the best that he waited to talk to her again Monday morning at the office.
He didn’t like it. Not one bit, but that’s the way things had to be. For her sake.
After his early-morning conversation with his dad, Austin had needed time to think and get his head together. Miles might be able to keep them apart by threatening Felicity’s promotion, but his mandate wouldn’t change the way he felt about her.
For the first time in a long time, he was falling in love.
He was in love with Felicity, but for her sake, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t get in the way of her promotion. He had to let her have this opportunity.
He stepped off the elevator at Fortune Investments and into the hallway that led to their office. He was arriving at his usual time and he planned to act like it was any other day. If he sensed she wanted to talk about things, they could do that in his office—just as they would talk about anything on any given day.
His heart thudded as he rounded the corner and saw her sitting at her desk, typing on her computer. It thudded, then it settled into a dull ache.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” She didn’t look up from what she was doing.
Okay. Apparently, this was going to be more difficult than he’d anticipated. On both of their parts. She was wearing a red dress that managed to look sexy and all business at the same time. His need for her was a visceral ache.
And he needed to stop noticing what she was wearing. How had he done that before? Back before everything went haywire and he realized that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Was it any wonder that he was in love with her?
There had to be a way to work this out and the only way to do that was to level with her. Even though his father had acted like a jackass about the situation, tossing around ultimatums and mandates, Austin wouldn’t betray him by telling Felicity point-blank what Miles had said after he’d found them together. He’d have to keep the conversation more general. He’d have to tell her that due to company policy, it wasn’t possible for them to work together and be together.
“Do you have a moment to talk?” he asked.
She kept typing, her gaze glued to the computer monitor. For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to answer him. But then she stopped and looked up, her eyes focused on a point somewhere over his shoulder.
“Yes. I’ll be in in a moment.”
Her tone was strictly business. He didn’t blame her.
He went into his office, which was darker than usual. Normally, Felicity turned on his lights and computer before he arrived. This morning, he had to do it himself. When he did, he realized she hadn’t gotten his coffee as she usually did. He didn’t blame her for that either.
Austin had never expected these little niceties, but he had appreciated them. It was also quite possible that he’d taken them for granted. Just like he’d taken her for granted, even though he hadn’t done it on purpose. He’d been inadvertently careless.
Just like he’d been with her heart after the gala...and all the times that had led them to that moment.
After he turned on his computer, he set out for the break room. Felicity wasn’t at her desk when he passed by, but she was there when he returned with two cups of coffee in hand. One for her and one for himself.
The selection of mugs in the break room was eclectic. He handed her the mug that said You Are My Sunshine and kept the one with Snoopy lying atop his red doghouse. It would’ve been more appropriate if he’d been in the doghouse, but close enough.
“I made the coffee myself,” he said, striving for a light tone. “It may not be as good as yours.”
“Thanks, Austin,” she said. “I’ll show you and whoever replaces me how I make it before I leave. That way you’ll both know. But in the meantime, we need to talk about other things.”
Austin watched her pick up her coffee cup and a piece of paper off her desk. Then they walked silently to his office together.
She sat in the same chair that she’d sat in that first day that she’d given him her letter of resignation. He’d barely had time to sit down in his chair before she handed him the paper she held.
“This is my official two weeks’ notice. The first letter I gave you was a little vague. It didn’t have a date for my last day, but this one does. Now that the charity ball is behind us, I can start wrapping up other projects and you can start interviewing for my replacement. Though it might have been a good idea if we had done that earlier so he or she could’ve shadowed me at the gala. But it is what it is.” She shrugged. “I’m graduating in two weeks and one day. Which means my last day at Fortune Investments will be the day before the ceremony.”
Austin frowned at the paper, reading everything she had just told him. “You’re still planning on interviewing with Miles for the advertising position, aren’t you?”
She took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, Austin. I don’t think so. It’s probably best for me to make a clean break. For us to make a clean break.”
“Felicity, please don’t feel like you have to bow out just because of what happened last night.”
“Last night was a mistake, Austin. You as much as said so in your note. By the way, thank you for the greenhouse, but I can’t keep it. I do hope you can return it. In fact, if you’ll let me know where you got it, I’m happy to see that it’s returned and your account is credited.”
“Felicity, please don’t—”
“No, Austin. I’m afraid I’m the one who needs to say please don’t. You made your feelings perfectly clear in the note. Let’s agree not to talk about it while I serve out my two weeks. I’m sure everyone will be much better off for it.”
* * *
After sorting through hundreds of résumés, narrowing the field and interviewing a dozen candidates, Felicity presented the final slate to Austin, allowing him to make the ultimate choice.
Austin chose a guy named George Daughtry.
A guy.
Not that gender mattered. Though, it was strangely gratifying that Austin had selected a guy. It felt less like she’d been replaced and more like he’d chosen the right candidate for the job. Because George had the strongest credentials.
Today was George’s first full day of work. It also happened to be Felicity’s last day.
While George had to work out a notice at his former job, he had come by after work so that Felicity could train him. Starting Monday, he would be on his own.
Felicity was graduating tomorrow and after the party her coworkers were throwing for her at four o’clock, she would be a free woman. She’d been so busy tying up loose ends at Fortune Investments—including writing a letter to Miles Fortune. She explained that while she appreciated his being willing to consider her for an advertising position, she thought it best if she moved on.
She hadn’t yet had the opportunity to send out résumés. She would have plenty of time, though, because she had plenty of savings to allow her to take several months off if she needed to. Fortune Investments had paid well enough and she had saved diligently to afford her this privilege. This was the rainy day for which she had been saving. She spent the morning cleaning out her desk, and as each minute ticked away the hours of her last day, her heart grew heavier and heavier.
She was really doing this.
This was it. When she walked out the door tonight, it would likely be the last time she entered this building that had been her home away from home for nearly half a decade.
Ever since she’d given her notice, Austin had made himself scarce. The first week he’d been legitimately out of town on a business trip to New York City that had been on the books long before they’d known Felicity would be working out her notice. This week, he’d just been spotty.
So far, her last day was no different. Austin had not been around much today, except to meet with George for a few minutes in the morning, presumably to go over next week’s schedule. Felicity had left them to meet by themselves. Aside from the fact that she hadn’t been invited to sit in, it was for the best. After today, she wouldn’t be around to interpret for George or clarify matters for Austin.
After she carried the last box down to her car and she had returned to her desk, her intercom buzzed. It was Carla from the front desk.
“Hey, baby girl, are you ready to party?” she asked. “We have cake.” She sang the words and then lowered her voice. “God, you’re so lucky you’re getting out of this place. Take me with you.”
“I’ll see you in the conference room,” Felicity said, and she hung up the phone.
She glanced at Austin’s dark, empty office and felt the tears well in her eyes. She blinked them away. If he wasn’t even going to show up to say goodbye, she wasn’t going to waste her tears on him.
She turned off her computer for the last time, stood up from her desk, pushed in her chair, hitched her purse strap up onto her shoulder and walked toward the conference room without looking back.
The conference room was crowded with what looked like all of her Fortune Investments coworkers. Even Miles and Georgia were there. When she walked in, everyone clapped. Felicity’s eyes scanned the room, but she didn’t see Austin.
She hated herself for it, but her heart twisted and sank. A stinging, salty, burning sense of sorrow stung the back of her throat. She could barely swallow past the lump that had lodged there. Which made it all the more important for her to keep in place the smile she’d carefully affixed on her lips. If it slipped, the rest of the facade might, too, and fall like an avalanche. That was the last thing she needed right now. At least she still had her dignity the respect of her coworkers.
Since it hadn’t been a secret that she’d given Austin her notice at the beginning of the month, no one had questioned her final date of resignation. Since none of Fortune Investments’ rank and file had attended the foundation charity gala, none had been the wiser to her dances with Austin and hadn’t put two and two together.
So, here she was, leaving with her reputation as Ms. Together and Efficient firmly intact.
Ha! Little did they know.
She was a hot mess on the inside.
Because despite how hard she was trying not to, all she could think about now was how fast her time with Austin had run out. She’d kissed him because she loved him and she wante
d to believe that maybe, as in all the fairy tales she’d read as a child, true love would break the spell. That love would last. Like in Beauty and the Beast.
Did that mean he was doomed to remain a beast for the rest of his life? Probably not. He’d find love eventually.
What if she hadn’t kissed him...
No. She couldn’t change what was already done. She had arrived at this juncture in her life for a reason. Even if she hadn’t kissed him after the gala, it would’ve happened eventually. And it would’ve ended up like this. It was time she moved on.
Carla shoved a plate of cake in Felicity’s hands. It was chocolate with white icing, her favorite. Was that a coincidence or had someone known?
The only person she could think of who knew that was Austin. Because every year on her birthday, he would buy her favorite cake and bring it into the office.
That wasn’t so beastly. One of his better qualities, Felicity guessed.
She ate her cake and tried to make her way around the room to speak to as many of her colleagues as she could—even Miles Fortune, who was remarkably civil and complimentary, thanking her for her hard work and dedication to Fortune Investments. He mentioned not a word about the kiss with Austin in the hallway of the Roosevelt Hotel, but neither did he offer the standard if you want to come back, there will always be a place for you.
Felicity’s sixth sense told her that after witnessing the kiss, ol’ Miles considered her a liability, and, despite her hard work and dedication, he was happy to see her go.
And it was time.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized Austin had never really been interested in her. He’d kissed her back, but that had been the alcohol talking. Then Miles had interrupted, and the rest was history.
She disposed of her cake plate and started making her way to the door when he walked in—Austin, with his sister Savannah in tow.
Her heart leaped into her throat.
“Oh, Felicity, I’m so happy to see you.” Savannah pulled her into a hug. “Austin is taking me to the airport. We wanted to stop by before we left.”
A Fortunate Arrangement Page 15
