Chapter 13 Nick
THIRTEEN
NICK
Igive them a three-second head start before I turn the opposite way and swipe two flutes of champagne from a passing server’s tray.
My swift move earns curious eyes, and a surprised gasp from a waiter not expecting the weight distribution change.
But I couldn’t give a single fuck if the entire tray topples and lands on the mother-of-the-bride’s head.
I circle the outside perimeter of the room, keeping Mel in my sight, as well as the man who walks ahead of her.
So when he opens a door that leads into the hall, I open one too, albeit forty feet earlier, so we exit the ballroom at the same time, but my presence remains hidden by the curvature of the walls.
They would’ve been a bitch to build and smooth.
“Uh, Mr. Manson?” Mel reverts to the woman I met weeks ago. Softly spoken, uncertain, and entirely too lacking in confidence, which is all pretty fucking ridiculous considering her skill at a drafting table and how utterly beautiful and smart and kind she is. “Is-is there a problem, sir?”
“Yeah.” He comes to a stop on the opposite side of the hall where he could see me if only he looked this way.
So I’m not caught, I turn and rest against the wall.
I’m just a guy, waiting in the hall for his date to return.
Completely normal. “You must be aware of the impeccable reputation our firm boasts,” he bites out.
“Manson, Mason, and Samson have more than a hundred years within the industry, and at all times, we’ve shone above the rest, Ms. Hamilton.
We conduct business with the best, deliver only the best, and we remain entirely blemish-free amongst the gossiping grape vines. ”
Don’t you do it, Manson. Don’t you fucking dare.
“I-I’m unsure what the issue is, sir.” Mel’s voice crackles with nerves and an inability to stand up for herself.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with your firm, and I’m confident I give my everything to every project I’m involved with.
Honestly, I thought I’d done something especially praiseworthy when I brought in the new Downtown project.
” She fusses and shifts on her feet; I just know it. “Have I misunderstood something?”
“You came to me begging for a chance, Melanie. And unlike the countless vapid nobodies who do the same on a near-daily basis, you were fortunate enough to come with your father’s backing.”
I’m gonna ram his head through a fucking wall.
“And for that, I appreciate your faith, Mr. Manson. I’m just—”
“The only reason you’ve been allowed to work on the new Downtown project is because somehow, though I’ll admit, I have no clue how you pulled it off, you had the connection with Ms. Anderson.
Her employers have deep pockets and large ideas.
But despite all that, I ignored my intuition and allowed you to remain head of the design team. ”
“Sir—”
“This was a mistake, compounded by your disregard for deadlines. Instead of knuckling down and delivering on our firm’s most important project, you requested a week off.”
“I’ve been working all week!” she cries out. Because one thing Mel can’t swallow is unfair judgment. “I’m taking the week unpaid, but I’ve been working too, sir. I’m almost done.”
“Then I arrive here today,” he hisses, lowering his voice, “and your character is being dragged through mud?! You stole, Melanie?”
“No, I—”
“You lied. You were unfaithful towards your fiancé, but I know I’ve heard you talking with the girls at the office. You would have me believe he wronged you when all along—”
“No!” Tears in her throat make her exclamation weak. “That’s not how it—”
“Have your drawings on my desk first thing Monday morning.” He snarls, taking a step back so I see his movement in my peripherals. “You’re done.”
“What?” Mel’s breath explodes on a fast exhale of heartache. “No, Mr. Manson. You can’t—”
“Now we must go into damage control, and removing you from the helm of this project is step one. Ms. Anderson is due in our office on Friday, where she’ll expect to see your completed design.
When she asks, I expect you to tell her you’ve stepped down due to personal reasons but that you give your full support to the rest of the team. ”
“Mr. Manson—”
“You still have a job,” he sneers, “purely because of my fondness for your father. But you will no longer be a front-facing associate within our firm. We will not shine a light on liars and thieves.” Turning on his heels and stalking off with a huff of arrogance, he leaves Mel behind as she crumples against the wall at her back, a breath-squeezing sob bursting from her chest.
I turn to go to her, to sweep her up and take her away.
But the ballroom door opens again, music filtering through and filling the hall until it almost feels like a living, breathing thing.
Then Drew steps through, his expression jumping from intolerance to curiosity in a single beat of my heart.
He stares at Mel for a moment, tilting his head and looking her up and down for as long as she’s blind to him.
But when she glances up, his face changes to faux-concern like he’s spent his whole life faking it.
“Mel?” He charges forward and takes her arms in his hands, folding his neck to get a look at her face. “Honey, what happened?”
Don’t you fuckin’ honey her, you asshole.
“Hey?” He croons, oblivious to my presence. “You’re scaring me, sweety. What happened?”
“I just got fired!” She throws his hands off and strides six feet this way before turning back to face him. “I still have a job, of course. But it may as well have been termination. Such bullshit!”
“Did you mess up on a project?” He follows her, leaning into her space and resting his elbow on the wall above her head. “I heard about that big downtown one you’ve been working on. I was pretty proud when I found out.”
“Proud?” She hiccups and wipes her nose, swiping tears from her face, and stares up into his eyes. Stick a fucking pitchfork in my heart. She’s looking at him like he didn’t screw her over. “You were proud of me?”
“Sure…” He reaches across with his free hand and glides his knuckles over her jaw. “I was beaming with pride. I’ve known you since forever, right? I knew you when your dreams were big, and architecture was all you ever talked about.”
Slowly, she turns her face, her wet eyes sliding along the arm he holds close. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I know.” He inches closer, casting a cursory glance along the hall to make sure they’re alone. “So when I heard the good news, I stupidly expressed my happiness and caught a lot of heat from Karla.”
Stunned, Mel’s eyes swing back to his. “What?”
“She’s not exactly your biggest fan,” he sniggers, “and she’s always been jealous of you.
Ever since middle school, she copied your hair and clothes and anything else she could.
It’s a compliment, honey. She only ever wanted to be you.
And you only ever wanted to be a successful architect.
I messed up with us.” He tilts his head to catch her gaze when she looks the other way.
“I know how wrong I was. I was weak and stupid, and she was willing, so I made an awful choice that I’ve been paying for every day since. ”
“Drew…”
“I still love you, Melly. And it kills me to see you with that… that…” He grits his jaw in frustration.
“That trailer trash. If I could go back two years and do things differently, I would. And if I could turn back time and make you feel as loved as I know you desire, there’s nothing I wouldn’t trade for that chance. ”
“You still love me?” She licks her lips and searches his eyes. “Really?”
“I never stopped.”
“You swear?” Her voice grates and crackles—kind of like my heart. “You’re telling the truth?”
“I would never lie to you.” He leans closer, closer.
And for every inch he steals, the tighter I’m forced to lock myself down so I don’t go over there and cave in the side of his skull.
She’s not mine. She was never mine, and if he’s offering what she wants, even though I know it’s a lie…
“I would never betray you again, Melly. I was different back then. Young and stupid. But if you gave me another chance, I know I could make you believe.”
“Believe?” She hiccups. “In you?”
His lips curl into a sly grin. “In me.”
“Kinda like how everyone in there believes I was the cheat?” With a cry of rage and a shoop-shoop-de-doop, she swings her knee up and cracks the dumb sonofabitch square between the legs.
Like a felled log, he topples right and drops to the floor with a heavy thud.
“Kind of like how everyone believes I stole our wedding gifts?” She stands over him, street fighting serious, and snarls.
“Kind of like how everyone believes you’re doing me a favor by inviting me here today? ” She scoffs. “You asshole!”
She spins on her heels, leaving the groom curled in a ball and holding his nut sack, and shoving through the doorway, she leaves the scene of a crime and heads out to commit another.
“Oh, shit.” I spin from the wall and burst into the ballroom once more.
But if she’s looking for me, she’s doing it in the wrong direction as she stomps toward the stage where the band play and shoop-shoops across to snatch up a microphone.
“Excuse me, hi.” She turns back to her crowd. “I have some things to say.”