Which is why it’ll take more than a simple apology to win her back.
“Are you ready?” Beck asks, pinning a microphone to my collar.
“No.” Not even close.
He smirks. “Nervous?”
I cut my eyes at him but don’t bother responding because the answer is obvious. I’m in way over my head. Completely out of my element, and we both know it.
Nervous energy coils in my muscles and my palms are sweating like it’s the Fourth of July. “Think the sweaters are too much?”
“Nah. They’re on point.”
Oreo must agree because she yips in approval, flouncing around at our feet as if she can’t wait to get this show on the road.
That makes one of us.
This is going to be the smartest or stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
No matter how it turns out, I know one thing for damn sure. I’ll never forget it.
Beck claps me on the back as the band winds down. “You’ve got this.”
Easy for him to say. He’s not the one loaded down with flowers and balloons and a metric ton of guilt. Or maybe it’s fear. I’m too fucking nervous to tell the difference right now.
The song ends and there’s a round of raucous applause from the crowd. When it finally dies off, the lead singer’s voice carries through the speakers, crisp and smooth.
“Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re excited to be here celebrating with y’all.” He pauses and there’s another round of applause. “We’ve played clubs. We’ve played amphitheaters. But we’ve never played a corporate event before. This is pretty damn cool, which is why I’d like to thank the woman who made it happen. Where’re you at, Scarlett Evans?”
An excited murmur passes through the atrium, but I barely hear it over the buzzing in my ears.
“There she is,” the singer drawls. “Get on up here, Scarlett! We’ve got a little surprise for you.”It’s showtime.“Why don’t y’all give the lady a hand?”
There’s short, polite applause this time.
“Break a leg,” Beck whispers, stepping aside so Oreo and I can pass.
I pull the curtain back and step onto the stage, heart slamming against my rib cage. Scarlett’s back is to me, which is probably a good thing, because she doesn’t see the balloons get caught in the curtain, or that I damn near face-plant in front of the entire company when Oreo darts through my legs like she’s just seen a dog biscuit.
There’s a smattering of laughter from the front row, but I ignore it. If I so much as look at the crowd, I’ll lose my nerve.
“As I said, we’ve got a surprise for you.” The singer winks at Scarlett, giving her a mischievous grin as he jerks his chin in my direction. “But why don’t you see for yourself?”
Scarlett turns, a brilliant smile lighting her face, and damn if she doesn’t look gorgeous. Her hair is pinned back with two barrettes and loose curls cascade over her shoulders. She’s wearing a short red dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a black patent leather belt with pointy black heels.
At the sight of me, her eyes grow wide and her smile falters.
That fading smile guts me. Not because my pride is on the line, but because I’m the one who put that doubt on her face. In her heart.
I hurt her. The woman I love. And for what? Because I was too damn stubborn to see what was right in front of my face? Because I was too busy living in the past to dream of a better future?
If she shoots me down in front of all these people, it’s no less than I deserve, but damn, I hope Scarlett believes in second chances because I’m thinking I just might believe in them myself.
“What are you doing, Nick?” She takes a tentative step forward, giving me a slow once-over. I’m sure I look ridiculous. Like every Valentine’s cliché I made fun of during our meetings—right down to the matching red sweaters Oreo and I are wearing—but I know nothing short of an epic sacrifice will be enough to win Scarlett over. “Shouldn’t you be upstairs working on the Epos launch?”
I smile and it’s not the wolfish grin that puts my competitors on edge. It’s a soft smile reserved for Scarlett, one only she can coax out of me with her sweet lips and snarky tongue. “Some things are more important than business.”
Oreo barks wholeheartedly and plants her ass on the ground like she knows she’s got the best seat in the house.
