Then there’s Eli. He was the CFO of The Williamson Group before Iris took his position. He went to take over our foundation and find the culprit who was stealing money from us, which he did at the same time that he fell in love with Adrianna, his feisty assistant who is now his boss.
Then there’s our playboy buddy Brantley. Never thought I would see him settle down, but he ended up roommates with our favorite little spitfire, Chloe, and offered her a job. I don’t even know all the details, but they are shacked up together for good now.
If they could make it work, why can’t we?
Iris isn’t like that, though. She makes being professional look like a hobby she enjoys. She never says anything inappropriate. She is always put together. She is where the standard is.
I could suck it up. Go into her office right now and kiss her. Tell her I don’t want her to date. I will be the father to her children. I love the idea, actually. We could be perfect together. No one knows me better than her.
Brantley might be my best guy friend, but Iris is my best friend over all of them. She was there through everything. She was my assistant when I took on the position at the hotel. She helped me shape and build it into the success it is today. She held my hand as I watched my mother be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. She let me cry on her shoulder about the woman who hurt our family so much, yet I still hold love in my heart for her. She moved away from her home with me to go on this adventure so my brother could be with his family.
Every single time in my life I needed someone in the past decade, it has been her there to help me. I don’t know how to live without her.
I open my phone and go to the secret folder I have. It’s filled with different candid pictures of her I’ve taken over the years. I look at them from time to time when I, myself, am feeling lonely.
I have always wanted her. I’m not the guy to take that risk, though. The crippling social anxiety I have barely lets me function as CEO. She is the one who is always next to me, helping me through those situations.
If we date and it goes wrong, I not only lose my best friend, but I also lose my CFO.
It’s a catch-22. If I don’t tell her how I feel, I will lose her emotionally anyway. She will date and find a guy who won’t deserve her, but she will love him, and our friendship will take the back seat. I will still have her here, but it won’t be the same.
If I do date her, it will affect how we are here. If she doesn’t quit out of morality, people will look at her differently, and eventually that will get to her. I know her, and she won’t like the comments she will get even if they are unfair.
Being a woman in the business world is harsh. I have tried to shelter her from it as best I can, but I know her. She will move on. Then I might have her in my bed, but this office would be cold and lonely without her.
So which is more important to me? Having her here or in my bed?
At the moment, I can’t think about either.
My chest starts to tighten at the thought of making that decision. I can’t lose her. I refuse to.
Maybe I will get lucky and she won’t find someone she likes. It’s such a bastard thought to have. It’s selfish.
Still, she could have a baby without a partner. I would be there to help raise them. We could co-parent and keep the status quo.
As soon as the thought hits me, I know it’s not right.
I can’t deprive her of love or the baby from having a real family. Not when I know how important it is to have those connections.
Sighing, I rub my hand down my face.
I need to let this play out. Let her date and see how it goes. If she isn’t happy, then I will tell her my feelings and swallow down the fear of losing her here at work.
That’s the plan. I can handle this.
I can handle anything.
I type out a quick text to Iris.
Me: Meet at noon? We can have lunch as we go over these budget reports.
It takes her a minute to respond back, but the emoji she sends makes me smile.
Iris
Only if we can have .
I laugh. I hate sushi, but she loves it, so I suffer.
