Chapter 19 Phoebe
PHOEBE
My training was in a small building not far away from the San Diego Superior Court.
It was very intense, and the group was small.
There were five of us, and our teacher asked us not to check our phones except during breaks.
I felt like I was back in school. Then again, the accounting program was so complex that if you didn’t pay attention for a few seconds, you could easily get lost. Since my work was paying for this, I was keeping my fingers crossed for them to hire me full-time.
I realized how addicted I was to my phone when I practically ran toward the back of the room during the first break. Taking it out of my bag, I unlocked the screen as quickly as possible. I had no message notifications, and my stomach sagged with disappointment.
Correction—I wasn’t addicted to my phone but rather to Griffin.
Then I decided to check the messages anyway, and lo and behold, I did have one from him. It was from this morning. I’d missed the notification somehow. He’d sent a picture of a bottle of wine.
Griffin: This is the winner, and a certain gorgeous woman helped me pick it out.
A bout of jealousy, coursed through me. A woman?
Oh, he meant me.
Wow, that was interesting. I was jealous of myself.
Phoebe: Glad I could help.
Griffin: How’s your training?
Phoebe: It’s very intense, and we have a very strict teacher. We’re only allowed to check messages during breaks. I’m going to be super burned out by the end of this.
Griffin: Lucky I’ll be back to take care of you.
I bit the inside of my cheek. I was desperate to know exactly how he planned to do that, but he needed an answer from me first. And I didn’t have it yet.
Before I could think of anything to say in response, the instructor announced that our break time was over. I put my phone back in my purse with a sigh.
The rest of the day was grueling. By the end of it, I was so exhausted that I even forgot to check my phone. I only took it out when I got home, seeing that I had two messages from Griffin.
Griffin: When are you done?
Griffin: Just send me a text when you can talk.
I immediately typed a reply.
Phoebe: I’m home.
He called me the next second.
“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t see your messages. I just got home.”
“Long day, huh?” he asked.
“Very. But you sound tired too.”
“It was busy.”
“What did you do today?”
“We toured the winery, and they explained the production process. Even though I’m not going to be involved on a day-to-day basis, I like to know the ins and outs of any company I invest in.”
“That’s a very solid approach in business,” I said. “So, it was productive.”
I was trying to gauge if he was done and there was a chance that he’d come back earlier. But I didn’t want to be too obvious.
“We were busy all day. Tomorrow will be as well.”
I pouted. Damn it. I wasn’t going to see him tomorrow after all.
“What are you having for dinner?” he asked me.
“I’m in the mood for sunny-side ups. Although, I could make myself some fried rice. You?”
“I’ll go to dinner with my brothers and our new business associates here. I actually have to go in a few minutes. Just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Oh! I was hoping we could talk more.”
“I’d promise to call you after dinner, but I don’t know how long it’ll last.”
“No, no, that’s fine. We can talk plenty once you’re back.”
I stopped in the act of pulling the fridge door, instead putting a hand on my chest. I had to say this to him. I’d been thinking about it all day, and I didn’t want to postpone it any longer.
“Griffin, I’m ready.”
“Fuck yes,” he exclaimed, and my face morphed into a grin. I didn’t even have to explain what I was talking about. He simply knew.
I jumped up and down for no reason at all, joy coursing through my body. I’d never experienced anything like this before. To be wanted by someone so completely made me feel special. Griffin made me feel special.
“Mr. Sterling, we’re ready for you,” a voice said in the background.
“Go have fun at dinner,” I told him.
“I won’t be able to focus. I’ll only be thinking about you and all the things I’m going to do to you once I’m back.”
“I could say I’m sorry for distracting you,” I said with a shaky voice, “but I’m not. Not really.”
“I’ll see you soon, Phoebe.”
“Oh yeah.”
His words rang in my ears long after I disconnected the call. Even after I finished my dinner, all I could think about was the next time I was going to see him. Griffin was going to turn my world upside down. I had no doubt.
And I couldn’t wait for that to happen.
The next morning, I woke up with a huge smile on my face. Instinctively, I reached for my phone, wondering if Griffin had texted.
Instead, an email from Marshall caught my attention.
I opened the message with shaky fingers.
Subject: Splitting profits.
Hey, Phoebe. So, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. The realtor says he has a good feeling about the price and that we’ll be able to sell fast. Since I paid most of the down payment, I figured it’s only fair for me to get most of the profits.
I blinked. Is he shitting me right now? We’d already planned to split the money from the sale in a way that made sure he hadn’t lost any money with the down payment, but now he wanted to… what? Take more of the profits?
I don’t think so. Over my dead body.
Did he know what a financial hit I took because of his cheating ass? I should have billed him for everything I had to buy for this place.
I’d even chipped in for our trip to Maui. Not with a lot, but I didn’t want to feel like I wasn’t contributing at all. And he took her on that trip.
I wiped my eyes. Damn it. I couldn’t believe I was tearing up.
I texted him immediately.
Phoebe: Let’s talk about this in person.
I didn’t want to go back and forth over email. Marshall needed to know that I wasn’t a pushover.
To my dismay, he answered right away.
Marshall: Okay.
I looked on Google Maps at potential meeting places around the courthouse and found a bar two blocks away. I sent the link over to Marshall before I could chicken out.
Phoebe: Let’s meet there at 6.
Marshall: Great! I’ll be there.
I took in a deep breath, steeling myself. I could do this.
My phone beeped again. I almost didn’t look because I really didn’t want to know what other crazy ideas Marshall had. But the message was from Griffin.
Griffin: Gorgeous, I changed my flight, and I’m coming back this evening.
Huh. Guess whose day just turned much better?
Yep, that’s right. Mine.
I opened the fridge to get milk for my coffee and forgot that I was supposed to be extra tender with the door. I broke the handle again. But even that wasn’t enough to ruin my mood.
Phoebe: That makes me so happy.
Griffin: Want me to pick you up from the office? Or is your training somewhere else?
I frowned. I could postpone Marshall, but I wanted to get it over with.
Phoebe: The training is near the Superior Court, but I’m meeting Marshall after that. He wants to discuss some details about the sale of the house. I figured it’ll be faster in person.
The screen showed “Griffin typing” for a long time.
Griffin: Want me to pick you up from where you’re meeting him?
Phoebe: Sure.
Griffin: I’ll take care of you for the rest of the evening.
Oh wow. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Spending time with Griffin was the perfect way to end the evening.
I sent him the address and then went about my day.
On the way to training, I emailed my boss, stating my hope and intention to get promoted as a full-time employee. The pay right now was crap, but I’d done some digging. They had much better programs for full-time employees.
To my astonishment, he responded right away.
Thanks for sending this. We’ll let you know if something comes up.
I didn’t know what to make of his answer. Since this was my first real job, I didn’t know how to navigate office politics. I decided to push the issue to the back of my mind.
I could scarcely focus on my training today, though I did my best because this was quite literally my lifeline.
But once the teacher dismissed us and I headed to the bar where I was meeting Marshall, I grew uneasy. At least I could look forward to seeing Griffin later. He’d texted me the location where he planned to wait for me. It was a block away from the bar.
I was determined to stand my ground and was hoping Marshall wouldn’t make a scene. I hurried there with quick steps, fiddling with my laptop bag on my shoulder. The strap was cutting into my skin, so I moved it to the other shoulder.
Marshall was already inside the bar when I got there. He noticed me right away and waved at me.
I walked over, ready to get this over with as soon as possible. Then I could focus on a glorious evening with Griffin.