Chapter 27 Luke
LUKE
"Congratulations!" Donna exclaimed. We were back at the office. I'd given everyone free rein to celebrate Megan’s success. They'd set up drinks and snacks in the meeting room, and the team was anxious to congratulate her.
"Thank you so much," Megan said.
I hadn't had a chance to talk to her alone because fucking Klaus was glued to us the whole time. I wanted to choose my words carefully. I’d always been certain she'd win.
She was smart, hardworking, and didn't mind going the extra mile.
That was always a winning combination. I was fucking proud of her.
But the committee didn't always give international placements.
It had been five years since the last time they'd done it. I hadn’t counted on that, and yes, I was fucking on edge.
"Now, this is the one thing that makes this place even cooler. Can we make this a regular thing?" Derrick asked, pouring himself champagne. “Day drinking?”
"No," I said, and Derrick’s eyebrows rose. I was usually relaxed at celebrations like this, and it wasn’t uncommon for me to be a smartass.
But I wasn't in the mood for that now. I wanted to talk to Megan.
I needed to know what she had in mind, but I wasn't going to pressure her in any way.
She had to decide without me hovering over her.
But the not knowing was killing me.
I loved her, and I knew the feeling was mutual. But she was young, at the beginning of a successful career, and I couldn’t be the one to hold her back.
Everyone had a flute of champagne, and we all clinked glasses in Megan’s honor. When I clinked it to hers, I looked her straight in the eyes.
"Congratulations, Megan. You deserve it."
"Thank you," she murmured.
I couldn't read anything from her expression. She seemed content. Was she happy that she'd won, or excited to go away?
Then Donna cleared her throat. "Luke, the floor is ready for you."
I nodded, setting my glass of champagne on the table and picking up the file Donna had prepped for me. "Megan, as you can see, we're all proud of you for winning the US Architecture Design Award. We had no doubts. At least I had no doubts."
"Hear, hear," some chanted in the back. The team was going to miss her. From day one she’d fit right in.
"You're one of the very best who's ever worked in our offices,” I continued. “In this file, you will find a permanent job offer with us."
The room erupted in cheers. Megan's eyes widened. She clapped her hand over her mouth and then lowered it, pressing it on her chest.
"Wow! Oh my God. Really? This is amazing."
"Donna will also send everything electronically to you. We just wanted to make a bit of a show by printing it out. I’ll leave this file here. You can inspect it later."
"I will," she murmured. "I definitely will."
Once again, I tried to read her expression, but I couldn't do it. It pissed me off because I was usually able to get a good read on my woman. But I was on edge now. I was so fucking close to losing her, and I didn't want that.
I was also man enough to realize that she needed to make this decision without any emotion from me. I had to chill and give her the opportunity and space she needed to decide. But it’s fucking killing me.
"When does your dinner with the committee begin?" Donna asked Megan.
"In about one and a half hours."
"Oh, good. That gives us plenty of time to celebrate."
"Yeah. Boss, can we take the rest of the afternoon off?" Derrick asked.
What was the alternative? Half the team had already drunk a flute, and the other had drunk more than one. Besides, this was a great reason to celebrate.
"Yeah, we're all taking the afternoon off."
The crowd erupted in cheers again.
"Shanghai, that's so exciting. I've never been," Donna said.
"Neither have I," Megan replied. "I was on a summer trip in Europe before grad school, but I was never in Asia. That seems so far away."
No fucking kidding. My thoughts were driving me crazy.
I didn't get to speak to Megan for the next hour because everyone else wanted to do so. I kept watching her patiently right until it was time for her to leave for her dinner.
“I'll walk you out," I said in a tone that didn't allow for any argument.
"Thanks," she muttered.
As we left the meeting room, the team was still celebrating. She'd left the file on the table. Once we were out of the room, I closed the door.
"For fuck's sake, I've wanted to talk to you for hours."
"Really? I did too," she said.
"Listen to me." I took her hand, pulling her right in front of the elevators so we were out of view from everyone. I cupped her face with both hands. "You have no idea how proud I am of you right now."
"Thanks. I know we haven't discussed this scenario at all. I just didn't think it would happen," she said. "They haven't given overseas internships in—"
"Five years," we said at the same time.
Her shoulders dropped. "Yes, exactly."
"This is an amazing opportunity. You could learn a lot."
"Are you trying to talk me out of your job offer, boss?" The corners of her mouth twitched up in a smile, but there was apprehension in her eyes.
"I want you to consider all your options. I want you to do something that will make you happy, not just for right now but years down the road. If you go to Shanghai, I’ll still be happy about it.
We can make our relationship work." It wouldn’t be the same, though, and we both knew it.
My throat clenched, but I forced myself to continue speaking.
"I want you to put things in balance the way you always do.
Try to figure out what you would have decided before you met me. "
"That's not so easy," she murmured.
"Right now, it's not easy, but I'm trying to do the right thing here. So don't sabotage me."
"But I kind of want to sabotage you. You always have… interesting reactions when I do that."
"Megan, I'm serious," I said.
"Don't be, okay? This is already an unexpected turn. And it's the one time you choose to be so serious."
I kissed her forehead and took a step back, looking her in the eyes. "It's an important matter. I'm always serious about things like that. Will that shitty ex of yours be at the dinner with the committee?”
“Yes.”
Needless to say, I was not happy about that. “Call me if you need someone to punch him.”
The elevator opened just as Klaus and Derrick came out of the meeting room.
"Goodbye, winner," Klaus said. "Have fun at your dinner, but don’t forget us, okay?"
"Boss, that job offer you gave her better be mighty impressive so she stays with us," Derrick added.
I put my hands in my pockets, looking at Megan right until the elevator doors closed.
Fucking hell. I need a flute of champagne.
Scratch that. I need the whole bottle.
I was in no mood to be surrounded by the whole team, so I just went into my office.
There was a knock at my door forty minutes later. Donna came in with a bottle of champagne and a glass.
"What's that for?" I asked.
"You looked like you needed it."
I pushed my laptop away. There was no use pretending to work. I could use a drink, but how did she know that?
Donna pressed her lips together, smiling. "Okay, boss. I'm only going to say this once. We all know about you and Megan."
I sat up straighter in my chair. "How?"
“Little things.”
I remembered Jonathan’s wink that evening when Megan and I were the last ones at the office and decided on the spot that I didn’t want to know more.
"All right. I appreciate that no one said anything."
"I schooled everyone," she said, making me laugh. "So, Shanghai, huh? Is she going to take it?"
"I don't know. I told her to consider all her possibilities."
Donna pointed at the bottle. "Hence the champagne. Thought you might want a whole bottle to yourself."
"You are a damn mind reader. I was thinking about that earlier. How’s the party?"
“It died down. I told everyone to leave. It’s late, and it's not like anyone’s able to work anyway.
This is worse than our last Christmas party, and I never thought we could surpass that.
I’m going to leave too. It’s just your brothers left on the floor.
They poked their heads inside the meeting room just now. "
I was betting I’d see them in a couple minutes.
“Have a great evening, Donna.”
She waved and then closed the door quietly behind her.
Travis, Tate, and Declan came in almost immediately after she left. They brought another bottle and glasses.
"So," Travis said after walking in like he owned the place, “we heard the news.” He sat on the couch, putting one ankle over the other knee, then leaned back.
"I tried to stop him from barging in. All of them," Declan said.
I waved my hand. "That's fine."
"Dude, you're getting drunk on your own?" Tate asked before glancing at Travis. "I told you it was suspicious that he wasn’t in the meeting room.”
Travis looked at me intently. "Did you manage to talk to Megan?"
“Yes.” I said the word carefully and deliberately as if I held all the answers. I fucking didn’t.
"I hope you didn't go all Neanderthal on her and tell her to stay here," Declan said.
"Why not? That sounds like an amazing plan," Travis said.
Declan popped the cork, then poured champagne in all the glasses.
“You’re evolving, brother. Now your sermons include alcohol. I approve,” I said.
Tate cleared his throat. “I'm with Travis."
"And I'm officially turning into Declan." I leaned back in my chair. "I told her to consider everything."
“Let me see if I got this correct,” Travis started. “You dated that weirdo Cammy years ago. I never liked her, by the way. Things didn’t work out. Then you whored around for a long time. You are clearly serious about Megan, but you’re not going to do anything about it?”
“When it comes to personal decisions, you can’t make things happen just by sheer force of will,” I said calmly.
There was no comparing my relationship with Megan to what I had with Cammy.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t learn from my mistakes.