Hard to Forgive (Hard to Love Book 3)

by L. M. Reid

  Guzzling what’s left of the wine in my glass I reach for the bottle. “So, who has a hold of your vagina these days?”

  Her laughter breaks through any residual thoughts about Cooper and brings me back to the present. I may be back in Dayton, but that doesn’t mean I have to come back the same broken girl I left.

  3

  Cooper

  “Hey, Coop,” the waitress’ sweet, sultry voice says.

  “Hey there, gorgeous,” I reply.

  Don’t get me wrong, she’s gorgeous alright, but it’s not why I use the term of endearment. I use it because well, I’m an asshole and I can’t remember her name to save my life. I do however remember how she moves and this thing that she does with her tongue. I groan internally recalling the last time I was in here and how I may have had a little too much to drink, and whatever her name is over here may have helped me home. And by help, I mean, came home with me, and did things with her body that have me contemplating finding out what her name is and doing it again.

  First things first, I need to find my potential new business partner, Mitchell Brennan.

  As much as I love my catering company, and I do love it and the freedom it affords me, the opportunity Mitchell is presenting to me today – let’s just say it’s too good to not at least entertain.

  When he contacted me about opening my own restaurant in his soon to be completed new hotel, the Onyx, I dropped the phone. My whole body literally seized, and the phone slipped from my hand.

  He wants me to open a restaurant, my very own restaurant. It will be my menu and my recipes. All mine. I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the concept.

  Mitchell had wanted to meet at the site of the hotel he’s currently constructing, but I don’t want to get my hopes up. I don’t want to see the potential or be able to envision my future when I still haven’t even heard what the guy has to say. Sure, what he’s alluded to so far sounds great in theory, but until I have a better idea of what exactly he expects from me I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’ve already gotten my hopes up enough on my own.

  So here I am at my favorite bar, with my favorite waitress whose name I still can’t remember, staring at the man sitting at the corner table. Mitchell Brennan, the man that holds my future in his hands.

  “Find what you’re looking for?” the waitress asks.

  “I sure hope so. Wish me luck.”

  She presses a kiss to my cheek. “Good luck, Coop.”

  I give her a wink before making my way over to the table where Mitchell is sitting. I know it’s him because l made sure to do my homework before meeting him. From what I could find, which let’s face it in today’s day and age is a lot, Mitchell seems to be a pretty standup guy. His father started the Palm Tree Resort in Miami nearly forty years ago. Mitchell took over as head of Contemporary Lodging a few months back when his father stepped down. The once small family-run hotel chain is on the verge of transforming into a world-renowned brand. From what I read, his father happily stepped down leaving the company to Mitchell to do what he wishes with. His first endeavor? The Onyx. Right here in Dayton.

  Construction on the newest brand started a while back and is nearing completion. That’s why Mitchell’s in town. That’s why we’re meeting. Because if I agree to do this, I need to be in on the remaining process and ensure that my kitchen in my restaurant is exactly what I want it to be.

  Mitchell stands to greet me as I approach his table. There’s a genuine smile on his face. It’s filled with confidence. A confidence so strong it tells me he knows I’m going to say yes. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I want to say yes, and I don’t even know what he’s actually offering me.

  We shake hands. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Cooper,” Mitchell says.

  I return the greeting as we both take a seat at the table.

  “I have to ask, how in the world did you hear about me?” I ask him the question that’s been eating at me for weeks, ever since he initially contacted me. The how, the why – I’m dying to know.

  Don’t get me wrong, I am damn good at what I do, and I know it. Call me arrogant or what you will, but my fans will agree. While I might have a large list of clients, some quite wealthy and powerful, I still can’t fathom how a man like Mitchell Brennan from Miami, Florida found out about little old me all the way out here in Dayton. Or even crazier, why the hell he would think I deserve an opportunity like he’s presenting.

  “I’ll tell you, just as soon as you say yes,” Mitchell counters.

  “You’d have to make me an offer first.” Requesting a meeting, telling me he’s interested in me opening a restaurant in his hotel, none of it was an actual offer. None of it told me the things I need to know – how much is he going to control and how much is going to stay true to me. That right there, it’s why I cater. I like what I do. I don’t like having to answer to anyone. I don’t need someone looking over my shoulder and giving me their two cents every step of the way.

  So, if that’s what this is, if that’s the offer that Mitchell is going to make me then as hard as it will be to do, I will have to take a hard pass.

  “An offer? That’s the easy part,” Mitchell laughs.

  Before he can continue what’s, her name comes to the table to take our order. “What can I get you, Coop?” she asks, her fingers running up and down my arm. Her touch does more than it should to my body causing me to smile up at her.

  My current drought is my own fault. There is always someone willing, I just haven’t had the time to look or care. But tonight… tonight this pretty little waitress just might make me the happiest man alive.

  Before I can respond I hear a voice yell out, “Hey, Roxy.” The waitress turns her head and holds up a finger to let the man know she’ll be there in a second. Thank fuck for whoever that guy is.

  Equipped with her name now on my tongue, I smile when she looks back at me. “I’ll take a whiskey, Rox,” I reply.

  Her head turns toward Mitchell who is amused by the very overt flirting Roxy is doing. “Same.”

  “You got it, boys,” she smiles before bouncing off.

  Mitchell is eyeing me. And I’m glad it’s amusement I find on his face rather than contempt or disgust. After all, this is supposed to be a business meeting and Roxy, well; she’s making it much more pleasurable. For me at least.

  “Don’t ask,” I say with a laugh.

  “Wasn’t going to,” he chuckles. “About that offer…”

  Mitchell slides a large envelope in my direction. I glance down at it and then back up at him before emptying the contents. It’s a contract. And from what I can see, it includes a more than generous financial offer. I’m stunned frozen by the numbers I’m seeing in front of me. It’s way more than I expected and even more than I was hoping for.

  “Are you serious?” I stutter out after downing the whiskey that Roxy had placed in front of me.

  “Very. Listen, Cooper, I want you to join in on this endeavor. I think you would be a great addition to the Onyx brand. I don’t want you to sign that contract. Not today at least. All I want is a verbal agreement, one that tells me you’re interested in hearing me out, seeing my vision.”

  His vision? That’s the part that I have been most afraid of. The conformity, the micromanaging. But those numbers and the possibilities they’re just too damn good.

  “What? What did I say?” Mitchell asks. “I can see it on your face.”

  I decide to give it to him straight. If I’m going to do this, join into a partnership with the man then I need to be upfront with him and let him know what I’m looking for, what I expect. He needs to see my vision.

  “Your vision,” I tell him. “I’m a little concerned about what that might mean for me and this being my restaurant.”

  “Say yes and I’ll show you. Tomorrow, we can walk through the Onyx. I can show you the location I’m looking at putting the restaurant, get your input. Ultimately Cooper, the hotel is my vision. You’re a piece o
f it and the things that you need to keep you happy, those are still going to be yours.” He takes a sip of his whiskey. “Take tonight, read through the contract, and meet me there tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Yes. Yes, to tomorrow,” I say with a huge smile on my face. The guy is saying all the right things. I just hope that he means them.

  “Outstanding.” Mitchell seems pleased with my answer. Fuck, I am too. I’ve tried to fight the feeling all day, but I can’t control the excitement anymore. This is really happening. As long as everything goes well tomorrow, I will have my own restaurant. “Start thinking of names, of what you need for the kitchen, of what kind of establishment you want this to be. We don’t have much time. Grand opening is in six weeks and I expect you to be ready.” Mitchell extends his hand to me and I take it in mine. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Cooper.” He begins to walk away but stops. “Have fun with Roxy.”

  My excitement is off the charts. This deserves a celebration.

  As soon as Mitchell is gone, Roxy is at my side with another drink.

  It’s only then that it dawns on me exactly who Roxy is. And what I did to her.

  A few months back, I came here after a late catering job. Roxy was serving up more than just alcohol that night. By the time the bar closed, I was drunk and she was more than willing to help me home. The only problem is, once I got her home I couldn’t get her to leave.

  I tried everything, every single excuse

  in the book. She never got the hint. So, rather than trying to beat a dead horse, I helped her understand. By that I mean I picked her up and deposited her outside my door. The minute her feet touched the ground, I shut the door behind me and didn’t look back.

  Still, here she is, willing to do it all again.

  Tempted as I might be – that is one mistake I won’t be making again.

  “It’s time for me to get off,” she says suggestively.

  That means that it’s time for me to get out. I down the rest of my drink and put the glass back down. “Safe travels,” I say as I slide out of the booth.

  “Don’t you want to… give me a ride.”

  This is too much even for me. “Sorry, gorgeous, but I don’t think my girlfriend would like that too much.”

  The word girlfriend feels so foreign on my lips that I almost take it back.

  That is until I see Roxy stomp her foot on the ground, full pout on her lips. Yep, definitely sticking with the girlfriend bit and getting out of dodge. “Night Roxy.”

  I leave some money on the table and head to the door.

  “Fuck you, Cooper,” she yells at me through the door.

  Been there, done that. And it won’t be happening again.

  4

  Mia

  “Keep them closed,” Mitchell instructs me as if I have a choice considering he has me blindfolded. “Just a few more steps.”

  The man has always been unconventional. Blindfolding is a new one though. Luckily, I know he’s as harmless as he is handsome, or I might be concerned.

  “I really hope you’re not dragging me into a dark alley to kill me,” I joke despite the fact that I can hear the busy street behind me.

  “All these years and you don’t trust me?” he says with a bit of a laugh.

  “Not a bit.”

  “Stop,” he says. So, I do. I stop dead in my tracks causing him to run into me.

  “Shit, sorry.”

  “Take the damn blindfold off already,” I order him through my laughter.

  I can feel his hands at the back of my head untying the knot. “Welcome to your future, Mia.”

  My eyes flutter open adjusting to the sunlight. Before me stands a tall glass building. The windows tinted a soft shade of black, the metal pieces between them, much darker. I am awestruck. The Onyx is a far cry from the Palm Tree. Its high end, high class, and everything I ever hoped to obtain when I first went into the hospitality and tourism field. And Mitchell wants to entrust it, to me.

  “So? What do you think?” Mitchell asks.

  What do I think? Is that even a serious question? The building before me is nothing short of spectacular. The possibilities for it? Endless. There are no words to fully describe what I’m thinking right now. So, I go with the first thing that comes to mind, “It’s gorgeous.”

  “I thought you might like it,” he says with a smile. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

  The minute I step through the heavy metal doors I feel like I’ve walked into heaven. I couldn’t have dreamt something more perfect. Sure, all I’m looking at are the bones of it, but that’s all I need. My mind is already running a million miles an hour envisioning everything from the décor to the furniture. Hell, I can even picture the people milling around. I can see it. I can see all of it. And I love it.

  “Mitchell, this is…” I’m speechless.

  “It’s all yours if you want it.”

  The hotel, the opportunity he’s offering me, it’s not a question of if. Yes, I want it, more than I want anything in this world. He’s serving up my dream on a silver platter. Yet here I am hesitating. The one thing that’s holding me back has a stronger grip on me at the moment than the prospect he’s enticing me with.

  Mitchell gestures for me to take a seat, the only two chairs in the place set at a folding table in the middle of the lobby. He pulls out a contract and sets it on the table. I reach for it, but he tugs it out my reach.

  “You know that what’s in here is more than generous.”

  Knowing Mitchell like I do, the offer is going to be well above industry standards. He’s always done an excellent job of taking care of his employees, financially and otherwise. There is no doubt that whatever is in that contract is more than anything I could have ever asked for.

  “What I need to know, what’s not in here, is what it will take to get you to say yes. What’s holding you back, Mia?”

  Fear, anger, and heartache are holding me back. None of which I want to admit to Mitchell.

  “It’s… personal.” I know that’s not enough for him, but as much as I love Mitchell, some things need to remain just that – personal.

  “I know I’m your boss Mia, but I thought we were friends, too. You can talk to me. You know that, right?”

  With a sigh, I give in. But just a little. “I used to live here. In fact, I went to Dayton University. Some things went down that made me leave abruptly and… well; I’m just not sure I want to be back here, at least not on a permanent basis.”

  “Do you want to tell me what happened?” I shake my head. “Fair enough. Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is whatever it is that’s holding you back worth you giving up your dream for? I know you love the Palm Tree; I know you would be happy there. But, really, would it satisfy you as much as running this place? Knowing that you were in it from the start? That you are the reason it is a success? Having you run the Palm Tree would be great. But, having you behind the wheel of this place? There is no doubt in my mind that you would take this place and Contemporary Lodging, to the next level.”

  “Ugh… you’re really laying it on thick today, aren’t you?” I get up from the seat and pace the lobby.

  “I can’t help it. I need you Mia. And I think deep down, you need this too. Maybe it will be cathartic. Maybe being back here will help you overcome whatever it is that was keeping you away.”

  “Can I think about it?” I ask. “I just… I need to process. Get my head on right.”

  “Of course,” he says. “As much as I hate to do this, I need an answer by tomorrow. We’re six weeks until opening and I need a manager.”

  I nod my head in understanding. “You’ll have my answer by tomorrow. I swear.”

  Twenty-four hours is a tight window. If I take any longer though, I know I will just keep second guessing whatever decision I make until I change my mind at least a dozen times. The sooner I decide, the sooner I move forward. Whatever direction that may be.

  He claps his hands together. “
Wonderful. Now, let’s move onto the wooing portion of the night.” He holds up a hotel key card in his hand. “I set you up in the penthouse suite at the Waldorf. It’s yours for the night or, if you accept the offer, until you find a place to stay.”

  “Bribery isn’t necessary, Mitchell,” I say with a laugh. “I will take the room though.”

  Mitchell puts his hands on my shoulders. “Mia, I want you to really think about this. It’s a great opportunity for you. It just feels right.”

  He won’t get any arguments from me. Hesitation? Maybe. But no arguments.

  The minute I laid eyes on the hotel I fell in love. Problem is I might do the same thing if I see Cooper again. As angry as I am with him, he’s like a drug that I can’t seem to resist.

  Mitchell glances at his watch. “Shit, I have a meeting. I’m sorry.” He hands me a key card and gives me a wink before heading toward the hotel entrance. “I’ll see you tonight at Lust.”

  “Wait, did you say Lust?” I call after him.

  “Yep. Hottest club in town, you’ll love it.” Then he’s gone and so is my ability to protest or suggest another location.

  He’s not wrong. I’m sure I’ll love it especially if the owner is any indication of just how “hot” this club is. Griffin Hayes is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Throw in that he’s rich and fun as hell – it’s a deadly combo. It’s also what makes him so damn successful. Griffin's club, Lust, originated in his dorm room. He took what as just a fluke and turned it into a highly profitable business. I would expect nothing less from him.

  I also fully expect that going to Lust is going to increase my chances of running into Cooper exponentially. Cooper and Griffin were thick as thieves back in college. They along with Grayson and Hal ran Lust out of the co-ed dorm we all lived in. These men, they really are something else. For a while, I got to be a part of it.

  Glancing around the lobby one last time, I take everything in and commit it to memory. That way if I do turn down my dream job, I have a great visual to put with it when I add it to my list of regrets. Drawing in a deep breath, I twirl the key card in my hands as I head to the hotel. My mind is all over the place and I have a huge decision I need to make by tomorrow.