20. Gabriella
Gabriella
“ I ’m waiting for your call. I don’t like to wait.”
Even Damien’s snarky text message couldn’t sour my mood. After closing the door to my office, I sat at my desk and hit the green icon, calling Damien’s private phone. After six rings, the call went to his voicemail.
Instead of leaving a message, I hung up and typed out a quick text.
“I’ve accepted the position. See you Monday.”
Sighing, I leaned back against my chair and turned from side to side, taking in the bookcases and furniture. While nothing within this room was spectacular, there felt a hint of melancholy at the prospect of moving on. When I worked for Sinclair, my final office was what was now Johnathon’s. It wasn’t truly my own space, but the gateway to the CEO. This room was my first real office. A place where I could shut the door and work undisturbed.
Behind my desk was a small window that looked out over green space. Again, it wasn’t the best view in Carmel. Nevertheless, it was a view.
Sighing, I looked down at the notes I’d taken into Millie’s office and the ones I’d made while with her. My first assignment was to learn more about all seven companies within the coalition. Three were located in Illinois: Wade, Holston, and Perry. One was in Michigan: Broche. Two were in Ohio: McCree and Moon. And only Sinclair was located in Indiana.
The rest of the morning was spent learning what I could from public sources. From what Damien had said, I’d have access to more information once I was relocated to Sinclair Corporate Center. This work would give me a head start.
At nearly noon, there was a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I called, ready to go to lunch with Niles.
The door opened inward.
My breathing hitched as the dark blue stare met mine. “Damien, what are you doing here?”
“Since you wouldn’t respond to my calls or text messages, I decided to come to you. Monday is much too far away. I’ll take you to lunch.”
I stood. “I have lunch plans.”
Damien came closer. “Cancel them. I’ve met with Ms. Barns. We have celebrating to do.”
“You met with her…in person?” My empty stomach twisted.
“I did.”
“Is there a problem?”
His chiseled jaw was covered by a fine line of hair, the same color as the combed-back mane on his head. “Only that I couldn’t reach you.”
“I was working.”
“Everyone deserves a lunch break.”
As he spoke, Niles appeared in the open doorway.
“Niles,” I said, causing Damien to turn. “You remember Mr. Sinclair? Damien, Niles.”
Niles offered his hand. “I do. It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Sinclair.”
“Mr. Watson.” Damien shook his hand and then looked from me to Niles and back. “Is this” —he motioned with his hand— “your lunch plan?”
Niles’s gaze came to mine. “If you’re busy…”
“Damien, I appreciate your invitation, but Niles and I have things to discuss from the gala.”
Damien’s smile was as gregarious as it could be, telling me that it wasn’t sincere. “My invitation was a last-minute idea.” His penetrating gaze met mine. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Monday,” I said.
“We’ll talk.” He turned to Niles. “Enjoy your lunch.”
It wasn’t until Damien was gone that I let out the breath I was holding.
“He’s intense,” Niles said.
“He can be.”
“How often do you think he gets turned down?”
Taking a seat at my desk, I opened the drawer to retrieve my purse. When I looked up, I shrugged. “Not as often as he should.”
Niles’s laugh filled my office. “Cafeteria downstairs?”
“No.” I sighed. “It’s a nice day. Let’s get out of here.”
“Muldoon’s?”
“Oh,” I replied ecstatically. “Do you think their sidewalk seating has opened?”
“Let’s find out.”
“They do have martinis,” Niles whispered as we walked toward the stairs.
Ten minutes later, we were seated at a table under an umbrella on the sidewalk. The sun was high in the cobalt sky.
We’d already given the waitress our orders when Niles pursed his lips and tilted his head. “What is the history you haven’t shared?”
“I haven’t shared it with many people.”
“Spill,” he said.
“We dated.”
His eyes opened wide. “When?”
“It ended a little over two years ago. I broke up with him.”
“That gorgeous man. You left him.” Niles scrunched his nose. “What was the problem? Is he bad in bed? You know, the ones with the looks don’t always have the equipment.”
I laughed and shook my head as the waitress set an iced tea in front of me and a diet soda in front of Niles. “So much for our two-martini lunch,” I said, taking a sip.
“After work. Not impressive equipment?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Wasn’t the issue,” I admitted. “Very talented in that department.”
Niles’s smile grew. “How long did the two of you date?”
“Around three years.” I shrugged. “I made the mistake of falling for my boss.”
Niles made a face.
“I hadn’t seen him since I broke it off and quit Sinclair until the day of the gala.” I went on telling Niles about the issue with the flight, seeing Damien at the restaurant. Niles laughed when I told him about paying for Damien’s lunch. “As luck would have it, my new seat in first class was next to him.”
“You hadn’t seen him in two years, and you ended up sitting beside him for a four-hour flight. Damn, girl. That is definitely fate stepping in.”
“I don’t know if it was fate. I mean, the universe has bigger problems than my love life.”
“Since you’ve barely dated since we met, I’d say your love life is a rather monumental problem.” He lowered his eyebrows. “Has it improved?”
We stopped talking as our food was delivered.
As I cut the grilled chicken in my salad, I looked to my friend. “Will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Damien isn’t an awful man. Yes, he’s intense and manipulative, arrogant and cocky…”
“You’re definitely selling him.”
Grinning, I let out a breath. “The reason I left him two years ago was because after we were together for a while, I began to disappear.”
Niles pouted. “Honeeey.”
“I want you to promise me, if you see me disappearing, tell me. I pushed him out of my life and worked to make a life away from him. After having him back in my life for only a few days, I feel out of control and at the same time…I’m positively buzzing. His intensity is contagious.”
“Your smile at this moment makes me think that you don’t hate all those things you said about him.”
Inhaling, I lifted my face toward the sky. “This is going to sound stupid.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“Damien is like the sun—the center of the universe—the glue that holds it all together. His gravitational pull is impossible to resist. He shines bright, giving you what you need. And if this is going to work—him and me, not the campaign—then I need to learn how to be close without being burnt.”
“You took the campaign manager position, right?”
I nodded. “I did.”
“Do you want it, or did you feel forced to take it?”
“I wasn’t sure what I would do or how I felt. Even this morning, heading into Millie’s office, I was still debating.”
Niles’s hazel eyes glistened. “Even after all your negotiations yesterday and last night?”
Warmth filled my cheeks as I nodded. “It was something Millie said that made it feel right. She said I was the right choice for the position because of my experience with Sinclair.”
“Wait,” Niles said with a grin. “She meant the company not the man, right?”
“Right. She doesn’t know about the private side. It’s why I’ve kept my connection to him quiet. And now I don’t want people thinking I got the position because of my past relationship with Damien.”
“But you’re not working for him. You’ll still be employed by the fraternity.”
“Right. This will be different.” I reached for Niles’s hand. “You must come visit me. My office is to die for.”
“If he isn’t your boss, what difference does it make if you had a relationship? Or is it that you’re now back in one?”
“That shouldn’t matter.”
“Are you back in one?”
Placing my elbow on the table, I leaned forward, holding my head. “I don’t know what’s happening.”
“Is this when I need to remind you not to lose yourself?”
“Probably. You’re the only one I’ve told other than Duchess.”
Niles laughed. “That little molly doesn’t like anyone. I’m a cat guy, and she runs from me.”
“Damien was holding her last night. That little bitch was purring.”
Niles shook his head. “Damn, that’s a pretty strong recommendation. Next time I go to your place, I’m filling my pockets with catnip.”
Pulling out my phone to pay, I saw Damien’s name. I hit the text message icon.
“I hope you had a nice lunch. Call me.”
I typed out a message.
“The last time I called you didn’t answer.”
My phone buzzed.
“I was busy.”
My core clenched as I recalled the last time he told me he was busy—the intensity in his ocean-blue stare as we both came.
Another vibration.
“Call me.”
When I looked up, Niles was smiling. “I’ll let you know if you disappear, but right now, you’re glowing.”