I supposed not sharing my past made her a little edgy. But with Jonah on my mind, I couldn’t quite repeat the words as they lodged in my throat. “Have a good day at work.”
“What are you doing?” she asked.
I glanced at my phone. Along with Paige, I hadn’t been in communication with Chance. I supposed I owed him a visit as well. “Chance and I are getting together today.”
“Well, I should go.” She kissed me on the cheek and walked out of my bedroom.
I leaned against my pillows and listened for my front door to close before grabbing my phone. I didn’t want to make myself a liar, so I texted Chance.
What are you doing today?
Rotting, he replied right away.
He was on the same page with me in getting up early. A habit from the school year. Though, if Paige were still with me, I would stay in bed all day with her.
Want to meet up? I asked.
I thought you’d never ask. Fishing?
I hesitated. We hadn’t gone fishing since Spring Break. I didn’t need to clear my mind, since Jonah tended to creep into my thoughts when I did, but I wasn’t about to refuse him after I’d ignored him since finals.
I’ll get some food on the way over?
He responded: The greasier, the better.
I shoved the covers off me and opened another text message to Paige. I wasn’t going to make her anxious about our relationship anymore. I was going to take it a day at a time and tell her how I felt when I felt it. Whatever came after that would be left to the unknown future. I only hoped neither of us would break at the end.
I stopped at Whole Foods on the way to the harbor. I picked up enough food to feed ten men and lugged it over to the harbor. Chance and I weren’t expert fishermen by any means, but we enjoyed the rhythm of fishing. We could be silent for ages or talk the entire time. I knew with my lack of communication, today would be the latter. He had a right to want to talk to me. We were friends, but lately, the distance between us had grown as secrets threatened to break apart the few relationships I currently had in my life.
Chance was already at the harbor when I arrived. Two large fishing rods leaned against the fence next to him. He was still under the impression my apartment was the size of Paige’s former office, so he kept the fishing supplies at his place, while I always brought the food for us. I hoped, as I did for Paige, he never found out about my true past. I wasn’t sure we’d be friends if he knew I’d lied to him about everything.
As much as I disliked lying to Chance, lying to Paige felt a hell of a lot worse. Before her, I didn’t mind the lies if I didn’t get too close. Now, I was as close as I could be to her without an engagement ring—which was the closest I’d ever been to anyone.
Again, my past kept me from moving forward. With Jonah’s deal coming up, there was no way I could reveal anything now.
“Long time no see, man,” Chance said, clapping a hand on my back.
I placed the bags at our feet. “Sorry, I’ve been busy working on Paige’s building.”
“You meet a girl and forget all about your friends?”
His teasing tone was clear, but I knew he was a little upset. Before Paige, I hadn’t been with anyone for more than a few hours. I could see what it looked like from his perspective. Since meeting Paige, I hadn’t been myself, in more ways than he realized.
“Are you going to complain all day, or are we going to fish?” I asked.
We set up our lures and cast them out into the water. We fell into the comfortable rhythm for some time and shot the shit about what we’d been up to in the last two weeks. I hadn’t mentioned giving Paige my warehouse, but it was an unnecessary addition to the conversation which would open an assortment of questions. But I did tell him about my plans for her building.
“Sounds like you miss that part of the job,” he said.
“How so?” I asked.
“You haven’t stopped smiling. I know you have a thing for Paige, but I can hear the passion in your voice. I wish I had a passion like that.”
“For teaching?” I asked, and he snorted.
“I’m only staying for my pension. Then, I’m out of Cornell for good.”
“It’s not all that bad,” I said, casting again. The lure hit the water, and I watched it for a second before reeling it in. We hadn’t caught anything yet, but I wasn’t anxious to. It was nice being with Chance away from campus. I thought his disdain for the students would have gone away a little more, but it was possible he needed a friend to vent to as well.
“Are you still thinking of giving up teaching?” Chance asked.
I hadn’t been explicit about leaving, but I had mentioned it to him. I would use Paige’s building as an excuse, even though I wanted to stay. But it was because of her that I couldn’t. “Yes.”
Chance clicked his tongue. “I wish you’d stay. Is there anything to convince you? You don’t have that many years until your pension. It’s almost a waste to leave it behind.”
Again, with the money. But Chance cared about me. Which made me feel even shittier. “It’s not about the money.”
“I don’t know how you do it, Reese. You live a simple life. I’m surprised you can survive in this city where everything is about cash.”
“Some things are more important.” Like keeping Paige safe. There wasn’t a choice for me when it came to her.
“Do you know what you’re going to do after Paige’s building?” he asked. “Are you going to start your own firm or something?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Are you staying in the city? I’d hate to lose a friend.”
“You’ll never lose me, man.” A lie. I had no idea where I was going after Jonah’s deal. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. The idea of never seeing Paige again or her moving on with her life was a punch to the gut.
He shook his head. “How can you go out there without a plan? Have I rubbed off on you too much? I’m normally the one who doesn’t have the plan. Ever since Paige came along, you haven’t been yourself.”
“I think I’m ready for a change,” I said. “But I need to find the inspiration first.”
“Don’t get all hippy-dippy on me,” he said.
I said nothing as we cast a few more times into the water. The ebb and flow of the choppy waves started to make me a little dizzy. I tore my eyes away from it and looked at the city in front of us. I didn’t want to leave, but I also didn’t want Paige to either. I would always put her happiness over mine, but she’d never know. I wished there was some way to show her that without exposing her to my past. But I wanted her as far away from Jonah as possible.
“I’ll find something,” I finally said. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Oh, I wasn’t,” Chance said. I turned to face him. “I’m worried about not having a wingman.”
I laughed.
He shook his head. “It’s not funny. You’re the handsome, mysterious guy who all the girls want. I reap the benefits. Now, who am I going to prowl the town with?”
“Maybe it’s time for you to stop prowling and dig your feet into the ground to look for someone you get along with more than in the bedroom.”
He frowned. “What’s the fun in that?”
I thought of Paige. “Trust me. There’s a lot of fun once you’ve found the right person.”
“You’re such a terrible liar.”
I sucked in a breath. “What?”
He laughed. “I knew you and Paige were hooking up. I can smell it on you.”
I smirked at him, relieved it was the only thing he knew I lied about.
Chapter 20
After Reese’s insistence that he cared for me more than I previously thought, I decided to test him. As hard as it was not to text him, I wanted him to make an effort if I was going to get into a relationship with him. He hadn’t mentioned it, but it was the logical next step.
I didn’t wait long. Wednesday morning, he texted me to inform me he com
pleted the 3-D design of the building. It surprised me a little, since I only saw the paper drawings on Monday. I supposed without having to work every day in the classroom, his time was well spent; and to my advantage.
We met for lunch on Thursday. I tried not to overthink into it. Normally, we would meet for dinner, and then we’d make love with the possibility of not leaving until the next morning. But Reese had made plans with his friend Chance, and I wasn’t going to be the type of girl who broke up a friendship.
As if he knew what I was thinking, he asked me to go out with him on Friday night. All my fears about our future were dashed away, and I felt silly for worrying. He sealed it with a kiss as well, which made my cheeks and insides burn for him.
I was almost happy I had time to myself on Thursday night. I needed to prepare for my big presentation the next day. I hadn’t told anyone, not even Allison, that I was going to present the rendering of the new building to everyone at the company. I wanted them to be surprised and excited as they headed into their weekend.
Friday morning, I ordered another breakfast spread for the group and had everyone gather near our conference area, a space in the back corner of the room, large enough to fit all their chairs. Marcie and her crew had attached a projector screen, and as I pulled it down, Allison came up to me.
“What is this about?” she asked, stuffing a piece of bagel into her mouth. She rolled her eyes with pleasure. “Other than delicious breakfast.”
“A little surprise,” I said, holding back a smirk.
Her mouth popped open. “You didn’t tell me.”
“You’re allowed to be surprised sometimes too.”
“I don’t like sneaky Paige,” she said.
“Not even when sneaky Paige offers you bagels?” I asked.
She hesitated, eyeing the bagels. If she were a cartoon character, that would have been the moment her jaw dropped and her tongue lolled out.
It was hard to hold back a laugh. “That’s what I thought.”
“Is this about the building?” she asked, polishing off the rest of her bagel. She sucked the cream cheese off her thumb.
“Maybe.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t ask any more questions.
Once everyone settled in their seats, I started with the speech I’d rehearsed the night before. Even though Reese had been right about my employees’ loyalty, I always wanted to present a strong front to them. They had to know their boss could handle everything and would take care of them through anything. Today, they would look into the future of the company and know, without a doubt, there was a future to look forward to. Bringing their lives here wasn’t in vain.
“I’m excited to share with you the rendering of the new permanent space for this company,” I said.
Most of my employees glanced at each other, straightening in their seats. A few excited murmurs flitted through the group.
“I’ve been working with a talented architect who has worked tirelessly to create an aesthetic which represents the best parts of this company to my exact specifications. As a company, we have all come together to build our client list from the ground up. I want to be transparent with you in all aspects and show you the ideas I have for the future, as well as ask for suggestions from all of you.”
I pulled up the rendering of the building on the screen with my laptop. Reese had created a small movie to highlight the exterior of the building on the plot of land I showed him. When I first saw it, my heart soared as high as the massive structure. It was everything I’d dreamed of and more.
The rest of the movie took us through each floor. I hadn’t wanted too much detail, since I still wanted to hear from Marcie when it came to the decor. I made a mental note to send her over the plans so she could get started as well. Everything continued to fall into place, and I could barely hold in my excitement.
When the movie ended, I pulled up the floor plans and went into more detail of their offices, conference rooms, and the lobby. To me, I was most excited about the lobby. The soaring ceilings and welcoming decor would show any clients and competitors that we were a force to be reckoned with in this city.
I had everyone’s attention for almost an hour before I opened the floor for any questions or suggestions. Reese had created a detailed plan, but there was the possibility of missing something when we were so close to the project.
“I’d like to hear feedback from all of you,” I said.
Allison clapped, and everyone joined in.
“Thank you, so much,” I said. “We’ve been working toward this for a long time, and I have all of you to thank for sticking with me through it.”
Peter Malone raised his hand. His arm reached high above the others. I wasn’t sure what suggestions he would have, but I appreciated his input either way. “Paige, this is really great. I’m excited to be a part of this.”
“That’s great to hear,” I said, clasping my trembling hands. Peter almost hadn’t come to the city until Allison offered more money. I wanted him to be pleased with the move, so I listened intently to what he had to say.
His gaze shifted and didn’t quite meet mine. “I’m wondering if you’re having any problems with competition in the state.”
My blood went cold, but I kept my expression neutral, as if everything was okay within me, even though my mind buzzed. Had I become too complacent? Reese said he took care of the guys threatening my business. Did I need to ask him to do it again? I hated to rely on him that way, but I hadn’t had any luck defending myself against them before.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said to Peter. “There is a lot of competition here, but we’ve managed to thrive despite it.”
He had my attention and everyone else’s, but it seemed as if that wasn’t what he wanted. He almost looked nervous, from the way his shoulders slumped, and the corners of his mouth tugged downward.
“A man approached me last night when I was on my way home,” Peter said.
Everyone turned their attention to him.
Allison’s gaze cut to mine, but I leaned forward, showing Peter my support. It was a good thing I was sitting, since I felt a tingling in my bones at the thought of someone threatening my employees. How did they know who worked for me? Did they know about the warehouse?
“What did he say?” I probed.
“He wanted to know about the building. The new one. He knew I worked for you. He wanted to know specifics about it. The location, the structure, everything.”
“What did you say?” Allison asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. The guy looked scary as hell. He was big, with tons of tattoos all over his body. He didn’t look like another investment person, so I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. It was a good thing the train stopped at that moment because I ran out as soon as the doors opened.”
Everyone looked to me for a response. I took a breath, trying to calm my buzzing insides. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. There are always going to be people in the way. But we’re not going to be intimidated. There are a lot of seedy business people among us in this city, but we’re going to rise above because we are doing everything right.”
I hated that someone found Peter outside of work and pushed to know more about the project. I recalled the meeting with Jonah and his thugs, and I shivered. I pulled my sweater around me, pretending to be cold, while not showing them how scared I was.
After the meeting, I emailed our IT department and asked if they could set up temporary cameras outside the building. I wanted to tell Reese about them, but I didn’t want him to worry. All day, I went back and forth, trying to decide if I should tell him or not. I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t handle it, but I really couldn’t. I’d let my guard down, and that was what happened.
I debated on hiring a car service for the employees, but I knew if those thugs wanted to find my employees, they would. Even so, I priced out several, and I also checked out a few carpool services. But then, I wondered if they wouldn’t f
eel safe if they knew I wanted to protect them.
All day, my stomach churned with fear. The nervousness I’d experienced during the search for an architect came back full force. I tried to appear calm, but apparently, I didn’t do too good of a job.
When everyone had left for the day, Allison approached me. Since she’d been there for most of the threats against my business, I felt comfortable enough to tell her what was on my mind. “I can’t believe this is still happening.”
“Me neither,” she said. “It seems as if they’re not going away.”
I shook my head. “I thought this was all taken care of once we signed Reese to work on the building. Will it ever end? Or will I have to fight until I retire?”
“Maybe when the building is up, they’ll stop.”
We both knew that wasn’t going to happen. The pipe dream had burst, and I was left with the leaking sewage inside.
“Is this worth it?” I asked, voicing my deepest fears. “Should I just give up?”
“No way,” she said. “You’re stronger than that. You inspired all these people to pick up their lives and live here with you. To work for you. You’re not going to let the haters get in the way of any of our dreams.”
I rubbed my temples. “I don’t know what to do.”
“How about talking to Reese again? You said he handled it the first time. Maybe they need a little more convincing.” Allison smacked her fist against her other palm in a fighting gesture.
I had no idea what Reese had done to get those thugs off my back the first time. I wasn’t sure I could ask him to do it again. I hated relying on anyone, but this was getting a little out of hand.
“When are you seeing him again?” Allison asked.
“Tonight, for dinner.”
Allison raised an eyebrow and checked her watch. “What time is dinner?”
“Six,” I said, staring at my desk. The whole thing had me conflicted.
“You mean, in five minutes?” she asked.
“What?” I asked, glancing at the clock in the corner of my computer screen. She was right. With the stress of the day, I’d spaced on the time. I shot out of my chair and raced across the room to grab my purse from the hook.
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