Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Atlanta—Present Day
Brady gave her another smile as he released her hand. Olivia was positive that grin had gotten more than a few women to do whatever the handsome man wanted. But all Olivia cared about was the angry energy rolling off Declan—and how satisfying she found his jealousy.
Olivia closed Declan’s office door behind her and pivoted to find Fiona raging at Declan’s assistant. “I’ve been waiting because of her ?” Fiona’s long nail stabbed in Olivia’s direction.
Todd’s expression was blank. “Ms. Adler is the CFO of Armstrong Electronics. These are normal business hours.”
Olivia bit the inside of her cheek to hide her smile at the not-so-subtle jab. By the angry growl, Fiona hadn’t missed it either.
“You should be careful how you talk to me.” She drew herself up to her full height. Olivia admitted the woman was an impressive sight. High heels and a short Chanel suit screamed privilege, but Todd was unfazed.
“I apologize if I said something to upset you.”
“Once I’m Mrs. Bloom, I promise you will be the first thing I get rid of,” the woman hissed.
Olivia attempted to slip from the office in order to avoid a confrontation, but Fiona’s words about being Declan’s wife made her stumble. Fiona stepped in front of Olivia, blocking her exit.
Olivia swallowed a groan and squeezed her fingers so tightly into her palms they stung.
You are at work. Don’t let her get to you.
Olivia coolly met Fiona’s eyes.
“You think he’s interested in you, don’t you?” Fiona sneered.
Olivia lifted one eyebrow. “I think Mr. Bloom is interested in my stewardship of this company.”
“You’re not the first, you know.” Fiona stepped close enough to fill Olivia’s nose with her heavy perfume.
Olivia decided to play dumb to defuse the situation, all too conscious of Todd seated inches away, and of the thin walls of their offices. For years, she had feared her coworkers would hear the things Kyle said to her.
“You think because he’s fucking you, it means he cares.” Todd made a choking noise, but Olivia held her ground, refusing to look away. “He is going to be my husband. I will be Mrs. Declan Bloom. I will live in his home, sleep in his bed, wear the jewels he buys me, and be at the absolute top of society . You are a nobody whore,” she hissed. “Declan will forget about you all over again.”
“Ms. Carrol.” Todd attempted to intervene.
“Shut up. Don’t you dare speak to me in that tone.” The woman’s eyes flared. “With his ring on my finger, I will get the respect I deserve. From you…” She speared Todd with a glare. “And from his clingy siblings.”
Olivia’s temper ticked up even while her brain told her the woman had said something important. Something she needed to pay attention to.
Fiona grabbed Olivia’s arm, her long nails making crescents in her skin. “I know all about you. I see what you’re doing. Panting after Declan like you’re in heat.” Fiona’s face turned red, and from the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Todd stand. “You fucked him in Inferno’s bathroom, didn’t you?”
Olivia’s cheeks heated.
Fiona’s lip curled. “Play the whore for him. It wouldn’t be the first time you did it to get a job. Kyle told me all about how you pursued him to get a promotion here. He doesn’t want you anymore, and soon Declan won’t either.”
Olivia looked at the woman’s left hand wrapped around her forearm. “That might be true, but I don’t see a ring on your finger. Sounds like you are getting ahead of yourself.”
Fiona gasped and thrust her face close enough that Olivia could pick out the almost nonexistent pores on the woman’s face. “Stay away from him, or I will make you sorry.”
“That’s going to be hard, considering we work so closely together.” Olivia gave the woman a stiff smile. “Speaking of, I have more important things to do than listen to your tantrum. Though it’s been… entertaining.”
Fiona spluttered, and Olivia stepped around her.
When Olivia reached her office, she propped her elbows on the desk and breathed deeply for a minute, wishing the socialite’s words hadn’t stuck with her.
What were she and Declan doing? Their connection burned as hot as it always had. But did he still plan on marrying Fiona? He’d said they weren’t a couple, but that didn’t mean he would choose Olivia.
A few days later, Olivia stopped by one of the local bakery cafes to pick up a basket of pastries. Stuart and his team had been working practically around the clock to get closer to a prototype of the new design, and she wanted to reward them.
Olivia turned from the counter and saw Declan's sister Cara waving at her wildly from a corner booth. Seated with her, Olivia recognized Dahlia and Cami. Olivia hesitated, but other than being openly rude, she couldn't think of an excuse to escape.
“Good morning,” she said brightly, hoping it covered her nerves. The last time she saw these women, she had collapsed in their arms. Olivia shifted the large basket.
“We saw you standing over there and wanted to say hi. Small world.” Cara laughed.
Olivia’s body relaxed. “I’m glad I ran into you, too. I wanted to apologize for what happened in New York. I made a fool of myself, and I really appreciate the three of you stepping in to keep a bad situation from getting worse.”
“It wasn't that bad,” Dahlia said, from under a black baseball cap pulled low over her eyes.
“Thankfully, I don't remember most of it.”
Cara scooted to the side of the bench seat and patted the open space. “Sit down for a minute. I wanted to ask you something.” Her panic must have shown, because Cara’s face softened. “Please.”
Slightly terrified by what Declan’s sister might want to talk with her about, Olivia sank onto the seat. She placed the basket of pastries on the table but left her coat on. “I only have a few minutes. I need to get to work.”
“How is it going?” Cami asked, her eyes inquisitive. “James said there was some kind of surprise ending to the deal you were brokering.”
Olivia wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “We're thrilled to have been acquired by Bloom Capital.”
Dahlia gave her a sarcastic look.
“At least it's keeping Declan in town for a while,” Cara said. “It's been nice knowing he's around, even if we don't see him much.”
“He’s been a lot more involved than I anticipated,” Olivia agreed.
“What’s he like to work with? Does he issue edicts and then growl when you aren’t fast enough?” Cara asked, laughing a little.
“It’s been…” Olivia screwed her mouth to the side. “I’m trying to think of the right word.”
“Complicated?” Dahlia supplied.
A laugh escaped Olivia. “Yes! Then again, if Declan’s involved, I can't see how it could be anything but complicated.” The words slipped out before Olivia realized, and she cursed herself as the women exchanged looks.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean that as a criticism of your brother, I?—”
Cami grinned. “Sounds about right.”
“Declan is the most complicated human on the planet,” Cara agreed.
“And stubborn,” Olivia muttered, and Cara burst out laughing.
“You have gotten to know him pretty well.”
“We’ve been working on the restructure together.”
“That can’t be easy,” Cami observed.
Olivia shrugged. “It’s been a challenge. There haven’t been any massive layoffs yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” Tension prickled in her spine. “Entire divisions. Everyone is working hard to hold it off for as long as possible. I usually bring them muffins on Fridays, but I thought they needed extra ones this week.” She gestured to the basket. “Morale boost.”
Cara scrunched her nose. “That’s tough. Declan must be making you miserable. I can’t believe he’s going to fire all those people. That seems harsh even for him.”
Her words startled Olivia. “Declan has actually been extremely fair. He didn’t get rid of anyone right away, so people could start looking for jobs, and he’s also offered an extremely generous severance package. Really, it’s more than we would have gotten from someone else. Declan’s good at what he does, and this is business. He has his own investors to answer to.” Olivia realized she sounded defensive, and her cheeks flushed. She was all too aware the women were smiling widely at her.
“I should go. Thank you again.” Olivia slipped from the bench, but as she bent for the basket, Cara leaned forward and sniffed her.
“What scent is that? Sorry,” she gave a rueful smile. “I noticed it in New York. Occupational hazard. I’m always looking for new scents for my natural skin care products, and you smell delicious.” Her nose scrunched. “Is it rose?”
“Thank you. It's rose based, but it’s definitely not all natural. I have no idea what they put in the perfume.”
“What’s the name? If I had a bottle, I might be able to identify more of the notes,” Cara said, her face serious.
“I order it online,” Olivia explained. “It’s French—Wild White Rose.”
Cara gaped at Olivia making her uncomfortable.
“You still with us, Cara?” Dahlia asked.
Cara shook her head slowly, her lips slightly parted. “What? Yeah, I just… remembered something.”
Olivia grabbed her chance to leave. “It was nice to see you ladies again.”
She was almost at the door when Cara called her name. “You just met Declan, right?” Something in Cara’s tone made Olivia's steps falter.
“Uh, huh.” She gave a wave over her shoulder and escaped out into the cold. Olivia couldn’t shake the look on the young woman’s face as she drove to the office. Cara had stared at her like Olivia was the answer to a riddle she’d been struggling to solve.
Olivia glanced out her office window at the darkening sky and decided to leave work early. She’d wrangled an invitation to an event where she planned on speaking with several state senators about potential tax credits if Armstrong were to expand into manufacturing. As she crossed the lobby, Declan pushed the glass doors open letting the bitter wind blow in with him.
“You're back.” Olivia ignored how her heart leapt at the sight of him. It definitely didn’t mean she had missed him the last few days. Declan’s tan cheeks were pinked with cold. “Looks like the temperature dropped out there,” she added lamely.
With Declan out of town, they still hadn’t talked about what happened at Inferno. Had too much time passed? Had they missed their moment again?
Declan’s eyes skated over her face, his expression focused, as if soaking her in—as if he’d missed her too. “It’s freezing.”
They stood staring at each other in silence, the air pulsing with the electric current that always existed between them.
Declan cleared his throat. “Are you leaving for the day?”
“I’m going to corner some politicians at a fundraising event.” She gave him a half-smile.
He squinted at her. “Okay?”
“Tax credits.”
Understanding crossed his face, his features easing. “Ah.”
They only stood a few feet apart, but the gap between them seemed so much more impossible to cross than just a few short steps.
“I should get going before traffic becomes a nightmare,” she finally said, breaking the spell they both were under. “Do you have plans?”
Why are you asking that? He’s going to think you are fishing for information about Fiona?
It was the truth.
“I have dinner with my family.”
Relief washed over her.
“I ran into your sisters this morning.”
Declan briefly closed his eyes. “They tried to interrogate you, didn't they?”
“Only a little.” Olivia held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “They were very nice. Curious about what working with you is like. Cara mentioned how happy she is that you're in town.”
Declan’s whole body exhaled an irritated sigh. “She wants to house hunt.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “You’re considering living in Atlanta?”
“There are a lot of people I care about here.”
Was he only talking about his family? Traitorous hope flared in her chest. Was she one of the ‘people?’
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but before she embarrassed herself, a voice close by said. “Looks like it going to pour out there.”
Both of their heads swung toward the other person in the lobby. Olivia hadn’t realized they weren’t alone. The man standing by the window shook his head. “Rush hour is going to be a disaster.”
Olivia angled her head to the darkening windows. “I'll see you in the morning.”
Declan opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated. His shoulders rolled back, and his chin lifted. “Drive safely,” he said, before swiftly striding away.
Olivia’s chest ached. What used to be so easy between them was now painfully awkward, and the reminder of what they’d lost cut deep. As she walked to her car, she wondered if this stilted distance is all they would ever have.