15. Paige
PAIGE
“ H oly shit,” Lilly exclaims, dropping onto the couch beside me.
“Yup.”
This is pretty much how our conversation has gone since she crashed through my door with Eva hot on her heels twenty minutes ago. Thankfully, Sam was still stuck at work, so it was one less person around to witness my spiral. Much like the reporters from earlier, they fired off questions, barely giving me a second to answer. When they finally paused long enough for me to get a word in, I simply handed her my tablet with one of the many articles that popped up today.
Billionaire.
I knew he was rich. He’s the CEO of his own company and just bought another one a few weeks ago. He also told me in passing when we were in Vermont that money isn’t a problem. That and my raise alone was enough to give me a rough idea that he was more than comfortable.
But a billionaire?
After we got inside, Garrett went straight into crisis management. He said he would explain everything, but he needed to deal with this now. He asked the security team to escort me to my car and was gone before I could even blink.
My phone had been blowing up from the group chat I had with Lilly and Eva, so I told them to meet me at my apartment ASAP.
Six hours later, I still haven’t heard from Garrett.
I had been grateful that Sam was still at work, needing just a few minutes alone to sort through all the information I did have. Which admittedly was very little.
It had felt like something changed two weeks ago when we were in Vermont. We had both opened up, had both shared so much with each other in a twenty-four-hour span.
So why didn’t he tell me this?
“Wait,” I start, turning my head to Lilly. “Did Dominik say why he never mentioned this to you?”
“He didn’t know.” Lilly frowns, glancing down at the phone in her hand. “When I left to come here, Dominik was waiting for Garrett to come over.”
My eyes widen at that. “So…no one knew then.”
With everything I know about Garrett, the fact that his financial status was such a tight-lipped secret, to the point where someone who was family to him was in the dark, he had to have a reason for hiding this.
I just wish he knew he didn’t have to carry it alone. If he had told me, I might not have been able to relate, but he would have had someone in his corner through all of this. At the very least, I wouldn’t have been left completely blindsided.
“Someone pass me the cinnamon Febreze.” I groan, dropping my head back and staring at the ceiling.
“The…what?” Eva asks.
“She means the Fireball.” Lilly clarifies for me, jostling me as she gets up and goes to the kitchen. When she comes back, she has three shots balanced in her hands. She gives one to me and continues to explain for Eva as she passes one to her. “Fruity shots represent good nights. They’re essentially our way of toasting a successful or drama-free time. However, when things are shitty…” She lifts up her shot glass and clinks it to mine before throwing it back. “We do a Fireball because it tastes like crap.”
I toss back my shot, grimacing at the taste, and shiver at the burn the liquid leaves in its wake. Eva shrugs and follows suit.
“I thought you and Garrett were…” Lilly pauses, glancing quickly at Eva before staring down at her fingers and snaps her mouth shut.
Eva gasps, slamming her now empty shot on the side table and picking up her water.
“Please tell me that the two of you are a thing.”
“That…what…no,” I stutter, shooting a glare at Lilly, who just shrugs. After we got back from Vermont, Lilly was the first call I made. However, my filling her in came with the warning that Eva, or anyone who worked for us, could not know. I shake my head, unable to meet Eva’s intense stare. “Garrett and I aren’t…”
“Ya know,” she says cheerfully, “if you were dating him now, I’d win the office pool.”
My head snaps in her direction so fast I’m surprised it’s still on my head. “Sorry, what? There’s a bet about if Garrett and I are dating or not?”
“No.” Eva shakes her head, grinning around her glass, and my shoulders momentarily sag in relief. Then she continues, “There are bets for when you two will finally give in and just be together already.”
I stare at her, trying to process what she’s saying on top of everything else from today. Eva shrugs, not bothered one bit by my lack of response. “Just sayin’… everyone’s already rooting for you two. It’s obvious to the entire office that he’s head over heels for you. So the only one stopping you guys from being together…is you.”
“Everyone is…fine if I date him? Even though he’s our boss?” I question and she grins mischievously at me in response.
“Fine? If you two got together, the team would probably ask if they could throw you a party.”
“Oh, thank heavens.” Lilly squeals, jumping up and clapping her hands. At my raised brow, she throws her hands in the air. “Come on, the chemistry between the two of you is so obvious. Now you know you don’t have to hide it anymore.”
She skips to where I’m slouched on my couch and holds out her hands, and I shake my head.
“That doesn’t change today’s shit show. Who’s to say he’ll even want to be with me now that this has all come to light?”
“Please,” Eva says, rolling her eyes and standing up to collect our dirty shot glasses. “You’re talking about a man who kept his money a secret for God knows how long. I highly doubt that today would change his obvious feelings toward you.”
She’s right, even I don’t believe my own words.
“Now,” Lilly says, her outstretched hand still hanging in front of me. “You can either sit here, wondering and waiting for him to call. Or we can try to turn this night around. Are things perfect? No. Life threw you a curveball today, but there’s no point in stewing on things that are out of your control.”
“Sweatpants are so much more comfortable than skirts, though.” I growl but slip my hands into hers and let her pull me up.
“We’ll go to the bar by my place. No dressing up required. Go throw on some black shorts, toss your hair in a bun, and we’ll go kick Eva’s butt in darts.”
“Who says you’ll win?” Eva asks.
Lilly and I share a knowing look before bursting out in laughter.
I leave Lilly to explain how we both joined a dart league in college just to get half off beers on Thursdays and we turned out to be one of the best teams.
As I change out of my sweats, I can’t help but realize that maybe Lilly is right. Sitting around and stewing over questions or situations I can’t solve without talking to Garrett is pointless.
“Start this next round without me,” I tell Eva and Lilly. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom.”
They both yell out their acknowledgments but are already moving on to the next round of darts. Much to our surprise, Eva is really good at playing and is almost able to keep up with us. She might even beat Lilly in a one-on-one round.
After using the bathroom, I’m rounding the small corner to go back to the bar area when someone steps in front of me.
“Sorry, excuse me,” I say automatically, moving to sidestep, only for them to do the same.
“Aren’t you that girl from earlier?” he asks and my stomach knots.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shake my head, attempting to move around him again, but once more, he steps in my way.
“There was a man out there who said you were Garrett Walker’s girlfriend. Is that true?”
All blood drains from my face. Even though my entire body is screaming for me to turn around and lock myself in the bathroom, I refuse to back down.
“Dude, back off. Cornering anyone in a secluded hallway is just asking to be kicked in the nuts.” This time, I shove past him, ignoring his cry of protest when my shoulder bumps into his.
Storming out of the hallway, I’m two seconds from stomping over to the bar to figure out who sent that reporter my way when Lilly pops up in front of me. The panic shining in her wide eyes makes the hair on the back of my neck stand and I’m instantly on alert.
“What’s wrong?”
Lilly’s brows scrunch together and she looks over her shoulder. “I already called Dom. He and Garrett are on their way down here but…”
I follow her gaze, cursing at the crowd that had formed during the few minutes I was in the bathroom.
“What the…” I mumble just as a couple of them turn and spot me.
Just like earlier outside the office, everything happens quickly. I’ve always seen horror stories about reporters getting out of hand, but up until now, I’d been lucky enough to never see it in person.
Now, here they are, pushing past each other and shouting out questions one after the other.
Someone bumps into Lilly, nearly separating the two of us, and that’s all it takes for me to react.
Clutching Lilly’s hand tightly, I pull her back into my side.
“Back the hell off!” I shout, pushing up on the balls of my feet and scrambling for a plan. Eva stands by the bar, pointing us out to the man with the security shirt on. In all my time coming here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jerry leave his stool by the door or do anything more than check IDs.
I grimace, guilt twisting in my stomach at the situation in front of me.
I should have stayed home.