Chapter 46
D eclan Kruk’s name flashing on my phone pulls me from the comfort of the news headlines I was skimming through. Slipping out of bed quietly to not wake Dani, I make my way to the patio.
“Sorry about last night,” he says as I answer. “What happened with Sorin leaves a lot to unpack.”
There’s something about his connection with Dani that I can’t quite shake off. I still feel like I don’t know everything.
“You wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to come between me and my girlfriend, right?” I press, asserting a reminder that she’s mine and no one else’s.
“For context,” he says, firm. “The last time she was at that party, she wasn’t in a good place. Seeing her drunk …” he hesitates. I can’t deny the obvious concern in his voice. “It brought back too many memories of when she was wasting away with Sorin.”
“And why do you care so much about her well-being?” His last statement cemented what I’d assumed. He likes her—enough to really care about her.
“With her dad and everything, I don’t want it to become an issue.”
Her dad? The fact that Declan knows more about her in this way stings my pride.
I deflect, focusing on the present. “Who cares if she has a couple of drinks. I spend more time with her than anyone else, and she isn’t a drunk if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“She was doing so well with her fashion line, and now she’s back at home.
” He takes a deep breath before saying, “All the triggers around her. You don’t get it.
You couldn’t get it. It’s not good for her.
” There’s silence between us before Declan says, “Adam, think about the way I was raised,” he continues.
“Think about the life I went through. Kids like Dani and me rarely break out of the life they were born into. Her getting out, making her own path … I don’t think you understand how impressive she is, especially given her circumstances. ”
“I wouldn’t be dating her if I wasn’t impressed by her.”
Declan hesitates before saying, “She can’t stay here—in Wisconsin.”
Despite my reservations, I can’t ignore his concern for her. He and I are aligned on this matter. She needs to get back to Chicago.
I shift the conversation toward something more tangible, more within my control. “She’ll be back in the city before summer ends. I’m working on introducing her to clients and helping her build her book. Cryptoball could throw her a bone.”
“Done. The media is increasingly turning against crypto. I think we could use a more strategic approach for Summit.”
I’ve been so wrapped up with Dani I forgot about the biggest annual circle jerk in the private equity world. “We need her for Summit,” I agree. “I think five thousand to help craft our keynote is fair.”
“Approved.”
“We’ll catch you at the airport then.”
As I end the call and head back inside, I’m pleased by this two-for-one special I’ve negotiated. Dani will make some needed money, and seeing Dani and Declan working together, under my oversight, will answer my questions about their connection.
“Morning, beautiful.” I gently brush a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Coffee,” she groans.
“I’ll make coffee, and we need to talk about last night.” She pulls the covers over her head. “I’m not mad at you,” I reassure. “So what if you had a little too much to drink.” Dani groans under the sheets. “I want to talk about Declan. I have an idea there.”
She lowers the covers, revealing only one eye. I laugh. She’s too fucking cute. “You two should meet and hash it out,” I suggest, trying to sound supportive yet feeling uneasy about their connection.
“I don’t owe him that. I don’t owe him anything.”
“I would like for you to be cordial with him. I see a lot of him. Plus, you could do some great PR stuff for Cryptoball.”
“You think I should work with him?” she asks with a laugh, and I feel her pulling away.
“We both want you to do this project. Cryptoball is fighting an uphill battle right now, so as an investor in the company, I know now is the time for more PR.”
She rolls her eyes, her resistance to the idea growing.
“He called me this morning, apologizing for letting his emotions get the best of him last night. I think he was afraid he shat where he ate,” I say, trying to keep this conversation as light as possible.
“We were talking about you and your business. There’s this investment conference coming up, and we thought you could be helpful. ”
“Coffee. I don’t have the brain power to digest what you just said.”
Getting up from the bed, I make my way to the kitchen.
“I negotiated and accepted the offer,” I say before grinding the beans.
“Five thousand dollars plus all expenses paid to join us next week,” I yell from the kitchen.
“I’ll be interviewing Declan on stage, and we want some help crafting the story arc of the interview. ”
She doesn’t reply. I walk back into our room to look at her. “I don’t know,” she says softly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“It will be amazing visibility for you and your business. The people that attend this conference are the people you want to know.”
“I don’t know, Adam,” she says with more force.
“Trust me, Peanut. The conference will be good. You’ll make some new memories so that every time you see him, you don’t think about the worst time in your life.”
As I say these words, I can sense the hesitation, the unease that lingers from the encounter with Declan. The emotions run deeper than I thought.
“You don’t trust me on this?” She sighs. “I get it, Peanut. I do. Let’s hope this conference is the beginning of a fresh start.”
I wish I could ignore the tension that exists between Dani and Declan. I’m not blind to it. Doubt gnaws at me. The thought of her heart not being wholly mine causes my blood to boil.
“The conference could be the perfect opportunity to collaborate on a professional level. It’ll answer all my questions about your chemistry too.”
Dani looks at me, her eyes revealing a storm of emotions. “Chemistry! What are you talking about?”
“I’d like to see you two work together.” I slide back into bed with her. “It will put my lingering doubts to rest.”