I shrugged. “Why not? He seems eager to please. There are so few men who are these days. It’s all about them now, isn’t it?”
My thinly veiled words seemed to have the intended effect because Kane stomped off without a word. But it didn’t give me the satisfaction I was hoping for. In fact, it made the chasm in my heart a little bigger.
Chapter Five
Kane left.
And I knew exactly where he went. The same as he did every time this year. But none of this had gone to plan.
This was the last night I would see him. His gift and my resignation letter were still burning a hole inside of my clutch. I’d planned on slipping them into his car before he left. But now he was gone.
“And now it’s time for the annual employee awards ceremony…”
The announcer’s voice drifted from the front of the room, but I wasn’t really hearing a word.
Maybe it was better this way. Maybe I should just leave his gift anonymously in his apartment. I still had the keys. I could just leave town and forget all about Kane Stryker. That’s what I should do. What I should definitely…
“Aspen?”
“Huh?” I blinked up at Marcy as she hovered over me.
“They’re calling your name.” She gestured to the stage. “You have an award.”
“Oh, right.”
My legs felt like jelly as I stood and walked towards the stage. I got the same award every year. The most dedicated employee at SBG. It was a testament to how pathetic I was or my love for Kane. I wasn’t sure which.
I walked up the stairs and prepared for the usual two-second spiel about all the ‘dedication’ I’d shown throughout the year. But instead, the announcer cleared his throat.
“It looks like there’s a personal note here from Mr. Stryker. He would like to bestow this year’s award of…”
The man turned over the paper and widened his eyes. “Biggest pain in the ass to Aspen Keller.”
My face turned the color of a tomato as my eyes swept over the room. I was humiliated, and I was certain Kane thought this would be hilarious, but he wasn’t here to explain.
“For the last three years,” the announcer continued reading, “Aspen has been awarded the most dedicated employee. And while rightfully deserved, it should also be noted how much of a pain she is. Because now that she’s leaving, Mr. Stryker isn’t sure how he’s going to function without her.”
There were some low murmurs from the crowd, and a tear squeezed from my eye before I could stop it. He knew I was leaving. He’d read my resignation letter that day in my apartment.
“So he has a question he’d like to ask you, Miss Keller,” the man said as he pulled something from an envelope. “The question is, how much will it cost for you to stay?”
I stared at the blank check in my hands, and any sadness I may have had was quickly overshadowed by anger. He thought he could buy me? In front of a room full of my colleagues?
He had no freaking clue.
Chapter Six
Two days until Christmas.
I was supposed to be driving to Hartford, Connecticut to spend it with my family. But instead, I was hungover and putting it off.
All of my things were packed. My life had been organized into neat little boxes where everything had its place. And come Monday morning, I would be on a flight to begin my fresh start. So why did I feel so lost?
I loaded up the car at a snail’s pace. I needed some coffee. And maybe some vodka too.
Christmas was my favorite time of year, and I hated feeling so blah. It was all Kane’s fault.
I swung through a Starbucks on the way to his apartment and got some caffeine into my bloodstream.
