The Petal Collection. I catch on the name because the gorgeous necklace Caleb had me wear must’ve been from that collection. Yes, the necklace was mind-blowing, but what was even more mind-blowing is that I’m sure that the first time I wore it, there was an inscription underneath that said Petal. But the second time I wore it, at the gala, it was gone. The necklace had been switched for an imitation, and
I never got a chance to find out what it was all about.
I jolt out of my thoughts and realize Caleb’s been going on about his grandmother, and how the pieces are inspired by those she loved to wear, but I missed a huge chunk of the conversation. Shoot.
I scribble insp- grandma just as Jacqueline moves onto the next question. “You’ve been at the helm of Sterling Cross for five years now—”
“Six.”
“Six, since the untimely death of your parents and the Cross family in a plane crash. You’ve built the business modestly since then.”
“That’s right. Unlike other brands, we don’t want to be available at every department store. We’re exclusive, and plan to stay that way. Therefore, our business model has always been slow, solid growth.”
It’s only when he glances at me that I realize I haven’t been writing any of this down.
“I’ve kept our employee pool the same size as it’s been since the eighties, because my father always believed in a small force. He knew each employee by name. He treated them civilly and respectfully, and expected the best they had to give, every day. If one betrayed him, he let them go. He didn’t give second chances. Neither do I.”
He glances at me again. My body heats with shame.
“You really learned a lot from your father, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Especially about trusting my instincts when it comes to people. He always used to say, ‘When a person shows you who they are, believe them.’ I believe in that. It’s true.”
Another glance at me. I drop my eyes to the ground, looking for a hole to climb into.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to make a mistake around you, then, Caleb,” she says with a teasing lilt in her voice.
“Mistakes can be forgiven. Once. But no, I don’t let it happen twice.”
I look down at the notebook, face flaming. All I have there is:
insp-grandma
sm pool
no sec
I wince. If he asks me to write up meeting notes, which he always does, I’m screwed.
But I’m already feeling screwed. When I look up from my notes, his eyes practically nail me to the wall.
Jacqueline asks, “What are your plans for the company’s continued survival in an increasingly hostile and competitive atmosphere?”
He laces his fingers in front of him and leans back in his chair. “My plans are simply that. Continued survival, with slow and steady growth, just as my father did before me.”
“But how do you plan on doing that?” she asks, looking down at her tablet. “Especially after the gala. It’s all over town that there’s a coming shake-up in the management at Sterling Cross. True?”
“Not true.”
“Sebastian Wolfe has made it pretty clear he wants to buy. You’ve bought yourself some time, but how much longer will you be able to put him off?”
“With all due respect, Sebastian Wolfe doesn’t know anything.”
Sebastian Wolfe. The man from the gala who was talking with Olivia. Was that her game—to oust Caleb so she could sell the business to Sebastian Wolfe?
Jacqueline shakes her head like she knows differently. “He’s a shark. Out for blood. And he usually gets what he wants.”
Caleb laughs at her. My heart goes still because I’m pretty sure that’s the same smoldering gaze that got me, hook, line, and sinker. “So do I. And I’m a pit bull. I don’t attack unless provoked. He hasn’t provoked me yet.”
Their flirting is enough to make me physically ill. I feel the coffee I had earlier that morning, fighting its way back up.
I can’t stay here.
“Oh!” I say, scooting to the edge of my chair.
They both look at me.
Thinking fast, I look at my pen, and rocket to my feet. “Pen ran out of ink. I’ll be—”
He’s already looking through his desk for one. “Then here…”
But I’m already at the door. “No need. I have to have my special, ergonomic pen…”
I step out of the office and close my eyes. Could I possibly sound any stupider?
Vicki’s not at her station, so I wander to my desk, dragging my feet. I don’t want to go back in there… Ever. I feel beaten, as if Caleb had ripped up my heart, piece by piece, in front of me.
And he liked it. He derived joy from watching me squirm.
I take my time, opening drawers, looking for the new pen. It’s clear from the giggling coming from the office that they’re going on without me, and Jacqueline is having a grand old time. He’s practically irresistible as it is. But when he purposely pours on the charm, there isn’t a single woman on Earth who wouldn’t succumb.
I imagine him taking her home tonight. Or even worse, bending her over his desk and taking her right there. I imagine her screaming out his name, coming so hard she passes out.
And I want to cry.
At the same time, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window near my desk.
I look pathetic.
He could’ve just let me go. No, he’s enjoying this, letting me dangle like a fish on a hook.
And I’m letting him hold the pole.
Anger begins to bubble inside me. It ends here.
Forget going back into that office where I’ll be the textbook definition of a third wheel. I throw my pen and pad on my desk, scoot behind my computer, and start to craft the perfect resume to get me far away from Caleb Sterling.
I’m working so hard to tune out the flirtatious laughter coming from the office that I don’t notice the person in front of my desk until he clears his throat.
I look up. It’s David, Sterling Cross’s Director of Marketing.
“Oh, hi!” I say, quickly X-ing out of the screen and leaning casually on my desk. “I didn’t hear you.”
“The unfortunate downside of being a ninja,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ll try to thump around a lot more so it’ll warn you I’m coming.”
That’s one thing that’s refreshing about David. He has a goofy sense of humor. “You’re a ninja? How did I not know this about you?”
He nods seriously. “Oh, yes. Few do.” He puts a finger to his lips. “But shh. It’s a secret.”
“Totally safe with me,” I say, trying to ignore the giggle that flares from the other room. “What’s up? Did you come to deliver the latest ad proofs for Sterling?”
He shakes his head. “No. Actually, those are still in proofreading.”
“Oh, then…” I’m out of ideas, so I just stare at him expectantly.
He’s being shy, something that since Caleb, I forgot men could do. “Uh, you see, what are you doing this weekend?”
I shrug, because there’s no way I’m going to tell him what I’m thinking: Moping. Wait. Is he… “Why?”
“I have two tickets to the theater. I was wondering if you wanted to go? Dinner first, then the show?”