Mr. Wilson addressed Trey. “That conversation is on the agenda for our next board meeting. You will be there, correct?”
Hurt flashed in Trey’s eyes. Had Alexis not known him so well at one point, she would have mistaken it for irritation. “I will be there. I have a friend who works for city planning. Would you like me to invite him?”
Surprise registered on Mr. Wilson’s face. He glanced at the other board members, who nodded their approval. “Please do.”
“Next Tuesday evening at seven, right?”
“Yes,” Mr. Wilson answered.
All the elder board members appeared surprised that Trey knew when the meeting was scheduled, let alone take an active part in it. After they left, Trey held the door open as she walked through.
She put a hand on her hip and stared at him, trying to ignore how his muscles had filled out since she’d last seen him. How he stood with confidence, making him appear even taller than his six feet. “What was that?”
His forehead wrinkled. “What was what?”
“That.” She waved a hand, gesturing to where they had stood outside. “Why are you here? No offense, but the other board members don’t seem crazy about you, and you don’t exactly seem to want to be here, but you know details of what’s going on. It doesn’t add up.”
He stared at the ceiling and sighed. Eventually, he returned his gaze to her. “The truth? They don’t want me here, and it’s not exactly a position I had on my radar, but I’m here and will make the best of it.”
“Why don’t they want you here?”
“Does it matter?” His flippant reply came too quickly.
Though it pained her to admit it, she knew him better. “It does to you.”
He ran a hand through this thick, chestnut-hued hair. “You don’t want to know. It will only make you hate me more.”
“I don’t hate you,” she admitted. “You might not be my favorite person in the world, but I don’t hate you.”
A dry laughed escaped him. “That’s not a strong vote of confidence.”
The corners of her mouth curled in a wry smile. “I wouldn’t want to get carried away.”
“Of course not.” A hint of a smirk appeared. “Anyway, I thought we agreed to act as though we’ve never met each other, which means I wouldn’t be confiding in you.”
“Not necessarily.” Why did she even care? He’d hurt her once when she’d let him close. The further she kept Trey from her life, the better.
“Let’s finish the tour, okay?” His arms dropped. “I still have work to finish at the office tonight.”
“Where do you work?” She instantly kicked herself internally.
He hesitated before answering. “At Kaplan Enterprises. I’m in charge of new retail growth.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you’d be working for your daddy.”
His face reddened, and she knew she’d crossed the line. “Regardless of what you might think of me, I worked hard to earn my position. I’ve helped at the office since I was fifteen, and I know the business inside and out. I worked there full-time while working on my MBA. I won’t apologize for the fact my dad has a successful business and I was fortunate enough to find work there.”
If only she could let go of that pain he’d caused her. She wasn’t being fair, and she knew it. “I didn’t mean anything by it, other than I’m not surprised you’re working there.”
His blue eyes turned to ice. “You never were a good liar, Lexi.”
“Don’t call me that.” Obstinance and pride took over, but only those closest to her were granted the privilege of calling herLexi.
Trey, most definitely, did not fall into that category.
He stared at her, his gaze hard and unyielding. “Since you won’t tell the truth, I will. You want to know why I’m here? Because my father offered a sizeable donation on the condition that I be allowed to fill the vacant board position.”
“And when daddy says jump, you jump,” she said, glaring at him and returning fire with fire.
