A Promise Made (Promise #2)

by Anissa Garcia

  “I do. Now go over there, humble yourself, and tell Ana you like her. For my sake and hers.”

  “Maybe I will,” he sighed, then stood in deep thought.

  I entered the elevator and pressed the desired button, smiling at Holden as the doors then shut. “Bite the damn bullet, Holden,” I demanded, then gave a small laugh, trying to make myself at ease about what I was going to say to my boss.

  Roger’s secretary led me to his large corner office, the windows overlooking the downtown skyscrapers. I sat on one of the leather chairs, tapping my foot, waiting as he ended a phone call. My frayed nerves began to relax as he smiled. There was something very kind about the man, and part of me wondered how on earth he could have had a hand in reproducing someone like Cameron. It was a horrible thought, but one I still stood by. Cameron would never be like his father.

  “Marla, how are you?” He stood and moved from behind the desk, taking my hand to his in a hearty handshake.

  “Good, thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”

  He waved his hand up as he walked to the bar set in the corner. “It’s nothing, of course. What would you like?”

  His whiskey decanter set had to be made of pure crystal. It was beautiful, and something I’d remember to give Grace as a wedding present someday. I watched as he poured himself a small glass and I nodded. “That’s fine.”

  “It’s more than fine,” he smiled, his salt and pepper mustache lifting. “This is a forty-year-old Glenfidditch right here.”

  My hand took what he offered as he poured another glass for himself. I didn’t know much about whiskey in general, but the age alone told me this drink was worth a pretty penny. He lifted his glass in my direction and I did the same.

  “To the Anderson account,” he clinked the crystal to mine and we each took a sip. I was shocked at how smooth it felt going down.

  “The Anderson account?” I asked confused.

  “Cameron is meeting with them now. The deal is closed. Contracts are being signed.” He gulped what was left. “I’m so happy with what the team has done. You’ve been great, staying late and helping Cameron.”

  I played with the glass in my hand, looking at the contents in it. “I don’t…” I cleared my throat and swigged the rest of the drink, hoping it would give me the courage I needed. “Roger, I’m going to be upfront with you. It’s been tough these past few months.”

  He set both glasses down and we moved to the leather chairs to sit again. “I know he’s not been easy to deal with, Marla.”

  My head shot up looking into his concerned eyes. “You do?”

  “I’ve had a few complaints from some of the staff, but he’s trying to prove himself.” He brushed over his mustache with his hand and shook his head. “I’m not sure how long he’s going to work out here.”

  My synapses were firing off with eager curiosity, my brain focusing on what he was saying and what it might mean. “Well, I initially wanted to see if I could come directly to you with my projects for now, as we had done before. Things are getting lost in translation, Simon’s account almost fell through.”

  Roger’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “No, that’s always been fine. In fact, he’s been extremely happy with us.”

  “What?” Shock hit me. Cameron had lied. My trembling couldn’t be contained. I definitely needed another drink. “He was never backing out?”

  “No.” He paused. “Marla, I’m very aware of what you do for this company. And honestly, I’ve made some decisions based on personal preferences that I regret.” Worry seeped through his gentle smile, as if he was battling with uncertainty. “Give it a little time while I figure things out, okay? You’re an amazing employee, and I don’t want you going anywhere.”

  “Thank you.” I nodded, feeling lighter but at the same time dazed at Cameron’s actions. Should I confront him? Tell him I knew he lied to steal my ideas? Or should I withhold and see what Roger’s plan of action was? I had the feeling Cameron’s days at the firm were limited, and I couldn’t wait for the day he was out of my sight.

  “Push through it, sweet cheeks,” I yelled as Zach huffed working on his incline hammer curls.

  I saw veins popping on the side of his forehead and chuckled as he stopped. “I don’t know how you can love this shit so much.”

  “He loves seeing us suffer,” Evan said as he finished his set of pullups. “I really do think he gets a sick sort of pleasure from it.”

  I shook my head as I helped Zach sit up. “I like seeing what comes from the pain.”

  “Like a butterfly emerging from the cocoon and all that crap?” Evan laughed.

  Zach rolled his eyes and stretched his arms. “I think I’m done for the day.” My hand clamped down on his shoulder, and I held him down.

  “Not yet, princess. Two more sets.”

  Zach snorted, “Fuck off, Josh. You don’t make Evan work as much as you work me.”

  My eyes peered into his with intensity, my voice a low rumble. “Don’t ever question my tactics, Zachary. Two more sets.”

  A phone ring went off and Zach’s nervous gaze pulled away from mine as he reached into his pants pocket. “Oh, man, look at that. I need to take this phone call, Josh.” He rose from the bench and began to walk away, glancing back at me. “Sorry, dude,” he chuckled, then attended to his call.

  “Are you ever going to give him a break?” Evan asked as he grabbed the kettle ball and set it into place. “It has been a while since that whole Evelyn debacle.”

  “Oh, that’s nothing,” I waved off the issue. I had gotten over Evelyn long ago, and the fact that Zach was the one who caught her. “She tried ringing me, asking for another chance. Three times? Can you believe that shit? If anything I owe Zach the biggest thank you known to man.”

  “You act like you don’t trust him all that much,” Evan said glancing to where Zach stood talking over the phone.

  My jaw clenched as I busied myself with weights, trying not to look my best mate in the eyes. “There are only a few people I trust.”

  “Hank and me?” He laughed as he grabbed his bottled water and chugged. I didn’t answer. “Marla?” My eyes hit his and his body shifted, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. “Are you…”

  “What?” I muttered, looking away. He pulled my arm back trying to get me to turn toward him. “Don’t touch me, Evan.”

  “Okay, sorry, but…” A huff let out from his mouth as his hands rested on his hips. “You love her.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, so?”

  His eyebrows shot clear to his hairline as he moved in front of me. “Yeah, so?! Bro, this is huge for you.”

  “Okay, let’s not get fucking girlie about this shit.”

  “Did you tell her yet?”

  “None of your business.” I paused, then whispered harshly. “No. No, I damn well didn’t tell her yet because I don’t want her running for the Himalayas.”

  Evan sighed, leaning against one of the machines. “Wow.” He huffed, thinking about something that made him grin like an idiot. “Yeah, Grace didn’t tell me she loved me until she thought I was asleep. Damn, that woman’s stubborn. I wanna ask her to get married, but I’m waiting ‘til she gets over her little fear of marriage thing.”

  “Little?” I laughed. “Seems like more than a little.”

  Evan shook his head, “Nope, I know she wants to marry me. I’m just giving her some time to get used to it.”

  “Well, I could marry Marla today, Evan.” My heart sped at just the thought of it, followed by a calmness. Gone were the days of mistrust. I wanted real. Marla was that for me. “If she’d have me,” I added.

  “You seem pretty certain. But are you sure you’re not just taken in by the idea of it all? I mean, amazing sex messes with our brains. Is this for the right reason?”

  “This is different.”

  “Why? Why her?”

  Evan’s eyes were focused, hard, and he wanted his answer as if he was being protective of M
arla. What he was really doing was being protective of Grace. If Marla hurt, Grace hurt with her. I understood that friendship. I was loyal to Evan, to those I considered family.

  I spoke carefully. “She’s everything I want in a woman. She’s smart as hell, ambitious, candid, and I like how I am with her. She makes me want to give my best for the both of us.”

  “That’s serious, brother,” Evan muttered. “What’s going to happen with work? I mean, you’re my best friend and all, but I’m not going to force you to come to Atlanta if you don’t want to. I can get another trainer.”

  Work. The loaded question. I had thought about it since the moment I’d gotten with Marla, and tried to figure out a game plan. “I could rent out my space to other trainers in L.A., as well as my house, so that’s not a problem. And it’s easy to gain clients at the gym. I’m a regular, the manager knows me. I might take a bit of a pay cut, but the lease space would make up for it.”

  He exhaled and laughed. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this. It’s crazy.”

  I pointed my hand to him, giving the most menacing face I could summon. “I haven’t talked to Marla at all so you fucking keep that big mouth of yours shut, Matthews. I don’t want to hear that you told Grace and she told my girl, understood?”

  Evan held both palms up and withheld his smile. Fucker knew me too well to be scared of me. “Mouth is shut. But you have to go ring hunting with me next Friday, after we get back from Fredericksburg.”

  “You’d better talk to Marla about rings. At least figure out what style Grace likes and get the okay from her best friend.”

  Evan looked at me incredulously. “Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

  “I know women, mate. They dream about the perfect ring.” I remembered Evelyn prattling on and on about these things. She couldn’t wait to get married, and every opportunity she had to talk about it, she did. Not-so-subtle hints were left everywhere. Bridal magazines, watching shows like Bridezillas, and talking about her dream wedding didn’t make me want to walk down the aisle. It only drew me further away. I wondered what was wrong with me at one point. She was a beautiful girl, but a wee bit selfish. I just couldn’t get myself to take the plunge. And you should want to do those things without hesitation, shouldn’t you?

  Evan shook his head, throwing his water bottle aside. “Nah, Grace doesn’t care about that stuff.”

  I laughed, moving over to the barbell. “Okay, whatever you say, but don’t call me crying when she seems to be faking her love for the pear-shaped diamond when she wanted the princess cut.”

  Evan thought about it a bit, then shrugged. “I’ll call Marla.”

  I felt a significant skip to my step after leaving Roger’s office. Even when Cameron came back from lunch and demanded a meeting with me, I didn’t let it get to me. His demeaning tone, the way his backhanded compliments shot at me, I shrugged it off my shoulder knowing that Roger knew I was doing my job and doing it well.

  I sat there listening to him drone on about how Anderson wasn’t happy, how because of him and his ideas he was able to save the account. But I knew what I was going to do the moment I stepped out of that office. I would call Simon Anderson myself and deal with him and Roger directly from here on out. No more Cameron Gilles getting in my way.

  “What’s that smirk on your face? Are you listening to anything I’m telling you, Marla?” Cameron fidgeted with his ugly mismatched cheap tie as his eyes glared into mine.

  “I’m listening, Cameron,” I said easily, letting my foot rock my chair back and forth as I tapped my pen in my hand. “I just think we have a handle on this Anderson situation, and you’re making me feel like I don’t because you’re nervous that you’re the one not performing the way you should be.”

  I said it. His eyes widened and his mouth gave a crooked smile. “You have some nerve talking to me that way.”

  I leaned forward, gathering the paperwork on the desk and setting them in neat piles. “I’m just tired of you devaluing me and my work, only to swoop in and take the credit for it yourself.” I stood and faced him, head on. “That’s enough, Cameron.”

  “Do you know how much trouble you’re getting yourself into right now?”

  I held my tongue, wanting to spill, but I stopped myself. His father knew what Cameron was up to, and he wouldn’t get away with the things he was doing. A pride was swelling within me. Pride for what I was accomplishing in my work. My power had come back, and I wasn’t going to let him steal that from me. “You can work with me, or you can work against me, Cameron, but you’d do better to be on my good side.”

  He scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re a real ball-buster, aren’t you? Where’s this persistence coming from, love?”

  A hint of uneasiness hit. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Right.” He got closer to me, his finger stretched out and tipped my chin up to look at him. “Only your boyfriend calls you that.” A chill ran through me as his fingertip trailed my jaw for a fraction of a second. “I’ll need you to stay late for the Sawyer account tonight,” he demanded as I backed away from him.

  “No.”

  “Excuse me?” He laughed as he followed me to the door. “That wasn’t a request, Sullivan.”

  I turned with a smile on my face. “I said no. I have plans, and I’m not canceling them.” A yoga class was calling me, and I was more than ready to take it. I felt rejuvenated being able to be my own boss again. I wasn’t letting Cameron control me anymore. Perhaps I should have eased him into that notion, but I was tired, and done.

  “With him?”

  He grasped my arm as I tried to walk away and he tugged me to him. The grip was hard, almost rough, and his expression was dark. I shrugged him away, with force. “Don’t grab me like that again, Cameron.” I walked off, leaving him standing there. Yes, it felt great taking control of myself again, but why did a small voice in my head warn me that this guy could damage me if I wasn’t careful? I couldn’t fight him too much, he was, after all, still my boss. I just hoped it wouldn’t be for much longer.

  I headed to the breakroom and stopped before hitting the door. In the corner of the room stood Holden and Ana. “God, you have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?” He kissed her and she responded, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

  I clutched my hand to my heart at their sweet exchange. I purposefully made noise outside the door and cleared my throat before walking in to give them a heads up. I made my way to the coffee machine as they fumbled and straightened up. I turned to them and leaned against the counter sipping on my coffee. “No sex in the office. Keep it professional.”

  They nodded, their faces without emotion. I grinned and took a sip of my coffee. “Take half an hour lunch, both of you. We’re going to start on the Sawyer account today, and I want to get out of here early. Yes?”

  Again, they nodded, their bodies tense. “Lighten up, guys. I’m happy for you.” I winked as I walked toward the door. I was hopeful for their happily ever after since I wasn’t so sure one for myself existed.

  “So, what does this Saint Maria mean?” Marla’s slim fingers played with the pendant resting on my chest. I swallowed the lump that grew in my throat as my hands played with her hair. “You don’t want to tell me about it?” I wanted to tell her everything, I needed to, but my anxiety was getting the better of me. She deserved to know about my family. “Josh?” she whispered, kissing me gently.

  “Yeah?” My voice barely registered and I cleared it, trying to get around the subject. Fuck, why was it tough to talk? I was in love with this woman, and I wanted her to know all of me.

  “You don’t have to tell me now.” I felt her kiss on my chest as she rested against me, and I shut my eyes trying to gain the courage. It was the images that popped up when I thought about my mother, how I was no use to her.

  Marla braced herself on me and stretched out making little sounds that turned me on all over again. “I need to get to a yoga class this week.”


  I scoffed, “What for? You’re perfectly bendable. I’ll give you some tantric yoga in here, and we’ll call it a night, love.” I reached for her breasts and cupped each one in my hand, giving each a squeeze. Her laugh gave me life as I then grunted when she aimed at my chest, “Going for the chest hair, are we?”

  “Too easy. And you’re too fixated on my boobs.” She winked. “Hey, wanna go to class with me tomorrow? We can make it an event.”

  “Why on earth would I want to go to yoga?”

  “For stress relief, flexibility, renewal,” she listed off. I knew all those things already, but it was cute how passionate she seemed.

  “All things we can achieve in bed.”

  She rolled her eyes at me, then she stilled. “It also helps with self-awareness and self-compassion.”

  Self-awareness and compassion. She wanted me to pay more attention to my emotions. Dammit, fine. Perhaps it would give me some magic formula that would help me open up to her about my past. I was good talking about the present, and perfectly aware of what I wanted for the future. In fact, I’d probably freak her the fuck out if I told her what I had in mind. If I spoke to her now, she would jump off the bed in her naked, perfect glory, and yell at me to get the hell away from her. Besides, how many men told the woman they’d only known for a few months that they wanted to build a life together and perhaps have some kids? No, now was definitely not the time to tell her my hopes. “Fine, but then we have to do something manly like kickboxing.”

  Her eyebrow cocked up, “You want me to kick-box? You’re joking.”

  “Tit for tit, love,” I said, putting a hand on each of her breasts and smiling. “I mean, tat.”

  Her hand slapped me away, and I pulled her under me, both of us wrestling one another until I pushed her legs open. Her moan and the slight nod of her head let me know she was for it. I reached the nightstand, quickly opening and sliding the condom over me. She was wet and ready as I entered her with ease. I stayed still as she wriggled beneath me. “Josh, move, please.”