Chapter Seventeen
Things no one wants to happen on their first day are firstly, getting lost in the concrete jungle of the city. I mean, why were there so many high-rise buildings that all looked the exact same?
Jaxon was unable to come with me, having to deal with a crisis involving one of his own clients, meaning I was stuck doing my first day all by myself.
It had been years since I stepped foot in Reynolds Regality Jewels offices. It didn’t help matters that I hadn’t slept a wink, my stomach unable to settle from the nerves, and my mind unable to focus on anything other than the man sleeping in the bedroom close to mine.
I replayed the feeling of his rock-hard body between my thighs, the fact that he purposely took the long way home, letting me enjoy the freedom of the bike whipping through the streets, and the build of unquestionable desire pooling between my legs when his gloved hand inched higher than my knee.
Secondly, when finally finding the correct building and being escorted to my new office, I was so busy looking around that I walked into a plant—not a person. A freaking plant.
My coffee spilled all over my cream dress, and there was soil in my shoes.
And finally, to top off a spectacular start to my first day, I walked into my brand new office and found my ex-fiancé there.
Blond hair, sun-kissed skin, and ocean-blue eyes.
The universe wasn’t quite finished fucking me over just yet.
It was bizarre to think that only months ago, I thought him the most attractive man. When we first started dating, I thought I had won the lottery. He was handsome, sweet, and had that boyish charm that made most girls swoon. He always knew how to make me laugh and how to brighten my darkest days.
Seeing him now, standing in my office with his white linen open shirt and beige trousers, I felt nothing for him compared to the flutters I got thinking about the dark-haired, tattooed devil at home.
If Jaxon was a sultry stormy night, Laurence was a blissful sunny day.
“Um, hi?” I threw my handbag onto the desk. The office was bright and airy. Floor-to-ceiling windows at the back with an amazing view of the bustling city from the thirty-fifth floor. One side of the room had a disgusting brown leather sofa, and the other side had plain metal filing cabinets.
The place needed an Evelyn touch.
I refused to take my father’s office.
That was his space, and I couldn’t face the idea of removing pieces of him yet.
Laurence pointed to the coffee stain. “You spilled something on your dress.”
“You don’t say.” Hopefully, Violet or Lola would pick up my SOS message and be arriving anytime soon with a change of outfits. I was sweating anxiously enough with the list of meetings to attend, never mind having to do them in a ruined dress. “What are you doing here?”
“Apologies for dropping in on you like this.” Laurence stood with his back to the window. “It would seem my invite to your little get-together was lost in the mail.”
After everything he put me through, he didn’t seriously think I’d invite him?
“Not that it matters, I was otherwise engaged. I’m only back from the Rugby World Cup semi-final. Jeremey, you remember him from back in the day?”
I remained silent.
“Well he was playing, big deal for him, being picked to represent New Zealand. I couldn’t miss the chance of going out to cheer him on.”
Our break-up always felt unclosed to me. He simply arrived that day with a box of my things, announced he was ending it, and then walked out the door.
He didn’t wait to hear a response.
He didn’t stick around to answer any of my questions or see my heart breaking.
Four years together and he couldn’t even muster a proper goodbye.
It took two weeks before I reached out and apologized to him for not fighting, for not trying to make it work. I begged him non-stop for one solid month to talk to me, to not throw all our time away, but he never responded.
Every message was read and ignored.
“You look really well, Evie. Radiant as ever.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Looks like being married suits you.”
A smile touched my lips. “Thank you. How’s work? I saw a couple of your advertisements on television a couple weeks back.”
Laurence came from wealth. His family created the software used in all of the major banks across North America. When we dated, Laurence used to talk day and night about not following his family’s plans for him. We understood each other that way, neither of us wanting to end up in the family business.
Where my plans were turning to ash at my feet, Laurence seized his chance and created his own company. UltraGym became an instant success with his tailored-made and twenty-four-hour gym classes appealing to nearly every demographic.
It was everything he ever dreamt about.
“It’s going very well. We just opened our first ten gyms in South America, which is going to be huge for us.” Laurence grinned. “What about you? Guess the whole writing thing didn’t pan out?”
An uncomfortable silence encased us.
Laurence never saw my writing as anything more than a hobby. A way to fill my time. When we used to daydream and build our future together, Laurence always shut down my dream of being a journalist and opening my own publishing house.
“But hey, being acting CEO of this is amazing.” He motioned around the room. “I know it’s not what you had in mind with your degree but think about how much more dependable and secure this job is. It’ll open up so many better opportunities for you.”
There was still so much unspoken between us. So much unresolved pain. My chest tightened as I thought about our years together just thrown away as if they were nothing.
I reasoned with myself that he wasn’t worth the fresh stabs of pain, like a newly healed sore threatening to reopen, but I couldn’t stop it.
I twisted the engagement ring around my finger. “Why did you come here, Laurence? I haven’t seen you since the day we ended it.”
“I ended it.” He dipped his chin, the sunlight catching the tips of his golden hair. “When I heard about your wedding party, I honestly thought it was a joke. When I read who you married, I couldn’t believe it. Jaxon Dade, of all people. You get that he’s nearly ten years older than us?”
Seven years, to be exact.
“You must have given your poor father a heart attack when he realized you were dating someone like him.”
“What do you mean someone like him?” A strange wave of defensiveness washed over me. I understood Jaxon was rough around the edges and the furthest thing I naturally gravitated toward, but he was still my husband. Even if he was only a temporary one.
After the small glimpses of his softer side, the side that calmed me down on the brink of a panic attack, the side that brought a spare helmet to the party, and that drove me to the police station in the middle of the night and stayed the entire time—those glimpses gave me budding hope.
Laurence let out a low whistle. “He’s not who I imagined you marrying one day. Definitely not your usual type.”
“Things change. People change.”
“That’s abundantly clear.”
“Laurence, I’m sorry but you’re going to have to leave. I have a meeting to get to.”
“I only wanted to stop in to say congratulations and, well, to check in on you.” He rubbed his jaw, closing the distance between us. Citrus aftershave stung my nostrils—the same one I used to adore. “It’s only been a couple months, Evie. And in that short space of time, you’ve gotten married, and to him of all people. It all seems so unlike you. It’s got me worried, that’s all.”
“It’s no longer your concern to be worried about me,” I said firmly. “It stopped being your concern when you walked away.”
“Evie,” he exhaled softly. “Although we aren’t together anymore, that doesn’t mean I still don’t care about you. We were together for four years. That’s a long time to suddenly stop loving someone.”
Loving someone.
Did he still love me?
No, that was impossible. Because if he truly loved me, if he still cared even a shred about me, he would have never walked away the way he did.
“It’s okay if this is a rebound thing,” Laurence said. “I mean, most people just screw the next person they see to get over their ex or make them jealous. Then again, you were always different. Marrying the guy, well shit, you’ve got my attention.”
I didn’t do this for him.
Everything about the situation started to feel wrong. Being alone with Laurence, him close enough that I could see the little scar at his eyebrow from his old piercing, and the way he perched himself on the edge of the desk and let his knee brush my fingers.
“I just wanted to let you know I am right here,” he pressed on. “If you need anything, or anyone to talk to, then you know that I am always here for you.” My insides twisted as he reached for my hand. “No matter what, I want you to know you can always rely on me.”
“I think you should leave.”
“Evie, what we had, it was special. You’re my special girl, and I will always have your best interest at heart.”
The office door swinging open was music to my ears.
“Okay, I don’t own anything that is office suitable.” Lola sauntered into the room. “All my dresses are either too low cut, not the right fit for your first ‘I’m the new big boss’ meetings, or they are far too short. Like fuckable short, again not ideal.”
Laurence moved off the desk quickly.
“Oh, it’s you.” Lola dumped a bag of clothes on my desk, eyes scanning between the two of us.
“Thanks for seeing me today, Evie,” Laurence said. “Think about what I said. You have my number if you need me.”
Watching him leave, my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. My life would have been so much easier if we never ended. How simple and uncomplicated things would have been.
“What did he want?” Lola asked.
That was the million-dollar question, but I couldn’t dwell on it. Not when my mind needed to be focused on work and creating the perfect first impression.
No one who worked for my father thought I was capable of being acting CEO.
I needed to do whatever it took to prove them wrong.
“Nothing of importance.” I dismissed the spiraling thoughts. “Please tell me you have something in that bag that will save me from walking into my very first meeting looking like I don’t know where my own mouth is.”