“Okay, Sophie,” seeming hesitant. “You asked me how long I’d been working here. The answer is six years. I was a teacher, semi-retired, but my husband passed away unexpectedly and our pensions weren’t enough to cover my expenses, so I had to get back out into the workforce.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your husband.”
“Thank you,” Bev said as she glanced at a framed photo on her desk.
“Why didn’t you just go back to teaching full-time?” Sophie asked, crossing her ankles as she settled in to hear more of Bev’s story. She knew she had a pile of work waiting for her, but she saw value in getting to know her employees, making them feel like part of her family and her instincts told her Bev could be a strong ally if she and Jeremy ever went to war.
“It’s hard enough for young kids, just out of teacher’s college to get a job,” Bev said, rolling her eyes. “They sure as heck don’t want to employ a crotchety old woman like me when they can have someone fresh and enthusiastic with decades in the workforce.”
“But experience should count for something,” Sophie said, feeling annoyed on Bev’s behalf.
“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Bev said, sighing. “But I’m afraid that’s not how it works, my dear.” She bit her lip, her cheeks flushed as she muttered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound condescending.”
“That’s not how it came out,” Sophie reassured with a warm smile.
“You remind me a lot of my daughter,” Bev said, returning the smile. “I saw the similarities as soon as we met.” She touched her computer mouse as her screen filled with a family photo of a woman her own age alongside a handsome man and two young boys.
“Nice looking family,” Sophie commented. “Do you have other children?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” She sighed. “We wanted to, but it just didn’t work out.”
“Does your daughter live nearby?”
“No, her husband was transferred to North Carolina a few years ago. I miss them something fierce, but we try to see each other a couple of times a year.”
“Why don’t you just move out there to be closer to them?” Sophie asked, heedless of the fact her compassion may cost her a capable assistant. Jeremy definitely wouldn’t approve.
“Jobs aren’t that easy to come by,” she said, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “Especially at my age.”
“I think-”
“We need to talk,” Jeremy said, barging in to the office. He took in the scene in front of him before asking Bev, “Don’t you have work to do?”
Sophie couldn’t believe his audacity. They’d merely been taking a few minutes to chat and get to know each other better. “I believe the labour laws dictate everyone is entitled to two fifteen minutes breaks a day, Jeremy. You wouldn’t want us to be in breech, would you?”
Without responding, he walked past Sophie, opening her office door and gesturing for her to precede him.
“I enjoyed our chat, Bev,” Sophie said, smiling at her assistant, who’d returned her attention to her computer screen.
“Thank you, so did I, Miss Easton,” she said, stealing a quick glance at Jeremy.
Sophie waited until she and Jeremy were enclosed in the office before she laid in to him. “This is my office and Bev is my assistant. How dare you barge in her and start questioning whether-”
“I don’t care about that right now,” he said, raising his hand. “I want to talk about that meeting. What the hell was that? You made it seem like you couldn’t care less about putting that deal together.”
Sophie knew it was time to lay her cards on the table. “I told you last night I wasn’t sure this was the right move for us. They said nothing today to make me think otherwise.”
Looking outraged, he settled his hands on his hips as she claimed the swivel chair behind her desk. “I thought you brought me on board because you wanted to grow this business. That’s what I’m trying to help you do, but you seem determined to throw up roadblocks. Why?”
“I’m not trying to be difficult,” Sophie said, trying to see the situation from his perspective. For Jeremy it was all about the bottom line and there was no doubt this deal with add seven, maybe eight figures to their bottom line. “I just need some time to decide whether this is right for me. For us,” she amended when Jeremy clenched his jaw.
“You seem to forget you’re not the only one running the ship anymore,” he said, obviously trying to keep his temper in check. “I know a thing or two about taking a business to the next level. You claimed you wanted my expertise, yet you seem determined to challenge me at every turn. Why?”
He had a valid point. Why was she fighting him on this, if she wanted to grow her business, as she’d claimed? “I think I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed,” she said, at last. “Making the decision to sell you part of the business, moving here…”
“Breaking up with your boyfriend?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re such an emotional basket case?”
Sophie’s mouth fell open before she snapped it shut. “This has nothing to do with Dalton and I don’t appreciate you bringing my personal life into this.”
“If you can’t make sound business decisions because you’re too emotional to-”
“I am perfectly capable of making sound business decisions,” Sophie said, her cheeks flaming. “I’ve been doing it long before I meant you. How dare you accuse me of not making sound decisions, just because I don’t agree with you.”
“For this to work, we have to trust each other, Sophie.” His voice softened as he sat down across from her. “You have to believe that I’m acting in your best interest, in the best interest of our company.”
She knew he was right, but trust didn’t come easily for her and even though they’d known each other some time, he hadn’t proven himself trustworthy yet. “I think we just need to take a step back,” she said, trying to find some solid ground between them. “We need to forge a strong partnership before we make any major decisions about the future of this-”
“Are you saying no to this deal?” he asked, leaning forward. “You have to know an opportunity like this won’t come around again. If you say no now, it’ll be gone forever.”
“I guess that’s just a chance I’ll have to take, isn’t it?” Sophie’s stomach was tied up in knots as her mind tormented her with more questions than answers. “I refuse to rush into something before I’m ready.” Or be bullied by my partner.
“This discussion isn’t over,” Jeremy said, getting to his feet. “I’ll find a way to stall them until you come to your senses.”
***
Sophie was curled up in bed a week later, grateful for the sound of her best friend’s voice on the other end of the line, assuring her everything would work out for the best. She just had to have a little faith.
“I hope you’re right, Carly. It just seems like Jeremy and I are constantly butting heads. I’ve never met a more obstinate man in my life.”
“Aren’t you glad you didn’t agree to go out with him when he asked?” Carly asked, laughing. “Can you imagine dating a guy like that?”
“Ugh,” Sophie said, pulling the duvet higher when a shiver moved through her. “Just the thought of it makes me sick.”
“So he hasn’t hit on you again?”
“Are you kidding? He knows I can barely stand the sight of him.” It frightened Sophie to think how quickly their amicable relationship had deteriorated.
“Honey, I’m worried about you. You sound miserable. All this arguing, this constant tension can’t be good for you. Maybe you need to re-think this partnership. You said the contract gives you an out, right?”
Sophie thought about bailing every day, but her pride wouldn’t let her walk away without trying to make it work. “Yeah, but I can’t walk away after a week and a half. That’s just pathetic.”
“Who the hell cares what anyone else thinks?” Carly demanded. “This is your life. You have a right to decide what makes you h
appy.”
“I know.” That’s why Sophie loved her best friend so much, because she always brought clarity to her muddled thoughts. “Listen, enough about me and my problems. I can hardly wait for your bachelorette party next week. Are you excited?”
“I would be if Brett hadn’t insisted we have it at High Rollers so he can keep an eye on me,” Carly said, groaning. “What fun will that be, having my fiancé looking over my shoulder all night, making sure I don’t drink too much or-”
“Don’t worry about him,” Sophie said, grinning. “Dalton and I have a plan to keep him out of your hair.”
“Seriously?”
“Hmm hmmm.” Sophie had voiced her concerns to Dalton about her brother hanging around and spoiling their fun, so he’d talked the guys into flying to Vegas for a night of gambling. “We’ve got it under control. You won’t have to worry about Brett.”
“Speaking of Dalton,” Carly said. “How’s that going?”
“I talk to him almost every night.” And sometimes during the day, when I can’t wait to hear his voice. “I feel kind of guilty about it. I told him to move on, yet I’m not really letting him do that.”
“I don’t think he wants to move on,” Carly said. “He was over at our place for dinner last night.”
“He didn’t mention that to me,” Sophie said, wondering what he’d been trying to hide.
“Um, there may have been a reason for that,” Carly said. “He was kind of here with a date.”
“A date?” Sophie sat up in bed, bringing her knees to her chin. “He’s dating again?” She knew she had no right to be angry. She’d told him to date, but she just assumed since they’d maintained their connection since her move he wasn’t ready to look for someone else. She knew she wasn’t.
“Maybe date wasn’t the right word,” Carly said, sounding thoughtful. “We were having a little dinner party and I wanted an even number so I invited my new assistant.”
“Oh.” Sophie wanted to ask her friend why the hell she would do that, but she didn’t want to sound territorial. “So, did they hit it off?”
“Well, she was crazy about him,” Carly said, laughing. “But I knew she would be. She’s a huge football fan.”
“Hmm.” Now Sophie felt sick as she imagined some stranger sitting at Dalton’s side, socializing with their friends. She should have been the one there with him. Instead she was thousands of miles away fighting with her new partner about outsourcing for the sake of cheap labour.
“Aren’t you going to ask me how Dalton felt about her?”
Sophie was mortified when tears started streaming down her face. Even though Carly couldn’t see them, she knew she’d be able to hear them if she dared utter a word. “How?”
“He was the perfect gentleman. He laughed at her jokes, smiled, refilled her drink, and kept glancing discreetly at his watch as though he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”
“Really?” Sophie whispered.
“Really. Honey,” Carly said, gently. “It’s obvious you’re in love with him. Don’t you think it’s time you tell him?”
Sophie had been tempted a few times, in the long silence between their final good-bye and the dial tone, but she kept losing her nerve. “I don’t think that’s fair to him. You forget, I’ve done the long distance thing before and look at how that turned out.”
She’d been dating an orthodontist from San Francisco before she started seeing Dalton and while she knew the relationship wasn’t going to last forever, it taught her a valuable lesson about the importance of sharing a zip code with her significant other.
“You can’t compare that to what you have with Dalton,” Carly said. “That guy was a total bore. Dalton’s fun and sexy, not to mention hilarious. He was really on his game last night, telling us about…” Her voice trailed off when a phone rang in the background. “Oh, that’s Brett. We have to meet the wedding planner tonight. We’re taste testing cakes.”
“Sounds like fun.” Carly’s wedding was the first Sophie had ever been involved in and she couldn’t deny there had been a few moments when she’d caught herself daydreaming, wondering what it would be like to have her own special day.
“I’ve been a nervous wreck lately,” Carly admitted. “I swear I’ve lost ten pounds. The seamstress is going to freak out when I go for my final fitting.”
“Why have you been so nervous?” Sophie asked, brushing away her tears as she prepared to focus on her friends problems while trying to forget her own. “You’re not having second thoughts about marrying my brother, are you?”
Carly laughed. “You’re kidding, right? You, of all people know I’ve been waiting to marry him forever. I just wish…”
“What, honey? What is it?”
“I wish things were different with my mother. I like to think I’m pretty independent, but it’s times like this I wish she were still a part of my life.”
Carly and her mother had been estranged since Carly was a teenager and her mother moved to another state to pursue a relationship with a man she met online shortly after Carly’s father died. “Hey, you know my parents are always there for you.” Since Carly and Sophie were best friends, her parents considered Carly their surrogate daughter and no one was more thrilled than they were that they would finally be making it official.
“I know and they’ve been amazing,” Carly said, sniffling. “I don’t know what I’d do without them.” She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry for being so emotional, Soph. I guess I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed.”
“I wish I was there,” Sophie said, feeling the familiar pang of guilt whenever she thought about her best friend planning her wedding with the help of a stranger.
“I wish you were too.” Carly sighed. “But at least you’ll be here for the bachelorette party next week and you’ll still be able to fly in a couple of days before the wedding, won’t you?”
She hadn’t told Jeremy she intended to take some time off for the wedding, but she didn’t need his permission. Besides, it would give her a chance to check on her studio and employees back home. She knew if this became a permanent arrangement, she would have to consider relocating the studio, but she couldn’t bear to think about losing all of the amazing women who’d become like family to her.
“Of course I will. I can’t wait to spend some time with you. Anything you need, you know I’ll be there.”
“Uh, Dalton mentioned you guys were going to the wedding together.”
“Yeah, I asked him.” She was glad she had, especially since she’d learned he was dipping his toe back in the dating pool.
“You know your parents are going to have questions. Have you thought about how you’re going to handle that?”
Sophie adored her parents, but they were notoriously over-protective where she was concerned. They claimed it was because she was their baby, but she suspected it had more to do with her being a girl. “Well, they like Dalton, so I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it.”
“They will if they find out you’ve been seeing him behind their backs all this time.”
Carly had a point, but Sophie didn’t see any reason to get her parents hopes up. They weren’t thrilled about her move and might see Dalton as a viable way to lure her back home. “I guess I’ll just have to burn that bridge when I get to it.” She didn’t like the idea of lying to her parents, but sometimes they forced her to stretch the truth a little. “Maybe I’ll just try to play it off as a friend thing.”
Carly laughed. “Girl, I’ve seen you and Mitch together. Your parents are never gonna buy that.”
“I’m sure he’ll be discreet in front of my parents.” Or would he? Knowing Dalton, he’d see it as an opportunity to gain her parents support.
“Maybe you should just think about telling them the truth.”
“I don’t know what to tell them.” Sophie raked her hand through her hair as she closed her eyes. “I don’t even know what the hell’s going on between us. When I left I told him it w
as over, that he needed to move on, but it feels like we’ve gotten even closer these past couple of weeks.”
“Aw, that’s sweet. You have to know he’s not going to give up on you that easily. I think it’s romantic.”
Sophie had to admit she did too. She never would have pegged Dalton for a romantic, but he’d surprised her in a hundred different ways since they started dating. “I’ve never known anyone quite like him. He’s definitely an anomaly.”
“How so?”
“Well, he’s this big tough guy, known for being brutal on the football field, but with me he’s the exact opposite. He’s kind and considerate and he’s…” Though Carly was like her sister and they’d often talked about sex in the past, talking about her intimate relationship with Dalton felt like a betrayal. “Let’s just say as a lover he’s set the bar a hell of a lot higher. I had no idea it could be like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know me, I’m not a prude. I’ve always enjoyed sex, but with Dalton…” A blush stained her cheeks as she glanced at herself in the vintage tilt mirror across the room. “It’s kind of addictive. It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I feel like it’s been months since we’ve been together. I think I miss that most of all. Not just the sex, but the intimacy.” Sophie laughed self-consciously. “Sorry, too much information, right?”
“No, not at all.” Carly was silent, as though she was choosing her words carefully. “I’ve never heard you talk about anyone like this, Soph. You really think you can leave this guy and try building a life thousands of miles away from him?”
Sophie couldn’t deny it was the hardest thing she’d ever tried to do. She felt like her heart was back in Arlington, with Dalton. “Do you think I may be sabotaging this thing with Jeremy on purpose, finding fault with him when the problem is with me, not him?”
“You mean because you’re looking for an excuse to come home?”
“Yeah.” Sophie hated to think she would do that. She wanted to believe that she was a smart business woman who would put the future of her company first, instead of leading with her heart, but she’d been wrestling with so many mixed emotions lately nothing made sense.
Possession (Texas Titans #8) Page 5