Chapter Seventeen
“So you’re good with this arrangement?” Imani asked at the other end of the line.
Devon breathed into the phone. He peered around his office, like he had for the past two hours ever since the fiasco meeting at the conference room in the morning. Where the hell was she? He tried her cell phone, only to hear the jazzy ring tone from her desk. “Yes. She can be the CEO.”
“This will be better for all of us, Devon,” Imani said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “When I hired you to work with us, Matthew was against it. Creatively, you are a genius. Even if you can’t always keep it in your pants. I’m not wrong about her. I’ve studied some campaigns she managed in New York.”
Devon clutched the football-shaped paperweight in his hand. “She’s smart. Caring. She’ll do great.”
“Wonderful. Matthew said he doesn’t want to buy any of my shares, and given his divorce proceedings that wouldn’t be recommended anyway.”
Distracted, he looked at the football. Why the hell was Elena hiding from him? Ever since he’d come back to the office to talk to her, to discuss their future, she had been absent. His heart was like a freaking drum, each beat louder than the last. Loosening his tie, he said, “Yeah.”
“I’ll give you a good deal. In fact, I was thinking—”
For how much longer would he have to wait? Shit. He sucked at waiting. Surging to his feet, he sat the paperweight down on the table and flicked off his computer. “Can we discuss it later?”
“Sure.”
He hung up. Rolling up his sleeves, he strode through his office. There wasn’t any telling item at her desk that announced she’d be back soon. The papers were stacked as usual, her computer screen was black on sleep mode, and not a single pen had been left out of the stainless steel holder. Everything was where it belonged except… the cat mug.
With a smile, he headed to the break room. If she wasn’t there, at least one of her two friends had to steer him in the right direction. He’d waited a long time for a woman like her. A woman who could make him forget the pain of the past, and make him not want other things as much. Other women. And shit, he wasn’t about to let her go without fighting.
Someone greeted him as he marched on the hallways. He grunted in reply. Devon had to find Elena and talk to her. Convince her that he was worth a second chance. He stormed in the break room, and was almost out of breath.
A couple of employees turned around, eyeing him with curiosity, and he rubbed his forehead. He scanned the area, his gaze darting from the table to the refrigerator to the cupboards. Shit. Elena wasn’t there.
He was about to leave when his cell buzzed in his pants. He withdrew it and a wave of disappointment swept over him. The number wasn’t Elena’s, nor did he recognize it.
He hesitated to answer, but as he exited the break room he pressed the talk button. “Devon here.”
“Go to the main elevator,” said a female voice that sounded a lot like Toby’s assistant. There was a snicker, and before he answered, she hung up. Great.
Elevator? He followed the instructions anyway, his pulse skyrocketing. Eating up the distance with long powerful strides, he ignored the glances darting his way. Who cared? The only thing he wanted was to find her. And kiss her. And never, ever let her go.
He pushed the elevator button.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The doors opened. Colorful balloons filled the interior. Green, blue, red, and yellow inundated his field of vision. He dipped his head to the many curly white strings, his heart thrumming in his chest. A couple of people whispered a few feet away from him, and he imagined some curious coworkers were as eager to find out what was happening as he.
Then, it hit him… When he was stuck in the elevator as a child, he dreamed of balloons. And the only person he told that to was…
Elena.
Elena stepped forward, pushing a couple balloons off her face with her hands. Her hair was tousled and she had to push some of it from her face to look at him. The moment his eyes found hers, his gut clenched. A flutter went through him. It was as if he were a teenager again on his first date. But, this time, it could be the first day of the rest of their lives. And it would be, he’d make damn sure of it.
“Devon, I’m sorry.” She spoke first, her voice tremulous. “I swear I didn’t go behind your back about finding the truth about Imani. I never came to this company to be the CEO.”
“You will be a great one. I accepted your suggestion. And I’m behind Imani’s decision one hundred percent.”
“Really?”
A balloon popped, and she jumped. He stepped into the elevator, and had to push a few of them out of his way to make room. How long did that take her, and who helped her? A fuzzy sensation, one that was still new to him, lit him up like fireworks on a dark night. “Yes. I was a stupid idiot for thinking for a second that you were this heartless person who wanted to throw me under the bus. I’m sorry, Elena. I was scared because I love you.”
