Jesus. He pretended to find something interesting on the papers in front of him as her words bounced around his brain, hitting the corners and returning at a new angle. Had he imagined her reaction: the flush of her cheeks, her wide eyes? Did he need it to justify his own?
And just like that, the energy was back like a live current, causing him to tap his foot and count the minutes until the meeting finally, blessedly, ended.
He was on his feet before Charlie had time to ask if there were any questions and out of the room before Will could ask if they were still on for lunch.
Back at his office he locked the door and collapsed into his chair, spinning to face the wall of windows behind his desk. The city was there laid out in front of him, the sun glistening off steel and glass. But he only stared straight ahead, not noticing any of it.
He was fucked.
Ford’s Cafe was around the corner from his office so it only took him a few minutes to get there, but Will had still beaten him, taking up residence at the back booth, away from the sprawling front windows that faced Union Square Park. His attention was on the phone in his hand.
“You all right?” Will asked as Knightley sat down across from him.
Knightley forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“You sure? You had that same look during Charlie’s presentation earlier.”
“Shit, I’m sorry,” he murmured, his head falling to his chest.
Will waved him off. “He was talking about the mineral composition required for lettuce plants. He was so happy, we could have all left the room to get coffee and he wouldn’t have noticed.”
Knightley laughed. He had been friends with Will and Charlie since Columbia, back when all three men barely knew how to do their own laundry, let alone what to do with the rest of their lives. But as much as Will and Charlie differed, they were as close as brothers. It was why Hampshire M&A was one of the most successful mergers and acquisitions firms in the city.
“I read the proposal he sent beforehand,” Knightley replied. “It’s a solid deal.”
Will glared at him. “Of course it is. Otherwise we wouldn’t have brought it to you.”
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
Will nodded to the table. “Because I ordered you that beer before you got here and you still haven’t touched it.”
Knightley smiled warily, bringing the pint glass to his lips and taking a long sip. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what’s on your mind?”
“It’s nothing, I’m just distracted,” Knightley said, glancing down at his menu without bothering to read it. They went to Ford’s enough that he had it memorized.
“Is it the LA office?”
“No, unfortunately. I haven’t had to go out there for months. It’s running like a well-oiled machine. Although if this deal goes through, I’ll probably have to be out there more.”
Will frowned. “Why?”
“Because Blaxton Agriculture is based in LA.”
“And?”
“And we need someone in LA full-time for at least the first six months to oversee the transition.”
“Which is why you have staff out there. Well-oiled machine, remember? You have to learn to let go,” Will said, then arched an eyebrow at him. “Unless you want to go out there.”
Knightley scoffed. “God, no. I hate LA.”
“Then why the hell were you out there so much over the last couple of years?” Will asked, his attention already back on the menu.
Knightley paused, suddenly aware he didn’t have an easy answer. “I was renovating the house,” he answered lamely.
“I thought you did that because you were already going to be in LA.”
