Chapter Four
CALLIE
The reflection of the Price Industries logo shimmered in the glass doors.
I took one last glance before stepping out into the crisp winter air.
My heart still raced from the lingering eye contact Emmett and I had shared in the elevator just moments ago.
Was it my imagination? I shook my head, breathing out a cloud of condensation.
There was no doubt about it. We had a moment.
“Hey, Callie! Did you have a good first day?” Glenn, the Head of Operations for Special Projects, emerged from the revolving door, his cheeks flushed with cold.
“Amazing, actually,” I said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Good.” He grinned, adjusting his scarf. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
I waved goodbye and started the short walk back to Marco’s apartment.
Despite the chill nipping at my nose, I felt warm inside—a mix of exhaustion and excitement from my first day at Price Industries, and the exhilaration of Emmett’s attention.
We’d only spent a little time together, but the tension between us was thick. And that elevator ride…
I wondered if he felt it too and what it might mean for my future at Price Industries. My phone buzzed, an incoming call from Marco pulling me from my reverie. Earbuds already secured, I swiped to answer and my music faded into an enthusiastic greeting from my best friend.
“Helloooooo, bella! First day all done?”
“Yep. I’m on my way back now. Should be home in about five minutes.”
“Ok! I’ll have the wine ready. I want to hear all about it.”
Marco had always been a supportive friend—from the very first day we moved into the dorms, when my mother was berating me for packing too many books.
“Smart girls are sexy,” Marco had said, giving us a wink as he passed.
My mother didn’t miss a beat, telling me that was the kind of man I needed to find while I was at school.
“Order Chinese, too?
“You got it, babe.”
Marco couldn’t stand my mother. Not that I blamed him. She’d only gotten worse over the years. I’d “selfishly” insisted on prioritizing my education and career over marrying Hugh and supplying her with grandkids.
She loved Hugh. I still hadn’t told her we’d split up.
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”
By the time I approached Marco’s building, the snow was falling hard, and the winter chill had seeped into my bones.
I couldn’t wait to tell him about my day.
I needed some perspective. I was at Price Industries to do a job—to get experience that would help me build the future I had been striving for ever since I was a teenager.
I wasn’t there to ogle my boss or fantasize about his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and big hands. I gave myself a mental shake before I started thinking about what those hands could do.
I stepped into Marco’s apartment, my cheeks burning from the cold, and closed the door behind me with a soft click.
I was greeted by the warm scent of vanilla candles and Marco’s signature body wash.
It was a comfy, safe smell. Marco stood in the kitchen, a bottle of wine in one hand and his phone in the other. He looked up as I entered.
“Baby girl.” He set the wine down and came over to give me a tight hug. “You look stressed. Bad first day?”
I shook my head, causing it to rub against his chest. “Exhausting, but exciting. You won’t believe who I’m actually reporting to.”
“What do you mean?” He leaned back to peer down at me. “I thought you were reporting to Mr. Price.”
“I was. I am. Just not the Mr. Price I thought.”
He squinted one eye closed. “Huh?”
I giggled. He looked like a doofus.
“I am reporting to Emmett Price. He’s the Head of Special Projects and also Thomas Price’s son.”
“Oh, shit.” Marco raised an eyebrow. “So, how did it go?”
“I could have made a better first impression. Well, second impression, I guess.”
“Okay, this is getting juicy. We need wine. Sit.” He gestured toward the couch and went back to the kitchen. I shrugged off my coat and hung it in the closet before kicking my shoes into my bedroom. My whole body breathed a sigh of relief as I collapsed in a heap on the couch.
“Food will be here in twenty,” he said, flopping down next to me and pulling my large plush blanket off the back of the couch to cover us up. He knew how I liked to be cozy. “Now, spill, sister.”
I groaned and covered my face with my free hand. “I made a total ass of myself. You’re never going to believe this. Emmett Price is the same man from the dorm lobby freshman year.”
“Huh? What man?”
“You know—entitled asshole guy.”
Marco’s hand flew to his mouth. “You mean the one who stood so close your poor little panties were soaked just because he was so hot and said, like, two sexy words to you?”
“Ohmygod, shut up.” I burrowed deeper into the blanket, hiding from my shame.
“What are the fucking odds of that? Was it awkward? Is he still hot?”
My cheeks warmed. “I mean, I was definitely awkward, but he was great. Super professional.” I winced. “Maybe a little flirty. And yes, he’s still extremely attractive.”
“Oooh, flirty?”
“Yep. After I assumed he couldn’t possibly be my boss and insulted him, he wouldn’t stop teasing me.”
Marco let out a booming laugh.
I scowled. “It’s so not funny. I was mortified.”
“But I take it he wasn’t offended?”
“No, he was super sweet. Totally brushed it off. He’s got this super easy-going personality—definitely not something I would have expected from someone in his position.”
“Mhm, and what other positions would you like to get him in, Ms. Callie?”
“Ugh, stop. Our relationship is completely professional.”
Marco snorted. “Professional my ass. You have fantasized about that man for nearly six years. How many times were you fucking Hugh while thinking about the snack in the suit who captured your sweet little eighteen-year-old heart?”
I bit my lip, remembering the heat in Emmett’s gaze as he dropped me off at my desk this morning. There was no denying it. We had chemistry—intense chemistry. I had felt it back then, and I felt it today. Now that we were working together, that spark seemed impossible to ignore.
“Maybe,” I conceded. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m there to do a job, not fall for my boss.”
Even as I said it, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. I’d never been able to forget that encounter in the dorm lobby. And now that our lives were intertwined, my hormones were in overdrive.
“Agreed,” he said. “Don’t fall for him. But definitely fuck him.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I feel like I could fuck anything that moved right now.”
Marco choked on his wine. “Jesus Christ, Cal. Warn a guy before you say shit like that.”
I laughed and took a large sip—a gulp, really—from my glass.
“It’s only been, what? Two weeks? You can’t be that desperate yet.”
“You try going five years having sex whenever you want, then just…not!”
“Pass.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I can’t help you. You’re, ya know, pretty and all that, but—”
“I know, I know. Stick up my ass.”
“True, but that’s not what I was going to say. Can’t cross that line with you, babe. You’d never get over me, and then our friendship would be ruined.”
“Oh, shut up. I don’t want to fuck you.”
He gasped in mock outrage. “I am highly offended.”
Just then, my phone vibrated. “Saved by the buzz.”
I expected it to be a notification from social media or a spam email. But when I saw the name on the screen, my stomach clenched.
HUGH
Hey Cal…I know things ended a bit rocky between us, but I’ve been thinking a lot about you lately. Would you be up for grabbing coffee sometime this week?
I stared at the message, reading it over and over. Shock, sadness, confusion, anger, and a flicker of curiosity. Why was Hugh reaching out after weeks of radio silence?
Marco leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Everything okay, babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I bit my lip, debating whether to confide in him. But this was Marco, my ride or die. If anyone would understand, it was him.
“It’s Hugh,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “He asked to meet for coffee.”
“Hugh doesn’t drink coffee.”
“Is that really the point right now, Marco?”
“You’re right, you’re right.” He threw his hands up in surrender. “What are you going to do?”
I stared down at Hugh’s message, my thumb hovering over the screen.
A part of me wanted to ignore it, to delete the text and carry on with my evening as if nothing had happened.
But another part of me, a part that I hated to acknowledge, was curious.
What could he possibly have to say that would change anything?
I told him I wanted—no, deserved—more, and he barely offered more than a half-hearted apology.
On the other hand, I had devoted five years of my life to our relationship. My sense of loyalty demanded I respond to him. Marco watched over my shoulder as I typed.
CALLIE
Hi, Hugh. My days are pretty busy, but I’m free tonight if you want to meet somewhere.
“Oh, damn, girl. Wasting no time. Guess you do need to get fucked.”
“Shut up, Marco. I’m just trying to get this over with. I don’t need this looming over me the rest of the week.”
My phone buzzed in my hand a few moments later.
HUGH
Oh, ok. Perfect. Sister’s?
CALLIE
That works. Give me an hour?
HUGH
Ok, see you then.
I whooshed out a breath. How would it feel to see Hugh again? I missed the idea of him more than I actually missed him. What did that say about me?
An hour later, I was pushing through the doors of Sister's Bar and Grill. It was only a brief walk from Marco’s apartment. That was probably why Hugh had suggested it. Considerate. A side of him I hadn’t seen in a long while.
It was a Tuesday, so the bar was relatively quiet. Most of the regulars were probably still nursing their New Year’s hangover. I spotted Hugh immediately, forearms braced on the table as he hunched forward in the booth, his fingers speared through his light brown locks.