“Are you okay?” Meredith studied her, and Vanessa’s face heated under her assessing gaze. “Normally we’d have the people at Passage & Co. give you the news, but we wanted to give you a courtesy notice so you could gather your things.”
Oh god, she was going to have to do the walk of shame. She knew the drill with temp work, and she’d been careful not to bring more than her purse and her lunch with her each day. But it was three o’clock in the afternoon. Clearly, when she grabbed her Tupperware and headed for the elevators, it was going to be for one reason only.
Tears pricked her eyes. Just when she’d gotten comfortable in a position, just when she’d come around and accepted that this could be an okay job until something up her alley came along, this had to happen.
“Did I do something wrong?” she squeaked out.
Meredith shook her head kindly. “No.”
“But this doesn’t make sense. Ramon’s still going on paternity leave in a few weeks, so you still need someone to cover for him.”
Meredith sighed. “There was a recent change in the requirements.” An uncomfortable look crossed her face, and Vanessa realized she was lying. But why?
“Who changed the requirements?” Her desire to know outweighed her desire to stay professional. After all, she just lost her job. Staying on Meredith’s good side wasn’t going to help her anymore.
Meredith squirmed, and her eyes darted over Vanessa’s shoulder. Vanessa followed her gaze to the cold, glass door of Jeremy’s office. Right.
“The decision came from the executives,” Meredith said.
Some executives. Clearly, she had been wrong to think she and Jeremy had reached a truce at lunch. He still hated her. The fact that he was firing her said as much. Too bad she’d almost, almost believed he wasn’t a total ass.
She climbed to her feet, and her body swayed, jittery with a combination of nerves and adrenaline. “Thank you for a great experience,” she forced herself to say, ever polite.
She walked to her desk, eyes trained on the dark marble floor. She shouldn’t have worn these heels today. Every loud footstep she made was an announcement about her departure. There was no such thing as slinking away.
“Everything okay?” Julie leaned over their partition to shoot her a quizzical look.
This time the tears really did come. Vanessa ducked her head and reached for the purse in her desk drawer to hide her face, pressing a finger under her eyelashes to stymy the flow of tears.
“It will be,” she said, too bright. She had Julie’s phone number, and she would keep in touch with her, but for now, she couldn’t say anything more.
She straightened and headed toward the elevators, feeling Julie’s gaze on her back. The voice inside her head said to stay cool and professional, but with every step out of X Enterprises, another, louder voice whispered furiously in her ear. She hadn’t even wanted this job, but still. She didn’t do anything to deserve this. The fact that the decision came from Jeremy felt like the biggest betrayal.
She pushed the call button in the lobby and glanced back over her shoulder while she waited for the elevator to arrive. So long, ridiculous, sexy offices. So long, vibrators and lube and lingerie.
Her gaze snagged on Jeremy’s office and the noise in her head rose to a howl. She should go quietly, but you know what—no. She deserved to know what the hell this was about. Her embarrassment transformed into a pulse of anger.
Vanessa shoved her purse under her arm and whirled on her heels. Ten—no, twenty—pairs of eyes followed her as she stormed back toward Jeremy Glass’s office. Let them watch.
Jeremy’s door was open, and she knocked once on the frame before striding inside.
The CEO sat behind his large desk, and his eyebrows lifted as he caught sight of her face. His lips parted in an exhale she didn’t hear.
He was surprised to see her, then.
Good.
Vanessa forced herself not to hesitate in his presence, not to notice the interesting lines of his face. But she did. Just like the first time she saw Jeremy, a wave of wanting threatened to overwhelm her.
“Ms. Reese.” The bastard calmly folded his hands on his desk and smoothed his handsome face into a mask of bored disinterest as she came to a halt in front of him.
“I’d like to know why my employment was terminated.” She hated the way her voice wobbled on the last line, stretched thin enough to break. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she blinked back tears. She would not cry in front of this man.
Jeremy leaned back in his chair, unbothered by her blunt request. “I’m sure Human Resources provided all the details we were able to disclose.”
She bit her lip. She didn’t want to get Meredith in trouble, but her feeble apology was not enough. “The only detail your very good, very loyal employees told me was that the decision came from the top.”
He nodded. “And you came here. Because I’m the top.”
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him. “I may not have been here for a long time, but I don’t see any justification for being let go.”
Jeremy cut her off. “This was temp work, understand?”
Meredith had already said that. And Vanessa suspected Jeremy was lying the same way his HR Director was earlier. She blew a strand of hair off her face. “No, this was supposed to be temp-to-perm work. And I was already making an impression on my customers and my coworkers.”
His blue eyes glinted like ice as he took her in. “I’m not used to having to explain myself.”
She stepped closer to his desk, setting down her Tupperware so she could place her hands on the wide, smooth surface. It was as hard and cold as his face. “Well then, humor the woman you just fired.”
“I’m not sure if you can handle it.” Jeremy’s voice shivered down her spine, smooth and seductive and primal, but she wouldn’t be swayed.
She glared at him. She was not the type of girl to back down from a challenge, and all Jeremy was doing now was posturing. She could see right through him. “I can handle myself plenty well, thank you very much.”
Jeremy’s cool facade cracked. He lifted an eyebrow and grinned. God, he was too attractive for his own good. For her own good. Frankly, if he asked her to get naked right now in that seductive growl she probably would, glass office walls and staring coworkers be damned. Why did her body want him so much when his Grade A Asshole comments should take him out of the running? She needed to stay angry, and it was hard when he looked so delighted by her. “Well, that’s not what it looked like today.”
Vanessa took a step back, her mouth falling open. “I admit I made a mistake earlier. But messing up doesn’t mean I can’t handle this job.” Her chin wobbled ever so slightly. “It means I’m human.”
“Well, there you go.” Jeremy quirked his lips and smiled again, which wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have the kind of lips that looked like they could fuck her mouth in a deep, torturous kiss, and the kind of wolfish grin that made it seem like he’d be happy to eat her alive. His eyes lit in amusement. “We only employ robots.”
Oh god. He was teasing her. Which was it—did he like or did he hate her? Because he was changing his tune so fast she felt dizzy.
Her cheeks burned. “So that’s just it then? There’s no way to fix this?”
Hesitation flashed across Jeremy’s face, and a spark of hope lit in her chest. There—she knew he wasn’t totally heartless.
But instead of nodding, Jeremy just twisted his mouth into a grimace. For the first time, he looked almost sorry about the whole thing. But not sorry enough. “This is it, Vanessa. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“No.” She needed to keep some measure of composure. She stared right at that handsome, arrogant face and steeled her voice. “You won’t.”
And with that, she turned on her heel and stormed toward the exit. Jeremy’s voice caught her at the threshold of his door. “I’m probably doing you a favor anyway.”
She wheeled to face him and ca
ught a smirk on his lips. “Excuse me?”
“The adult world’s not for everyone. It seems a little out of your comfort zone.”
Now that was completely out of line.
She pitched her voice loud enough for the whole office to hear. Twenty pairs of eyes watched her call over her shoulder as she strode toward the lobby. “Oh, I can handle a dick or two. It’s the assholes I really can’t stand.”
Chapter 8
“You have got to be kidding me.” Ramon peered over the edge of his beer and lanced Jeremy with an incredulous look. “Out of all the businesses who could have shown interest in X Enterprises, it had to be Yessir?”
Jeremy nodded and took a swig of his whiskey. He and Ramon sat in a dark little bar a few blocks from the office. Surely discussions about the future of his company merited alcohol accompaniment, despite the fact that it was barely past five. Anyway, after firing Vanessa, he owed his friend a drink. “I’m just lucky that way.”
Ramon rapped his knuckles on the bar, considering. Ramon had this great ability to get what he wanted out of people, which is why Jeremy had him running the Sales team, but to be honest, he could have held a number of positions in the company. He was great at weighing in on everything from strategy to marketing, and you know what they say—if you want to have a thriving business and learn a lot, hire people smarter than you. Jeremy would never admit how smart Ramon was to his face, but he thought Ramon knew it anyway, the cocky bastard.
“And that’s why you want me to come with you to LA?” Ramon asked.
Jeremy nodded again. He trusted Ramon for a reason and knew he’d give his real opinion after they made the trip. “I want to get a feel for the vibe,” he told him.
“You mean get a feel for Amy?”
Fuck. Amy.
There was the one unavoidable truth that Jeremy had been doing his best to avoid: Piers may have been making the offer on Jeremy’s business from Yessir’s headquarters in New York, but it was his daughter, Amy, who ran Yessir’s LA facility. Amy who Jeremy used to date when he visited Vegas, swapping cities each weekend to fuck in different locations. Amy who he hadn’t seen since he cut things off six months ago.
His voice came out rough. “I told you it’s over.”
“Sure. But it’s not over for Amy, Jer. She calls you once a month and drunk-texts you whenever she’s horny.”
“And I send every message straight to the trash.” The muscle in his jaw tightened. “I’m going to be completely professional when I see her. Whatever she still believes is not my problem.”
“Dude, it is.” Ramon sighed. “Look, it’s awesome that you’ve gotten this far in the conversation, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t see what Piers has to say. But going to LA is going to cloud your judgment. And considering that you fired my newest employee today, your judgment’s already in question.”
Jeremy grimaced. “I had my reasons.”
“If you say so. But, frankly, the fact that Vanessa interrogated you makes me like her even more.”
To be honest, it made Jeremy like her more, too. He could normally conduct himself as a professional, but something about this woman got under his skin, pushed his buttons. He wasn’t used to being challenged, not like that. And instead of staying cool and in control under attack, his defense mechanism, apparently, was to push back on her.
That line about being a robot?
Fuck.
If Vanessa didn’t already despise him, she sure would now. All the more reason it was better she was gone. Still, it was easier to have people on his good side, and he hated feeling like an ass about it. Vanessa and Ramon were both right to be pissed.
“Can we drop it?” Jeremy asked. “I need to stay focused, here. Which, by the way, is what I plan to do with Amy. Get in, be civil, and get the offer.”
“And if she brings up your relationship?”
“Then I’ll make it clear we’re not getting back together.”
Ramon shrugged. “You know her better than me, but I don’t think ignoring her is going to have the right effect. Correct me if I’m wrong, but she did key a line in your car the day you finally called things off. The woman does not appreciate the cold shoulder.”
Jeremy cringed. Accepting this offer could be stirring up the biggest shit storm of his life. But it could also mean seeing his hard work finally pay off. “You don’t think going might give her some closure?”
Ramon just shook his head. “I mean, it’s going to be hilarious to watch. But I don’t think it’s going to be everything you want.”
Jeremy let a swallow of whiskey burn pleasantly down his throat before he responded. “When Yessir makes me an offer, Piers and Amy will practically own my company. Amy’s a wildcard, sure. And I know Piers has stayed loyal to her ever since the breakup, but he always called me the son he never had. Maybe he’ll still do right by me. I mean, the fact that he’s offering to make an offer says he still cares, right?”
“I know that he tried to mentor you even though X Enterprises was already kicking Yessir’s ass. Maybe he thought there was something in it for him.”
Jeremy scowled. “Come on, it was nice for him to care.”
Ramon peeled the label of the beer with the edge of his thumb. “This is seriously fucked up.” He worked quietly for a minute, the paper shredding onto the bar. “Tell you what, if I do this, I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
Ramon abandoned the label and swept the debris into a neat pile. “Maya and I have talked a lot about it, and we’d love you to be our daughter’s godfather.”
“Are you serious?” Talk about changing the subject. “I don’t know anything about kids.”
Ramon grinned at him. “Me neither, other than the ‘Don’t accidentally kill your infant’ class our hospital made us go to. For the record, the plastic babies they make you hold are creepy as fuck. Like, their eyes are always watching you.”
“Jesus, Ramon.” Jeremy laughed to cover his nervousness. “You’re not selling me on this thing.”
“You’d be totally fine. Emilia will be lucky to have you.”
“Emilia, huh?” Jeremy took a deep breath. “You picked a name.”
Ramon took a drink and smiled. “Yes, after my mother.” Ramon didn’t always talk about his mom, but from what Jeremy knew he felt the same way about her that Jeremy felt about his own mom—that she was a lifeline.
“It’s a beautiful name,” Jeremy said. “Can I talk to her with the Godfather accent? Like in the movies?” He wouldn’t admit it to Ramon, but he was totally terrified. Because, fuck, if something did go wrong, this little girl’s life was on him.
“It’s a requirement,” Ramon joked.
“Well, in that case.”
Ramon set his beer on the edge of the counter. “Listen, I trust you. If something happens to me and Maya, I know you’d be able to take care of our daughter. Teach her to go after the things she wants in life. To be afraid but do things anyway.” And shit if Jeremy wasn’t getting choked up because he hadn’t ever heard his friend talk about him this way. It felt like Ramon was giving a best man speech at Jeremy’s wedding, only it was just Jeremy here. No pretty girl in a white dress to deflect the attention.
He cleared his throat.
“I can see you’re getting freaked out.” Ramon gestured at Jeremy’s face, and Jeremy tried to rearrange his expression. “Think of it this way. It’s an honorary position more than anything. If we die, guardianship of Emilia would go to my parents. You’d be there as a mentor.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Like the way you were my mentor?”
Ramon grinned and held up his hands. “A much better mentor than Piers, I hope.” Jeremy nodded his agreement. “Anyway, I’d like to think that some of those words of wisdom may have stuck with you and that you’d be able to tell them to my daughter one day if I couldn’t.”
If anyone, Ramon knew Jeremy better than most. Around the time they’d met, Jeremy had already realized he
wanted to bail on college, but in that limbo between knowing what he needed to do and mustering the balls to pull the trigger, he was definitely spiraling. Skipping classes by day and fucking random girls by night wasn’t his finest moment. But Ramon saw past that even when Jeremy had trouble looking at himself in the mirror. He saw Jeremy’s potential in a way his own dad never could.
Even though Ramon was only a few years older than Jeremy, he was this strange combination in his life—half older brother, half friend, half employee. When someone’s seen you at your worst and still likes you, that’s the kind of person you want to hang around. And if Ramon wanted this thing from him, he knew what he needed to do.
“Any special requests?” Jeremy asked.
“No boys till she’s eighteen,” Ramon said firmly.
“Fuck.” Jeremy drew a hand through his hair. “Okay. I would be honored.”
He ordered them another round of whiskey, and they drank.
Chapter 9
Even a hundred-dollar bottle of wine tasted like rubbing alcohol when you were swallowing your pride along with it. Vanessa set her glass on the tablecloth and smiled blandly at her mom and stepdad across the table.
Somehow she’d gotten by for six months without seeing them, and apparently, all it took was getting fired by Jeremy Glass to come crawling to them for help. She added it to the list of sins Jeremy had committed. Sin one: arrogance. Sin two: lack of compassion. Sin three: the firing of a hard-working, innocent employee. Argh.
She pushed the thought of Jeremy’s sexy, smirking face from her mind and tried to concentrate on the conversation in front of her. She was here for a reason.
“Like I was saying, I’m still in the market for a social work position,” she told them. She dropped her hands to her lap and ran her palms over her skirt. “And Bob, since you were able to connect me to Girls Run Our World, I thought you might know of another organization that could use my help.” Asking felt like begging, like exposing herself as a failure.
His Distraction Page 4