The echo of her words to Elias forced a new wave of tears to her eyes. “I don’t know how I feel. I’ve been so consumed by rebuilding this company that my personal life was put on hold.”
Daisy smiled and rested a hand on Ava’s shoulder. “I would like us to be friends, Ava. Let’s swap numbers. You can call me anytime you want to bitch about men. Trust me, I have my fair share of frustrations.”
“What has Elias ever done to you? He’s—” Ava caught herself before saying the word perfect. He was perfect in her eyes because he kept his mouth shut and compiled to her advances. There was so much more she wanted to explore with him. “He cares deeply for you. I know that much.”
Daisy’s lips pursed together as a darkness clouded her eyes. “Elias is not perfect, Ava. He takes forever to commit. Believe me, I’ve been waiting for him to ask me out for three years. It’s not other women that distract him. It’s his work. The day he got the job at Blue Tail was the moment I started to lose him. You saw Elias more than I did.”
“I’m partially to blame for that.”
“You know, there was a part of me that believed you and Elias were having an affair,” Daisy said. “You guys spent so much time together that I was convinced he was cheating. But that’s ridiculous because Elias prefers blondes.”
Ava was certain Daisy’s little jab was meant to be innocent but she took offence to it. She tossed her paper towel into the trash and headed for the door. “Elias isn’t cheating on you with me,” she said. “But you better keep an eye on him. I heard a rumour he was getting friendly with a blonde from Accounts.” She took pleasure in the look of shock on Daisy’s face as they returned to the table. Their food was waiting for them.
“Best friends now?” Liam quizzed, tucking his napkin into his shirt. The aroma of his lamb shanks encircled the table.
Still white faced, Daisy simply nodded and drained her glass of wine.
“What did you say to her?” Elias whispered to Ava.
Ava picked up her fork and swirled it around her fettuccine. “Nothing incriminating. She doesn’t believe that you and I had an affair.”
“Oh, it was that easy?”
“I just diverted the blame.”
“What?”
“I would like to propose a toast!” Liam thrust his glass in the air and waited until the others did the same. “To the future. Where our lovers are the truest, our friends the staunchest, and our bank accounts the largest!”
By the time dessert rolled around, Ava couldn’t bear to look at the tiramisu or sticky date pudding on the menu. The mix of Moet and rich fettuccine formed a greasy ball in her gut. She had considered ordering a whiskey and going to bed early if it wasn’t for the sight of Daisy and Elias slow dancing across from her.
“If you keep staring at him like that, you’re going to bore holes in the floor.” Liam’s voice sounded in her ear.
“Go away, Liam,” she hissed, recoiling at his alcoholic breath. “You’re drunk.”
“I’m only trying to help you, Ava,” he responded, his voice slurred. “I see the way you look at him.” He leaned in closer. “Tell me. Do you think of Elias when we fuck?”
Ava exhaled a breath of hot air and pushed him away. “Go to bed,” she ordered. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“I’ll go upstairs when you admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You’re in love with Elias!”
A squeal of delight erupted over the orchestral music. A frenzied Daisy pushed her way through the dancers towards the table. “Oh my God, Ava,” she screamed. “Ava, look!” She shoved her hand into the woman’s face. Ava stared at the rock glittering on Daisy’s left hand and felt her world shatter around her into a million pieces.
~ ~ ~
“Mum, what about this one?” Daisy cried, pointing to an open bridal magazine. “I’ve always loved the halter-neck style.”
“Choose what will make you comfortable, honey,” her mother said. “You’ll be wearing it all day.”
Hiding behind a tower of bridal and wedding magazines, Elias bit at his lip, mindlessly flipping through venue brochures. All he could think about was the expression on Ava’s face when she saw the diamond ring on Daisy’s finger. He didn’t know what he was thinking proposing to her. It was a foolish move on his part, swept up in the moment.
As much as he loved Daisy, thoughts of Ava had haunted his memory. Both women offered something to him the other couldn’t provide. Daisy provided balance and stability, while Ava gave him a few nights of hot, passionate sex. He had feelings for both women, but he chose to give the ring to Daisy because he didn’t see his fling with Ava going anywhere once he put his resignation in.
He had decided to quit the moment he stepped out of the garden shed with Ava. Their relationship was becoming toxic and dependable. They would only destroy each other. It would be for the best. He just needed to tell his fiancée.
“Elias, have you seen anything you like?” Daisy asked.
“I’m not supposed to see the dress, aren’t I?” he groaned. “I don’t understand why I’m even here.”
“We need your help with choosing a venue,” Olivia remarked, dropping another mound of brochures in front of him. “It’s your day too. Do you prefer a beachside wedding or a church wedding?”
Elias stared at the burgeoning pile of brochures and picked one out at random. “What about this place?”
Daisy and her mother inspected it closely, mumbling to each other. “I do like the idea of combining the ceremony and reception into one venue,” Daisy said. “It’s classy and a little less traditional than a church. What do you think, babe?”
“I’m leaving the venue in your hands.” Elias leaned over the table and stroked her cheek. “As long as I get to spend the day with you, I don’t mind where we get married.” His mobile buzzed in his pocket and he took the welcome distraction to duck out of the room to answer it. “Hello, Ava. Is everything all right?”
Her line was silent for a few moments before she answered. “I’m sorry to bother you on Sunday but I didn’t congratulate you on your engagement.” Ava’s voice sounded emotionless and cold. “The week after the seminar was so busy that it slipped my mind.”
“I know, Ava. I was there with you.”
“Have you set a date?”
“Not yet. Daisy and I have spent the entire weekend looking at wedding magazines and we haven’t decided on the month. If I see one more venue brochure, I think I’m going to lose my mind.”
“Let Daisy have her fun. Planning a wedding is a wonderful yet stressful time. She needs you to be cooperative. But when you see her walking down the aisle in her white dress, it will all be worth it.”
“You never talk about your wedding to Liam,” Elias observed.
“Why would I? It’s my private business. Anyway, it ended in divorce. Marriage isn’t for everyone.”
Elias walked to the sliding door that led into the backyard and stepped outside. The sun beat down from above, warming the pavement under his feet as he paced the yard. “Look, Ava. We need to talk about what happened at the dinner. You were in meetings all week so I didn’t have a chance to talk to you.”
“Elias, there’s nothing to discuss. It just came as a shock because you never mentioned you were planning to propose. I thought you and I—”
He let out a long breath. “I want to discuss it because it obviously affects you. I can’t explain what you and I have but it shouldn’t have never happened. You’re my employer. We work too closely together for any relationship to work.” He kicked a boot into the grass, spreading wet earth across the lawn. “What would people think if our relationship was ever leaked? It would destroy the company.”
“I don’t fucking care what people think, Elias,” Ava cr
ied. “We’re both to blame for what happened. We’re both adulterers. Do you regret sleeping with me?”
Elias chose his next words carefully. There were times where he’d regretted succumbing to her—twice—but they had come together when they needed someone the most. “Ava, meeting you and working for Blue Tail have been the best days of my life. I can’t take that away.”
“Why did you do it?” Ava asked. “Why did you propose to Daisy? You don’t even love her.”
“I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you,” he barked. “You and I were never exclusive. It was just an affair. For your information, I do love Daisy. She can give me a future, Ava. I don’t see a future with you.”
“I know how you feel about me.” Ava’s voice trembled as she tried to restrain her emotions. “By marrying Daisy, you’re only making things worse. You only proposed to her to hide your true feelings for me. That poor girl deserves a chance.”
“I am giving her a chance!”
The sliding door opened, and Daisy popped her head out. “Is everything all right, Elias? We heard shouting.”
He planted on a fake smile. “I’m okay. It’s just a business call. I’ll be right in.”
“Don’t be too long. Mum’s chocolate chip cookies are almost ready.”
“Okay, honey.” He waited until Daisy retreated back inside before returning to Ava. “Look, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Things between you and I have progressed a lot further than we ever anticipated. It’s not going to work if we’re stuck in the same office every day.”
Her end went silent. “Is this your resignation?”
“I think it’s best.”
“If that’s what you want. I can’t stop you. Don’t worry about the two weeks’ notice. I’ll send a courier to deliver your belongings to your apartment this week.”
“I’ll work the week, Ava. I need to finalise things with my clients, anyway.”
“No, it’s not necessary. As you said, it won’t be healthy for us to be stuck in a room together.”
“Ava, please.”
“Good luck for your future wedding, Elias. It’s been wonderful working with you.”
When he heard the dial tone in his ear, Elias felt as though he had destroyed the one thing that made him feel alive.
Chapter 15
“Miss Wolfe, your eleven o’clock interview is here,” the receptionist said, popping her head into the office.
With her eyes focused on a magazine layout, Ava responded sharply, “Remind me, Sally. Who is it again?”
“Fran Valerie. She applied for Mr. Dorne’s position.” The receptionist entered the office and placed a résumé beside Ava. “She has ten years’ experience working beside Lance Henn at Hope Publications and has an extensive copywriting background.”
“How old is she?”
“Did you have a chance to read her résumé? Normally, Elias would’ve looked after this . . .” She trailed off when Ava locked a hardened gaze on her.
“No, Sally, I haven’t had time to read résumés,” Ava snapped. “It’s your job to manage the hiring process. I thought you were capable to doing it. But if you cannot complete a simple task, I will choose someone else.”
Elias’s absence in the office had not only left a gaping hole in workload but also in Ava’s frame of mind. Over the last three weeks, she found herself surrendering to the job completely, dedicating long hours at the office, submitting magazines to print, writing emails, or taking conference calls, often staying until midnight.
The nagging headaches and sickness in her stomach were signs to slow down. But she couldn’t. In truth, she feared coming home to an empty house, because worst of all, she was alone. Work was all she had left.
The receptionist cleared her throat and retreated to the door. “I’ll bring Fran in right away, ma’am.”
A middle-aged woman carrying a briefcase entered the office and stretched an arm across Ava’s desk. “Hi, I’m Fran. Thank you for seeing me this morning.”
“Please take a seat.”
Fran obeyed, sitting opposite her. There was a day where Elias had sat in that very spot, his wide, cobalt-blue eyes piercing her cold exterior. Ava tried hard to push those memories deeper into her subconscious. She picked up Fran’s résumé and skimmed over it. “Has Sally explained the role to you?” she asked.
“Yes, I practically memorised the job description,” Fran replied proudly, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I understand it’s a communications management position involving copywriting and sales and marketing.”
“That’s correct. This is a newly created position, broken down from a much larger one. The role involves working long hours and you must be on call twenty-four/seven. You’ll be provided with a new mobile phone upon employment.”
Fran’s eyebrows quivered for a fraction of a second. “Oh, that wasn’t mentioned in the advertisement.”
“Will working long hours be a problem for you?” Ava questioned. “The cogs of this company don’t stop turning after five p.m., Miss Valerie. There are events to plan and meetings to organise with salesmen in other states. I need someone who is committed and dedicated to working hard.” She glanced over the woman’s résumé again. “Do you have school-aged children?”
“No, I have two adult boys.”
“The reason I ask is because the hours required for this position may not suit candidates with young families.”
Fran shifted in her chair and Ava could tell by her constant blinking and thinned lips that the woman had already made her decision. To make the interview—and her time—worth it, she asked Fran a few more questions before ending the interview. “Thank you for coming in, Miss Valerie. I’ll be in touch.”
The women shook hands and Fran exited the office, softly closing the door behind her. Waiting a beat, Ava reached into the drawer for her silver flask, unscrewing it hastily. The warming taste of bourbon scalded her throat as it slipped down. There was always alcohol stored in her office for entertaining guests, but Ava found herself reaching for the bottle ever since Elias left. After interviewing other candidates, Ava realised that Elias could never be replaced, and it scared her to think how reliant she’d become on him. His face haunted her thoughts day and night. She could end her suffering by a simple phone call, yet the memory of the diamond ring on Daisy’s finger made her reconsider. She wasn’t ready to confront her feelings.
Ava swallowed the entire flask and stood up, swaying side to side. She made it to her door, planting two palms against the timber to stabilize herself. She was tipsy, teetering on the edge of drunk. She needed something in her belly before her next meeting. When Ava opened the door, the entire office stilled. She felt the heat of one hundred eyes track her down the hallway towards the kitchen. When Ava turned the corner, she wasn’t yet freed from judgement, hearing the hushed chatter of women.
“Something must’ve gone down between them,” a voice said. “They spent a lot of time together at seminars and business trips. I don’t think it’s normal for colleagues to work so closely together like that. A man and a woman cannot spend all that time together without something happening.”
“I wonder if that’s why he left.” Another voice joined the conversation. “She probably made a move on him. Ava does have a certain reputation. Even I knew that before I started working here.”
“I heard a rumour she slept with Elias after the fundraiser. They were both plastered.”
“Where did you hear that?”
Ava stepped into the kitchen and casually opened the fridge for a bottle of water. “Oh, don’t stop on account of me, ladies,” she said, turning around to face them. The three women froze at the sight of her, glancing at each other anxiously. She recognised them as Ellen, Stacey, and Emma, the gossiping copywriters in the office.
&nbs
p; “We were just talking about—” Ellen began.
Ava shot her hand up, silencing her. “I don’t want to hear it. This office has a zero policy on workplace bullying and gossip. I want to see all three of you in my office right now.”
Ava marched down the hall with a mixture of satisfaction and pride. She didn’t need a man to feel complete. She had built her career from the ground up, stepping over women like Ellen, Stacey, and Emma to get where she was today. Men were distractions and warm bodies to sleep next to. What she had with Elias was just a fling and Ava would move on like she did with all of her lovers. The old Ava was back.
~ ~ ~
Elias couldn’t work with clouded focus. He stared at the paragraph typed on the screen in front of him and hit the backspace bar until it was gone. His writing was shit, his eyes hurt, and his heart ached. He missed her. There was no denying it. Ava was the first thing he thought about when he woke up and the last thing before he went to sleep. He felt guilty because his beautiful blonde fiancée should be the one in his thoughts, not his ex-boss.
Their wedding was real and happening. The date was set for six months’ time, the venue booked, and Daisy had spent the weekend with her parents searching for a dress. By all accounts, Elias should be excited about his upcoming nuptials, but all he could think about was her. There was no way in Hell Daisy would’ve agreed to send an invitation to Ava, so Elias pushed himself to make contact with her. Would she want to talk to him? Had she moved on with someone else? The notion of Ava being with another man forged a beast inside him. She was never his to begin with, but they had fun together, and she made him feel alive for the first time in years.
His relationship with Daisy was safe so when he left Blue Tail Media, he searched for a job that was also safe. He was headhunted by agencies and publishers until he accepted a position as a senior copywriter at First Words Creative Agency. The money wasn’t as good as Blue Tail, but the job was walking distance from his apartment and he managed his own team of writers. He was moving up in the world without the woman he wanted by his side.
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