Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
David
When I see Zoe step out of the restroom, I head directly to her, grabbing her arm and walking her to the break room, not letting her escape until I’ve said what I have to say. Once we’re there, she breaks free from my hold.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you like that, but you keep walking away from me, and I need to explain.”
She steps back with her arms wide open. “Then explain,” she says a little too loudly, which gets my heart pumping more than it should.
“I’m trying to apologize here, but you’re making it very difficult.”
“I’m making it difficult on you? Do you know how stupid I felt in there, not having a single clue what you were up to?”
The way she’s throwing her arms out and stepping up into my face makes me want to smile at how cute she is, but I’m quick to wipe it away so she doesn’t see.
“I tried to tell you. I’m sorry I overslept because I had been up late, finishing our project.”
“You know there’s such a thing called a phone, right? You know, this little device that every person has in their hand twenty-four/seven that can connect people with the push of a button? Did you ever think of maybe trying to contact me directly?”
“I didn’t have your—” Then it hits me.
I see the way she’s staring at me with her arms crossed, her hip nudged out to the side, and her eyebrows raised. “Don’t say you didn’t have my number. You made me give it to you.”
I let out a breath. “I’m sorry. I forgot I had it. I got the email late at night and panicked.”
“Then what about sending me an email? I know you have my email address.”
“I didn’t know if you checked it on weekends, and I didn’t want to send out an email, saying, Guess what—I’m changing everything, just so you know,” I say in a loud octave, sounding overdramatic. “I wanted to explain why. But then I overslept and barely made it here to begin with.”
She looks up to the ceiling, letting out a breath, making me think she’s calming down slightly, so I continue, “I wasn’t even sure if I was right.
I got the email, and just the way she discussed the line with this high-end garbage talk, I got the feeling she wasn’t going to like the direction we’d chosen.
” I place my hand on my chest, taking full blame. “The direction I led you on.”
“High-end garbage talk?”
Her expression makes me laugh, so this time, I let it out freely.
“Yes. High-end garbage talk. I’m simple. Grew up in Montana. I don’t get all the fancy things people die for here.”
“So, you took my design and made it your own?” Her words cut, but her body language is easing, so I think I’m breaking her walls down.
“No. I took your design and made it ours. That’s what coworkers do when they work together. I was very clear in the meeting why you were upset, and I didn’t take credit for your work. I promise.”
She nods but looks away. “Christina told me.”
Her walls are down, so I continue, knowing I’m finally getting somewhere, “Thankfully, she liked it, and we were able to keep the client.”
She glances down, pretending she’s picking lint off her shirt. “Yeah, I heard that too.”
“All I was trying to do was make sure the client was happy. I did all that work on Sunday just in case I was right and she didn’t like our direction. I honestly thought your concept was better, but it’s not up to us. It’s up to her, and I didn’t want us both to fail.”
She uncrosses her arms and lets out a breath, still not looking at me though. “Yeah, I get it.”
“I know you and I have never really gotten along, but that’s not what this was. I would never purposefully do something vindictive like that. It’s just not who I am in my core values.”
She stares at me, and I give her that time to hopefully forgive me. I watch as her eyes soften, giving me a little reprieve from this mess we’ve been in all morning.
“Whatever.”
She rolls her eyes, then walks to the coffee maker, pouring herself a cup. I take that time without her looking at me to let out a deep breath, feeling the tension loosen in my shoulders, which has been there since I got the client’s email.
“Christina told me to ask what our next steps are,” she says while stirring the sugar and cream in her coffee.
“She gave us samples. I have yours on my desk. I’ll give you the files I was working on this weekend. She has some tweaks that you can work your magic on.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
I pause, not sure how she’ll react to what I have to say next. I know my first thought was hell no, and after the morning we’ve had, I’m sure she’ll feel the same way. I just hope she doesn’t shoot the messenger.
“She wants us to come visit the ranch.” I don’t say anything else as I wait for her reply.
I expect her to turn fast to look at me or to yell out there is no way she’ll go anywhere with me, but what I don’t expect is for her to close her eyes and just breathe.
I give her the time she needs because I’m not sure what else to do with this reaction.
She’s still facing the coffee maker with her eyes shut, and she asks, “When?”
“We are supposed to look at our schedules and let her know. As soon as we can though.”
“Fine. I’ll let you know.” She turns the opposite direction of where I’m standing and leaves the break room without giving me a second glance.
I was prepared for a lot of things when I came to work this morning, but her acting so calmly at the idea of going anywhere with me was not one of them.
Zoe
My hands are shaking so bad that I’m afraid I’ll make a scene with my coffee spilling out of my cup while I walk back to my desk.
I never drink out of these paper cups they supply, but here I am, walking back to my desk with it, only because I needed to do something to keep my mind from freaking out.
I didn’t even think about putting a lid on until I was a few steps away, and there was no way I was turning around to grab one.
Jana glances up at me as I sit. “Coffee? In a paper cup? Isn’t that your travel mug sitting on your desk?”
“Don’t ask.”
I hear the giggle escape her lips, but I don’t pay her any attention.
Instead, I pick up my phone and text my girls.
Girls’ night. Stat.
They are all quick to reply.
Macy: Everything OK?
Candace: What’s going on?
Chasity: OMG, it’s day seven!
I don’t reply because I have no clue what to say, and I can’t even think about that right now, so I put my phone down and open my calendar to look at my week. I don’t know why because I know I have nothing going on. My life is my job; my job is my life.
I close my eyes again and breathe, trying not to have a panic attack or break out crying, sitting here at my desk.
Seeing my calendar just makes me realize how empty my life really is.
I want someone to spend my nights with. I want someone to fill my calendar with.
Thoughts of David’s family coming to New York for his sister’s dress fitting hit me like a stone wall.
I dreamed of being able to meet them, and now I have no clue what to think.
I spent the weekend envisioning what my life would look like with this guy in it.
I dreamed of waking up next to him, of going on that first date on the Hudson, of just cuddling with him after a long day.
I felt like a kid on Christmas, who had their presents all wrapped under the tree, just waiting for that special day, but now they’ve all burned to the ground.
“I was thinking—”
I jump in my seat and open my eyes at the sound of David’s voice, making Jana chuckle under her breath, to which I give her the death stare.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” David says. “I was thinking we could go on Wednesday, spend the day touring the place on Thursday, and then fly home on Friday.”
“Yeah. That works for me. Do you want me to book the flights?”
“I already have them up on my computer. I just need your information.”
Wanting this interaction to stop as quickly as possible, I reach in my purse, pull out my ID, and hand it to him without saying anything else. Thankfully, he takes it and walks back to his desk.
“You guys have to fly somewhere?” Jana whispers. “Like, together?”
I open my eyes wide and nod.
She tries her hardest to hold back her laughter but fails miserably.
Again, I have no clue whether I should laugh or cry at this wild, messed-up situation I’ve found myself in.