The Workaholic Down the Hall

by Katharine Sadler

  Noah opened the door before I reached it. All the peace I'd felt moments before fled when faced with Noah in the flesh. He didn't smile, his face was pinched and I couldn't read his expression. Was that anger? And then I looked down and saw the suitcase in his hand. I should have been relieved, because he was taking the decision from me, he was ending it before I had to push him away. But I didn't feel relief. I should have been happy for him, because he'd figured out on his own that he didn't need to tie himself to us, that we wouldn't make him happy, but I didn't feel happy. My heart, which I thought was finally safe, didn't listen to reason, it cracked and shattered. “You're leaving?” I was proud that my voice sounded calm, that it didn't crack, but Noah didn't look proud. His jaw tensed and his eyes flashed.

  George was a big guy, he appeared to be too large to move fast, but at my words, he leapt off the back of the couch and got in Noah's face. “You're not going anywhere, man. Nora's orders.”

  Noah ignored him and leaned to the side until he was facing me around the edges of George's massive body. “There's a crisis at work. Jill needs me.”

  Cody sighed loudly behind Noah, frustrated with his brother, so I smiled for both of them. This was for the best. “Right. Of course, you need to go back,” I said.

  Noah pushed past George and dropped the handle of the suitcase. He gripped my hands in his own. “You should come with me.”

  For just a moment, I thought he might mean it. I thought he might actually want me with him. But he wasn't looking into my eyes and his grip on my hands was tight, too forceful, not romantic, but desperate. Again, he was doing what he thought he should do. “I can't. My job is here and…I want to stay here, Noah.”

  “I need You close, Aubrey. I promise I can take care of you. I'll get you to all your appointments, and I'll be there for the delivery.”

  Behind me, someone gasped. I glanced at May, who was watching our exchange with a stricken expression. She held my purse in her hands. I must have left it in the car. “I'm sorry,” I said to her. Two tears slid down her cheek. George growled behind me, but I ignored him and May and faced the only man I'd ever loved. “I'm sorry, Noah. I thought I could do this, but I can't. You'll always be a part of our daughter's life, but you can't be a part of mine. Not anymore.”

  The disbelief on his face might have been comical in another situation. I'd managed to shock him, but it wasn't funny or even amusing. “You're ending this before it even starts because I have to work?”

  I hated that he'd think that of me, but I needed to end this and I couldn't tell him the real reason why. If I tried to explain that I was doing it for him, he'd never believe me, never stop fighting to change my mind, to do the right thing. “This never really had a shot of working, Noah. I'll always be your friend and you'll be welcome in my home, wherever it is, any time.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  I stepped close and placed my hand against his cheek. The last time I'd touch him. “I swear to you, Noah, I will do everything I can to make sure you're a huge part of our daughter's life. If you can't make it here to see her, I'll bring her to you. I will never keep you from her.”

  His eyes widened and his expression went slack for a moment, before it hardened and his mask slipped into place. “You said you were willing to try. You said you'd give us a chance.” He looked over my head at May, glaring at her. I could hear her crying. He looked back at me. “What happened to giving us a chance?”

  A tear slipped between my lids. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I reminded myself that I was doing this for him. I opened my eyes and faced him. I couldn't back down. “We aren't right for each other, Noah. We can never be more than friends.” I shivered and wrapped my arms around my middle, placing my hands on my baby bump. “I'm so sorry.” I couldn't take any more, couldn't take the coldness in his eyes. I pushed past him and George and Cody and ran to my room.

  I shut the door behind me and tuned out the voices from the front of the house. Noah would be fine. He'd be better off and, eventually, he'd be grateful for what I'd done.

  A small knock sounded at the door, too gentle to be Noah. “Come in,” I said.

  May stepped inside. Her eyes were red and puffy, her make-up streaked with tears. “Aubrey,” she said, her voice cracking. “Are you doing this because of what I told you?”

  I sighed and sat up. “I was willing to try, because I thought he really cared about me. But when you explained about his need to take care of everyone, I realized he was only trying to do what he thought was right for me and our daughter. I—”

  “Aubrey, no. I—” May twisted her hands at her waist, her voice choked with tears.

  I knew May wanted me and Noah together and I also knew I might have to lie to her to convince her to let this go, to let Noah move on with his life. I wouldn't hold him back, even if I had to lie to every member of his family in the process. “He's not the right guy for me,” I said. “Once, I may have confused my lust for him as something more, but after living with him, I've realized lust is all we have. I was willing to try for him and for our daughter, but it's better for everyone if we keep our relationship platonic and professional.”

  May's hands were now fisted on her hips, her lips a tight, angry slash on her pretty face. “You're lying to me. Why are you lying to me?”

  I just wanted to be left alone to mourn Noah in peace and May's continued pushing was irritating me in a wholly irrational way. “You have a fantasy of me and your brother together, a happy family, but it's just a fantasy, May. That's all it's ever been.”

  May took two steps toward me, her expression not softening at all. She was furious and it surprised me to see her that way. She was the easygoing Reynolds, the one who went with the flow and laughed easily. “You're running away again, Aubrey, and it's not right. Do you have any idea how much you hurt him the first time you left? Noah was terrified for three days that something had happened to you, that you were in the hospital or a victim of trafficking. You hurt him and now you're doing it again.”

  I hadn't known that. It hadn't occurred to me that he'd think I was hurt or in trouble. Why hadn't he called Mimi to check on me? But of course he wouldn't, he'd only met her a couple times and probably didn't have her number. It didn't matter, it didn't change where we stood now. “He knows I'm fine this time,” I said. “I'm here with you and Nora. He has no reason to worry.”

  May growled and shoved her fingers through her hair. “It's not about him worrying, Aubrey. It's about you breaking his heart. He cares about you.”

  I met her gaze, clearing my expression of all emotion, locking it down tight and deep under my breastbone. “I care about him, too, May, as a friend. I can't force myself to feel more for him any more than he can force himself to feel more for me. I don't love your brother. I'm sorry, but I can't pretend what I don't feel.”

  May's anger shifted back to sadness as she studied my face and began to accept what I was saying. “But you sounded so happy when you told us he was willing to try.”

  “I was happy,” I said, relaxing a bit. “I was happy about the idea of us being a family, of finding a way to make us work, but I can't pretend, May. I can't sacrifice every chance of future happiness I might have to a man who will also be miserable because he's acting out of duty and not love.”

  She nodded. “Okay, Aubrey. I don't believe you feel nothing for my brother, but I'm not going to beg you to give him another chance. Just…Just don't give up on him entirely.”

  Damn it. I guess I wasn't as good a liar as I'd hoped. “I have to, May,” I said. “I can't keep living in this limbo. I need to move on and so does he.”

  “Do you want me to stay? We could eat ice cream and watch movies.”

  “No,” I said, as gently as I could. “I'm so relaxed after that spa day, I think I'm just going to go to bed.”

  May gave me a small smile and left. I waited until her footsteps faded and the front door shut, and then I dropped onto my bed and cried for everything I'
d given up and all the dreams I'd lost.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Noah

  “I told you not to come back,” Jill said. She was standing in the doorway to my office, looking way too chipper and cheery. My head ached, I hadn't slept well at all, and I was staring down a pile of paperwork and a backlog of emails that was going to keep me in that office until late in the night.

  “You lied when you said you'd found another buyer,” I said, without even the energy to glare at her. “I know your tells.”

  She sighed. “I will find another buyer, Noah. They're prime properties and they should go without any problem. Alex Owings has been hinting around that he might be interested.”

  The flare of rage that socked me in the gut made no sense. I was probably just angry that he'd stolen the best assistant I'd ever had. An assistant I'd texted three times in the past twelve hours and received no response from. “That guy is an idiot and an asshole,” I said. “He'd run those properties right into the ground.”

  Jill shrugged. “He is an asshole and incompetent in most areas of life, but he's a good businessman. Owings properties is doing really well for themselves.”

  Unlike us, she didn't have to say. And I was in no position to be choosy about who bought those properties as long as we got the money we needed to save the company.”

  “What do you think he's waiting for?”

  She rubbed a hand over her eyes. “If I had to guess, he's just waiting for us to get desperate enough to lower the price again.”

  “Fucking shark.”

  “There's blood in the water,” she said. “Everyone knows we're struggling, they know Dad made some poor choices, some bad deals and…” She pinched her lips shut tight, but I knew what she was going to say.

  “I'm doing the best I can with what Dad left us. I've given everything I can to this job.”

  She straightened up, stalked into my office, and plopped into one of the comfy chairs in front of my desk. “You've given everything to a job you quite honestly aren't very good at.”

  I reeled back. How many times was I going to get verbally punched this week? “I'm here every day, putting in the hours and getting shit done.”

  “You hate every minute of it and it shows, Noah. You bow down and you work your ass off, you check all the right boxes, but you…Alex loves running his company, he's ruthless and creative and willing to take risks, because it's fun for him. His love of the work shows in the profits his company makes.”

  Anger warmed me and it felt good. I was tired of everyone telling me how badly I was fucking everything up. I didn't need to be told, I was well aware. But I was going to fix it. “That sounds like some line Mom fed you.”

  She looked so sad, her attention focused on me for once, even as her cell phone chimed away at her. “It's not a line, Noah. May sent me a video from Aubrey's baby shower and you were smiling. I even saw you laugh. Do you know how often you smile or laugh here? You've been trying really hard, but this isn't your passion.”

  “I've given everything to this company. I've given my time, my energy, my social life. I couldn't possibly give any more.”

  Jill glared hard at me. “I could get on stage every day and sing for twelve hours a day and I'd never be an opera singer. I could go back to school and get a third degree in psychology, and I'd never be anyone's idea of a good therapist. I like numbers, I like money, and I like figuring out how to make more of it. Talent matters in any field, but passion, desire, and love of the job is even more important. You don't love this job, you don't even like it, and quite honestly, you aren't very good at it.”

  I sighed. “I just need to get the company back in the black. No one enjoys running a company that's got one foot in bankruptcy.”

  She leaned forward like she was going to argue, but then she sighed and nodded. “With things the way they are now we wouldn't be able to attract a CEO who could do a better job than you're doing, anyway.”

  “Gee, thanks. I can really feel the love.”

  She smirked. “Good. My work here is done.” She hopped to her feet and was halfway out of my office when she spun and faced me. “Dinner tonight? My place?”

  I stared at her. “You're cooking?”

  Her eyes widened. “God, no. Can you imagine? We'll order in. Monday night football tonight.”

  I probably should stay and get caught up on work, but I hadn't spent any quality time with my sister in way too long. “Sounds good.”

  I buckled down and spent the rest of the day working my ass off. I had dinner with my sister, and then I went back to my empty, quiet condo. I texted Aubrey again. I asked her how she was feeling. I didn't tell her I missed her, even though I missed her like a drowning man misses oxygen. I didn't tell her I couldn't sleep without the warmth of her body in my arms. I didn't tell her any of that, even though it was true, because I knew she didn't want to hear it. She'd made that very clear. If I worked hard enough, if I focused on saving the company, I'd miss her less and I'd get used to sleeping alone again. It was for the best. I'd gotten caught up in some crazy idea of me and Aubrey and the baby being a family, but that's all it was, a crazy idea. I barely had free time or free money to keep myself going, I definitely didn't have enough of either for anyone else. I'd make time for our daughter when I could and I'd focus all the rest of my energy on the family business.

  Of course, Aubrey didn't respond to my texts. I tossed my phone on the bed, frustrated and angry. I told her I was willing to try and she decided to cut me off? She'd left me again? And why? Because I had to work? Because I'd chosen to come back to Atlanta? Not knowing why she'd rejected me was driving me almost as crazy as missing her.

  I showered and got into bed. I lay there, wondering if she was tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. Twice, I almost got up and went to find her, before remembering she was no longer just down the hall. Finally, at two AM, exhausted and feeling sorry for myself, all my rational reasons for holding back quiet in the dark room, I texted her again: I can't sleep without you in my arms.

  This time she responded, You can't tell me things like that. Please stop texting me unless it's about the baby.

  Me: Why aren't you willing to try?

  Aubrey: If we were meant to be we wouldn't have to try so hard.

  My first instinct was to argue with her, but she wasn't wrong. It shouldn't be this hard.

  Me: How are you feeling? Not sleeping well?

  Aubrey: Baby and I are fine. Goodnight, Noah.

  Me: Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep well. I almost sent the text but I caught the endearment in time and deleted it. I turned off my phone, then turned it back on, in case something happened and she needed me. I punched my pillow and I closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come. I got out of bed the next morning, more exhausted than I'd been when I got into it.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Aubrey

  Noah: Good morning. How are you and baby feeling today?

  I turned off my phone without answering. Noah had been texting me at least six times a day for the last three days and every time I considered changing my number or canceling my cell service. Every time his name popped up, a part of me wanted to tell him I'd made a mistake and ask him to come back, to tell him we could try. It was stupid. I needed to accept reality and move on.

  “I've always thought pregnant women were sexy,” the elderly man standing on the other side of the counter said. His wife stood by his side, while they checked out after a three day stay at Nora's Inn. He'd been giving me the creeps since he'd arrived, and I was very glad he was leaving.

  His wife slapped him on the stomach with the back of her hand. “You sound like a pervy old man.”

  “I'm just giving her a compliment.”

  Honestly, I agreed with his wife on the pervy quotient, since the compliment had been accompanied by a slow up and down perusal of my body. I pasted on a bright, fake smile. “I hope you enjoyed your stay. Come again.”

  I waved them off and George helped them get thei
r bags to the car. He somehow managed to find the time to be at the bed and breakfast, helping out in some fashion, at least once a day. He kept talking about favors owed, but I think his presence had a lot more to do with May. Unfortunately for him, she barely noticed him and, if he did get her attention, he only managed to annoy her.

  I was amazed by his lack of game. He was a nice, smart, good-looking guy and, yet, he seemed clueless about May and women in general. I might have offered advice or asked him what was going on, but I considered him a friend and I really didn't want to go there. “Dude,” George said, walking back in. “That guy was creeptastic.”

  I gave him a genuine smile. “That he was. Are you going to be around much longer?”

  He pulled out his phone and glanced at the time. “I can spare another half hour. What's up?”

  “The Halloween decorations on the roof need to come down now that it's November, and I don't think I should be climbing ladders.” As I'd quickly learned, working for a small business meant I wore a lot of different hats on any given day. So far, I really liked the variety. I could see how it would be good for the baby. Some days, when I had to work the front, she might have to go to a sitter, but when I spent the day in the back, working on paperwork or the website or event planning, she could be with me. As she got older, she could probably run around the place and play while I worked. Maybe I was being idealistic and unrealistic, but I knew Nora would help when she could and the atmosphere she'd created at the bed and breakfast was friendly and down-to-earth, rather than stuck-up and serious.

  George grinned. He reminded me of an eager puppy, sometimes, always happy to have a job. “No problem,” he said. “I'll get right on it.”

  He hurried back toward the front door, passing May as she came in. “Hi, May,” he said. “Um, I like your, um, hair. Did you—?”

  “Hey Gary,” May said, breezing past him. She stopped at the counter and leaned on it. She was wearing a cute sun dress with a sweater and her hair was curled like she'd been out somewhere fancy.