Chapter Seven
EMMETT
I retreated to my office, my body buzzing. Sinking into my plush leather chair, I stared at her contact details in my phone. My fairly innocent eavesdropping had turned into an encounter I’d rather forget.
What a fucking tool.
Groaning, I tossed my phone on my desk and woke my computer.
I scanned a few emails, not really absorbing their contents.
Meghan’s suggestion that I was jealous needled me.
The last thing I needed was Callie misreading my intentions.
Our relationship had to remain professional.
No, not relationship—our partnership…co-workmanship…
colleagueship…whatever you wanted to call it.
Fuck. I’m losing it.
Deciding it was useless to even try focusing on work, I picked my phone up to text Wick.
EMMETT
Basketball tonight after work? Need to blow off some steam.
His response was immediate.
WICK
You know it, man. My place or the office court?
I weighed my options, tilting my head side to side, before replying.
EMMETT
Office.
Phone still in hand, I debated my next move. Poor judgment won out, and I decided to text Callie.
EMMETT
Sorry for eavesdropping. I feel like an ass.
CALLIE
Who is this?
Is she serious?
EMMETT
It’s Emmett.
CALLIE
LOL, I know.
EMMETT
Oh, you’re trouble, Miss Winters.
CALLIE
Only via text. I’m far too professional to tease you face-to-face.
EMMETT
I like when you tease me.
Fuck. That sounded incredibly inappropriate. What is wrong with me?
EMMETT
I just mean, I want you to feel comfortable here—like you can be yourself.
CALLIE
Can I ask you something?
EMMETT
Anything.
CALLIE
There are…rumors. About your “sabbatical.”
EMMETT
Is there a question in there?
Jesus! Don’t be a dick.
CALLIE
I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.
EMMETT
No, it’s fine. I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but there was a lawsuit, and it was deemed best that I take some time off until everything was settled.
There. Nice and vague.
I should have known better. Callie Winters was not one to settle for vague.
CALLIE
What kind of lawsuit?
EMMETT
The kind I’d prefer not to discuss.
CALLIE
Oh, of course. I’m sorry.
EMMETT
Please stop apologizing.
CALLIE
Well, I seem to be doing a very good job of irritating you.
The truth was, I didn’t want her to know the details. It might impact the way she saw me or jeopardize any future there might be between us. Of course, it was inappropriate to even have that thought, but part of me didn’t care. There was something about her that was already under my skin.
EMMETT
You’re not irritating me. I just don’t want you to look at me differently.
CALLIE
Oooh, ominous.
EMMETT
Look, I made an error in judgment. Trusted the wrong person, and it bit me in the ass. She wanted money and wasn’t above manipulating me to get it.
CALLIE
Ah, “she.” I think I get it now.
My frustration peaked. The day was officially shot to hell.
EMMETT
I’m certain you don’t. Maybe someday I can share more with you.
CALLIE
I’d be happy to listen.
The afternoon dragged by in a hazy blur. Emails went ignored and reports unread as my mind continually wandered back to Callie.
At half past four, I gave up.
I messaged Wick and headed to the Price Industries gym. I was already stripping off my dress shirt as I pushed open the heavy door to the men’s locker room.
Like the rest of the building, the space had been meticulously designed, with dark oak lockers and leather seating.
Polished gray marble lined the floors and countertops, and soft lighting cast warmth throughout.
An archway led to the private showers, each stall enclosed in frosted glass.
A mini fridge stocked with chilled bottles of premium water and sports drinks sat in an alcove.
I tossed my shirt on a bench and placed my index finger on the digital scanner to open my locker.
Quickly, I changed into a pair of navy basketball shorts, a white fitted t-shirt, and my favorite Nike sneakers. After grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, I headed out to the basketball court. The smell of freshly waxed hardwood filled my nostrils as I pushed open the heavy double doors.
Wick was already there, practicing his jump shot. The sound of the ball swishing through the net echoed in the vast space. He turned when he heard me approach, flashing me a grin. “Ready to get your ass kicked, Price?”
He tossed me the ball, and I caught it with one hand. “In your dreams, Friedman.”
We started with some one-on-one, the squeak of our sneakers against the polished court, the only sound besides our labored breathing and the rhythmic thumping of the ball. Sweat beaded on my forehead and dampened my shirt as we battled back and forth.
During a water break, Wick fixed me with a knowing look. “So, what’s got you so wound up that you needed to blow off steam?”
I took a long pull from my water bottle. Wick had been my best friend for half my life. He knew me better than anyone. There was no point trying to bullshit him.
I ran a hand through my damp hair. “It’s Callie.”
Wick raised an eyebrow. “The new MBA intern? What about her?”
I bounced the ball a few times before speaking. “I don’t know, man. There’s just something about her. She’s smart as hell, ambitious, driven. And she challenges me like no one else ever has. I feel this pull towards her I can’t explain.”
“Dude, you’ve known her for, like, three days.”
I sucked in a breath. “No, man. It’s the girl.”
“Huh?”
“The girl from Meg’s lobby.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
“Nope,” I said, popping the p.
He was quiet for a moment, studying me. “Emmett, you know I love you like a brother. But you’ve got to be careful here. She’s your employee. Getting involved with her could fuck up everything you’ve worked for.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I snapped, more harshly than I intended.
“Sorry. I just...I’ve never felt like this before.
It’s beyond just physical attraction. Though, fuck, is she beautiful.
But it’s more than that. It’s like she sees past all my bullshit, straight to the real me. And she’s not afraid to call me on it.”
“I get it, man. I do. But you’ve got to think with your head.” He tapped my skull. “The one up here. I know you haven’t forgotten what happened with Heather.”
My jaw tightened at the mention of my ex.
I walked into my dad’s office, my mind racing.
“Emmett, good, you’re here.” He gestured for me to take a seat, his expression serious. I had been in meetings all morning, but when his assistant called to say he needed to see me urgently, I dropped everything.
Gene was sitting across from him. The smug look on his face immediately set me on edge.
“What’s going on?” I asked, lowering myself into a chair.
Dad steepled his fingers and sighed. “Son, there’s no easy way to say this. But a lawsuit has been filed against you. By Heather.”
My stomach dropped. “What? Why would Heather sue me?”
Gene leaned forward, his eyes glinting with barely concealed glee. “Sexual harassment. Apparently, you two have been getting a little too friendly in the office.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but my dad held up a hand. “There’s more. She has video footage, Emmett. Of you and her...engaging in sexual acts. Here, at work.”
My mind reeled as I tried to process his words. Heather and I had been together for a year before I broke things off. She was understandably upset, but I never expected…
“This has to be a mistake. She wouldn’t do this.”
“Clearly, she would. You sure can pick ‘em, boy.”
“Gene, please give us a moment.”
Gene left, shaking his head. In the secluded safety of my dad’s office, I crumbled, burying my face in my hands. “This can’t be happening.”
I felt a strong hand on my back.
“We’ll get through this, son.”
“Why would she do this, Dad? People break up all the time!” I threw my hands in the air, frustrated.
“They do, but if you haven’t noticed, you’re quite a catch. And not everyone is as honorable as you. If nothing else, let this be a lesson in what happens when you place your trust in the wrong person.”
“This is different. Callie’s not like that.”
Even to my own ears, my argument sounded weak.
“Maybe not. But you’re still her boss, Emmett. Even if she feels the same way, the power dynamic alone makes it a bad idea.”
He was right. God dammit, I knew it. That didn’t stop me from trying to justify it. “There are plenty of people at the company in relationships.”
“Yeah, and none of them are future CEO billionaires.”
“Fuck.” I bounced the ball harder, taking out my frustration on the innocent orange sphere.
“Hey.” Wick’s voice softened. “I’m not saying you can never explore this thing with Callie. Just give it time, okay? Get to know her better first. See if these feelings are real or just infatuation. And if they are real, you can figure out what to do about it.”
I nodded, letting his words sink in.
“For now, you’ve got to keep it in check, man. If not for you, then for Callie. There may not be a policy that says you can’t date her, but I can’t imagine she’ll love people thinking she slept her way to the top if she’s as ambitious as you say she is.”
I hadn’t thought about like that. I couldn’t risk my reputation—or Callie’s—on a whim. No matter how strong the temptation was.
“Okay,” I said, bouncing the ball back to him. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll keep it professional. But I’m not going to ignore her or treat her differently. I can’t do that either.”
He caught the ball and spun it between his hands. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Just...be smart about it, yeah? Don’t let yourself get carried away.”
“I won’t,” I said. Though I wondered if I could keep that promise. Every interaction with Callie, every charged look or accidental brush of skin, seemed to draw me in deeper.
Wick clapped me on the shoulder. “Alright, enough of this sappy shit. Let’s play. I believe I was in the middle of kicking your ass.”
“Pretty sure it was the other way around, Friedman. But please, continue to delude yourself.”
We resumed our game, the heavy conversation fading into the background.
But even as I pivoted and jumped, sinking baskets and trading good-natured insults with Wick, my mind kept returning to Callie.
Her brilliant mind, her fiery spirit, the way her eyes pierced straight through to my soul.
She consumed my thoughts in a way no woman ever had before.
I knew I needed to be careful. But deep down, in a place I was barely ready to acknowledge, my heart had already decided.
Callie was special. I knew it the moment I set eyes on her six years ago. And no matter how hard I tried to fight these feelings, it was a losing battle.
I wanted her. Not just her body. But her mind, her heart, all of her. I wanted her in a way I’d never wanted anyone.
The question was, what the hell was I going to do about it?
As I moved across the court, sweat dripping down my back and my pulse pounding in my ears, one thing became crystal clear.
I had to find a way. Now that I’d had a taste of what it felt like to be around Callie, there was no going back. She had imprinted herself on my soul in a way I couldn’t undo. And God help me, I didn’t want to.
The game ended with Wick narrowly edging me out, his final shot swishing through the net just as the clock ran down. I bent over, hands on my knees, chest heaving.
“Good game.” I met Wick’s triumphant smile with a rueful grin of my own. “I’ll get you next time.”
“Keep dreaming, brother.” He tossed me a towel from his bag. “Though I gotta say, your head wasn’t in it today. Too busy thinking about a certain intern, huh?”
I scowled, but there was no real heat behind it. “I’m trying. It’s not that easy to just turn off how I feel.”
His expression sobered. “I know. And for what it’s worth, I get it.”
I knew he did. Wick had his own demons to deal with. I pulled him into a tight hug, clapping him on the back. “Thanks for this, man. I needed it.”
Wick returned the embrace with a pat on my back. “Anytime. That’s what I’m here for.”
As we exited the gym, I breathed deeply, letting the cool breeze dry the sweat on my skin and clear my head.
My feelings for Callie were undeniable, but Wick’s words of caution echoed in my mind. I couldn’t recklessly pursue this, no matter how much my heart wanted to. There was too much at stake for both of us.