Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
As Calla stepped into the shower to wash the remnants of the day away, I sat in my bedroom, holding my head in my hands. Ever since Allen brought up the promotion, my mind had been spinning, trying to figure out how to get everything I wanted. But no matter what, I’d have to choose.
For the first hour, it felt like an insurmountable decision to choose between the woman I loved and the career I’d fought so hard for. Even though she wasn’t here to witness it, I felt like I was betraying my mother's dreams, throwing all her sacrifices back at her. She’d wanted me to succeed, and this promotion was the next step. However, as much as I craved for it to be a straightforward choice, it never would be. Not when it meant potentially losing Calla.
I planned on talking to her about it, but when I saw her face after the dinner, all I wanted was to hold her, to tell her everything would be alright, even though I didn’t know if that was true. And maybe I’d regret it one day, but at that moment, I knew I would choose her over anything else. Work would come and go, spitting me out at the first possible inconvenience. Calla, however, had already proven that she was at my side. The least I could do was return the favor as she worked through these issues with her family.
Besides, I liked living in New York, liked the team I was leading. Maybe it wasn’t going to place my name on the letterhead, but it was a job I’d be happy to keep for a long time.
As Calla emerged from the shower, wrapped in a white terry cloth towel, the decision cemented in my mind. This was the life I wanted. She walked over to me, standing between my legs. She ran her hand through my hair, smiling softly down at me. “What’s going through that mind of yours?”
I peered up at her and, once again, the words were on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell her I loved her, to promise her that my heart would always be hers, but yet again, the timing failed me. This night was not the night for bold declarations, not when her mind was already so frazzled with thoughts of her mother and the fallout of her actions. Instead, I’d show her my love with quiet declarations, show her how much she meant to me without words.
My fingers teased the knot of her towel, letting it fall to her feet. Seeing her body bare in front of me made my cock harden in my pants, but there would be time for that later. Placing my hands on her hips, I pushed her back slightly, enough to get past her and to my dresser. I grabbed one of my shirts and pulled it over her head, loving how it barely grazed the tops of her thighs. She furrowed her brow, clearly unsure what was happening. I held my hand out. “Come with me.”
“That’s what I thought we were doing,” Calla muttered to herself before placing her palm in mine.
I chuckled, leading her across the hall into my barely-used office. I’d planned this surprise earlier, thinking it would be a great segue into telling her how I felt. But now, it would stand alone, hopefully enough for her to read the meaning into it.
Looking into the space, I was flooded with memories of lonely nights, hunched over my computer screen, a time before a certain redhead had crashed into my life and made me re-examine all my priorities. Now, this office was barely used, almost like a relic of my past life. I thought coming in here would have been a sharp reminder of what I once wanted, but all it did was reinforce the choices I’d made. I looked at Calla over my shoulder. The choices that had led me to her.
She walked over to the bookcases, touching the now empty shelves. “What is this?”
“You were running out of room for your books at Devyn’s.” I leaned back against the wall, watching her. “I thought you could bring some here.”
She turned, a confused expression furrowing her brows. “You’re giving me space in your office?”
“Calla…” I stepped toward her. “You might feel like you don’t have a place within your family, but you’ll always have a place here, with me. Even if it’s just your books for now, I like there being pieces of you in my home.”
“Are you sure about this?” She chewed on her lower lip. “My books are going to make this office all cluttered and chaotic, break up the black-on-black motif you have going on.”
“You’ve done it before, beautiful, and my life got better for it.”
She pressed onto her toes, kissing me with enough force for me to stumble a little. Calla chuckled as she pulled back. “This is the best surprise I’ve gotten in a long time. ”
“Give it time, beautiful. I plan on spoiling you for a lot longer.”
The next morning, I kissed Calla goodbye before the sun came up, heading straight into the office. As I walked inside, I passed by my office, instead going toward the conference room where Allen was already waiting. I’d texted him late last night, knowing that he was as attached to his phone as I used to be. Without much information, I told him we needed to talk first thing in the morning.
“Have a seat, Theo.”
I did as he requested, taking the spot opposite him. Yet again, his expression gave nothing away. I didn’t know what he expected from this meeting, but I hoped I would still be in his favor when it was done.
He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers over his stomach. “You called this meeting, so let’s get into it. Why did you need to speak with me?”
“I appreciate the opportunity you presented me. As much as I would like to lead a new office, I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve got a good thing going here in New York and would like to continue to manage this office. You’ve seen what we can do in a few short months, so let me show you how successful we can be in the long term.”
Allen stared at me, probably in disbelief over my words. In truth, I was too. Six months ago, when Calla first walked into my life, I never would have thought I’d be here. But now that I was, I had no regrets, no reason to fear the future. Even if I never achieved every one of my goals, I’d be content with my lot in life as long as I had Calla at my side. That mattered more than my job title .
“Listen, Theo,” Allen sighed. “Some new information has come to light, and I’m afraid that won’t be an option.”
My heart stalled in my chest.
“Excuse me?”
“As of next month, you will no longer be in charge of the New York office.”
There were no words to describe the deafening sound in my ears, the way my chest felt like it had caved in at his words. Out of all the possibilities, that was the last thing I thought he would say.
I shook my head, my hands shaking in my lap. “I don’t understand. Just last night, you were saying how well this office is running. You wanted me to run another office because this one’s been such a goddamn success.” I slammed my hands on the table, lifting myself up to stand. “Why the fuck do you think that’s happened? Me . I’ve killed myself to make this office work, and now you’re saying I’m fired?”
“No,” Allen said calmly. “That is not what I’m saying at all. We see your talent, Theo. We know what an excellent leader you are, which is why we’re offering you a choice. Either lead the new expansion, or you can return to your old position in the LA office.”
What the fuck?
“Just not here,” I scoffed. “Why, Allen?”
He looked up at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of emotion. Regret? Annoyance? I wasn’t sure, but either way, he didn’t like what he was about to say.
“How long have you been sleeping with your assistant?”