by Tasha Ivey
“Have a seat.” He motions to the two chairs before sitting in his own. “Bottle of water?”
“No, thanks.” Makenna doesn’t look fazed at all. Why am I the only one who is completely weirded out by all of this? “Here’s the envelope you needed.” She pulls it from her bag and places it on the edge of his desk.
“I appreciate you bringing it down here. Will you be coming to the banquet with Shane this weekend?” He frowns at his buzzing cell phone and silences it.
“He mentioned it to me yesterday. I think I just might if I can find something remotely appropriate to wear.”
He weaves his fingers together and rests them over his stomach, leaning back in his chair a little. “What about you, Callie? You coming?”
I jerk to attention. Crap, he’s talking to me. “Oh, uh . . . I didn’t know anything about it actually, so I guess not.”
“Well, Makenna can fill you in. You should come.” A hint of amusement plays on his lips. “No whiskey for you this time, though.”
Well, I’ll be damned. It really is him. I was beginning to wonder if he was some creepy robot clone or something. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good.” He looks down at his phone again. “This is the second time he’s called now, so I’d better take this.” Wes swipes the screen with his finger and lifts the phone to his ear. “Are you worried I’m putting the moves on your woman or what?”
Makenna grins wide. It’s Shane.
“Oh, yeah? That’s cool.” His eyes dart to me. “Well, Callie is here, too. No, no . . . that’s okay. I’ll get her home. See you in a bit.”
“What’s going on?” Makenna asks.
“Looks like Shane is on his way here. He spouted off some mumbo-jumbo about how you’re both in love now, and he wants to see you tonight. I guess right after he got off the phone with you earlier, he jumped in the car.”
Oh, God, she looks like she’s going to cry again. She’s covering her quivering smile with her hand and blinking through the excess moisture pooling in her eyes. “He’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, I guess he sucked all of it from our gene pool. So, Callie, looks like I’m taking you home. I can be ready to leave in less than an hour.”
Makenna’s phone rings in her purse, and she lights up when she reads the screen. “It’s him. Is there somewhere private I can take this?”
“Empty office, right across the hall.” He points as she jogs out the door. “I’m glad to see she’s got it just as bad as he does. Damn, but he gets on my nerves.” He catches me staring at him. “What?”
“Who are you?”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He scowls at me, quickly defensive.
I stand up and swish my hand through the air. “All this. This office. The suit. You’re like a totally different person. I had no idea.”
“Oh, so she doesn’t like guys with culture or a job, I guess.” He grumbles, loosening his tie. “I’m sorry I don’t live up to your slacker caveman expectations, Callie.”
“Wes.” I fold my arms over my chest. “You know that’s not what I mean. And I’m not trying to be rude. I’m just surprised, that’s all. A few weeks ago, you were this young guy that I was making out with after drinking too much. Today, you’re a stuffy suit in a big ass office. I was hoping you’d fill in the gaps for me.”
“What’s to tell? I interned here in college and made a name for myself. They hired me immediately after graduation and as long as I keep making them money, they give me anything I ask for. I’m good at predicting how financial decisions will impact us, and I have no trouble increasing our profit margins because of it.”
“Cocky much?”
He shrugs. “Maybe so, but it’s true. And I don’t love the whole suit and tie business, but it’s a necessary evil. If I’m being honest, though, I like the quiet reverence I get from playing that part. I like the control. The omnipotence of it. You can call it cocky if you want. I have no problem with it. I work hard enough to earn it.”
With nothing remotely clever to say, I harrumph and shake my head.
After taking his jacket off and tossing it over on the couch arm, he finishes removing his tie and unbuttons the collar of his starched white dress shirt. He slumps into his chair, eyeing me. “I’m sorry for being a little temperamental. This week has been insane. I found out Monday that I had until today to get three of our project budgets finalized and ready for the board. I wasn’t expecting today’s meeting until next week, so needless to say, I haven’t slept much.”
I cross my legs and tap my foot in the air nervously. “It’s okay. You probably would’ve been a little less defensive if I’d just said what I meant.”
“Not likely, but thanks for the vote of confidence.” Wes clicks his mouse a couple of times before picking up his desk phone. “Excuse me for a second.” When I start to stand to leave, he holds his hand up. “No, you can stay. I just need to make a quick call.”
“Sandra, can you get Marshall O’Brian on the line?” He pauses for her reply. “Good, thanks. Let me know when you have him.”
Within seconds, his phone rings, and he answers coolly, the mask back in place. He may as well be speaking Greek to the man because I have no idea what he’s talking about. I can gather, though, that Wes is none too pleased with the poor unsuspecting soul on the other end of the line. Something about unapproved expenditures, encumbrances, and reducing gross profit. Or something like that.
Feeling uncomfortable, I decide to step out to see what’s taking my friend so long. I hear Makenna’s muted voice on the other side of the closed door across the wide hall, so I guess that answers that question. I stroll down the hallway slowly, looking carefully at the framed prints of more men in suits. They’re older gentlemen, most of them with gray hair and unnaturally large ears. But after noticing they have their names and job titles on the bottom, I’m quick to realize that these are the people at the top of the food chain in this company, whatever the hell its purpose is. When I reach the end, I see a familiar face. The other side of Wes’ personality . . . the same one I met today.
He wears a slight, professional smile in the photograph, which increases the intensity of his intimidating, crystal blue gaze. He radiates exactly the feeling he wants to convey. Power. Control. Extreme, unbridled sexiness.
Whether he’s shooting for the last part or not, he’s still successful.
And Wes’ title is at the bottom of it, too. Wow.
“Can I get you something, ma’am?” Sandra approaches me with a professional smile. She looks down at the words under my fingertips. “Mr. Baxter came here when he was still in college, and the powers that be couldn’t wait to snatch him up. I don’t think anyone was surprised when he was offered the CFO position after only a year.”
“What’s a CFO exactly?” The term is familiar, but I know so little about the business world.
“Chief Financial Officer. To easily sum it up, he’s the one that makes all the financial decisions for the company.”
“Oh,” I sigh, trying to grasp what it entails. “So what does this company do?”
She crooks her finger at me, and I follow her around to another hallway. This one has framed photos of newspaper clippings, articles from Time magazine, and even marketing style posters. “Mr. Fields and Mr. Lehman started this company only eight years ago. They developed software that large companies use to analyze financial data.” She pauses to tap on the poster. “This is it. Accu-Trak. Within the first year after its release, they made twenty million dollars. They were struggling with the boom when Mr. Baxter came along, but after taking more than a few of his suggestions, Fields and Lehman were sitting pretty. Since then, they’ve created specialized financial and analytical products for brokerage firms and the bank industry. We’re growing by leaps and bounds, and last year, we reported earnings more than four times that of the first year.”
“That’s impressive.” All this talk of obscene amounts of money has my throat going dry. “Uh, may I
have that water now, please?”
“Absolutely, Miss Callie.” Her eyes brighten as she nods, and then she disappears down another corridor. Nice woman. Definitely nothing like the bitchy ice queen downstairs. Sandra returns almost immediately with a chilled bottle of water and a napkin, patting my hand after she hands it to me. “You just let me know if you need anything else, dear.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Just as I’m twisting the lid off the top, the elevator doors open. Shane is carrying a large bouquet of bright pink roses and still holding the phone to his ear. “I’m here, so I’ll see you in a sec.” His smile is even sunnier than normal, and I can imagine why.
“Mr. Baxter,” Sandra addresses him. “It’s so nice to see you again. I believe Makenna is just down the hall. Third office on the left.”
“Thank you.” He pauses to kiss me on the cheek. “Hey, Cal.”
“Hey, lover boy.” I wink. “Go get your girl and get outta here. I know I’ll get the full report later.”
“Maybe not the full report.” His chuckle trails off as he rushes down the hall.
Within minutes, Shane and Makenna are gone, excited to get away and do only God knows what. And yes, I’m a little jealous. When the elevator begins its descent, I look back at Sandra. She’s typing away, the light click-click-click of the keys under her manicured nails is strangely soothing. A ghost of a smile is on her lips, and I can’t decide if it’s just normally plastered there for the sake of professionalism or if she’s affected by the love in the air.
“Callie.” He’s so close that I can feel his breath in my hair. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Whenever you are.” I stay rooted in place. Feeling him at my back is more than intense enough for me.
“Sandra, if O’Brian calls back, tell him we’ll resume our discussion tomorrow. And I forwarded you a few emails with meeting changes, if you don’t mind adjusting my schedule accordingly. And—”
“Mr. Baxter,” she laughs, interrupting him. “Relax. Go enjoy your evening.” Her eyes flash to me for a split second. “We can sit down in the morning and go over everything.”
He crosses the room and hugs her, something I’d never expect to see. “Thanks for all your help today.”
“Sure. That’s what I’m here for.” She pats his back. It’s endearing, motherly.
The entire walk to the parking lot is quiet, strangely so. Like there’s something that needs to be said, but neither of us knows what’s right. But right or not, I have something on my mind, and I’ve never been one to keep it to myself.
“I have to ask you something that’s nagging at me.”
“Shoot.” He holds out his key fob and a new black, four-door jeep lights up. I swear, he’s an enigma, surprising me at every turn. Even more so when he goes to the passenger side to open the door for me. Good to know his mom raised him right.
“Well,” I begin as he gets in, “what is it about me that makes you treat me differently?”
He unbuttons his dress shirt all the way down, then the cuffs, removing it and tossing it in the backseat. I catch the familiar scent of him as it passes between us. “What are you talking about?” He tugs at his white undershirt until it’s free from his pants.
Now, he’s looking more like the Wes I remember.
“From the minute we first met, you’ve been different with me. Makenna talked about how sweet you always are. Shane says you’re more of a best friend to him than a brother, and even now, with your secretary. You hugged her. With me, you’re hot and cold, sometimes all at once. Moody. I feel like we’re constantly butting heads, and we don’t even have a reason to. And while I’m on a roll, I have to mention the weekend of your birthday party.”
“Oh, come on, Callie . . .”
“No, I talk. You listen. You went from being an ass to ignoring me, then you were protective and kissing me. Then after taking care of me when I wasn’t feeling well, you disappeared. Not a word in three weeks. I know we talked about being friends and all, and I’m totally cool with that, but something seems a little off. I thought for sure I’d hear from you at some point. What gives? If I get on your nerves or whatever, that’s fine. I just prefer you tell me that upfront instead of acting as if you like me one minute and then like you can’t stand me the next. As it stands right now, I don’t know which mood I’m going to get from you. ”
He drums his fingers on the steering wheel and blows out a deep breath. “Am I allowed to speak now?”
I nod.
“Callie, we are friends.” He shifts in his seat to face me and runs his fingers through the top of his hair, causing it to fall over his forehead. “I’ve had a lot going on the last few weeks, and I did ask Shane if he knew how you were feeling the day after I left my parents’ house. The road runs both ways . . . you could’ve called me, too. I programmed my number into your phone while you slept, but even if you didn’t notice, you could’ve gotten it from Makenna or Shane. As far as me treating you differently, I don’t know what to tell you. I know I’ve been hot and cold, but cold is safer for me right now. I’m trying to stay the hell away from hot as much as possible with you, and it’s damn hard.”
“But why? That’s what I don’t understand.”
His eyes cut right through me, right to the very core. His penetrating gaze floods into me and touches a certain place within that I didn’t even know existed, almost like a raw, exposed nerve. It’s pleasure. But also pain.
“I wasn’t in the best frame of mind when I got to my parents’ house that day.” His voice softens slightly. “You know why. But I liked you from that first second when you thought I broke into my own house. Little by little, and with a lot of alcohol, I pushed the bullshit with my mother from my mind, or at least I tried to. It kept creeping back up on me. But for some damn reason, you also kept creeping up on me. If I didn’t see you, I was thinking about you, still reeling from the way you didn’t take my shit. Honestly . . .” He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “It turned me on.”
At this point, I feel like a few of my questions have been answered, but with that revelation, I feel hundreds more building. Since I have him talking, though, I think I’ll keep them to myself for a while.
“I already felt like an ass for kissing you after making out with Allison earlier that night, so when I carried you up to your bed, I decided to give it a few days before I tried anything again. Then, when I woke up the next morning and saw you undressing to get in the shower, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done to stay in that bed. Still, though, I refrained. I kept repeating to myself to give it some time. But right after that, you talked about how you just cut your ex loose for using you for sex. That’s all I’m good for, Callie. I decided I couldn’t do the same thing to you. Not you . . . you don’t deserve it. So, distance. That was my answer.”
“Distance? But you kissed me that morning. You took care of me when I was sick.”
“Yeah, so you can now understand why I haven’t been around you since then. It’s hard for me to keep that distance when you’re anywhere near. I catch a whiff of your hair, and I remember smelling it when I was kissing you in the hot tub. I can’t even think about that bathroom now without seeing you naked in it. You don’t want me to use you, and I don’t want to make you feel used. So forgive me if I’m an ass around you. I don’t mean anything by it, and it’s the only way to keep the necessary space between us.”
I’m not easily stunned by blunt honesty, but coming from a man? Well, that’s something. I’m used to them avoiding the issue, but he didn’t even flinch. “Okay then. I guess that answers everything. I get it. Maybe it’s best we’re not friends. I’m not interested in the benefits part of it, and to be honest, I don’t even like you all that much. And you really suck at this.”
When his jaw drops, I can’t keep from cracking a smile. “I’m kidding, Wes.”
“I swear I’ll never figure you out. I’ve never known a girl like you. You say what’s on your mind, no matter what
. You’re open, brutally honest, and maybe even a little vindictive. I tell you that I want to screw you, but since I can’t, I’m going to be an asshole, and you’re satisfied with my reasoning. Hell, you even crack a joke about it.”
“Yep,” I say, cocking my head to the side. “I’d say that just about sums it up. But to be fair, you’re the first guy that was ever straight with me. If Tanner had told me from the beginning that he only wanted to bang me, we might have avoided all the drama.” I cover Wes’ hand with mine. “So thank you for telling me that. Maybe I’ll get to the point where I can handle that kind of relationship, mentally, but it’s just not in me right now. And our situation is naturally going to be more complicated, simply because, no matter if we like each other or not, we have to get along for Makenna and Shane’s sake.”
He flips his hand over so that we’re palm to palm, and he threads his fingers between mine. I can feel the warmth of it radiating into my skin. “You’re right. Just for that reason, I’m going to stop trying to push you away and pick fights. That’s the easy way out, and I knew it all along. Besides, I should realize that you’re going to be more into guys your age. Ones that will walk you to class and take you to frat parties. Not assholes who work too much at a boring job and wear stiff suits. It’s a hit to my pride, but I deserve it.”
As much as I’m enjoying it, I can’t let him believe it’s all completely one-sided. Maybe it will be easier for both of us if we acknowledge it and get over it. “Actually, while we’re being honest, I like the suit. Not failing to mention the fact that I remember all too well what’s underneath it. And the memory of how chocolate tastes on your tongue just won’t die. The attraction goes both ways, Wes; I won’t let you think it doesn’t.”
“I was still hoping it was a one-way street.” He swallows hard. “It would make things a little easier. But I’m a big boy, I can keep my hands to myself.”