by Tawny Weber
He waited, sure she’d simmer down now.
But she didn’t. If anything, the fury in her eyes got even more fierce.
Gage frowned, starting to worry a little. He hadn’t misplayed this. He was sure of it. There was no question that he was going to have everything he wanted. It looked as though it was just going to take a few pats and soothes before he got there.
“Hey, you haven’t heard the bonus yet. By getting the Rudolph contract, I get my freedom. I can take on any client I want. So not only are you getting a boatload of new clientele, you get me.” His smile was pure triumph, and he held out his arms, ready for her to throw herself at him in gratitude.
She hissed. If she’d been a cat, he was pretty sure she’d be wearing his skin under her nails right now.
He dropped his arms.
“I don’t get it,” he said. “You want success, or do you want the Rudolph deal? Aren’t you being a little shortsighted with this obsession of yours?”
“We had an agreement.”
Gage nodded.
“Right. We agreed that I’d make sure you were taken care of, that you didn’t lose your business.”
“That’s not what I agreed to.”
He sighed, shoved his hand through his hair, trying to figure out where this had all gone wrong.
“I can’t help what you thought,” he said. “I never said I’d step off the campaign. I made it really clear why not.”
“And I made it really clear what this meant to me, and why I had to get the account.”
He’d be able to handle this a lot better if she didn’t sound as if she was about to cry. Gage hated feeling like a jerk. Hated even more the sense that his perfect solution was turning all to hell right before his eyes.
Dammit, he wanted Hailey.
And he wanted his freedom.
She just had to get over this silly attachment to the Rudolph account, and he could have both.
* * *
HAILEY SHOVED BOTH hands through her hair, hoping that if she tugged hard enough, a solution would pop out of her head.
When she’d woken up that morning, her world had been perfect. She’d been sure her business was safe, her holidays were heading toward the most awesome of her life, and she was falling in love with the greatest guy in the world.
Hailey had a brief, pining wish to return to that moment. Whether to rejoice in its brief existence, or to slap herself for being so naive, she wasn’t sure.
But the moment, and the hope, was gone.
And this was her damned reality.
“Why would you do this?”
“You always take care of everyone else. You’re the fix-it girl. The sweetheart who sweeps in and makes everyone feel better. Your employees, your family. Hell, even me. But who makes you feel better?” Gage’s grin was part triumph, part little-boy-at-Christmas excitement. “I want you to have everything, too. So I fixed it so you could.”
“No, you fixed it for you,” she said quietly.
“Babe, this way we both win. You get to keep your business. I get my freedom. We both get to be together. That’s better than a win-win. It’s a win-win-you-and-me-win.”
He looked so happy, so pleased with himself.
A part of her, the part that wanted everyone happy, wanted to step forward and give him a big hug. To give him the praise and gratitude he clearly expected. But as Hailey chewed her lower lip until it felt raw, she couldn’t force out the applause he expected.
It wasn’t as though she wasn’t used to betrayal.
It wasn’t as if this was the first time someone had made her a promise, then blithely danced away from it.
But this time, it was too much.
This time, she couldn’t smile and pretend she was okay with it.
Pretend she didn’t mind always coming in second. Because when it came to a commitment between two people, coming in second meant coming in last.
“C’mon, Hailey, let’s just move past this,” Gage said, his smile pure charm.
“We can’t just move past it. I can’t.” She shook her head. “You’re like everyone else. Happy enough to say you’re there for me, as long as it’s convenient.”
“That’s not true.”
In other words, he didn’t want it to be true.
Hailey looked at her shoes, ready to give in. She caught a glimpse of the lingerie samples out of the corner of her eye. She was losing it. Without that contract, there was no guarantee she could keep her business. And she was about to brush that off because it might make Gage feel bad?
So she took a deep breath and met his eyes. And even though each word was painful, she forced herself to speak.
“I’ve spent my entire life afraid that if I ever spoke up, ever put myself and my needs ahead of my parents’ self-interest, that I’d be rejected. That they’d prove, beyond just the whispers in the back of my mind, that they couldn’t—that they wouldn’t—set aside their own self-absorbed priorities for me.”
His frown was ferocious. Whether the anger was directed at her, or at himself, didn’t matter. Hailey didn’t care. For the first time in her entire life, she only cared about her feelings. It was both liberating and absolutely terrifying.
“You’re putting other people’s crap between us here,” he accused. “You have a good reason to have those issues. But I shouldn’t need to pay for them.”
“But you’re doing the same thing.” How could he not see it?
Gage shook his head, as if denying her words could deny the truth.
“You’re saying you won’t take this deal?” he asked, as if he needed to hear her spell it out in tiny letters before he’d believe it.
“I’m saying I will not take your consolation-prize accounts. They’re not enough to save my business. They’re not enough to pay off the Phillips kids and put an end to this drama,” Hailey repeated. Then, even though it was hard to get the air past the knot of tears in her throat, she added, “And if you can’t understand why, we can’t be together.”
In that very second, she felt so miserably selfish.
It wasn’t exactly an encouraging feeling to do this kind of put-herself-first crap again, she had to admit.
“You’re not thinking straight. C’mon, seriously? You’d throw us, and a golden array of contracts, over? For what? Ego?”
Nope. Not encouraging at all.
But thankfully, anger stepped in and kept the apology on Hailey’s lips from spilling out.
“Ego? How is my refusing to take second—no, last place and make the best of it ego driven?”
“You just said it yourself. You have to win, so you have to have first place.”
“Me?” Hailey thumped herself in the chest so hard, she almost fell over. “Are you kidding? You’re the one who won’t walk away from this because you’re afraid to go it alone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he dismissed. He looked derisive, but his hunched shoulders and scowl told her she’d scored a direct hit. “It’s not as simple as leaving a lucrative job for a start-up. If I walk out, I’m giving up my heritage. I’m giving up any future claims on a company that’s been in the family for a half century.”
Maybe it was because she’d never had that kind of familial obligation—and definitely never had anyone in her family feel obligated to her—but Hailey couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
“You’re doing a job you don’t like, at the beck and call of people you say don’t respect you, because...what? You’re afraid you won’t get your share of the pie somewhere down the road?”
“Don’t try to make it sound so stupid.”
“I didn’t have to try.”
Gage ground his teeth, probably to hold back the cussing, but couldn’t keep still. He paced. He grumbled. He did everything but
look at Hailey.
“I just tried to hand you the best of everything, and you’re tossing it aside. You have a bad habit of that, I’ve noticed.”
Nice way to turn it around on her. But Hailey wasn’t playing that game.
“Oh, please. I’ve never had anything handed to me,” she snapped.
“No? What about Merry Widow?”
Before she could tell him how stupid and off base that was, he continued, stepping closer, butting right into her personal space to look down into her face.
“Your old mentor gave you the business. Yes, you had to work hard. You had to make payments. But if it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t have had it.”
“That’s not the same. He and I had an agreement. One that if he were alive would mean I could walk out this door and not have to deal with you, this stupid contract or jumping through any of these ridiculous hoops.” Hailey dropped back onto her heels, a little surprised—and a tiny bit ashamed—to realize that last had been offered at a full-on scream, from tiptoes so she could better get in his face.
Hmm. Maybe she had a few issues to resolve.
“Right. You had an understanding. You with obligations on your end. Him with obligations on his end. He didn’t meet his, did he?”
“He met his obligations,” she retorted, biting off the words. Eric would never have deliberately hurt her.
“Why didn’t he draw up a contract for the purchase of the business, then? Why do you, all of a sudden, have to fork over the remaining balance if you had an agreement?”
“Because his kids—”
“If you had a contract, they couldn’t do a damned thing.”
Hailey pressed her lips together, trying not to burst into tears.
She’d trusted Eric. Just like she’d believed her father when he said she was always his little girl and had faith in her mother’s vow to keep their family together.
But Eric, her mentor, her friend, her confidant, hadn’t wanted to put it in writing because it’d upset his kids if they found it. And he didn’t want to deal with their drama, as he put it.
Hailey should have insisted.
She should have pushed.
But she’d been so grateful to have the business, so grateful to be making her dream a reality, that she hadn’t wanted to rock the boat. As always, she hadn’t wanted to ruin a good thing by appearing greedy.
By trying to take care of herself.
When would she learn that nobody, ever, put her needs over their wants?
“Will you please leave?” she asked, near tears.
“No. We need to settle this.”
“I don’t want to discuss it. I don’t want to talk to you.” She clenched her jaw to keep her lips from trembling, but couldn’t keep the tears from filling her eyes.
“Hailey—”
“Just go. I can say my goodbyes to Rudy without you. You’ve done enough. You can’t give up this account—even though you admit my designs are better—because you won’t get your perfect outcome wrapped in a perfect ribbon and your daddy won’t love you anymore. Fine.”
Before he could respond, before she rushed to apologize for the unfairness of her words, she waved him away.
“Please. Go.”
“We haven’t settled this.” Gage’s hand was warm on her shoulder as he tried to turn her to face him, but she shrugged it off. “There’s more between us than just some silly business issue. Don’t throw this away, Hailey.”
She took a deep breath, then another to try to control her sobs. She’d never felt so good as she did with him. So wanted. But she couldn’t be with him. Not now. It took all her strength, but she forced herself to turn and face Gage.
“We’re through. Whatever we might have had, or could have been, it’s over now.” She gave a tiny, helpless sort of shrug. “Call it a quirk of mine. I don’t want anything to do with the person responsible for pounding that final nail in my business’s coffin.”
Unable to resist, she indulged herself one last time by reaching out to cup her hand against his cheek. His eyes full of anger and pain, Gage leaned into her fingers, turning just a little to nuzzle a kiss against her palm.
It was too much. Hailey had to go.
Without looking at him again, she pulled her hand away, skirted around him and ran through the open door at the far end of the boardroom so fast, she was surprised she didn’t fall and break her neck.
She’d leave. Oh, God, she wanted to leave. But she had to be a good businesswoman. Smart women didn’t burn bridges. She had to say her goodbyes, leave on a good impression.
But she couldn’t until she got hold of herself.
Telling herself to get a grip, the sooner she stopped freaking out, the sooner she could get the hell out of here and go home, she hurried through the small anteroom she’d left her lingerie samples and supplies in. She shut the door behind her, blocking off Gage and the boardroom.
And almost screamed, her boots skidding across the carpet as she tried to stop her forward momentum.
“Cherry?” Hailey winced. She’d had no idea the other woman was even there. After how many attempts to get the torch singer to show up and listen to one of her brilliant pitches, and she finally did. And what did Hailey do? Have a total emotional breakdown, throw over her lover and kiss her career goodbye. All in one screaming match.
Lovely.
“You’re smart to let him go,” the other woman said, her voice huskier than usual.
Hailey was about to agree when she looked closer at Cherry. Dark grooves circled her eyes. Her skin had a pallid cast, made all the worse by the ugly overhead fluorescent lights. Despite the misery coursing through her, it was all Hailey could do not to go over, wrap her arms around the woman and pull her into a tight hug.
“It’s none of my business, but are you okay?”
Hailey waited to be rebuffed. Just because Cherry had just been privy to her personal humiliation didn’t make them bosom buddies.
“I feel bad. I didn’t realize how much you had on the line with this deal,” Cherry said, not looking at Hailey as she ran her hand over the heavy satin of a forties-inspired nightgown.
“My future was riding on it,” Hailey said quietly. Not to add any pressure to the woman, but for crying out loud, maybe it would be nice if people started considering someone else for a change in this little scenario. Rudy was all about self-indulgence. Cherry was totally self-absorbed. And Gage? Hailey ground her teeth together. Well, he was simply greedy and selfish.
So despite her dislike for emotional manipulation, she gave Cherry a direct look. “I have a dozen people who are depending on me, on my business, for their jobs. They have kids, families to support. We’ve put everything into this, and I really, really think Merry Widow is the best choice for this contract.”
Cherry’s nod was slow, her sigh deep.
“You’re right. It is best.” Then, with a loud swallow, she sighed again. “Actually, I’ve been on the fence, but today pushed me over. I’m not going to do the spokesmodel gig.”
Oh, hell.
Hailey wanted to cry.
Or scream.
Screaming would be good.
But she only screamed inside her head. Never outside, where someone might hear her and be upset.
God forbid Hailey upset anyone with her petty personal issues.
But dammit, she’d tried so hard. She’d banked everything on this. She’d truly believed she’d get it, that all she needed was to get Cherry on her side.
And now?
Now it didn’t matter. Rudy had already decided on Milano. Without Cherry’s vote, he’d simply do what he wanted.
Still, Hailey dropped to a chair, her butt hitting the hard wood surface with a thump.
She was done.
It was
over.
“I’m sorry,” Cherry murmured, her voice seeming to come from much farther away than just across the room.
Hailey shrugged. She tried to pull out her brave face. Shouldn’t be hard, right? She seemed to live in it. But she couldn’t. Not this time.
She tried to find some happy words to brush off the whole thing, to make Cherry feel better.
But she couldn’t. Not this time.
This time, she really wanted to scream.
On the outside.
“I needed this,” she murmured instead. “I knew Rudy would take the sexy sell. That was pretty much a given once Milano got mixed up in the deal. But I needed this.”
“You thought I was your answer.” Cherry’s statement wasn’t a question. It was a simple acceptance. “You figured I’d see the merits of your line versus the leather.”
“Didn’t you?” Hailey lifted her head from her hands to stare through dull eyes.
Cherry nodded. “Yes. Of course I did. Given the scope of the launch and the variety your designs offered, I felt yours would be the much stronger line to feature.”
Hailey tried to find some comfort in that.
All her life, she’d searched for the silver lining, holding tight to it when she was being deluged by the cloud. But this time, the lining meant nothing. It could have been pure gold, and it still wouldn’t have helped her.
“Why’d you drag this out? Why’d you let Rudy, let me, think you were on board? Why couldn’t you have just been honest from the beginning and said you didn’t want me?”
Hailey winced as those last words escaped, knowing they weren’t Cherry’s to own. They were more a summary of every freaking time she’d been screwed over in her life. By her mom, who was always off chasing her dream, running after the next exciting thing and too busy to care about her daughter. By her father, who’d built his new life and liked to pretend that Hailey was a part of it, but who never—ever—tried to make her one of the family. By her mentor, who’d sworn he’d file the paperwork for the business.