The room freezes, and everyone goes quiet.
Asher clears his throat and glares at me. Maybe I’ve finally lost my mind. The rest of the team exchanges glances, not sure how to react to my outburst.
“Did you have a question about the projections?” Mr. McDaniels asks, unfazed by me. I’m not sure he can’t read basic social cues.
“I have a question about your integrity.” I stand up, and my chair scoots back and falls backward with a loud thud. “You’re twenty-six years old, and you think human connection needs to be moreefficient? When’s the last time you had a conversation that wasn’t about market penetration?”
“Nicola—” Asher starts.
“No.” I’m already moving toward the door. “We’re not marketing this. We’re not promoting anything that makes people lonelier than they already are.”
The silence behind me is deafening. I know what they’re thinking. Nick Banks, the ice-cold closer, has feelings. They’re treating me like I’m crashing out. Maybe I am.
I’m halfway to the elevator when Asher catches up to me. He’s the only person in this high-rise building who isn’t afraid of me.
“That was the most dramatic fucking exit I’ve ever seen you make.” He falls into step beside me. “Reminds me of when you used to play hockey and your testosterone was out of control.”
“Not now, Ash.”
“Oh, definitely now.” He clenches his teeth. “You just torpedoed a ten-billion-dollar deal because you’re suddenly concerned about human connections. We need to talk.”
The elevator opens. I step in, and Asher follows, hitting the button for the top floor, where our offices are.
When we’re alone, he turns to me. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m not working with that entitled prick,” I explain as we ride to the top.
When the doors open, I step out and move to my office. Everything is exactly where I left it yesterday. Papers and file folders are scattered across my desk. I take a seat and then log in to my computer. If I don’t acknowledge him, hopefully, he’ll disappear.
I glance up at Asher, and based on his expression, I know he’s pissed.
“I’m putting you on leave.”
My brows furrow. “You can’t do that.”
Asher may be the CEO of this company, but I helped start it with Eden. When she passed away, she left it to Asher and me to manage. My little brother is levelheaded and not as irrational as I tend to be, which is saying a lot, considering he takes more risks than anyone I know. However, it’s always calculated and not built on emotion. Asher quickly figures out the probability of the outcome he desires the most and gives his full self to every project he commits to. Eden chose him to help keep me grounded. Asher is intelligent, a built-in fail-safe.
“It’s effective immediately,” he continues.
“That’s extreme, don’t you think?”
“Actually, I don’t. You need to figure out what the hell is going on with you. The way you acted back there is unaccept?—”
“Asher, I?—”
“Look.” He holds his hand up. “You’ve been walking around with a chip on your shoulder for months now. Anytime I try to talk to you about it, you blow it off. Either you need to get laid or go on vacation. Maybe both. You figure it out. Consider this payback for you forcing me to do the same a few months ago.”
I roll my eyes at him. “That was different. You were starting shit with the Calloway family. You know they?—”
He continues talking over me. “I’ll decide when you can return.”
“Do not do this to me right now. I have projects that are important.”
Asher doesn’t seem to give two shits about any of it.
“At this point, I don’t want to see your face in here until November first. We have an investors meeting on the second. Don’t return before then.”
“November? That’s six and a half weeks from now.”
