Chapter 5
Addison bit back a smile as she opened the door to the restaurant. She’d laughed like a loon when she ended her call from Mark, her former boss, this morning. He wanted to talk. In person. Ha. He couldn’t last one day in the office without her.
She smoothed her skirt and opened the door. The restaurant was known for privacy. Business deals, clandestine lovers, and local celebrities were rumored to dine here. Anyone who didn’t want to be disturbed.
Mark waved from the corner booth, the very one they had eaten at before. Addison was a little surprised he chose this place to woo her back to work. The chain restaurant down the block would have been just fine and a lot cheaper.
At the table, he rose. Ever the gentleman, he was dressed in a charcoal suit and a plum tie. His appearance screamed successful businessman in his late forties. Which he was.
“Thank you for coming.” He leaned in for a hug, then pulled back.
The awkward moment lingered as she slipped into the booth. He hadn’t hugged her in months. His actions put her back up.
She pushed back the response. Not the best way to go into a job negotiation.
She pasted on a subtle smile, folded her arms in front of her, and waited.
Mark Louis was a man who couldn’t be rushed.
Years of being his right hand taught her patience.
He would get to the point when he was good and ready.
Mark slipped on his reading glasses and picked up the menu.
She surveyed the man across from her. Flecks of gray peppered his sandy blond hair, and a few more wrinkles lined his eyes. They looked good on him.
He removed his glasses and met her gaze. “Addison…”
Mark paused when the server arrived. Without even looking at her, he ordered for them both.
Addison ground her teeth. She hated when he did that. It was a presumptuous move, but growing up, her mom taught her about the fragility of the male ego, so she let it slide. Besides, she wanted her job back, with a big, fat raise, of course.
“Where did you file the receipts for the Granger order last month?”
Her brows flattened. That could have been asked in an email. Heck, even a text.
Small talk. He is building up to the real question.
Right. Typical Mr. Louis. “The digital copies are in the shared drive in the ‘Invoice’ folder, under year, then month, and the file is labeled under wholesaler and date.”
“Yes. Yes. Thank you.” He nodded. Not that he really needed such trivial information.
He scanned the restaurant, looking at everything but her. “How’s your cat?”
Now she really knew he was nervous. The man didn’t have many tells, but small talk?
Especially about her cat? He hated Lu. The one time he’d been to her house, Lu tried to take a chunk out of his leg.
To be fair, Lu thought he was protecting her.
He didn’t like anyone, but hated men in general.
If a guy hugged her, Lu morphed into “Attack Cat.”
“He’s well.” She exhaled when the server brought the first course.
By the time the main meal was served, they had fallen into a comfortable dialogue, discussing his children, her mother, and the people at the office.
There had been a few casual brushes of his hand to hers, but nothing that wasn’t work appropriate.
What didn’t occur during the meal? One word about getting her job back.
Addison tasted blood from biting her tongue for the last hour. Get to the point.
Finally, the server brought coffee and dessert. Addison cracked. “This was a lovely meal, but don’t you think we should talk about the reason you called me?”
Mark was a brilliant man—charming and charismatic, and besides being stubborn, he could be scatterbrained and unorganized. That’s why Addison ran the office. She kept him on task for the last nine years.
“Yes.” He set his cup down and leaned forward. He cleared his throat and looked Addison squarely in the eyes. “You know I didn’t want to let you go.”
“Then why did you?”
“I… uh, I was under pressure to make a decision. The choice was out of my hands.” He reached across the linen-covered table for her hand. “I miss you, Addison. Losing you was like trying to focus without having my morning cup of java.” He chuckled at his own joke.
She glanced at his hand then back to his face. She didn’t laugh, not even a smile, but just slipped her hand free and waited.
“What I’m trying to say is… we’re good together. I want you back.”
Now, Addison leaned in, a bright smile on her face. “I’m sure it was hell in the office without me.”
“Not too bad. Amber came in yesterday, and she’s taking over your position.”
She stiffened. Air clogged in her lungs. Did he just say his wife was taking her job? Addison rolled her shoulders back. She could feel the steam building in her ears. “Excuse me? What did you say?”
“Amber is going to be my new administrative assistant. She had the position before we had children.”
Addison suddenly went very still.
“It’s perfect. She’ll be preoccupied in the office. I know it’s not ideal, but we can still find time to be together. The thought of not seeing you every day is agony.”
The balls on this man. He wanted to continue the affair. She had broken up with him months ago, and he acted like it had never happened. Like they were still together, and this was a minor bump in the road.
That son of a bitch. How dare he? The urge to throw hot coffee in his face had her fingertips itching. No, if there was one thing she learned from her cat Lu, it was that the joy of revenge was in playing with your prey.
A feline smile crossed her lips. She leaned in and played with his tie—his overpriced, designer tie.
“So, you want to pick up where we left off last spring? Take our relationship to the next level?” she whispered.
Leaning in, he nodded. His eyes sparkled at the possibility of rekindling their relationship.
She looked down at his tie as she stroked it, then back at him. “But how would that work? You would be working with your wife. When I ran the office for you, I knew where you were at all times. Wouldn’t she?”
“I’ll figure it out. She has me over a barrel at the office, but she doesn’t own me. I’m leaving her for real this time when my son goes off to college in the fall.”
Yeah, right. She’d heard that one before. He was salivating to continue their relationship. Addison cut it off before they consummated it. No doubt he’d pay the bill and take her to a hotel right now if she said the word.
But it would be a cold day in hell before she’d give him that word. Instead, she said, “I’ll let you know.”
She cocked her head to the side, then dropped her gaze to the tie one last time before she looked him squarely in the eyes. She smiled, dropped his tie, and patted his cheek, then slipped gracefully from the booth.
Mark sat back. He looked down and frowned. “What the…?”
She grinned.
His expensive tie, his favorite—the one she’d soaked in coffee for the last five minutes—was dripping all over his shirt and suit, leaving a nice size wet spot on his crotch.
Purse in hand, she flipped him the finger, then pivoted on her heels and walked away.
He had his answer, and it was a big, fat “fuck you.”