The workmen had finished, and Jeremy joined them in the space he’d delineated to inspect the installation. A shining, U-shaped white counter separated the space from the rest of the gym. Sleek, black-and-steel menu holders rested on top, and Carter had provided glossy menus with all the juices and snacks. Gleaming stainless steel wrapped around the bottom and fronted the cases holding the grab-and-go items. To the right were the glass-door refrigerated cabinets for all the juices which would be delivered the next day.
“Great job, guys. It looks exactly like I’d hoped it would.”
“Thanks. All we need is your signature on the second page.” The lanky crew foreman handed him the work order and waited while Jeremy scanned the pages. Everything looked in order.
“Thanks for everything.”
“Jeremy.” At the sound of his name, Jeremy turned to see a beaming Carter waving to him from the front door.
“This looks amazing.” Carter traversed the space with Jeremy trailing at his heels and stopped at the front to run his hand over the smooth countertop. The work crew had finished packing up their tools and were carefully sweeping up the debris. “This countertop is perfect. I knew the black, white, and steel was the best choice.”
“Yeah.”
Carter’s assessing gaze swept over him. “What’s wrong?”
Unwilling to put his private business on public display, Jeremy tipped his head to the side. “Have a second?”
“Yeah, sure.” Walking swiftly toward his office, Jeremy didn’t want to see Gino or Benny or Chelsea. He’d talked to Noah about the breakup and they had a dinner planned but he needed someone now. Noah, however, had patients scheduled. So he’d talk to Carter, who was peripherally connected to Blake. They entered the office, and he closed the door behind him.
“Blake and I broke up.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.” Carter sat on the sofa. “What happened? From everything I’d heard, things were going great.”
“Yeah, I have no idea. One minute we’re fine, and the next he said he didn’t want to see me anymore. Have you seen him around Michelle’s lately?”
“No, we haven’t.” Carter’s dark brows knit together in thought. “In fact, remember when I told you Michelle hadn’t heard from him?” At Jeremy’s nod, Carter continued. “I overheard her talking to Evan about him and that she was annoyed he’d refused all their invitations. It might be tax time, but that doesn’t mean he has to cut himself off from people altogether.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Jeremy leaned against the desk. “Yeah. I can’t believe everyone is slaving away at fourteen-hour days. It’s nuts.”
“Have you tried to tell him that?”
“He won’t talk to me. Won’t return my texts or anything. It’s like he wants to cut me out of his life as if we never existed.”
“That sucks. I know when Reed and I were going through a rough patch, it was because I refused to admit to myself that I cared about him. But you guys don’t have that issue. I wish I could help you more.” Carter stood to leave.
“I wish you could too. But it’s been weeks already with not a single word, so I guess it’s time to accept defeat and move on. Come on, I’ll see you out.” Jeremy walked with Carter from his office to the reception area. When they reached the front, Jeremy stuck out his hand. “Thanks for everything. We’re going to do a soft launch here next week and then a party to get people in the neighborhood to stop by.”
“Great idea. Maybe offer membership discounts as well.” Carter hesitated. “You know, from everything I’ve seen about you since we started working on this deal together, you’re not the kind of guy who accepts defeat. That’s not a word I thought was even in your vocabulary. Think about that.” He pushed open the door and was gone, leaving Jeremy to contemplate his words.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Idon’t know,Cassie. I don’t think I can take much more of this.” On the early morning train to Great Neck, Blake sat huddled in the corner of his seat, talking to the only person he’d told the truth. Not about Jeremy, though. That he kept tucked inside his heart. “I’ve looked everywhere for another job, but there’s nothing. At least that I’m seeing.”
A quiet sigh escaped her. “I hate to say it, but I think there’s something going on. I overheard a huge argument between Harvey and Scott the other day, and your name was mixed up in it.”
Dread trickled through him. So he wasn’t crazy. “They blackballed me, right?”
“Well, not technically. But I know Harvey was furious when he found out they were giving you less than stellar references.”
The phone slipped from Blake’s sweaty palm. “Sorry, I dropped you. I knew something was wrong.”
“And Harvey defended you. He wants to call a partners’ meeting to make a formal inquiry into your firing.”
“And?” Hope bubbled up.
“And Scott laughed at him, but Harvey refused to be deterred. You may end up getting your old job back yet.”
“Hold on a sec. The train is pulling in.” It lurched to a stop, and Blake tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder and hurried out of the station to the street. The wind whipped his scarf around his neck, and his hands grew cold. He had just enough time to grab a quick something for breakfast and thought about a smoothie, which could almost hold him for the day if he supplemented with a protein bar. He’d been doing that to save money. He didn’t have time to shop and get groceries to make his lunch, so it was the next best thing. He waited for the light to change so he could cross the street.
