by Ali Parker
I opened my wine menu and scanned the offerings. I quickly decided what I wanted. When I looked up, Oliver’s lip was curled as he reviewed his own menu. He didn’t look pleased.
When the waiter appeared, I offered him a friendly smile. “Hi, can I have a glass of the white wine?”
“Of course. And for you, sir?”
Oliver looked up at the man, folded the menu, and put it on the table. “Is this it?”
“I’m sorry?”
“The wine selection is rather pedestrian. I didn’t see anything that appealed to me. Do you have any recommendations?”
The waiter looked caught. “I believe the chardonnay is one of our most popular choices.”
“You believe?” Oliver snapped. “You don’t know? Have you tried it? Have you tried any of the wines? How am I to know what pairs well with my main course?”
I felt terrible for the waiter.
“The menu has wine suggestions,” he answered.
Oliver rolled his eyes. “I would like to know what the chef is serving tonight before I order my wine.”
The waiter used his pen to point to the larger menu. “There are three choices.”
Once again, Oliver didn’t look pleased to have to read the menu. I supposed he was used to places that offered only a few main courses.
“Are you suggesting we order our meals now?” Oliver asked as if it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard.
“You are welcome to do so.”
Feeling bad for the guy, I snatched my menu and scanned it. “I’ll have the filet mignon with a baked potato, butter no sour cream, with my vegetables steamed.”
The waiter looked relieved and quickly nodded before taking my menu and looking at Oliver. My date did not look pleased.
“Fine, I’ll have the same, but please, smother my potato. I’m sure I’m going to need all the condiments I can get. And I’ll have a glass of cabernet.”
The waiter nodded and practically ran from our table. I stared down at my hands. I was hoping I would find something in common with Oliver, but I didn’t see that happening. We came from very different worlds.
“How long are you in town for?” I asked in an attempt to make small talk.
“I’ve not decided. I’m thinking about going to Switzerland for a few weeks.”
“Do you go there often?”
He shrugged. “I go everywhere often. I don’t spend a lot of time at home. I get bored easily. I like to travel and look for treasure.”
“Do you find a lot?”
“I always find something.”
The waiter returned, delivering our wine before rushing away again. I was sure he wanted to make a clean break before Oliver could interrogate him again. I took a sip of my wine and found it to be very good. Oliver took a drink from his glass and looked like he just sucked on a lemon.
“I’ll have to have a talk with Tawny,” he said after dabbing at his lips. “She knows better. She needs to hire better staff and the décor in this place is a step above tacky. What is she trying to do here? She’s got some of the best designers selling their things here and yet she’s serving garbage in a dated restaurant.”
“I think the décor is supposed to be casual with a rustic feel.”
“It’s tacky. Rustic does not belong in a mall. I only want rustic in a lodge high up in the mountains, and even then, it needs to be tasteful. There is far too much wood in this place. How can one be expected to enjoy a meal when it feels like they are inside a tree? The mall is bright and airy and then you come into this place that borders on medieval castles. I’ve eaten in some of those castles and even they have better lighting.”
I smiled and nodded, sipping my wine to keep from saying anything. The guy was obnoxious. I wasn’t sure we had anything in common at all. He might be attractive and rich, but he was rude and inconsiderate. I had a feeling nothing was ever right for him. He wanted perfect, but I don’t think he knew what perfect was. He was constantly trying to find it.
“I enjoyed a quaint little place in Paris a few months ago. It was designed to look like a pub from early thirteenth century. The servers wore period costumes, and the food wasn’t fancy, but it was done right. I think when someone opens a restaurant, they have to pick something they know and something they can execute well. This place feels scattered. Are we in a cabin, a restaurant, a lodge? I’m so confused.”
“I think the goal is to be comfortable,” I said, trying to defend my new boss’s decorating choices.
He curled his lip. “I’m comfortable at home in bed. I want to be wowed when I am paying for a meal to be served to me.”
“Of course,” I murmured.
“I told you I have very particular tastes and I have expectations. It’s why I think someone like you would be perfect for me.”
I almost choked. “Pardon?”
“My house is spotless, and my collections are organized and displayed as they should be. I like things a certain way and I want someone who understands that and can learn what it is I’m looking for. Someone who takes directions and doesn’t question me.”
“Did you hire a designer to set up your collections?” I asked.
He looked at me like I was crazy. “Of course. I’m not a designer. I told the designer what I wanted, and they made it happen. Granted, it took a few of them to figure it out, but in the end, it was perfect. I don’t stop until I get what I want. I have the money to demand the best and that’s what I expect.”
I kept smiling and nodding. I casually looked down at my watch. We’d only been at the table ten minutes. It felt like hours. I could not possibly spend the next hour with him. He talked nonstop. Not talking, complaining. He was used to a life of privilege that most people could never begin to imagine.
“I understand,” I said, realizing he wasn’t really expecting or wanting me to give him my opinion.
“There are certain things in life that should never be compromised. In my life, I compromise nothing. I demand perfection and most people that work for me understand that.”
I had no idea what he was carrying on about. Was this his way of pitching the job to me? If so, if I was considering working for him before, I sure as hell wasn’t now. No way would I ever put myself in his employ. It would be a living nightmare.
Our meals were delivered, and I found myself holding my breath as Oliver stared down at the food. The waiter patiently stood, waiting for the approval. Oliver pushed the plate away. “Tell the cook I prefer my meat dead before it is served to me.”
I looked at my own piece of meat and thought it looked mouth-watering. I was ready to dig in. I didn’t often get to eat so richly. Before I could say mine was fine, Oliver ordered the waiter to take it away and return with the salmon dish. I inwardly groaned. I was not a fan of fish. I wanted the steak. I could practically taste it.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said.
“About what, sending my food back?” I asked, not hiding my irritation.
“Absolutely not. I’m sorry you were served such an atrocious meal. A dog wouldn’t eat that.”
I begged to differ. Every dog, cat, and other carnivore, including myself, would love to eat it. I checked the time again. I didn’t think he was purposely stalling. He was just really that picky. I would die if he sent back the next offering.
Sitting with Oliver was a wake-up call. There were a lot of men far worse than Chase. Chase could be heavy-handed, but he was never rude. He never talked down to anyone and he would never sit down to a meal and bitch nonstop.
Chase was a wealthy man, and I was sure he was used to some of the finer things in life, but I knew he would have accepted that meat and dug into it with the same gusto I was feeling. Chase wasn’t picky. Oliver was carrying on about eating at some restaurant in London that was so much better than this one. The night was going to drag. I wasn’t sure I could make it. I wasn’t going to make it sober. That was for sure.
Chapter 62
Chase
I was f
inally in my office after spending the bulk of my morning sulking. Nick’s little pep talk had worked. It was what I needed to get off my ass and back into the world of the living. I missed her. I didn’t think I would ever not miss her. She was ingrained into my very soul. I was going to find a way back to her. I didn’t know how, but I wasn’t going to give up.
First, I needed to take care of business in a very literal sense. With the holiday behind us, it was like the morning after a wild storm. There was a lot of cleanup and plenty of things to catch up on. Jake and the rest of the team did a great job keeping on top of everything but there was some stuff I needed to handle.
It felt like I’d been gone a month instead of a couple of days. I was surprised with the amount of work that needed to be done.
I really had been slacking. Some stuff I had to handle and couldn’t delegate it to my staff just yet, but I would soon. That was what they were paid to do.
Jake had taken it upon himself to order a new desk for himself. He had created a little office space just outside my own. He didn’t have a door but at least he had somewhere to work. I had a feeling his desk location was a way to stay close to Parker. Her office, which used to be Harper’s office, was just down the hall. Either that, or he was trying to send me a message. He wanted his own office. I needed to remedy that soon.
I returned my attention to the task at hand and reviewed invoices, signing off on them before forwarding them onto the finance team. The books were going to be in the red for a while. I expected it. I just hoped the poor accountant didn’t lose her damn mind when the rest of the invoices flooded in. The launch had cost a small fortune. I was going to call it a success, but I supposed the real test would be future bookings and those reviews that were sure to start rolling in.
I glanced up again and saw Parker’s lower half standing in front of Jake’s desk. She was just out of my line of sight, but I knew it was her. Jake reached out and grabbed her hand, gently caressing it like I used to do to Harper’s hand. I was happy for them. Although it seemed like everyone was finding love while I was being dumped. Cori and Nick and Parker and Jake were all loved up. They were happy and enjoying the excitement of a new love while I wallowed in misery. I should be loved up right now. I should be canoodling in the office. I should be the one sneaking off to get a little nookie.
“Is she okay?” I heard Jake ask.
At first, I ignored the question. I didn’t want to eavesdrop. Then a thought occurred. What if they were talking about Harper? I pretended not to listen while I looked down at my computer, my ears tuned into their conversation. I leaned forward to try and hear better.
“Yes, she’s doing fine,” Parker answered, trying to keep her voice down. “She has a date tonight.”
I jerked, my knee hitting against the desk. I silently cursed, trying not to draw attention to myself.
“Really? Already? With who?”
Yes, who?
“Some guy named Oliver,” Parker answered.
Then I knew for certain they were talking about Harper. Harper and Oliver fucking Rook. I knew the guy was an asshole. I saw him looking at her, sizing her up like she was one of the many things he put on his shelves. He would never treat her right. He would use her. He would hurt her.
“Oliver Rook?” Jake repeated.
“I think so. She said he was really rich, attractive, and he offered her a job. Her new boss kind of set them up or something.”
Jealousy ran through me. My fingernails scratched my desk. I wanted to wring the man’s neck. How could Harper fuck me one night and go out with another man the next night? Granted, it wasn’t exactly the next night, but it was in the same week. I couldn’t believe I meant so little to her. I knew she cared about me. I knew she did. I felt it that night. We loved each other. There was no denying that. She was pissed at me but why in the hell did she have to go after Oliver?
“Where are they going?” Jake asked. “Please don’t tell me they are coming here.”
“No, no. Someplace new that is opening. She said it was at the mall she’s working at.”
I closed my eyes, anger boiling in my belly. I managed to keep my shit together until Jake offered to walk Parker to her office. Their romance made me sick.
Once they were gone, I got up and left the office not bothering to leave a note or tell Jake I was out of the office once again. I went directly to my suite and stripped off my jacket. I yanked at my tie, practically tearing it from my body.
I started to pace, trying to walk off the anger. I hurt. My heart hurt. I knew she would end up hurting me eventually. I couldn’t believe she was already dating. I couldn’t believe I meant so little to her. I wasn’t able to leave my room for two days and she was already working at a new job and dating someone new. I was a blip on her radar. The night we spent together naked in each other’s arms meant nothing to her. It meant everything to me. She said no strings attached. I was okay with that, but I never really stopped to think about what that meant. I was foolish to assume it meant she wasn’t going to see anyone else.
Oliver was a different story. I wanted to knock his teeth in. He had to know we were seeing each other. Everyone else suspected it. But it was just like Oliver. He saw something, and he got it. He didn’t give a shit about anyone else. He took what he wanted. His privileged ass was used to getting everything he wanted. She wasn’t his to have.
I was an idiot for letting her get away. I shouldn’t have let her walk to her car. I should have told her how I felt. If I would have told her I loved her, I might not be pacing my room and seething with jealousy. I knew Oliver’s reputation. Women didn’t necessarily like him, but he always ended up with the most beautiful women in the world. I was convinced it was because he was rich, but I knew Harper. She would never go after a man just for money.
Did that mean she actually liked the man? That pissed me off even more. I preferred to think of her as a shallow, materialistic woman rather than a woman that was interested in another man days after we spent the best night of my life together.
I could stay in the room pouting and getting pissed or I could do something about it. I wanted to confront Oliver. I wanted to tell him to back the fuck off. She wasn’t available. Only a man like Oliver would move in on another man’s woman. I didn’t miss him flirting with her at the party. He saw us together that night. Everyone saw us together. There was no denying we were together. The chemistry between us was pretty damn obvious.
Oliver saw it. He couldn’t deny it. It was just like him to try and take what I had. It felt like he was doing that shit all the time. He was bored with his life and got off on fucking with other people. He liked to throw his weight and his money around. I wasn’t the first man who’d been a victim of his power trip. Oliver hunted women for sport.
I was going to let him know Harper was not one of his trophies. He didn’t get to swoop in, use her, and throw her away when she wasn’t shiny anymore. I told myself I was confronting him on her behalf. Halfway to the door, I stopped. Wasn’t this exactly what I had been warned about? I wasn’t supposed to try and decide what was best for her.
I mulled it over and decided this was different. I knew Oliver. She didn’t. I was doing this for her. In fact, I wanted to let her know just how I felt about her jumping right back into dating so soon after shattering my heart.
I didn’t appreciate it. I deserved better. She up and left me without even giving me a proper resignation. I might have been a shitty boyfriend, but I was a damn good boss. She could have at least thanked me for the job before walking out on me. I never treated her badly at work.
I knew she was expecting a good referral from me. I was tempted to hold it back until she apologized for walking out on me. That was a dick move. I couldn’t do that but I sure as hell could tell her it was a dick move to leave me high and dry.
I walked out of the suite and headed downstairs. I didn’t need Dwayne to drive me. This was something I was going to do on my own. I drove downtown to the mall. It
was my first time seeing the place. I heard about it, but I wasn’t a big shopper. My stuff came from a personal shopper who knew what I liked and what size to buy. I sat in my SUV for a while trying to think about what I wanted to say. I didn’t want to sound like a crazy jealous ex. I wasn’t. I was doing this for her.
I got out of the SUV and crossed the parking lot. I was pissed. The closer I got to the mall, the more I began to rethink my decision to come here and interrupt their date. It wasn’t the most rational thing to do. Did I really want to make an ass out of myself in front of Oliver and whoever else was in there?
I was a business owner. This could be a very small town. I didn’t want to ruin my reputation by losing my shit in front of the upper crust that ran this town. I stopped walking and stared at the front doors. I couldn’t do it. I needed to find another way to tell her I was crazy about her and crushed that she broke my heart.
I was about to turn around and walk back to my SUV when she came out of the mall. Alone. My first reaction was to run. Then I chose to freeze and hope she didn’t see me. It was too late. She was staring at me with shock and surprise.
This was not what I had planned at all. Instead of feeling vindicated and self-righteous, I felt like an idiot.
Chapter 63
Harper
Chase? What the hell? I kept walking until I was standing a few feet in front of him. At first, I assumed he was there to see me. Then I remembered he was one of the who’s who in Vail and was probably invited to the soft opening of the restaurant. He wasn’t there to see me.
“Hi,” I said, forcing a smile.
“Hi.” His eyes roamed over me, making me shudder. He had a way of looking at me and making me feel things without ever touching me. He made me feel sexy and powerful with his lustful looks. “You look stunning.”
“Thank you. What are you doing here?”
He looked confused. “I don’t remember why I’m here. I saw you and everything left my head. You take my breath away. And my thoughts.”
