John turned to him. “Nolan, come meet our clients.”
Nolan stepped forward, his greeting short. “Gentlemen. Good to meet you.” He glanced at Jordan. “Kids do bugger up the works.”
Jordan frowned. “It was a joke.”
Nolan lifted a shoulder. “Of course.”
I had a feeling he didn’t mean it. He didn’t seem like a warm and fuzzy kind of guy.
He focused his gaze my way. “We’ll be working closely together, Vince. I look forward to it. This is a great project.”
There was something about him that bothered me immediately. I tried to shrug it off, wondering if knowing Jordan didn’t personally like either of them was affecting my own opinion. I had to give them the benefit of the doubt.
“My mother calls me Vince. I go by Van around work.”
He inclined his head. “Van.”
I shook his hand. “Good to meet you as well. Grab a seat, and we’ll get started.” I indicated the small table we used for meetings. I had cleaned it off in preparation.
“Is your designer not joining us?” Nolan asked.
“She’s running late. She’ll be here shortly.”
Nolan’s mouth twisted in impatience. “I see.”
The need to defend Liv was strong. “An emergency came up,” I stated. “She’s on her way.”
He sat, looking displeased. “Personal business should be kept out of work hours.”
Jordan scowled. “Life doesn’t always work that way.”
Nolan lifted his shoulders dismissively. “I suppose not for everyone. I make my job priority one.”
I turned to my desk and grabbed some files to hide my anger. This guy was a piece of work. Arrogant and opinionated, the way Jordan had stated. Nevertheless, I only had to use his crew, not go for beers with him. I had worked with other subcontractors in the past that I didn’t like personally. As long as the work was good, I could handle it.
John clapped him on the shoulder. “Relax, Nolan. Not everyone is as job-driven as you.”
I sat down and picked up my cup, changing the subject. “Can we get you guys anything? Great café in the building. Or we have water and juice in the fridge.”
They both declined.
Jordan and I opened the files, and we started discussing business. Personally, I knew we would never get along well. But professionally, I had to admit, Jordan was right again. They knew what they were talking about, and they wanted the project to go well. They both had ideas I liked, and my reticence eased as they spoke.
Hurried footsteps down the hall made me look toward the door. Liv rushed in, her arms full. Her hair was in its usual braid, a thick golden cord hanging over her shoulder. She looked frazzled and upset. I knew how seriously she took her job and would hate the fact that she’d arrived late. I stood, hoping to catch her eye and silently assure her all was well.
But she froze partway into the room. Her creamy complexion became pale. So pale, I was immediately concerned. She looked as if she was going into shock. Her eyes widened, her gaze focused on the man sitting at the table to my right. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
“Liv? You okay?” Jordan asked, concern lacing his voice.
Still, she was mute.
I began to move toward her, when Nolan spoke.
“No greeting for an old friend, Olivia?”
His words stopped me. I turned toward him with a frown.
He knew her? Had they worked together before? He never mentioned it. When she heard the name Nolan, she hadn’t reacted at all.
What the hell?
Nolan remained seated and sighed impatiently. “Let’s try this again. You were always a little slow at times.” He cleared his throat. “Hello, Olivia. Long time.”
I bristled at his words, my hands curling into fists. Before I could speak, Liv found her voice.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped through tight lips.
“I work for John now. I have for almost two years.” He tilted his head. “I’ve been looking forward to this meeting. Seeing you again. I thought we could catch up.”
If it was possible, she became paler. Every instinct in me told me to go to her. Shield her from what was happening—whatever it was. But I knew I couldn’t.
Jordan spoke. “Liv, come sit down.”
She moved, almost collapsing into the chair. I sat down, noticing the way her body trembled, and my anxiety grew. I wanted to reach across the table and hold her. Let her know she was safe. Mentally, I begged her to look at me, but her gaze remained focused across the table on the man who sat there.
John seemed confused but calm. Nolan leaned back in his chair looking smug, and my dislike deepened.
Liv drew in a deep breath. “Why are you here, Chris?”
Chris?
Now I was completely confused.
“For a job. And I go by Nolan now.”
John laughed. “There were already three other Chris’s in the company when I hired him. We started using last names, and it stuck.” John clapped his shoulder. “He’s my right hand. You’ll be working together. It won’t be a problem, will it, Olivia? Nolan says you go way back. He’s been looking forward to seeing you.”
It hit me.
Chris Nolan.
Liv’s ex.
The bastard who’d mistreated her, then threw her and Sammy aside without regard.
Sammy’s father. In the same room as Liv and me.
Holy fuck.
Van
I had never witnessed a person with as much strength as Liv until that moment. In the blink of an eye, she pulled herself together. Although she was still horribly pale, her voice was steady, and she was calm.
I was incredibly proud of her.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her laptop and a file. “Well, let’s get down to business, shall we?” she asked, her voice cool.
Chris, or Nolan, smirked again. I wanted to wipe the expression off his face with my fist, but I refrained. If Liv could handle sitting at the same table as he was and could act professionally, so could I.
“How is life treating you, Olivia? How is—” he paused as if searching for a word “—your, ah, daughter?” He snapped his fingers. “Samantha, right?”
Liv’s pen jerked, a jagged line appearing across the paper. Her voice was tight. “Everything is great, Nolan.” She emphasized his name. “I prefer to keep my private life outside the office, if you don’t mind.”
“Unless it interferes with your work,” Nolan pointed out.
Before she could respond, Jordan stepped in. “Liv is an exemplary employee. Here at BAM, family is important, and we understand things happen. Looking after your child always comes first.”
Nolan’s eyebrows rose slowly, silently stating his thoughts on Jordan’s words.
John lifted his shoulder. “My company is my family, but I understand. I hope everything gets solved for you, Olivia.”
Liv cleared her throat and acknowledged him with a tilt of her head. “Shall we get started?”
She finally met my gaze. Despite her bravado, I saw her turmoil. The anxiety she was trying to hide swirled in her eyes. There was a slight tremble to her hand. Her shoulders were stiff, her posture tense. Ignoring everything and everyone else, I spoke, my words directed only toward her.