Why was Felicity even talking to this dude?
Austin walked out to Felicity’s desk, where she appeared to be hurrying Kevin out of the office. Purse on her arm, she looked a little sheepish when Austin approached them.
“Austin Fortune.” He extended a hand.
* * *
Felicity should’ve stuck to her guns and met Kevin downstairs, despite his need for the bathroom.
She knew that now.
“We’ve met,” Kevin said in his overly enthusiastic wheeler-dealer tone as he accepted Austin’s hand and clapped him on the back. “Austin, my man, don’t crush me and say you don’t remember me. I’m Kevin Clooney.”
“I remember you, Kevin. You’re hard to forget.”
Kevin laughed, obviously taking Austin’s words as a compliment. Felicity, however, could read her boss and could sense the waves of irritation rippling off him.
Austin glanced at Felicity and furrowed his brow. She frowned and bit her bottom lip, trying to telepath an apology.
“It’s good to see you again, man,” Kevin said, as if he was Austin’s long lost best friend.
Austin didn’t reply to him. Instead he turned to her. “Felicity, don’t forget we have the final walk through at the Roosevelt Hotel tomorrow evening.”
This time Felicity was the one to arch a brow at him. She knew he’d just come up with this fieldtrip because it wasn’t on the calendar. “Of course,” she said. “How could I forget?”
“We are preparing for the Fortune Investment charity gala, Kevin,” Austin said. “This is an important event for our family foundation. Felicity has been instrumental in organizing the event for the past several years. It keeps her very busy.”
This was obviously for Kevin’s benefit. Austin was blocking off her schedule and making sure Kevin knew it. She wasn’t sure which irritated her more, Kevin’s aggressive approach or Austin’s passive aggressiveness. Either way, she hated being stuck in the middle.
“Cool. So, Austin, I have another business proposition I want to run by you. Can I get on your schedule this week?”
Felicity fumed. The guy really was obtuse.
“Kevin, we need to go,” she said.
“As I just said,” Austin interjected, “I’m slammed until after the gala and even after that I’m pretty sure I’m booked.”
“It’ll only take a minute. It’s an opportunity I know you won’t want to miss. I’m sure Felicity could fit me in. Let me buy you breakfast. Ya gotta eat.”
“Actually, I have to make a call.” Austin pinned Felicity with a pointed look and turned around and walked away.
“But, hey, if you’re busy, I get it,” Kevin called out. “I’ll be in touch. Talk soon.”
Felicity was silent as Kevin talked nonstop in the elevators down to the first floor. Once they were outside, she stopped in front of the doors.
“Kevin, did you come inside so you could pitch your business idea to Austin?”
“I came inside to pick you up for our date, like any gentleman would do.” He was being prickly. Maybe he wasn’t as obtuse as Felicity had thought. “I had no idea that he would be in the office. But he was, so I took the opportunity. Don’t tell me you’re mad. How can you be mad at that?”
She wasn’t mad. She was furious. She had to take a minute to collect herself so she didn’t go off on him.
Kevin filled the silence. In what she was beginning to recognize as true Kevin Clooney fashion, his reaction was dramatic and completely unapologetic. “Not everyone is as fortunate as the almighty Fortunes. I won’t apologize for being ambitious. I bet if you went back to the days before Miles Fortune made his money, he probably had to stick his neck out and take opportunities when he could get them, too. And then you have Austin Fortune—”
Don’t say it. Do not talk about Austin. Do not even hint that he was handed everything.
“The guy was born holding the silver spoon—”
Felicity snapped. “Do not talk about Austin. I have seen few people work as hard as he does. So, don’t even go there. The guy hardly has a life outside of this building.”
“Look, don’t get salty. I am not doubting that the guy works hard. What I was going to say was, you’d think a guy who was born into privilege—” Kevin held out his hand like a traffic cop, effectively stopping Felicity from interrupting “—because he was born into it—good, bad, or whatever, you can’t dispute that fact. I’d think that if he had any decency, he would want to pay his good fortune forward. Any decent person would.”
“Look—” Felicity started, but Kevin’s hand went out again and it was starting to annoy her.
“All I’m saying is the best way he could pay it forward would be to help an ambitious, hardworking businessperson like me.”
Felicity put her hands on her hips. “I am going to ask you one thing, Kevin, and I want you to tell me the truth. And then we are not going to mention Austin again tonight, or I am going to turn around and walk away. Do you understand me?”
Kevin nodded and looked slightly annoyed. “What’s your question?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’d met Austin before?”
Kevin’s brows knit. “Because you never asked?”
Tired of his patronizing tone, she turned around and walked away.
“Felicity, come back. I’m sorry. It’s a good thing I didn’t mention it since it seems to piss you off when I do talk about him.”
Felicity whirled around. “Let’s get a couple of things straight, Kevin. First, Austin Fortune—or any of the Fortunes, for that matter—do not owe you anything. They are decent people who give back more than their fair share to their community. And the other thing is, you will not use me to get to my boss. That’s what pisses me off.”
Kevin gave her the big-eyed innocent look, which made Felicity even more mad. Body Language 101.
“I think it’s best for us to call it a night,” she said.
She turned to walk to her car.
“You really want to know why I didn’t tell you?”
Felicity kept walking.
“Let’s go get some dinner and I’ll tell you why I didn’t mention I knew your boss.”
When Felicity hesitated, he said, “If it makes you feel better, you can drive yourself and leave whenever you want. But please hear me out.”
Chapter Eight
The next morning, Austin got into the office earlier than usual, even before Felicity, which had happened maybe three or four times since she had been working for him. Last night, he hadn’t been able to sleep thinking about what had transpired in the office right before Felicity had left for the day.
He had tossed and turned, debating whether or not he should sit Felicity down and tell her exactly what Kevin Clooney was all about, or at least Austin’s perception of the guy. And in all fairness, being ambitious wasn’t a crime. Austin knew that.
However, he wanted to make sure Felicity knew Kevin’s game so she could make sure the guy wasn’t just using her as an entrée into Fortune Investments. But that sounded smug, even to his own ears. God, it even sounded disrespectful. She was a beautiful woman. Clearly, access to Fortune Investments financing wasn’t the only reason Kevin was interested in her. And that was a problem. If Felicity was dating the guy, it meant that she was taken. Austin would never know if his feelings for her were real or if they had sprung from the very real fact that he couldn’t have her.
He wanted her to be happy.
She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Felicity had been working for a temp agency and had come to Fortune Investments to help him out on a temporary basis. He’d been a wreck. His life had been a mess after things had fallen apart with Kelly. He needed someone to help him get his act together, because he couldn’t even think straight after the divorce.
The minute Felicity walked in, not onl
y did she have an instant calming effect on him, but she had also been damn good at what she did: untangling his life and freeing up his mind so that he could focus on what he did best—make money for Fortune Investments. God knew he had no choice but to work his ass off because he’d had to pay back his father for the financial hole that Kelly had left him in. Which brought him full circle.
Since Kelly, Felicity had been the only person outside of his family he had allowed himself to trust. He trusted her without a doubt. So, he was certain when it came to Kevin Clooney, she would protect the interests of Fortune Investments.
But when it came to matters of the heart...that was a little unclear.
About a half hour later, Felicity arrived. Austin stood. He had already decided that it would be best just to rip the bandage off and go out and talk to her, rather than letting things sit and fester. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning.” She looked like she’d had about the same quality of sleep as he had. “Austin, I’m so sorry about yesterday.” Her voice shook, and his heart clenched at the sound of it. He hated to see her look so torn up, but he also needed to make sure she understood why he’d acted toward Kevin the way he had.
“Do you want to come into my office and talk?” he offered.
“I do.” Her voice was soft, and she looked subdued as she twisted in her chair, then stood.
Today, she was wearing a pale yellow dress that made him think of sunshine. He wished this dark cloud would pass and the sun would come out again. In due time.
“Austin, I didn’t know that Kevin had met you before, and I certainly didn’t know he had pitched you a business idea in the past. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let him pick me up at work. He was the one who suggested it, because I told him I needed to work late. But I told him that going forward, any talk about business would have to go through you. There will be no suggesting that I slide him onto your schedule, unless you tell me to slide him on.”
“Does that mean you’re going to keep seeing him?” Austin knew he had no right to ask.
He was edging into dangerous territory, but at the moment, he didn’t give a damn.
Felicity blinked. “I don’t know.”
Austin blinked. “Either you are or you aren’t going to see him. It’s a simple question.” Dammit. He could hear his tone, but the feelings inside him were like a living beast trying to get out.
She stared at him with wide brown eyes. So much for showing her the softer side of himself.
“Why do you need to know that, Austin?” she asked. “Is there a reason? Is there something you want to say to me?”
He scrubbed his hand over his face. There was so much he wanted to say to her. So much he wanted to do. He wanted to pull her up from the chair, straight into his arms and taste those lips that were going to be the death of him if he didn’t get to taste them soon.
But he couldn’t do that anymore than he could demand to know if she intended to keep seeing Kevin Clooney or forbid her from seeing him again.
“What is there to say?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I have no idea. You are confusing me, Austin.”
That’s because he was confused. He had no idea what these feelings were or where they came from. The best thing he could do was change the subject.
“Look, I know you well enough to know you would never do anything that would put Fortune Investments in jeopardy. I have to be judicious with the investment proposals that I bring to the board. I don’t want Kevin pressuring you to get to me, when I don’t even know if I can help him. That’s why I need to know if you’re going to continue seeing him.”
Felicity nodded, and Austin thought he glimpsed disappointment in her eyes. He couldn’t make sense of it. She didn’t even seem to like the guy.
“Kevin is purchasing a table at the foundation gala.”
“Why?” Austin asked.
Felicity frowned at him. “Why does anyone buy a table at a charity event like this, Austin? He’s doing it to support your family’s foundation. You can’t very well turn him away. Besides, I’m the one who will be making the biggest sacrifice. His stipulation for buying the table was that I would be his date to the gala.”
“You should’ve said no.”
“Well, I didn’t. And you can at least act decent and grateful about it.”
Her words were a punch to the gut. Austin regarded her for a moment. Then he straightened, pulling himself together. “You’re right. If he wants to contribute to the cause, we’ll gladly take his check. But you do not have to be his date. That’s a slimy stipulation to attach to a charity donation.”
Felicity shrugged. “Of course, I told him that I would be up and down from the table because I’ll be working that night.”
Austin’s eyes widened, and he smiled conspiratorially. “Yeah, unfortunately, I think you’re going to be pretty darn busy that night.”
“You realize it means you’ll have to be nice to him, right?” She smiled, but her words were one hundred percent the truth.
“Of course, I’ll be on my best behavior.” He smiled, too, but he wasn’t sure it reached his eyes. She looked at him for a moment, as if she wanted to say something.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“No, tell me. After all these years one of the best things about you and me is that we can be real with each other.”
“All right, you really want to know?”
He nodded.
“I was thinking that you can be a real piece of work.”
“Well, you know me better than most people. So, it’s probably true.”
She laughed, and it sounded like music.
Another good thing about them was that even when they disagreed, they always tried to leave things in a good place. Married couples could borrow that page from their playbook. For a moment, his future flashed before his eyes. The two of them, married, with the kids, the dog, the house with the white picket fence. Felicity in his bed every night. Her face would be the last thing he saw when he went to sleep at night and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning. Kevin was not part of that picture—
“Don’t forget, you have Macks Cole’s art show opening tonight.”
“Right, but first I have an appointment with my father to talk about creating an advertising position. Do you know anyone who might be interested?”
* * *
It had been a long day and Felicity was glad to be home. After the date with Kevin, she had barely slept because she’d been afraid Austin would tell her Fortune Investments no longer needed her services. He couldn’t fire her because she’d already given her notice, but he could’ve made her notice effective immediately.
Instead, he’d caught her off guard and shared the news that he was talking to Miles about her promotion. The guy was full of surprises. Especially when he’d said the part about the best thing about you and me... Her breath caught again, the same way it had when he’d said the words. She reveled in the idea that he thought in terms of you and me. That in his mind, there was an Austin and Felicity category.
That’s why her heart belonged to him, because, well, he was Austin. Despite his quirky ways and his dark moods, she knew his heart was in the right place—if not exactly in the place she wanted it.
Kevin, on the other hand, was a strange puzzle. Just when she thought she was ready to write him off, he surprised her. When she’d pressed him, he told her he had met Austin before and that Austin had turned down his business proposal. Everything he said matched up with what Austin said, but Felicity found it troublesome that she’d had to ask.
He hadn’t volunteered the information. Felicity’s gut was telling her that he wouldn’t have told her if she hadn’t asked. But he had to know that she would find out when he finally came face-to-face with Austin.
>
Still, even though she realized the connection when Kevin spoke to Austin, he had managed to get in front of him again—for what it was worth. If he’d told Felicity about the connection, she would’ve never let him come up.
It cast a pall on the evening. Felicity had considered calling it off even before the date started. Then Kevin played the FI charity ball card. He would buy a table if Felicity went out with him and would be his fate to the gala. So, she took one for the team and tried her hardest to make the most of the evening.
The gala was right around the corner. She didn’t have to see him again after that. And she shouldn’t because her heart just wasn’t in it.
How could it be when it belonged to someone else?
Someone else who had a date with another woman this evening. The thought of Austin with beautiful Macks made her stomach queasy. The best thing she could do would be to keep busy.
Felicity looked out the window and saw Maia’s car in the driveway. She let herself out the back of her duplex and knocked on Maia’s door. Through the French door, she could see Maia wave her in. The phone was pressed to her ear and she appeared to be talking to someone about hair color.
“Candice, I’m sorry you aren’t happy with the color,” Maia said. “When you asked me to blend your gray with the rest of your hair, I thought you meant you wanted an overall gray look. You know that’s very trendy right now. We could even put a lavender tint on it and you’d look very chic.”
Maia flinched and held the phone away from her ear. “Candice—Candice—” She rolled her eyes and motioned for Felicity to sit down.
Felicity had the urge to grab the phone and tell Candice to be quiet and let Maia make it right. She would, which was exactly the reason Felicity was there to talk to her.
“Candice, listen to me, please. If you’re unhappy. I’m happy to fix it. No charge. I want you to be happy, Candice. I was just offering you options by suggesting the lavender—I understand. Yes. Right. I hear you. Why don’t you come in tomorrow at nine o’clock and I’ll get you all fixed up?”
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