A knock on the office door startles me. I take in a deep breath and exhale. “Yes?”
Sara opens the door, her eyes narrowing. She’s been giving me the cold stare since I opened up this morning and she told me I was a first class dickhead as if I needed reminding. “Mr Winters is asking to see you.”
Before I can respond, he strolls past Sara in his three-piece suit, like he owns the place.
I bristle in my chair, creaking the leather.
He slides Joy’s chair from her desk and sits down, facing me. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” He relaxes into the chair, his hair slicked back. The only thing missing is a cigar, and you’d think he worked for the mob.
“What are you doing here?” My heart races, wondering if Joy’s all right. With his casual demeanour, I get the impression she’s fine, and this is more about me. A flicker of hope wonders if he’s about to make me an offer for the business and get me out of the shit.
“I’m here to do a deal.” He strokes his clean-shaven jaw, his blue eyes narrowing as he scrutinises me. “What will it take to keep you away from my daughter?”
I huff out a laugh. Is he for real? I wipe the smile from my face when he presses his lips together in a hard line.
“I did some digging at the bank. Seems you’ve built up quite the debt.” He opens his jacket and pulls out a pre-written cheque. “This should cover it. You can catch up with repayments. You won’t need to sell the business.”
The cheque floats in front of me. The solution to all my problems. “What are the terms?”
“You let Joy go. Make her redundant. And you never see her again.”
He doesn’t know I already did that after he left her house a few days ago. I lift the cheque, staring at the figures for a moment before I tear it in two. “No amount of money could ever keep me away from Joy.”
He sniggers. “No wonder this business has gone to the dogs. You don’t know a good deal when you see one.”
I rise from my chair. “I know a good deal, all right. And your daughter’s one of the best thing’s that ever happened to me.” My muscles burn from holding back my rage. “You think I don’t know I’m not good enough for her? I know it. Of course, I know I can’t offer anything. Which is why I already let her go. I told her to take the job in London because I want what’s best for her. I fucking love that girl.”
He stands, straightening his jacket. His brow furrows, along with the wrinkles around his mouth.
“This is still my office for now. So unless you want to make me an offer on the business, you can take your deals and fuck off.”
He clenches his jaw, but says nothing as he stomps away. He swings open the door, causing Sara to practically fall through it.
My chest tightens, knowing she’s heard every word.
He gives her a nod as he continues down the corridor. She spins on her heel, ready to follow in his footsteps.
“Sara, not so fast.” My fists dig into the desk as she gingerly steps into the office with a wince. “How much of that conversation did you hear?”
She cringes, screwing her face up as she fiddles with the brown braid in her hair. “All of it.”
I drop into the chair, covering my face with my palms. “Fuck.”
“You know she’s been crying every day. She isn’t her normal joyous self anymore.”
Pain stabs me in the heart. Thoughts of my girl upset guts me. And to know I’m the cause makes it even worse. “She’ll thank me one day.” I hope that day comes soon. I can’t stand her hurting.
“She’s a grown woman who can make her own choices. She has enough on with her dad trying to control her life without you doing that, too.”
I drop my hands on the desk. “There’s nothing in this town for her. You heard. I can’t even offer her a job. Hell, I won’t even have a job. I won’t have her resent me for holding her back.”
“Well, she resents you now for using her.”
“I never used her.”
“You treated her no better than the prick who stole her first kiss. Why do you think she was still a virgin? She wasn’t saving that for just anybody, you jerk.” Sara spins on her heal, her braid swishing over her shoulder. She pauses at the door. “Did you mean what you said about loving her?”
I rub the throb in my temple. “Yes, but love isn’t enough. I won’t hold her back and ruin her dreams.”
