“This is absurd.” She threw her hands up in the air and shuffled to the door, her heels clicking the whole way. “I’m going to have Mabel call the cops to escort you out.”
“Stop.” I caught her hand midair and held it there. “They won’t escort me out because it’s my building. I’m the new partner.”
The look she gave me was indecipherable. She was obviously putting up a mask to prevent me from seeing her true feelings. “You’re lying.”
“No. Not even a little white lie.” I was selfish for delaying the truth. I had never been in this situation or even anything close to it. I had always been the guy who was at the bottom rung of society. Something about the power of those words made my throat burn. This was the reunion I’d always dreamed of. I wasn’t vulnerable anymore. I had my life together. I was finally able to win her love forever. “Sit down. I’d love to tell you everything.” I glared at her, but she still didn’t sit.
Pacing around her, I didn’t hold back, “Jonathan Fox is my dad.” Her tongue softly clicked behind her parted lips, but she was quiet. “My real dad, whom I never knew.”
“Makes sense.” Her eyes narrowed. “Both of you are scum.”
Ignoring her dig, I went on as if I was recounting a lazy Sunday. “About a decade ago, I saw one of those ancestry commercials on YouTube. A lightning bolt zapped through my brain, demanding me to pay attention. I don’t know why I’d never thought of it before. Maybe I was holding onto the hope my mom would eventually have this heart-to-heart with me and tell me who my dad was. As soon as I had the thought, I immediately went online.
When I discovered my dad was Jonathan Fox, owner of one of the most successful real estate firms, I understood why mymom had never told anyone.” I raked a hand through my hair, but it quickly cascaded back around my eyes. “He didn’t exactly welcome me with open arms, as you can imagine. However, I think the timing was perfect because he had recently been diagnosed with heart disease. I’m pretty sure had I contacted him even a year prior, he would have had nothing to do with me. He was reflecting on things but he didn’t want me to tell his wife about me and offered a pile of money and fifty percent partnership in his business. At first, I said no, but it infuriated me to miss out on something that should have been mine and Hadley’s right. You saw my life with Hadley before. We were drowning. It didn’t take me long to accept a position in his Portland office, and I’ve worked my tail off every day for nearly a decade to help build this company into what it is. It’s paid off. Now, I’m rich, and can afford anything I want for Hadley or myself.”
“So.” Elinora pressed the tips of her fingers on her lips, as if she was teasing biting a nail. “Is he Hadley’s dad too?”
I shook my head, not wanting to entertain any thoughts of another dad for Hadley.I was her dad.Always had been. Always would be.
“Okay, now that I understand you are working here…” Her hand snaked around the back of her neck, and she hooked it there, pausing for a beat before saying, “I need to quit. Now.” She stood up straighter, pulled her shoulders back, and walked back toward the door.
“That’s a breach of contract.” Each word I spoke held the sole purpose of getting her to see I’d changed. I was successful now and finally in charge of my life.
“I’m the one who drew up the contract.”
“Then you know it’s solid.” I snatched her hand, feeling the betrayal of my heart skipping a beat. It only ever did that for her.Swallowing to steady the adrenaline, I added, “There’s no getting out of it.”
“I signed it before I knew who I was working for.” She tried to shake off my hand, but I held onto it as if she was already mine again. “I think we both understand that it’s not a good work environment for us to work together.Youcan do the right thing, and we can come to a mutual understanding that the contract was misrepresented.” She took a wide step away, forcing me to drop her hand.
I shook my head. I couldn’t do that. She would walk out of this door and never talk to me again. Every nerve in my body tensed as I understood this was my one shot to finally make Elinora mine forever. I wasn’t a fool. I had blown it. I should have fought harder last time, but I wouldn’t repeat my mistake again. I was playing for keeps this time. “Relax, it’s just six months.” I sauntered over to her desk and sat on the chair, putting my feet on her desk. “Perhaps, we can share the office. You won’t even notice I’m here.”
seventeen
Elinora
“I need some air.” That was the only audible thing I could muster as I finally pushed past him and out the door. Inside I was still screamingI hate you alongside I love you,but I also added, What happened to you?
Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I’d ever run into Graham again, especially when he had suddenly become the guy I depend on for my livelihood. It was beyond cruel. I needed my job. With student loans lighting up my phone notifications several times a month, I was not in a position to breach my work contract. I would lose my income while scarring my work history.
But I couldn’t see him every day!
Just being near him made my blood pressure soar. I wasn’t emotionally immature. I could separate work from personal life. My mind was logical. I could ignore him. Shoot, I usually just hid in paperwork all day. But nothing about this was logical! It was pure emotion. My heart was misbehaving, reminding me ofall the nights I had thought of Graham. This was never going to work. I’d rather be homeless than work next to him.
Would I?Okay, being homeless might be a bit of a stretch.
I reached the lobby and took a lap around the waiting area. When that didn’t help to calm me down, I looped around again like I was stuck in a cul-de-sac. Mabel rose from her desk, observing me like her favorite hamster on a workout wheel. “Perhaps you could do that outside around the block?” She jerked her head toward the boardroom, the one with glass walls. The finance team was having a meeting, and although they were used to my oddities, the bankers accompanying them weren’t. “We don’t need to look like a bunch of crazies with our payroll on the line.”
“It’s not on the line,” I huffed out, planting my feet in the middle of the room, speaking too sharply.
“Rumor is,” Mabel covered her mouth with her palm while leaning closer, “Jonathan sent his son here for a reason.”
“Yeah,” I bite back quickly, “to bleed my heart dry.”
“Well, he is cute, but that’s not why he’s here. He’s here to close the office. That’s why we didn’t get raises.”
“That makes no sense.” I stopped pacing and raised my hands to my head, balancing them on top of it, as if I was ready to start some awkward Richard Simmons’ stretches. I didn’t have a clue what to do with myself. My heart revolted against my years of unrequited love but I couldn’t forget my financial need. “We just renewed our contracts.”
“For six months.” She tilted her head toward me. “Who offers only a six-month contract with no raises?”
