55. FRANKIE #2
Nick’s head snaps toward me, and his hazel eyes light up. “Interested in transferring to San Francisco, are we?” He grins. “You want more opportunities to work with me. That’s it, isn’t it?”
I grit my teeth behind my smile. “You are great to work for, and I’ve learned so much from you.” Like how some people in this world are soulless assholes. “Oh, and how could I forget to ask? How are the wife and kids?” I add sweetly.
His eyes harden as my barb hits. “They’re doing very well, thank you.”
Nick abruptly stands. “I think I need a coffee. Frank, would you like to go grab one from Spunky Brewster with me? We can chat over possibilities.”
“Great idea!” Rosanna beams at us. “Reconvene here after, and then we can prep for our meeting.”
I stiffly rise from my chair and follow Nick out of the office. We don’t say a word until we exit the lobby and walk out onto the street.
“So, you want to transfer to San Francisco, do you? What’s your reasoning?”
“It’s personal. And private.”
He lets out a sigh. “Come on, Frank. Are you ever going to get over this? You’re the one who broke things off with me. I’m the injured party here.”
I open my mouth, but immediately snap it shut. Because this is what he does. It’s what he did five years ago. Begged me to come back to him. That I was breaking his heart. That he loved me so much, and how could I do this to him? Like being his dirty little secret was some sort of honor.
I change the subject altogether. “So, are there openings in San Francisco?”
We step into the coffee shop and up to the counter. “Iced nonfat milk latte, two pumps of vanilla syrup and extra foam, and one Americano over ice with a dash of oat milk.” I immediately kick myself.
He crosses his arms, a cat-got-the-cream grin on his face. “Remember my coffee order, do ya?”
I hate him. I hate me. I hate this.
“Openings, Nick. San Francisco.”
His gaze sweeps over me, and it has my skin crawling. I know that look. It’s one he’s given me many times before. He doesn’t have permission to give me that fucking look.
“We might be able to work something out.”
I blink at him. “What does that mean?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “The office is pretty full. We’re over-staffed.
It would take some serious gymnastics to create a permanent spot for you.
Right now, you work with me on one San Francisco client and are temporarily assigned to Cathy’s team while she’s out on maternity leave.
We need the majority of your billable work hours to be on San Francisco clients for you to be allowed a seat in the office. ”
The barista calls our names, and we grab our coffees. I want to throw mine at Nick. He’s being an ass. Because that’s just who he fucking is. How I missed that, I’ll never know.
“I would think my service at this company and the value of my contributions would mean the gymnastics—whatever they may be—would be worth it.”
“Why do you want to move out there?”
I barely hold back my growl. “I told you, it’s private.”
He studies me. He’s weighing something, and I don’t like it.
“I’ll make it happen,” he says softly.
My heart skitters around in my chest. I straighten, eyes wide. Ohmygod. Yes!
“If.”
I deflate.
“You make it worth my while.”
Um. Excuse me?
“What does that mean, Nick?” My tone is carefully neutral. He cannot be suggesting what I think he’s suggesting. “Increased sales? Increased profitability ratios? I’ll work my ass off, you know I will.”
He takes a long sip of his coffee.
“I’m well aware of how hard you work that ass.”
My gut drops.
“I beg your fucking pardon?”
“I miss you, Frankie.”
No. No no no.
“Come back to me. And I’ll make it happen.”
The coffee in my stomach roils, and molten rage screams through my veins. “Absolutely not,” I bite out.
His jaw tightens. “Well, that’s the deal, Frank. You want me to move mountains for you to come to San Fran? Then you need to pay up. It’s the least you could do after fucking me over.”
My lips burn from how tightly I’m pressing them together. The goddamned audacity of this fucking prick.
He shakes his head and sighs. He knows my answer.
“Nothing I can do for you then. Oh, and don’t even think about telling Rosanna about this.
Your word against mine… Wouldn’t go so well for you.
Especially considering I’m a married man, and you’re…
well, you’re the employee who has been making me uncomfortable with his unprofessional crush for years now. ”
My jaw almost drops. Almost. But I keep it locked into place, because this man doesn’t deserve to know he’s shocked me.
I step up to him. Lean in. Hover an inch from that lying bastard’s face. “Fuck. You.”
I spin on my heel and storm out of the coffee shop.
By the time I get back to my computer, my hands are shaking.
I take a few slow breaths and open a spreadsheet I was working on this morning.
I just need to click around. Something—anything—to dispel the shock, outrage, and…
and utter despair over that interaction.
I don’t understand how there are such villainous people in this world.
They fool you so easily, too. So kind, so loving when they draw you in at first, until you’re so far in their clutches you wouldn’t ever recognize what’s lurking underneath.
If I had never stumbled across Nick’s wife all those years ago, I never would have found out who he truly is. He’s a serpent in disguise.
And now I have—I check the time—a half hour until I need to meet with him and Rosanna and pretend like everything is all right. Then present with him tomorrow in front of our clients. Then what?
I stand.
Then fucking nothing.
I stride to Rosanna’s office. She’s alone—thank you for small miracles. I tap the doorframe, and she gestures me inside. I close the door behind me and take a seat.
“Rosanna,” I begin. “I have really loved working for you. You have been an incredible boss and an incredible mentor.”
She watches me carefully. “I take it this means Nick is going to be able to work something out? And he’ll be your new boss soon.”
I shake my head. “I spoke with Nick, but I realized this still isn’t what I want.”
It’s not. I cannot and will not work with that man.
Even if I could find a way to avoid being assigned to any clients with him—which wouldn’t be a possibility considering we’re already on clients together—I can’t work in the same office as him.
Not to mention, I’d report to him. He’d be responsible for my merit and bonus.
Who knows what he’d try to pull? It’s too toxic.
There are other places where I can work without compromising my mental health.
“I think it’s time for me to look elsewhere. This is me officially giving you my two-week notice.”
Her jaw goes slack.
Yeah, Rosanna, I’m shocked too.
And scared.
I stand. “I’ll be back for our meeting.”
“Frank…”
I shake my head. “I’m firm on this, Rosanna. This is what’s right for me.”
Then I walk out of her office and hope to God it’s true.
I push into my house later that evening. Despite trying to sneak out of work as early as possible, Nick managed to keep Rosanna and me back late—to the point we ordered food and continued working after dinner.
I hate that he’s actually good at his job.
We’re going in hard for a win tomorrow, hoping to convince our client to sell us another part of their business that’s out to bid right now.
We all agreed we wouldn’t let them know I’m leaving yet.
I’m their main point of contact, and they love me—obviously, I’m a fucking amazing consultant and an absolute delight—so we don’t want to ruffle any feathers while we try to win this new work.
I sigh as I drop my briefcase on a chair in the kitchen.
I head for the living room where the boys are posted up on the couch.
They had a four o’clock game, so it must have been a quick one.
Paulie, East, and Maddy are on the couch, Easton’s head in Maddy’s lap, his feet in Paulie’s.
Shaney-babe’s by himself on the loveseat reading.
He’s getting through those puckboys awfully fast. I climb in next to him and curl into his side.
He ruffles my hair. “Hey, you okay, bro?”
“I quit my job today.”
His hand stills, and the room goes silent.
Paulie’s stare burns into me. I slowly lift my gaze to his. He cocks a brow.
I sit up and rest my elbow on my knees. My head falls into my hands as I let out a groan. “I gave my two-week notice. I don’t have a plan, other than I’ll be job hunting. In California.”
I look around the room, wide-eyed expressions staring back at me. “I have the lease on this place through the end of the year, so you guys don’t have to worry about finding a new place to live.”
I have an emergency savings built up, which rent will eat away at, but it’s enough to get me through six months without a job. I can totally find a job in six months. My stomach tightens. I’ve got this.
Large hands grip mine carefully. I glance up and meet Paulie’s identical brown-and-gold eyes. He tugs me off the loveseat and into a hug. His strong arms wrap around me and hold tight.
“I think this is going to be really great for you, Chessie.”
Some of my anxiety melts away. “You don’t think I’m being irrational?” I say faintly. “You don’t think I’ve completely lost it, quitting my job of nearly a decade to move across the country and be with a man I’ve been dating for like two months?”
He draws back and grips my shoulders firmly. “No. I know I wasn’t the biggest fan at first.”
That is putting it extremely lightly.