4. Margeaux
4
MARGEAUX
Well, this is inconvenient.
Internally, I’ve never been so torn in my life. I don’t know whether to leap into his arms and kiss him until we both can’t breathe or slap him so hard he ends up in the middle of next week.
Oh wait, neither.
Because apparently he’s my boss.
Or, well, the boss’s boss. Or something.
I swallow hard, reminding myself to breathe, my pulse rushing through my veins like it’s running the forty-yard dash. Giving myself a moment to compose myself, I smile, my eyes roaming up and down airport hottie, drinking him in the same way they did when he approached me that day at JFK. And if it’s possible, I think he got hotter.
Which is going to be a problem.
Because he’s Gus fucking Hayes.
Yeah, I really should have googled what the Hayes siblings looked like before I accepted this job…
“Gus, this is Margeaux. And Margeaux, meet Gus Hayes. ”
“Margeaux, as in Geaux Tigers,” he says, the panty-melting smile still as potent as it was a year ago. Fuck me.
No, wait…he didn’t want to, remember? If he had wanted to, he would have called.
“Well, dogs do get fleas,” I retort.
Oh, shit. I didn’t mean to say that. It was meant to be playful. A throwback to our conversation at the bar. Only, that’s not how it came out. No, it sounded…catty. No pun intended. And in front of the boss. Shit. Double shit.
“Ah! I love a good rivalry!” Percy responds, clapping his hands. Well, that was unexpected. Welcome, but unexpected. “This is going to make this season fun.”
“Indeed,” Gus remarks.
His gaze locks with mine and I see it. Whatever it is doesn’t have a name—at least not one I can come up with—but it’s there, nonetheless. I can feel it. A spark. Something that tells me he’s feeling this too. The mutual awkwardness. The attraction. The deep, deep desire for Percy to vanish into thin air so we can speak freely.
And the first thing I’m going to ask him is why he didn’t call.
Silence takes over, all three of us waiting for one of the others to move. To say something. Do something. If I had any ideas here, I’d step up. I’d be the fat penguin and be the one to break the ice. But I got nothing. Probably because I’m trying not to focus on Gus’s green eyes or perfectly square jaw. The same perfectly square jaw that just ticked—almost imperceptibly—as if he’s back at JFK the same way I am. Not that I’m looking close enough to notice such a thing.
A shrill ring pierces through the air, loud enough that I’m left wondering if it could be heard out in the parking lot. The old-school telephone ring continues, the volume increasing—which feels like it should be impossible—as Percy reaches into his pocket, fumbling for his phone. I watch, taken aback by the whole scene, wondering if I’ll be able to convince the man that such devices are best kept on vibrate in an office setting. Or at least not set to storm siren volumes.
“Sorry, if y’all will excuse me a moment.” He holds up the phone, indicating he needs to take the call, as if the blaring electronic wasn’t obvious enough.
Gus and I both nod, clearly eager to excuse him. Anything to make that noise stop. A quick nod from the older gentleman as he steps away, answering the call in a way that makes it seem like this could be awhile.
Another long, slow minute passes, the same icy silence swirling around us. Inhaling deeply, I turn to face the man my body is screaming at me to embrace, my mind trying desperately to remain in control. All while telling my heart to run and hide. I stupidly let her get involved last time.
Not again.
“Gus.”
“Margeaux.”
The way he says my name, with an emphasis on the last half, sends a shiver straight up my spine. That Georgia accent rolling over those full lips is going to be very dangerous.
“It’s nice to see you again.”
He chuckles, shoulders relaxing. “Not what I was expecting you to say.”
“Honestly?” I cross my arms, steeling myself. I am a badass businesswoman. I have an executive MBA and a JD. I can hold my own. And I have no problem doing so. Something I know Gus knows. “I have a lot more I’d like to say. Because I’m not the one who didn’t call. However, I’m also a professional, so I know when it’s best to leave things unsaid.”
There. I said it.
Okay, not really. I did not tell him all the things I want to. Like how badly I wanted him to call. How my heart leapt every time my phone dinged or beeped for weeks after getting back to LA. How I thought we’d actually had a connection—one that went beyond just killing time in an airport bar. That there could have been something real between us. Really real. That I had met someone who got me. Someone who could be my partner, celebrating the highs and navigating the lows. Whatever life threw at us.
And most importantly, how hard I had cried when I realized it had all been in my head. That I'd been as foolish as a teenager who believes she’s going to marry the A-list movie star.
“I’m sorry. I?—”
“Gus, I don’t need your apologies,” I cut him off. It's the truth. I don’t need to hear it. In fact, it’ll only make it worse. “Whatever lame excuse you have, keep it to yourself. I meant what I told you last year at JFK. I have career goals, and that’s my focus. That’s why I’m here. The fact that we happened to cross paths because of a thunderstorm is immaterial. In fact, no one ever has to know.”
I turn to go, my hand already outstretched toward the door to payroll. There are a couple of guest chairs in there, so I can sit and wait for Percy to finish his phone call, letting Gus get on with his day. And while I wait, I can do my best to focus on anything other than the fact that I landed my dream job with the company owned by the man who is unaware he broke my heart.
No big deal.
“How about I embarrassingly admit to being a dumbass instead? Complete with photo evidence.”
I freeze, hand hovering over the handle. What did he just say? Embarrassingly admit to being a dumbass? I’m not quite sure what he means by that, but I can’t say I’m not intrigued. And honestly, the man is the second-in-command of the whole company, so brushing him off on my first day is probably not the smartest move. No matter what he did .
Slowly, I turn, eyeing him suspiciously. One corner of his mouth quirks upward in a sheepish smile that simultaneously tugs on my heart and makes my tummy do somersaults. Almost instantly, I soften, his remorse cloaked over him like his own personal armor.
“Turns out, gel pens and pint glasses with condensation don’t mix. Something you’d think a guy my age would know, but…here we are.”
He holds out his phone, an image of the inside of a hand filling the screen. But not just any hand. His hand. And I know it’s his, because there’s a number scrawled across it in purple ink that I’d recognize anywhere.
Mine.
Only, it’s smudged. I can read it, but barely. And really, only because I know what those numbers should be. If you didn’t know, there’d be no telling a couple of those digits.
OMG…
“So you didn’t call because you couldn’t read my number…”
Saying it out loud still sounds weird. Like it still doesn’t fully compute. Slowly, my mind connects all the pieces, the evidence right in front of me.
“Yup,” Gus pops the p , looking away, clearly embarrassed. I hold in my laughter, not wanting to make him feel worse. “Because if that’s not the biggest rookie move you’ve ever seen…”
“Why didn’t you just…”
“What? Look you up online?”
I nod. It’s the twenty-first century. It shouldn’t have been that hard to find me.
“And do what? Call every law school in the greater LA area and ask if they have a third-year student named Marlo?”
“Marlo?”
He chuckles again, shaking his head. Stepping in closer, he nods, the guilty smile returning. “Yeah, I misheard your name in the bar.”
I bark out a laugh, unable to hold back this time. My hands fly over my mouth, trying to cover up the noise, heat rushing to my cheeks. I can’t believe I did that. Gus joins in, which eases my embarrassment.
“Not quite the smooth move I wanted to make. Borderline humiliating, actually,” he admits.
“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far.” I give him a playful nudge. “I mean, it was pretty stupid of you, but you admitting to it is…endearing. Certainly makes me feel better about how it all went down.”
“Endearing… I’ll take it.”
Reaching out, he takes my hand, giving it a soft squeeze. The move feels easy, natural. Like my hand fits here. Belongs in his. All the tension eases, muscles I didn’t realize had tightened loosening from the magic of his touch. His green eyes are trained on me, holding me close. For a second, I pretend like we’re not standing around the corner from reception at a Fortune 500 company.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. You have no idea how hard I’ve kicked myself every day since then. So sure that I was never going to see you again and that I missed my chance with the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And now, here you are.”
He squeezes my hand again. Lightning flashes through my veins, my body ready to do the talking. Then my head steps in.
“Only now, you’re my boss.”
And that’s the bucket of cold water we both need.
Gus drops my hand, stepping back. Sucking in a hard breath, he exhales loudly, collecting himself. I follow suit, needing the moment.
Because fuck, I want him. But no man is worth jeopardizing my career over .
“Hey!” a deep voice similar to Gus’s calls out, stealing our attention.
The tall, bearded man looks a lot like Gus, only with bright blue eyes instead of green, and a touch more gray, especially in his beard. There’s no doubt this is one of his brothers. Only question is, which one.
“Meant to ask if you had a chance to talk to Percy about reviewing that contract for Brenna? There isn’t a hard and fast timeline, but we should probably get it going.”
“Not yet. But we’ll make sure she’s taken care of. If it’s eventually going to end up an asset of Hayes, I want to make sure that the transaction is handled properly and?—”
"Seriously?” The bearded guy gives Gus an incredulous look. One that could stop traffic if we were outside.
“What?”
“You’re not seriously looking at this like it’s going to become an asset of Hayes.”
Oh boy. I take a step backward, wondering if there’s a way I can make an exit. This seems personal. A family matter. Like something I don’t need to be a part of.
“You said you were serious about her. Forever and marriage serious. Is that not the case? If so, then the drugstore would be communal property and therefore?—”
Our guest’s eyes flick toward me, their cool blue feeling warm as they appraise me, the accompanying smirk easing my worry about making a swift exit.
“Hi, I’m Milo.”
Stretching out a hand, he nods, so I take it, giving it a firm shake.
“Margeaux Finnegan.”
“Margeaux is the new associate in legal. Milo—” Gus starts.
“Milo is the owner/operator of Southern Brothers Brewing. Along with Brandt Rawlins,” I finish, showing off my knowledge. I wink at him, and he returns the gesture, butterflies fluttering to life in my chest.
“Someone did her homework,” Milo remarks.
“I did. Also, my family owns a restaurant and are big fans of Southern Brothers. They are very anxiously awaiting the release of the new product. So, there might have been some special interest in your department.”
Milo puffs out his chest, looking prouder than a peacock. I laugh as Gus rolls his eyes, the two of them reminding me of my own brothers poking at each other.
“We can probably arrange to get them some early. I’ll make sure to get you introduced to Rose who handles the sales and distribution portion of things to get them hooked up.”
“Oh, they’d love that. It’s a small place, but they do a steady business, especially after being featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives .”
“They were featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives ?”
“Yeah, that’s why I was up in New York last year, handling some of the negotiations for all that.”
“You two were in New York together?”
Shit. Now I stepped in it. So much for keeping that part between us. Gus doesn’t seem fazed however, nodding at me.
“Margeaux is the gal I waited out the storm with.”
Milo’s eyes go wide, like someone just told him I was the Easter Bunny. “You’re airport bar angel.”
“Excuse me?”
I’m what?!
“Oh, this is the best thing ever,” Milo mutters. “Just wait until I tell Hux…” He starts to back away, shaking his head, eyes filled with mischief. His phone is already in his hand, thumbs moving at the speed of light across the screen. “Oh, Christmas came early… ”
“What is he talking about?” I turn to Gus, concern forming a pit in my stomach.
“You said you have brothers, right?”
“Yeah, two of them.”
“They torment you? Poke at you, just because they can?”
“Yeah.”
Gus sighs. “Triple that. Then add in a sassy baby sister. And then admit that you smudged a pretty girl’s phone number.”
Oh no. Ohhhhh, nooooo…
“Gus…are they…” I trail off. Shit. I just started. I don’t need a reputation. “I don’t mean to sound selfish, but it's my first day. I don’t want rumors going around that…you know.”
“You’re safe. I’ll make sure of that. I, however, am not. At least not with my family.”
I take his hand, interlacing our fingers, letting our palms meet. The air sizzles, the world feeling alive as the warmth of his skin envelops mine.
“What can I do?”
“Be my friend. That’s all I can ask of you right now, but…”
Friends. I swallow hard, trying to pretend that the idea doesn't hurt. That I don’t want more from him. So, so much more. But being friends is better than nothing. I can be friends with Gus and still have my career.
“Friends.”