by K. A. Linde
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I muttered to Jensen as I passed him.
He raised his hands, as if to ask me, Where the hell were you?
I waved him off and kept walking. Landon and Austin were laughing at me behind their hands. While my brothers’ significant others—Emery, Heidi, and Julia respectively—all sent me big smiles and waved. It looked like my younger sister, Sutton, and her son, Jason, hadn’t made it. That was becoming increasingly more common. And I didn’t have words for her as to why she should find solace here when she was grieving and angry at the entire universe.
I reached the end of the aisle and stumbled over my high heels when I saw the face staring back at me.
“Patrick,” I muttered.
“Hey, Morgan.” He slyly smiled up at me and then scooted down further away from Austin to give me room to take a seat between them.
I stared at the space for a second longer than I should have before unceremoniously plopping down.
“Why were you late?” Austin asked me.
“Slept through my alarm.”
“Way to go. You’re making me look good.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “It was an accident.”
“Uh-huh. Does that accident have a name?”
“What?” I snapped. Okay, maybe I was still on edge from the stuff with Patrick.
“I’m not judging,” Austin said with a laugh. “You have a stressful job. What you do in your free time is up to you.”
“Austin, leave Morgan alone,” Julia said. She swatted him and flicked her rose-gold hair off her shoulder.
“She’s my little sister. I’m supposed to mess with her.”
“Aren’t you also supposed to keep her from dating other guys?”
“Right. Forgoing my sacred duty.” Austin turned back to me. “No boys!”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Listen to the sermon.”
Austin laughed and turned back to face the front. But I felt like I had a laser pointed straight at my head. Patrick’s eyes were drilled into the side of my head. I knew then that this wasn’t going to be a thoroughly enjoyable church service.
The heat from Patrick’s body was noticeable. Our legs almost brushed. I could sense every movement he made next to me. I could feel him shift and rearrange and fidget through the entire thing. While I ignored him. Or tried to ignore him the best I could.
All I wanted to do was turn and look at him. This, this right here, was the reason I hadn’t ever made my move on Patrick. I was remembering quite clearly why. I’d never wanted it to ruin our friendship and the easy way we coexisted together. I just wanted him to see me for me.
Now, I’d been rejected. I understood that I wasn’t what Patrick wanted. Or at least…if he did want me, it was just physical, and he wouldn’t even act on the physical. I didn’t want to deal with that. And I wouldn’t.
So, we both just sat there. Neither of us acknowledging the other since I’d sat down, and I listened to the sermon.
Which turned out to be a huge mistake.
I’d been to services before where I felt like the thing the pastor was saying was directed at me. But, today…the service was about me. Like, he might as well have plucked the story of this weekend right out of my life and put it on display in front of the entire congregation.
That heat I’d been feeling turned me crimson. I was a cigarette destined to start a forest fire.
It couldn’t end soon enough. By the time the last song was over and we were dismissed, I actually felt faint. I made some excuse to Austin about having to use the restroom and then disappeared. I needed to find a quiet place to breathe.
I pushed through the crowds, down the hallway that led to the back side of the church, and burst outside. I ground my teeth together and paced the sidewalk. What the hell is wrong with me? Yes, this was Patrick. Of course, that made it different. But I needed to get a grip.
I might have told him that I didn’t want to be Morgan Wright sometimes. But I was Morgan Wright. And I was a badass. I took no shit. I fought for my place and worked my ass off and charged into things headfirst. This running and hiding and fear didn’t suit me. I fucking hated it.
The door crashed open behind me, and I whipped around. Patrick walked outside, hastily shutting the door behind him.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“I needed to get some air. Now, I’m going back.”
Patrick put his hand on the door to keep me from leaving. “Why didn’t you answer any of my calls yesterday?”
“I was working.”
“And you what? Didn’t check your phone?”
“No, I didn’t.”
He breathed out heavily. “Why did you leave?”
“When?”
“Don’t play stupid, Morgan. I know you’re brilliant.”
“I figured you were used to girls sneaking out.”
He didn’t wince, but I could see the fire in his eyes. “Don’t pull that shit with me.”
“We’re at church.”
“You ran out without even a good-bye and then ignored me for twenty-four hours,” he said, not even stopping to acknowledge my comment.
“What does it matter, Patrick? You made your intentions clear. I don’t want to deal with this right now.”
Patrick released his hold on the door. “You’re right. I just don’t want you to think that you needed to leave.”
“You think I didn’t need to leave?” A hysterical, short laugh escaped my lips. “I should have left right away. In fact, I should never have even gone over to your place.”
The words hung heavy between us like a dense fog. Neither of us said a word. I didn’t know what he was thinking. Whether he regretted our interactions from Friday night. Whether he wished, as I suspected he did, that they had never happened. And I couldn’t ask.
Just as he opened his mouth again, the door opened, and Jensen exited the building.
He arched an eyebrow at the two of us standing out here alone. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No,” Patrick and I said at the exact same time.
Smooth.
“All right,” Jensen said disbelievingly. “Can I have a minute, Morgan?”
“Sure.”
Patrick nodded his head at Jensen and then disappeared back into the church without another word to me. My heart panged in his absence.
Fuck, why couldn’t I act like a normal human being about this? Why does it have to be so complicated with Patrick?
“Is something going on between you two?” Jensen asked once Patrick was gone.
“No. He was making sure I was okay. I wasn’t feeling too great during the service.”
“I know you’ve liked him for a long time.”
“Don’t,” I said.
“Okay,” he said, holding up his hands. “Not why I came out here anyway.”
“Why did you come out here?”
“Did you miss the dozen text messages I sent you yesterday?”
I was really kicking myself for not checking my phone. “I kind of got sidetracked in my office at home. I didn’t look at anything but the work I had.”
Jensen sighed. “I know what that’s like. Especially on the weekends, it’s nice to just dig into work. Nothing else distracts you.”
“Exactly.”
“Unfortunately, you can’t have many more days like that. It’s one of the hardest parts of the job. When you take over tomorrow, you’ll have to be more responsive.”
I froze. “Did you just say…”
Jensen laughed. “Yes. No more temporary status. You and David are going to do great. I don’t need to be looking over your shoulder the whole time. I know you’ve been annoyed with me, but I just worry.”
“I know.”
“But Jensen Wright Architecture is in production. The company is yours.”
“I can’t believe this day is finally here.”
“You’ve earned it.”
My love life might be in sham
bles, but at least, professionally, everything was falling into place. It would have been nice for the CEO position to come with some romantic benefits. Women had flocked to Jensen once he got the position. All I seemed to do was intimidate men. Even Patrick.
Well, fuck it.
I wasn’t going to let that hold me back any longer.
Gone was the girl who had been pining for Patrick Young for twelve long years. I’d made my move. He’d rejected me. The entire thing had crashed and burned. I wasn’t some simpering high school cheerleader anymore. I was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I didn’t need to wait around for a guy who clearly wasn’t interested in me.
There were plenty of guys I could date if I wanted to. I’d just held out hope. Young, desperate, irritating hope that Patrick would come around. But he wasn’t going to come around.
I’d thrown myself at him, and he’d done nothing. Twice!
The man who was known for dating around and sleeping around wouldn’t even kiss me. If that didn’t send a clear message, I didn’t know what did.
I’d get over him.
I would.
I’d force myself to move on.
And I’d start this week.
I pulled out the phone I’d neglected all day yesterday and found a number I’d ignored over and over again. Travis Jones. A very cute and flirtatious childhood friend who I wasn’t just picking because Patrick hated him.
Six
Morgan
The next morning, I rose bright and early. I wasn’t going to let the events of this past weekend affect me any longer. Today was my first official day as CEO. Today, I was out of the transitional period. Today, I would rule the world.
I put on my power black high heels and grabbed a black suit jacket on the way out the door. Only a handful of other people were already at Wright Construction when my heels clicked across the tiled floor. I’d seen David’s car in the parking lot. He was an early bird rather than a night owl like me. He was probably settling into my office by now.
As the elevator dinged on the top floor of the office space, my heart started racing. Up until this point, it had all been just a dream. I mean…there had been the transitional period to prepare me for this. I was prepared for this.
At the same time, fear hit me fresh and new. I’d worked my whole life for this, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I’d earned this. I deserved this. And yet…did I?
Of course I did. Christ. My brain was a hamster’s wheel of insecurities.
I was never good enough. I never worked hard enough. I never put in as much as I could. There was always more that could be done. No matter what. No matter that I worked hours and hours longer than anyone else or that I dedicated my life to this company. No matter that my brothers hadn’t put in half as much as I had. It still felt like I wasn’t right. Like I was stealing. Like I was cheating.
But I couldn’t show that on the outside. My exterior said Morgan Wright was ready to take on the world. My insides squirmed and shifted and wondered if this was all a prank.
I took a deep breath and forced myself forward. There was no going back. There never had been. I wouldn’t give this up for the world. I’d clawed my way to the top. Past the blatant sexism and around the disdain. I’d won their hearts with charm and magnetism. I’d won their loyalty with endless hard work.
This day meant more than I could possibly put into words. And I didn’t think a single person in my life had a clue of the enormity of the moment…or how terrified I was that I’d fuck up.
“Morgan!” David called, pulling me from my sobering thoughts.
I popped my head into his office. “Morning.”
“How does it feel?”
“Like everything I imagined,” I lied.
“I thought so. How did this weekend go?”
“Ugh! I barely got anything done this weekend. But today is a new day, right?”
“Right!”
“Feel free to move into my old office whenever you’re ready.”
“Will you be in Jensen’s?”
“Yep. It’s in need of some serious redecorating.”
David laughed. “Sounds good.”
I waved before continuing down the hallway. The door to my new office was ajar. I pushed it open and startled when I found someone already inside.
“Can I help you?” I asked the man standing by my desk.
“Yes, can you tell Jensen to hurry up? Also, I’d like a coffee with cream and two sugars,” the man said impatiently.
I took a step back at the audacity. I’d just been having an inspirational pep talk with myself about my new CEO position. I had been overcoming my own fears and taking on the challenge I knew I had earned.
Then, here comes this douche bag who thinks I’m an assistant?
There was nothing wrong with being an assistant. But considering the man wasn’t even looking at me, acknowledging me, or respecting me…I could tell it was an insult. He was in my fucking office and treating me like shit. What an awesome start to my day.
“Did you say cream and one sugar or two?” I drawled sarcastically. “I can’t seem to remember.”
The man whirled around in anger, as if he couldn’t believe I’d used that tone with him. Then, his jaw dropped open. “Morgan?”
“Ah, you’ve heard of me.” I stepped forward and came around to the back of the desk.
“I didn’t realize it was you.”
“Obviously.”
“But you don’t recognize me?”
“Should I?” I asked, finally taking a closer look at the man.
He was in his fifties with light-brown hair and a gut that he couldn’t hide in his black suit. He did sort of look familiar, like I’d seen him somewhere before but I couldn’t place where.
“We’ve never met. I’m your uncle Owen,” he said, holding out his hand.
A shiver ran through me in disgust. Uncle Owen. So, this was the man my father had hated so much that he basically sent him into exile. I didn’t know what the beef was between my father and his brother, but it’d had to be bad for that sort of reaction. Not that my dad had been known for his even temper or anything. He was an alcoholic after all. But my uncle’s disappearance to Vancouver with his wife and two sons was legendary. My father had burned all of the pictures of them together, and his name had only been used as a swear word.
Owen dropped his hand when I didn’t shake it. “Ah, so you have heard of me.”
“What are you doing here?”
I knew that he worked for the Canadian branch of Wright Construction in Vancouver. When I was a kid, I’d always assumed that it was some kind of peace terms between kingdoms. Like sending a British monarch to Scotland or Brittany or Calais while their rival was on the throne. I’d been pretty obsessed with European history at the time. It started my love for celebrity gossip.
“I had an appointment with Jensen. What exactly are you doing in his office?”
“Jensen isn’t with the company anymore. This is my office. Surely, you got the company-wide memo about me becoming CEO.”
I didn’t know why I was egging him on. Perhaps deeply ingrained prejudices were working against me, but I couldn’t like this man. Blood didn’t always equal family. This man was a stranger.
“I read that the company was in a transitional period, and you would eventually move into CEO. But my meeting today was with Jensen, and I wasn’t informed that it would now be with you.”
“I’ll take that up with my brother.”
Conciliatory. That was the word screaming in my head. I should make this right. I should make him comfortable. I should pacify his apparent aggression. But I didn’t.
“See that you do.” Owen straightened out his already impeccable suit. “It seems that you’re not prepared for our meeting today. I’ll have to reschedule for later this week. Maybe bring Jensen back in to hold your hand.”
I clenched my jaw and didn’t spit out the first thing that came to mind. Fuck you, you fucking fuck.
>
“Buh-bye,” I said, sending him a wave that might as well have been flipping him off. When he left the office, I slumped back into my seat. “Fuck.”
I snatched up my phone and immediately dialed Jensen’s number.
He answered on the third ring. “Hey, how’s the first day?”
“You scheduled a meeting with Uncle Owen and didn’t warn me that it was happening on my first day? What the hell, Jensen?”
“Shit. Was that today?”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother? Shouldn’t you have warned me about this? I didn’t even know you had ever met him before. Let alone that you were having some meeting with him this week! He’s creepy!”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. I should have double-checked the schedule for you. I would have postponed the talk until later in the week. But, yes, unfortunately, Owen is a pest that you have to deal with as CEO.”
“He thought I was your secretary.”
“His people skills are lacking. When I first got the job, he tried to stake his claim on it, as if he somehow deserved it since Dad was gone.”
“God, he really does think we’re royalty.”
Jensen chuckled. “Don’t worry about him. You’ll have a meeting about the new environmental changes we’re making, moving forward, and look over updating the contracts to bring them to code. He’s usually a nuisance for a week or two, and then he’s gone.”
“How often do you meet with him?”
“Rarely. I try to do as much as I can through email. He likes to assert himself upon Lubbock like a long-lost hero. I think his version of history is different than the one Dad told us.”
“Well, first impressions make me believe Dad.”
“Just try not to antagonize him.”
“It’s hard not to.”
“Morgan,” Jensen said in that voice that only my brother could pull on me.
“All right. I’ll do what I can.”
“Just another day in the office. See you, Mor.”
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone and slouched in my chair. What a fucking start to my day. Somehow, a man I’d never met had just confirmed all the fears I’d had about starting the job. The positive energy I’d been searching for had been sucked right out of the room with his departure.