Chapter Ten
CALLIE
My mind was reeling. The meeting with Gene had started horribly. No matter how much I tried to take charge, he seemed to ignore me altogether. Wick had offered sympathetic smiles but said nothing.
Then Emmett had stepped in—well, technically he’d stepped out. I was grateful. More than grateful. I was swooning. I needed to shut that shit down immediately.
I was shuffling the papers on my desk into a neat stack when someone cleared their throat behind me. Emmett stood in the entryway of my cubicle.
“Why don’t we call it a day?”
“It’s only four thirty.”
He winked and my insides lit up.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
I gathered my things, disappointment and relief warring inside me. Being in his presence was becoming overwhelming. My conflicted feelings were pulling me apart. “Thanks again for earlier.”
He smiled. “Don’t thank me yet. We still have a long road ahead.”
At that moment, his words seemed to have a double meaning. I swallowed, wondering if he felt this magnetic pull between us, too. What would that mean for our working relationship? Did I have the strength to maintain proper boundaries?
I slung my bag over my shoulder, making for the cubicle door, but Emmett didn’t move.
“Well, uh…” I stumbled over my words, wondering if he was planning to move. “I guess I’ll, um, see you tomorrow.” It came out almost like a question.
“Have a drink with me,” he said, a glimmer of something in his eyes that I couldn’t put my finger on. It looked a little like hope.
If it was, I would have to crush it. No matter what Marco said, I would not sleep with my boss, and I would definitely not fall in love with him.
“I can’t,” I said. He visibly deflated before shifting to stand at his full height and taking a big step back.
“Goodnight, Emmett.” I hurried past him before I did something I’d regret. There was too much at stake. Even if Emmett looked at me in a way Hugh never had—a way that made me feel like the only woman in the world.
The evening air was cool against my skin as I hailed a cab. Emmett’s invitation had shaken me. I needed to clear my head. Fortunately, I had the perfect remedy: an evening binge watching Netflix with Marco.
Twenty minutes later, we were curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Emmett. The warmth of his gaze. The husky timbre of his voice. The way I felt both grounded and weightless in his presence.
Marco nudged me. “Earth to Callie. Are you even watching?”
“Sorry. Just distracted.”
Marco’s heavy gaze burned into me, making me squirm in my seat. “You’ve been different lately—ever since you started your internship. It’s like you’re lighter—more carefree.”
I wanted to tell him about my feelings for Emmett, about that weightless feeling I got whenever he was near me. I wanted to tell him that all my other thoughts and desires had been replaced by a flirty billionaire with bright blue eyes, a brilliant mind, and a heart of gold. He was everything.
But I couldn’t bear to admit the truth out loud. He was my boss, and I wasn’t the kind of girl who’d let a man come between her and her goals. I wasn’t my mother.
I should have known better. My best friend could read me like a book. He paused the movie and turned to me. “Alright. Out with it.”
“Out with what?”
Marco leveled me with a glare. I surrendered with a heavy sigh. “It’s Emmett. I think...I think I’m developing feelings for him.”
“Callie! I told you to fuck him, but I specifically recall telling you not to develop feelings for him. That’s asking for trouble.”
“I know, I know.” I buried my face in my hands. “Believe me, I’ve told myself the same thing a million times. There’s just something about him that I can’t shake.”
“So, you went and caught feelings. Awesome. Did you at least get to fuck him?”
“Marco! No.”
“Your priorities are so fucked, my friend.”
“You’re the worst.”
He relented, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “Okay, okay. In all seriousness, I get it. He’s charming, successful, and hot as shit. But you’ve worked too hard to let him screw this internship up for you.”
“Ugh, I know. That’s what makes this so hard. When I’m with him, it’s like everything else fades away. He makes me feel seen. No one has ever made me feel that way before.”
“Shit. That’s, like, epic love poem shit. I think we’ve moved well past developing feelings and straight on into falling in love.”
Panic welled up inside me and my throat constricted. “I am not in love with him.”
“Sure, you’re not.” Marco pulled me into a hug, his chin resting atop my head. “I’m worried you’re setting yourself up for heartbreak, Cal. Though whether it will be over the job or the man, I’m not sure.”
My phone buzzed, and Marco released me. I checked the message and smiled. “Meghan’s inviting us to a library fundraiser next week. Do you want to come with me?”
“Meghan, like Meghan Price, Emmett’s sister?”
“That’s the one.”
“You two friends now?”
“I don’t know if we’re friends, but we’re friendly. Anyway, it’s an excuse to get dressed up and drink free booze.”
“Well, when you put it that way, how could I say no? When is it?”
I cringed as I read Meghan’s follow up text. “Valentine’s Day.”
“Ooof.” Marco crinkled his nose. He hated Valentine’s Day.
I gave him a sad smile. “I can go alone. It’s fine.”
“Oh, stop. I’m teasing. I would love to be your non-date date. We’ll have fun.”
“Don’t you want to spend Valentine’s Day with Trevor?”
Marco waved off my comment. “No, we broke up.”
“What? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Not a big deal. It wasn’t going anywhere. So I’m all yours for the swanky Valentine’s Day party.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive, babe.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side before refocusing his attention on the movie. “Natalie Portman is a fucking fox.”
“Agreed.”
To my relief, the rest of the evening passed with no more talk of Emmett.
* * *
The next morning, I paused at the front desk of Price Industries.
Sarah threw me a friendly smile as she chatted with Thomas Price, the CEO himself.
The lobby bustled with the usual morning activity, but there was something serene about the way Thomas’s tall frame relaxed against the counter while he spoke with Sarah.
“Morning, Callie!” Sarah called out.
“Good morning, Miss Winters. How are you?” Thomas’s kind blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he offered a warm smile.
“Morning, Sarah. Good morning, sir. I’m doing well. How are you?” My heart raced at addressing the company’s leader so directly.
Thomas laughed and waved a dismissive hand. “Ack, none of the sir shit! You make me feel old!”
I grimaced, regretting my formality. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It shows you were raised well, my dear. I think as parents, we become so focused on instilling manners into our children—teaching them to respect their elders, though I think I may have failed miserably with my two—and we forget to teach them how to transition from being a child to an adult.”
His words reminded me of my own struggles to find a balance between the respectful deference I’d been taught and the assertiveness I needed in the professional world.
“You can still show respect without the formalities,” Thomas continued. “I may be older than you, but you’re as much an adult as I am. Perhaps more-so, as of late.”
I couldn’t help standing a little taller at the subtle praise.
“I was just telling Sarah that I’m off tomorrow to take my wife on a two-week European adventure! Acting like a twenty-one-year-old with too much money in the bank instead of a CEO.”
I smiled at the image of the composed, professional Thomas Price letting loose on some romantic European getaway.
“I think that son of mine is rubbing off on me with all his talk of ‘work-life balance.’ I guess I took it to heart.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I said. “I’ve never been to Europe, but I hope to go some day.”
Thomas nodded enthusiastically. “Ah, it’s a must. The sights, the culture, the food, the language—so much to love.”
Images of ancient architecture, cobblestone streets, and candlelit cafes danced through my mind. A European adventure was definitely on my bucket list.
“Before I go, Callie,” Thomas said, his tone becoming more serious, “I was hoping we might have lunch. I know it’s last minute, so I understand if you already have plans. But I was sorry to miss your presentation yesterday. I’d very much like to hear your proposal.”
I blinked. “Oh, of course, s—” I caught myself before repeating that dreaded formality. “Mr. Price?”
“I suppose that will do, but I’d prefer Thomas.”
“Well, of course, Thomas,” I corrected, warmth filling my cheeks before I regained my professional demeanor. “I’d be happy to walk you through the proposal over lunch. I’ll see if Emmett’s free when I get up to the floor.”
“No need, dear. This can just be the two of us.”
Exhilaration rushed through me. This was my chance to impress.
Before I could dwell too long, Thomas continued in that affable tone of his. “Noon, then? Just head on up to the thirtieth floor. I’ll have my assistant order in for us.”
“That sounds wonderful,” I managed, trying to sound less flustered. With a final nod and smile towards Sarah, I continued on my way. My mind was spinning. This was a huge opportunity, and I would make the most of it.
* * *
The weekend went by in a blur thanks to a visit from my mother.
Not wanting to impose on Marco, we booked a hotel room at an open-air shopping center nearby.
Saturday was spent eating, drinking, and buying things I couldn’t afford but Mom insisted I needed.
Still, I was grateful for the distraction.
It was the first time in weeks I had gone a few hours without thinking of exquisite blue eyes and a disarmingly sexy grin.