Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
I click between three different tabs, gnawing at my lower lip. I have checked my itinerary twice now, making sure each address and date is absolutely correct. My email is ready to send, all I have to do is click the button.
My left leg is bouncing like crazy and I’m positive Taylor is annoyed by the clacking I keep making with my heel. I do one more round, triple-checking I have my information straight.
Annndd… done.
I wheel back from my desk, breathing out a sigh of relief. The Havens’ Italian vacation is booked. From the flights to transportation, down to the restaurants they’ll visit each night. It’s a fifty-page document, color-coded by date and activity. It took me literally all night to finish.
But I finished.
By the skin of my teeth.
I stand up, taking a leisurely stroll to the kitchen where I reward myself with the last can of Taylor’s favorite sparkling water. It’s worth the death glare he’ll shoot me when I return. Today, I deserve a little treat.
There is a pep in my step as I make my way back down the hallway and I don’t hear the exchange of voices until I’m right outside our office door. But that’s Victor’s nasally pitch and Taylor’s low drawl.
“That waterfront chateau you found is something else. I have only skimmed the itinerary, but that’s a clear standout.”
My brows shoot up. Is Victor complimenting my work? That would be a first. Mr. Haven is more likely to ignore my very existence than offer a kind word.
I turn the corner, ready to accept my boss’s sincere gratitude when—
“Amazing job on this, Taylor. You’ve really outdone yourself.”
I pause in the doorway, the smile freezing on my face.
Taylor glances up, meeting my eyes as he says, “Not a problem.”
It takes me ten full seconds to recover from the betrayal. “Are you talking about my itinerary?” I ask, emphasizing the my of it all.
But Victor either doesn’t hear, or pretends he didn’t. He passes me with a shallow dip of his chin, leaving the room before I can clarify just whose good job he was complimenting.
“You little snake,” I seethe, bounding up to Taylor so I can poke a finger into his chest. “You just took credit for my work!”
He purses his lips like he’s trying to recall whatever I could possibly be referring to. “I seem to remember saving your ass yesterday. I thought this was a fitting retribution.”
“I spent twelve full hours working on that.” A genuine note of hysteria enters my voice. The only thing that kept me going in the wee hours of the morning was knowing the Havens would appreciate my hard work. “You completely screwed me over.”
Taylor lifts a brow. “The itinerary came from your email. They know you sent it, Montes.”
“Victor didn’t!”
“Victor doesn’t hear half the things we say. Correcting him would only make him stay here longer.”
Well, he has a point. Perhaps the only thing Taylor and I agree on is that we’re better off when our bosses don’t make impromptu office calls.
“I’m going to get you back for this,” I swear, stomping back to my seat. “You just made a big mistake! Huge!”
I hear Taylor sigh. “Okay, Pretty Woman.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head until I register what I said. He’s got me so distressed I’m accidentally quoting famous movie lines.
We might despise each other, but stealing credit is one line we’ve never crossed. Until now. I meant it when I said I’d return Taylor’s little favor.
He has no idea what’s coming.
At half past three, I press send on an email I’ve spent drafting for two hours straight.
At ten past five, my efforts come to fruition.
I hold my breath when Taylor’s phone begins to ring. He has silenced all other contacts besides the Havens. When he picks up, I have a good feeling I know exactly why.
“Hey, what can I—”
Taylor’s question is cut off by the muffled sound of Victor’s voice.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
I resist the urge to turn when Taylor’s chair squeaks. He has pushed away from his desk and I’d bet anything he’s currently staring at the back of my head.
“You want to speak to Ayla?”
I make a show of jolting a bit, turning to Taylor with feigned surprise.
His lips are thinned, nostrils flared as he glares back at me. “Sure. Hold on.”
He crosses the room, eyes unnaturally bright as he offers his phone for me to take. I point at my chest, the picture of innocence.
Taylor crosses his arms, watching me with an unreadable expression as I raise his phone to my ear. “Yes?”
“Ayla, hello! I just saw your email.”
Victor’s voice is warmer than I have ever heard, his tone the one he normally reserves for Taylor and his wife.
“Hi, Victor! Yes, Taylor told me about your script and I just couldn’t help it, I read the whole thing in one sitting. I hope my notes were okay?”
Taylor’s eyes go comically wide. Claiming he told me about Victor’s script is a stretch. I overheard the two of them talking about the writer’s newest project. And then bore witness to Taylor’s subsequent breakdowns as he struggled to provide feedback. Every day this week I have stumbled upon him slumped over his desk, hands curled in his hair and an empty Word document flashing upon his computer screen.
So, I took it upon myself to finish what he could not.
I press a button on Taylor’s phone, turning the call to speaker just as Victor begins to speak.
“More than okay! Your solution to the drag in the rising action is dynamite, young lady. Excellent job on this. I’m going to need your input on my next draft.”
I shrug, catching Taylor’s eye. “I would love to get my hands on your next draft. Thank you. Victor. Truly, it was a pleasure reading your work.”
Taylor’s gaze could burn a hole through solid steel. Good thing I’m impervious to his brand of fury. I’m riding the high of Victor’s praise as I hang up, grinning while I deposit Taylor’s phone back into his extended hand.
“Feel better?” he asks.
“Much.”
He takes a step forward and I draw back. “Enjoy the taste of victory, Montes. I promise it will be short-lived.”
“Well, you are the expert in failing.”
“It’s a wonder you don’t fall off that high horse.”
This time, I lean into his space. “It’s a wonder you’re still here. Don’t you have work to do? Or should I tell our bosses I can handle both our jobs?”
Taylor scoffs. “You wouldn’t last a day in my shoes.”
“Just because they’re unnaturally large doesn’t mean they’re hard to fill.”
His brows arch up. “Was that supposed to be a burn?”
“When I burn you, you’ll feel it.”
Taylor shakes his head and I wince. Okay, so that wasn’t my best work.
“You’re impossible.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re one to talk.”
Until this moment, I hadn’t noticed how close Taylor and I have drawn. With my back against the desk and neck arched up, I look like I’m Taylor’s for the taking. One of his hands is balled near my hip, the other is shoved deep in his pocket. He glares down at me, and from the exact wrong vantage point, one might think our faces are angled for a kiss.
Maybe it’s the horror of that revelation that causes me to miss the sound of Adoria’s heeled steps coming down the hallway. I don’t come to my senses and push away from Taylor until her tall form appears at the door.
“Ayla!” she calls. “I’ve been messaging you for ages. Did you send them my details?”
I blink, trying my best to piece together whatever the fuck my boss is talking about. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see a notification. How can I help?”
Adoria’s lips pucker, hinting at her souring mood. “The club, darling. I’m certain I asked you to email them my taxes. We need to meet a certain threshold to obtain a membership.” She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, today is the cutoff. You did send them what they needed, right?”
I can feel the furrow form between my brows. I turn to my desktop, scouring my inbox for any hint of the club Adoria is referring to. I can actually feel my stomach sink when I locate it.
An email came in early this morning. At the exact same time I overheard Taylor taking credit for my work.
“Oh, yes. Of course. I’m working on it,” I say, offering Adoria a false smile. “I just need to give them a call, and then everything should be squared away.”
If she suspects I’m lying through my teeth, she doesn’t say a word. I let out an audible sigh of relief when her attention falls on Taylor.
“And you did the same for Victor? He mentioned something about a specific tee time. You’ve made the reservation for our business meeting next week at the golf course?”
Taylor is as good of a pretender as I am. I wouldn’t be able to tell anything is amiss if not for the flicker of surprise that passes through his eyes. He blinks and it’s gone. He gives Adoria the same bland smile I must have worn moments ago.
“I’ll send you both the details.”
Adoria nods. “Sooner rather than later, dear. All right. I’ll let you get back to it.” She glances at me. “And turn up the sound on your phone, Ayla. I shouldn’t have to come down here to get your attention.”
“Of course,” I murmur, turning my ringer on as Adoria disappears down the hall.
Taylor takes another two steps backward and we exchange a look.
A rare white flag waves in his eyes. We both need to put down our weapons before we get the other killed. Taylor ducks his chin, and I return the gesture.
And then we get to work.