Chapter 2
THE GRINCH WORKS HARD, AND I RESPECT THAT
DECLAN
I flipped through the travel itinerary on my desk and groaned internally. Three weeks in Switzerland should sound like an exciting break, but it wasn’t. Ever since my assistant placed this folder on my desk yesterday, I’d been avoiding the subject.
The marketing firm I worked for, Driscoff and Pugh, hosted this trip every year for high executives and their families.
The first few years I attended, I went as a guest in my early twenties because of close relations with Paul Driscoff’s daughter.
Then, when I transitioned into my role of Regional VP here in Austin, I was invited on my own accord.
For people that had families, it was a nice break from the real world in a beautiful place—an idyllic storybook canvas filled with magic. But for me, it was three weeks that I could be working literally anywhere else.
It also didn’t help that the trip was over the holidays which meant three weeks of Christmas activities and holiday parties. It was enough to make me feel like I could never celebrate Christmas again and live a perfectly fulfilled life.
If it were up to me, I’d skip the holiday all together, but I couldn’t.
This was the best opportunity I got all year to speak one on one with the highest ranking men and women in the company.
If I wanted to be moved to the national office in Denver, I was going to have to act like I wanted to be there.
I could wear a stupid red hat and pose for a few pictures.
I slammed the folder closed just as my phone rang. Tom Bedford’s name flashed on the screen and I highly debated letting the call go to voicemail. In case my morning couldn’t get worse, this would be the icing on the cake. I tightened my tie and hit accept on the call.
“Tom, how are you doing?”
“Dex! I feel like I haven’t heard from you in forever.”
That was on purpose, dipshit. My fingers fell to my temples to massage out the building tension headache.
“I know. Work’s been insane.”
“Same here in New York. Will I be seeing you this weekend in St. Moritz?”
I first met Tom when we were promoted onto the management track together at Driscoff and Pugh. He was competitive and an asshole, but this business was all about saving face and your reputation so I bore it when I had to.
He may not have personally been my cup of tea, but this was business and the New York office was powerful. Tom and I were up for the same promotion at headquarters and I’d be damned if he beat me out for it because I was perceived as unapproachable.
“You will. My assistant just dropped the travel plans on my desk yesterday.”
“Good shit. I’m looking forward to introducing you to my girl. Should be a pretty romantic time for once.”
Tom notoriously went on this trip single. Year after year, I’d seen the man bring a different blonde hair, blue eyed woman to his chalet every night for a month. The fact that he was bringing a woman with him was new.
And odd.
“I didn’t know you were seeing someone,” I said, genuinely a little curious as to what kind of woman would willingly attach herself to him.
“It’s new but serious. When you know, you know. Are you bringing your girlfriend?”
I sighed. The short answer was yes, but the long answer was that I was not bringing the same one I brought last year.
“I am. She’s looking forward to it.”
Tom could find out the brutal details of my love life when we were in Switzerland. For now, I wasn’t paid to gossip on the phone like high school girls in the bathroom.
“Lovely. We’ll have to do dinner.”
“Sounds great. I have another call coming in. I’ll see you this weekend.”
I hung up before he could call me on my lie. I did not have another call coming in, I just had little to no interest in expanding our conversation past the obligatory five minutes.
Before I could let the stress get to my head, I tucked the travel itinerary away and continued with my morning routine.
By seven p.m., I was spent. I was notorious for working late but knowing I had to prepare for almost a month out of office made things even more intense.
I had a team I could leave it all with and my assistant was more than capable of fielding calls, but I was a controlling motherfucker and I wanted it done right.
I stood from my desk and grabbed my briefcase before stepping out of my office. My assistant stood abruptly, as if she was falling asleep at her desk. Her eyes were wide and hopeful as I passed.
“Go home,” I ordered simply, effectively dismissing her. Her shoulders slumped as she grabbed her bag and jogged to catch me at the elevator. I instinctually hit the button for the lobby because I knew she didn’t park in the underground employee lot where my car was sitting in its designated spot.
We didn’t speak. We didn’t make eye contact. The elevator door chimed and she stepped out onto the marble lobby floors.
“Have a good night, Mr. Alexander.” She gave me a tired smile before turning and walking out to the street.
By the time I got home, I was fucking beat. I wanted to curl into bed, have a good fuck, and pass out.
As I pushed open the front door of my condo in downtown Austin, I stopped abruptly at the sight of suitcases piled in the foyer.
“Packing already?” I yelled into the seemingly empty space.
My girlfriend, Emeline, and I met earlier this year during Miami swim week.
She was gorgeous and delicate and had a sexy as fuck Australian accent.
While I saw some of her true self centered personality shine through on occasion, I was still positive this was the closest I’d ever get to happily ever after.
We dated briefly before she essentially moved into my apartment in Texas during her off season. She was mild mannered and didn’t feel the need to constantly party, so that basically implied we were meant to be. The bar was low.
Emeline came walking quickly around the corner but halted when she saw me standing in the doorway.
“Dex, I didn’t think you’d be home so early.” She sounded nervous, like she’d been caught.
“It’s eight at night.” I crossed my arms, my guard immediately snapping into place.
“Right.” She laughed nervously.
“Going somewhere?” I arched a brow at her.
“I booked some shoots in Miami for a few weeks.”
“And are you coming back?” My was telling me she wasn’t.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “Look, Dex. You’re a great guy but I don’t think this is going to work. I knew you worked a lot, but I didn’t expect you to be so… emotionally distant. I need more.”
Her words took me back. I knew that I could be distracted but emotionally distant? That was a bit of a stretch.
I was exhausted and I really didn’t want to deal with this right now. You either wanted to be with me or you didn’t, but I had no patience for uncertainty.
“I hope you find everything you’re looking for, Dex.”
Emeline grabbed the handle of her suitcase and pulled it out into the hallway, letting the door shut behind her without a glance back.
She didn’t even act upset. Her demeanor was more indifferent than anything. Had it really gotten that bad and I didn’t notice?
I walked to my home office and dropped my briefcase on the desk, sticking my hand inside to grab the little velvet box I had picked up at the jeweler on my way home from the office. I flipped it open and took in the gleaming emerald cut diamond. It was big and gaudy and exactly what Emeline wanted.
I scoffed and dropped the box back into my briefcase. Who did I think I was? It was stupid to think that proposing on a romantic holiday trip was a good plan.
A momentary lapse in judgement.
I abandoned my work attire and collapsed onto my couch in joggers and a wrinkled t-shirt. This was a nightmare; I couldn’t go on this trip alone. Emeline was supposed to be my escape when it all got to be too much, but now I’d be on my own.
The thought of that made me itchy. I couldn’t handle this trip alone.
Unless I wasn’t.
I picked my laptop off of my coffee table and opened the travel itinerary for the trip that was color coded. By the end of the night, Emeline was removed from all flights and reservations and in her place was a woman that I hoped to all fuck I could trust.