Chapter 8
CARI
I’ve been filing papers for the last hour, mindlessly going through the motions. It’s dull, repetitive work, but my thoughts are elsewhere. I’m going to do it. I’m going to quit today. The decision pulses through me like a heartbeat, constant and unrelenting.
As soon as Jett gets back, it’s happening.
The office has been unusually calm since he left for that meeting with his father. A quiet I haven’t known in years. But the peace is short-lived. I hear it. His voice from down the hall is harsh, clipped. My stomach tightens. He’s on the phone, and it’s not going well.
I brace myself. A storm’s coming.
Sure enough, Jett barrels into view, his expression thunderous. His words come fast, sharp-edged with anger. His face is flushed, jaw clenched tight, and those eyes—hard as steel, flashing with fury. He’s in full hurricane mode, and I know better than to get caught in the middle.
He doesn’t even glance my way, just storms past my desk with his cell phone glued to his ear. From the way he’s talking, I’d bet he’s on the line with Dex. Those two are thick as thieves, always strategizing, always one step ahead of everyone else. But Jett sounds more pissed than usual.
The door to his office slams shut with a force that rattles the glass. I flinch, my fingers tightening around my resignation letter. It feels like it’s burning a hole through the paper.
My plan—my well-thought-out, overdue plan—just crumbled to ash. I should’ve expected this. Jett and his father don’t get along. None of the brothers do with Paul Knight, and for good reason. He’s a manipulative bastard, always pulling strings behind the scenes. I steer clear of him, and thankfully my job doesn’t overlap with anything that involves Paul directly.
Still, this—whatever just happened between Jett and his father—has left him rattled. And Jett? He doesn’t rattle easily.
I should just do it. Right now.
I look down at the letter in my hands. Maybe this is the perfect time. He seems off balance. With his defenses down, he might actually hear me. He might not fight me on it, not like he would on any other day.
But then doubt creeps in, and I hesitate. My pulse quickens, each beat telling me to just get it over with.
I inhale sharply, grab a pile of letters he needs to sign, and slip my resignation on top of the stack. My heart pounds as I march toward his office with a steely determination.
This is it. I’m going to hand it in. I walk into Jett’s office and stand at his desk, just like I always do, but my heart hammers against my chest, erratic and loud.
This is my moment. He’s not on the phone anymore, and it’s finally quiet. I open my mouth, but the words refuse to come. My throat is so dry it feels like sandpaper. All I can hear is the boom of my heartbeat, growing louder, drowning out every thought.
“I can’t sign anything right now,” Jett growls, his voice low and rough, the kind that sends shivers down my spine. It’s like a storm brewing, intense and swift, the way it always is when he’s angry. He gets up and shrugs out of his jacket, tossing it onto the back of his chair, and I freeze, my mind going fuzzy. The way his broad shoulders move, the way his crisp white shirt stretches across his chest—it’s ridiculous how I can’t think straight when he looks like that. And the slight dusting of stubble on his jaw just makes it worse.
“Then I’ll just leave them here, but there’s something—”
“Do something for me.” He interrupts me as usual, and now he’ll give me an order he expects me to follow without question.
Sitting back in his chair, he tilts his head slightly against the headrest. Something shifts in his expression. His eyes—a darker blue now—glint with mischief. “I’ve ordered something for Alicia. From Cartier. I need you to go pick it up.”
Cartier, and Tiffany & Co. That’s where he buys gifts for his girlfriends. I’ve been to these places so many times, collecting his extravagant gifts for his parade of girlfriends. And now it’s Alicia’s turn. Of course, it is. “Not Tiffany this time?” I retort.
“I’d be asking you to go to Tiffany if that was the case.”
“That is true.” How I manage to keep my voice level is a miracle.
“Diamond and sapphire earrings,” he says, as if he knows I was wondering. But I wasn’t. I don’t ask anymore. I never need to. It’s always something sparkly, expensive. Just another trinket to keep them happy.
“Could you go now?” He glances at his watch. “Oh, and book us a dinner reservation at Lafont & Moreau for around seven.”
The request feels like a slap, and the ache in my chest deepens. Dinner at Lafont & Moreau. Jewelry from Cartier. Alicia gets the diamonds and the fancy dinners, and I get the errands.
She no longer sounds like just another girlfriend. She's getting more from him than any of the others ever did. My mind spins, doing the math. He’s bought her the most. Spent the most time with her. This is serious. He’s serious.
He’s in love with her.
And she referred to herself as the wicked stepmother.
The realization is a punch to the gut. My stomach churns and I want to disappear, but I stand rooted to the spot, letting the feeling drench me. I have had enough.
“I'm about to go to lunch, Jett. I have plans to meet my friend.” I don't, but he doesn't know that.
He sits up taller, clearly not expecting this reply. I've done his bidding for too long now, thinking I was weak and pathetic, believing I had no backbone. I follow orders and run his life, then pretend it doesn’t hurt. But it does.
No more.
I'm out of fucks to give. I clutch the papers tightly in my hand.
“Pick up the earrings first.” He dismisses me without even looking up and starts banging away on his computer, just like I knew he would.
I stare at his dark, silky hair. “Before I go, I have something for you.” I’m determined that he knows.
He is forced to look up and then at the letter in my hand.
“I told you. Just leave it here.” He motions to a space on his desk and goes back to his typing.
I set my letter down then turn on my heel and leave. Inside, my stomach churns, but it’s not a crumbling, debilitating feeling, like I’m about to vanish into myself. This feels like roaring flames of a brightly burning fire.
And I feel like a phoenix rising from it.
All because I’ve finally done the thing that has taken me so long, too long , to do.
I've handed in my resignation and I finally feel free.
It’s liberating.
Which is strange, because Jett doesn’t even know what I’ve given him. I'm smiling from ear to ear when I flop back in my chair, feeling like a slab of concrete has been lifted off my shoulders.
The emotion is so profound that I start to laugh because I see glimpses of my future, of the flower shop I used to think about opening. I am now free to do something for me, for once.
The door to Jett’s office opens and he peers out, his brows pushing together. He opens his mouth to say something, but words seem to fail him. He must find this so strange.
I quickly reach for my bag and make to leave. “I might be gone for a few hours,” I tell him, suppressing my happiness. “It’s going to be a looooong lunch.”
His stony face is expressionless. “Enjoy,” he says, before closing the door and vanishing from my view.
***
Later that evening, I walk through the door of the apartment I share with Eliana. She’s waiting for me, her face lighting up the second she sees me.
“Did you do it?” She practically bounces with excitement.
“I did!” I pull out a bottle of fine champagne. I splurged a bit, because I have good reason to celebrate.
“You did it, hon!” Eliana screams, putting her arms around me. We jump up and down like kids, the champagne bottle still in my hand.
“You finally did it.”
Eliana squeals and throws her arms around me again, hugging me so tight I can barely breathe. “We have to celebrate! This is amazing! The first step you’ve taken to regain control of your life.” She pulls back, beaming. “That man has worn you down, Car. You’re finally breaking free.”
I hand her the bottle, before taking off my jacket and collapsing onto the couch. “I took a long lunch,” I tell her, as she begins to peel the foil and metal cage off the top.
“Yeah?”
“I called up the other assistants and they leapt at the chance to join me.”
“Did you drink much?” Eliana asks, as the cork pops and I jump, feeling energized. Feeling like I want to pop myself.
Why does this feel so freeing?
“Nothing. Not when I'm working. We also didn't talk about work.” I push the conversation away from the Knight brothers. I didn't want to know what's been going on behind the scenes. I was also afraid that I'd secretly let slip that I'd resigned, and I don't want the news getting out before Jett discovers it for himself.
I want my resignation to hit him like a wrecking ball.
I’ve been so miserable working for that man. Not always, I remind myself quickly, because I’ve had some good times. Happy moments. I was good at my job, and paid well for it.
“To Cari Summers, the woman who finally found the courage buried deep within her.” We clink glasses.
“To the best friend a love-drunk fool like me could have. Am I forgiven?” I plead.
“For missing the concert?” Eliana asks.
“I'm so sorry,” I whisper.
“Don't you worry, babe. You're free now. You have your life back and we're going to celebrate!”
We both drain our glasses dry before Eliana refills them.
“Did Bianca have fun at the concert?” I ask. But Eliana has turned the music on, and is blasting The Mayflies. We start dancing, moving around the room, jumping up and down.
She's recreating the concert I missed.
I love this girl so much.
We dance until we're sweating, refilling our glasses until the bottle is finished. Eliana pulls out a bottle of sparkling white wine from her handy stash in the fridge.
We dance and drink, and lose ourselves in the moment. For me, this is the best release from all the frustration that has become a part of my body. It’s bad, and that’s why I feel so free. I’m leaving all that unrequited lust and the simmering tensions behind. At least, I will in one month’s time.
I fall back onto the sofa and think about my future. Plans start to form in my mind. Things that were seeded during the awful times at the hospital with my mom.
Eliana plops down beside me, her energy buzzing in contrast to my stillness. She doesn’t know how far away I feel right now.
“Aunt Scarlett called,” she says, referring to her as if she’s her own aunt.
“Oh, shoot. She called me too, but I didn't realize until I got back in the office.”
My heart fills with warmth. Aunt Scarlett, my mom’s younger sister, with her cute little pixie cut hairstyle, her tattoos and carefree life, always checking in from an adventure somewhere around the world. She’s only a few years older than Jett. She’s had a bit of a checkered history when it comes to relationships, which is why she never settled down. But now she’s happy going around the world on her motorbike with her new young stud.
“That's why she called me. She was worried about you.”
“Is she okay?”
“She's fine. She was checking up on you.”
I love her so much. I love the women in my life. Aunt Scarlett, Eliana, Bianca.
“She says she might come by soon and wanted to know if you were here.”
I roll my eyes. “Where else am I going to be?”
“You can be anywhere you want to be, hon. The sky is your limit. The world is your oyster.” Eliana turns to me on the couch, tucking a leg under her. Holding her glass of sparkling wine. “Why so solemn, Car?” She picks up on something I can’t name. A feeling of sadness lingering in the edges of my heart. “I know you’ve got it bad for your boss, but it’s affecting you too much and your head hasn’t been in the right place for a while.”
I flinch. It’s true. My life has been stuck in limbo. First my mom, then Jett. Rory, my ex-boyfriend, doesn’t even figure into the equation. So much for being my longest relationship.
“I’m looking forward to the future.” The thought of my resignation letter on Jett’s desk where he will be sure to find it, has given me wings.
I just wish I could be a fly on the wall when he reads it.