Swipe Left for Love

by Lynn Stevens

  “You little fuck. I’m going to make sure you never work again, Ian. No employer will hire you after I tell everyone I know what a worthless piece of shit you are. Just do your damn job and do it right for fuck’s sake.”

  Macie waited until Alex hung up. At least she assumed it was Alex. Unless Ian had other enemies among the crew. And, if she was honest, that was entirely possible. She didn’t disagree with Alex’s opinion of Ian’s work, but she fumed at the way he treated her former co-worker. She rolled back to her desk and pulled up the graphic. It actually wasn’t bad for Ian. That surprised her. There were several things that needed to be tweaked, but nothing needed a major overhaul. It was for an ad about an upcoming charity walk the station sponsored. Alex was the designated local celebrity leading the way. Of course, he wanted it to look good. That didn’t mean he needed to be a dick.

  The door to her office flew open. Macie didn’t even turn around. The heavy breathing and stomping would’ve been creepy if it wasn’t for the fact she knew who it was and she knew she had his balls in a vice. He just didn’t know it yet.

  “Where’s Ian?” a very familiar and very calm voice said.

  “Quit.” One word answers usually pushed people over the edge. She had a gut feeling they would do the same to this guy. From the rumors about his temper, it wouldn’t take long. She’d been grateful she hadn’t met him based on what little she’d heard. He wasn’t popular and he wasn’t nice, but he was great on camera. That was all that really mattered.

  “What do you mean he quit?”

  Macie turned around in her chair, crossing her legs and smiling as politely as she could. “Guess someone pissed him off. He walked out.”

  Alex’s gaze slid down her body in a way that did creep her out. He wasn’t a bad looking guy with highlighted brown hair and light green eyes, but there was a menacing undertone in his voice and a deliberate sneer. Macie didn’t want to run into him in a dark alley. But here, at work, she could handle him.

  “And you are?” Alex asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Macie. I report only to Nancy and do exactly what she tells me.” Macie uncrossed her legs and sat straighter in her chair. “If you have any questions or concerns about my work, talk to her. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have plenty to do.”

  Alex smirked and leaned toward her. “Oh, you’ll do what I tell you, or you won’t be here.”

  Macie shook her head and turned around in her chair. She wanted to show her cards, but laying them on the table now would be a major mistake. She’d hold her hand close and wait to show it when Alex pushed her too far.

  The door clicked closed behind her. Macie ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach that sent shivers down her spine. She fixed a few minor issues with the graphic and forwarded it on to Alex with a blind copy to Nancy. Alex didn’t email her back, but Nancy did with six other projects that needed to be done by five. Macie glanced at the clock on her monitor. Only four hours to do it in. It was going to be close.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  It was almost five-thirty when Macie finished retouching Alex’s smug photo. Apparently, that was where Ian went wrong. Alex wanted to look like a movie star, and Ian made him look like a news reporter. It was high school jock versus nerd all over again. She thought that shit was over, but obviously not. She read through the email exchanges again. They were almost as abusive as the phone call. Alex had managed to keep a string of cuss words out of the text. Smart move on his part. If he’d done that to her, she would’ve blind cc’d Nancy in everything.

  “Macie,” Nancy shouted from her office as Macie hurried past. “A moment, please.”

  It took every ounce of energy she had not to slouch her shoulders and act like she’d been called into the principal’s office. Because it felt exactly like the time her high school principal pulled her in for some creative decisions she’d made on the school’s mural. Apparently, he didn’t like the overly large nipples on the school’s mascot. She took her suspension in stride. Totally worth it.

  “What’s up, Nancy?” Macie asked with fake nonchalance as she stepped inside the office.

  “Have a seat.” Nancy pointed to the chair Macie occupied most.

  “I really need —”

  “This will only take a minute.” Nancy pointed again. “The hot date can wait a few. Besides being fashionably late is still a thing, right?”

  Macie knew if she argued, she’d be stuck in Nancy’s office all night. Date or no date, Nancy would talk until Macie passed out. Macie sat as smoothly as she could without plopping.

  “Alex has asked for you to do all his work.” Nancy tapped her pen against the desk. “I’m inclined to agree.”

  Macie closed her eyes. “Please, no.”

  “Do you know who he is?”

  “Nope, and I don’t really give two shits. I only met him today,” Macie said as her eyes snapped open. She pulled out her phone and set it on Nancy’s desk. She pressed play on the clip of Alex’s verbal abuse. A triumphant smirk fought to explode across her lips. Surely Nancy wouldn’t make her work with Alex after hearing that. Hell, he’d be lucky to keep his job. “Imagine what he’d do if I pissed him off. Nobody should have to deal with that.”

  Nancy took Macie’s phone and replayed the message. She didn’t grimace or shake her head. Instead, she deleted the recording.

  “What the fuck?” Macie fell back against her chair.

  “Alex’s father owns the station.” Nancy slid the phone across the desk. “He’s a spoiled brat who needs to be bitch slapped by every person on the planet. Even then, I don’t think it would help him much.” Nancy shook her head, resigned to the losing hand she’d been dealt. “Look, I’m sorry, Macie. You’re off to a great start here.”

  Macie nodded. She knew a power play when she saw it. This was Alex’s first move.

  “He’ll still have to go through me first. I’ll be your buffer. I’ll be your sounding board.” Nancy’s gazed dropped. “I’ll do whatever I can to keep him in line.”

  You know I’m going to start looking for a new job, right? Already. After only a few short weeks? Or I could make his life miserable. There’s a thought. Macie didn’t say any of that, though. She gritted her teeth and stood from her seat. “You know, Nancy, he’s not going to get to me. And he’s not going to beat me. I won’t let him.”

  Nancy smiled and waved her out of the office. Macie glanced at her phone. It was five-forty-five. She looked like hell and had zero time to even glance in a mirror. As it was, she was going to be late.

  But there was one last thing she had to do. She opened her cloud. There in a file marked ‘Just in Case’ was the recording of Alex. Macie wasn’t stupid. She knew to back her shit up, especially something that could come in handy later. Nancy had to realize Macie would back up everything. If she didn’t, then her boss underestimated her. Just to be safe, Macie downloaded it onto her phone and emailed herself a copy. She’d put it on her computer at home in case she was hacked. You could never have too many backups.

  Spoons was a good twenty-minute walk from the station in the opposite direction of her apartment, which was fifteen minutes the other way. If she went home to get her barely drivable car, she’d have to find a parking spot and could be half an hour late. If she walked, she’d be maybe five to ten minutes late.

  Walking it was.

  She didn’t hurry, though. Showing up like she’d just ran a marathon wasn’t a good idea. The heat and humidity would certainly ruin her hair if she rushed. She reached into her messenger bag to check for her makeup kit. At least she’d had the foresight to pack that before she left for work. It wasn’t much, just powder, lip-gloss, and mascara. Macie had never been a big girly girl, but she liked the basics. She pulled out the ponytail holder, fluffing her hair with her fingers.

  Sure, remember the makeup but not the hairbrush, she thought as she passed a boutique. Using the window as a mirror, she fixed her hair into a messy bun, touched up her mascara and lip gloss. Only
a few more blocks.

  Something nagged at her. Something she should’ve remembered, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. A block from Spoons, it hit her. A rose. She’d forgotten the damn rose. A small florist shop nestled between a law office and a chocolate shop caught her eye. She crossed the street, getting a few honks as she dodged traffic.

  “Look where you’re going, lady,” one guy shouted with a thick creole accent.

  Macie waved at him, but never took her eye off the prize. She got to the door at the same time as the clerk inside flipped the sign.

  “Please,” Macie said to the forlorn woman who stared at her with disgust. “I’m sorry. I just need one rose.”

  The woman rolled her eyes and opened the door. “You sound like a guy who was in here about twenty minutes ago.”

  “Really?” Macie stepped into the small shop, inhaling the smell of roses and lilacs that filled the air. Had Guy bought his rose here? Macie’s heart swelled. Sure, it could’ve been any man on his way somewhere, but she wanted it to be her man. Her man. He wasn’t her man. Not yet, anyway. Macie didn’t even know him. She had to keep reminding herself of that tiny little fact.

  “Yeah, really.” The clerk opened a cooler filled with roses. “Any color?”

  “Red.”

  “Of course.” She pulled out a single red rose and wrapped it in thin green paper. “Red is universal. I prefer the white myself. There’s something about the purity and innocence of the color. It blends, bends, and flows with light. And white goes with everything.”

  “So does black,” Macie said as she pulled out the cash and handed it to the woman.

  “Very true. Black has a negative reputation, but I’ve always found depth in it.” She handed Macie her change and the rose. “Have a great night.”

  “You, too,” Macie said. She clutched the rose tightly to her chest and strolled out the door. The woman’s words reverberated in her ears. The artist in her wanted to explore the depth of white. She wanted to feel it on her brushes, between her fingers, on the canvas. She wanted to stare at the paint and let it tell her what to do. During the last semester, Macie’s time had been stretched thin. She hadn’t picked up her palette since January. Her focus had been school and the wedding. Painting was her zen, her love, her need. How did she let it slip away?

  Macie stopped to take a deep breath. She stood outside the entrance to Spoons.

  Just go in, she chided herself. Woman up. You know he’s in there. You know he’s fantastic. Walk through the damn door.

  Her internal pep talk turned into an internal argument. One with a logical solution. Peek in the windows. See if you can spot him.

  She was already ten minutes late. If he was there, she could catch a glimpse. She could see what he looked like, how he sat, if he looked as nervous as she was. Drawing in another breath for courage, Macie tiptoed past the front door and glanced through the windows.

  Spoons was packed, but there were only two tables with single occupants. One was a girl around her age typing frantically on a laptop. The other was a blond man. Macie’s heart skipped. She couldn’t see his face, but there was a red rose on the table. His fingers played with the stem, rolling it between them. The light glinted off his watch. She’d seen the gold face and worn leather band somewhere before. Where, she couldn’t remember. Her heart skipped a beat as he chatted with the waitress. The woman smiled warmly as she tapped her pen against her fingers. He threw his head back and laughed. The waitress smiled.

  Guy turned away and glanced out the window.

  Macie couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t fucking believe it.

  Zac Sparks.

  Of all the people in the world, she had been flirting with Zac fucking Sparks.

  Macie turned on her heel and headed back toward her apartment, dropping the rose in the trash along the way.

  ZAC CHECKED THE TIME on his watch again. She was almost fifteen minutes late. He’d done some work while he waited, running numbers and planning Ford’s investments. And he’d checked the Blind Friends app every minute to see if she’d canceled on him or at least messaged to say she was running late.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Zac knew he’d been stood up. It had been foolish, childish even for him, to dream that he’d meet his future partner over a stupid app. It wasn’t like he didn’t have time to find someone. It wasn’t like he was pushing fifty and still single with no family. He was twenty-two. He wasn’t bad looking. What if she thought he was? What if she glanced through the windows and took one look at him then left? Zac didn’t think that would happen. She wasn’t that shallow.

  The door opened, and he steeled himself as he looked for a rose. The woman who walked in didn’t have one, but she did have something. A serious attitude problem. Macie was the last person he wanted to see. She turned toward the dining room and caught his gaze. Zac expected to see the usual hate mixed with anger, but her shoulders drooped as if resigned. She held her head high and strolled over to him.

  “Can we talk?” She sat down, glaring at the rose on the table. She picked it up and twirled it between her fingers. “Or am I interrupting something?”

  Zac reached out and plucked it from her fingers. “What do you want, Macie?”

  “We need to plan the party.” Her gaze glanced at the rose still in Zac’s hand. He pulled it under the table, away from her prying eyes. “How’s she going to know it’s you now? Or is she late?”

  “We can meet this weekend. Preferably Saturday afternoon,” Zac said, ignoring her question and the rising bile in his throat. “I’m taking Dad to the club in the morning.”

  “How’s he doing?” Macie rested her elbows on the table.

  “Fine. It wasn’t anything major.” Not that you’d care. Zac searched Macie’s face for any sign of insincerity. He was surprised to find the opposite. “Thanks for asking.”

  Macie smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. “I have to work on Saturdays. It would have to be in the evening. Same for Sundays. Right now my Mondays and Tuesdays are open.” She bobbed her head. “That might change, though.”

  Zac squeezed the rose in his hand, the thorns biting against his skin. “Saturday evening would be fine. Where do you want to meet? Here? Crafts? Some place else?”

  Macie bit her lip. “Sure you won’t have a hot date? I mean, the suave Zac Sparks has never had a Saturday free since I’ve known him. Or were you so confident that you never expected to be stood up tonight?”

  “Pretty sure I’m free.” Zac leaned in, glancing at the spot where she’d sucked her lip into her mouth. “And to answer your smartass question, I was supposed to meet someone. Said someone did not show. Does that make you feel superior? I know it’s killing you not to laugh. And I know it’s killing you not to make a sarcastic comment. So just get it out, Macie.”

  She sat back in her seat. Her mouth stuck open as if he’d just slapped her across the face. “Is that really what you think of me? That I’m that big of a bitch?”

  Zac couldn’t believe it. Macie actually looked hurt. Guilt welled in his chest, but he pushed it down. She’d never been nice to him, never bothered to get to know him. Yeah, they’d gotten off on the wrong foot, but that was four years ago. They’d both grown. They’d both matured. Well, he had, but that wasn’t the point. “No, I—”

  “Just forget it. It doesn’t matter, anyway. Once the wedding’s over, we’ll never have to see each other again.” She stood from the chair and pushed it in. “It would be easiest to meet at my place. Then I don’t have to lug everything with me. I’ll text you the address.”

  Zac didn’t stand. He didn’t try to stop her as she walked away. Why would he? She was right. They could finally be done with each other soon enough. Out of each other’s lives except for the occasional meeting at Ford and Lauren’s. That didn’t stop him from feeling like a jerk. Zac normally kept his composure. He was always polite, respectful, and kept his opinions to himself for the most part. One of the first things h
is father taught him was how to walk the line. But when it came to Macie Regan, he had a hard time holding back.

  He pulled the rose out from under the table and stared at the petals. Thoughts of Macie disappeared as he wondered what happened to his mystery girl. Every natural and unnatural possibility floated through his mind. There was one that he hated to admit, but it was the most likely scenario. She’d stood him up.

  Zac dropped the rose on the table along with a twenty to pay for his drink and the waitress’s time.

  He’d give her until tomorrow to message him. Then he’d delete his profile and the app completely. He’d be done with her. Then he could move on with his life.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Macie’s shirt stuck to her skin. Her hair dripped with sweat. It took her forty-five minutes to get home from Spoons. It would’ve taken her longer, but she walked as fast as she could in her heels. See if she’d wear those shoes again.

  How could this happen? How could Guy be Zac fucking Sparks? She tore off her clothes, tossing them onto her futon instead of hanging them up. She felt like a fraud. Everything she’d done over the last few months had been to set herself up for her future, even chatting with Guy... Zac. But she didn't know it was Zac. She’d built her wardrobe to look professional, and she hated it. She put up these walls of cool confidence, but that wasn’t Macie. Sitting in front of Zac tonight, knowing he had been on the other side of her screen for four months while she chatted without hiding who she was, staring into his eyes at his disappointment in seeing her, she wanted to crumble. She wanted to cry. She wanted to turn back the clock and never schedule that meeting.

  She needed to paint. The question was what.