“I have a baby sucking on my boob, and I’m watching Insta Videos, trust me, I’m not mad.”
“Kiss him for me.”
“I will.”
We sit silently for a few seconds. She’s waiting.
“I’m such an idiot. Everyone has moved on.”
“I’m your best friend, and I’m telling you that you went robotic the minute you got back from that godforsaken place. You haven’t been the same since that year. And I’m not saying I don’t love you and all your malfunctions, but I see your face when you think no one is watching. You had three boyfriends who screwed with your head and your heart, one of which died in a car accident, and you never got to grieve him properly.”
Guilt gnaws at me, but the secrets I have to keep.
“Can I ask you something, Cee?”
“Stupid question. Of course.”
“Did you get pregnant?”
“What? No. Not at all. Nothing like that.” I’m weak. I can’t talk to her this weak. I’ve been holding my secrets with me safely for too long. “It was just another bad dream. I’ll be fine.”
“Look. Eventually, I’m going to run out of kids to steal my sleep and suck my tits into something scary, which means murder for you someday when you wake me in the middle of the night. I want you to be happy. If that doesn’t include a future with Collin, fine, if it’s going back to the scene of the shitshow to make peace, fine, but make sure it’s for you, Cecelia. You’ve suffered enough at those bastards’ hands.”
“I will.”
“Good. Remember why you left.”
“Trust me. I can’t forget it.”
“And don’t forget who the fuck you are. CEO and all-around badass. You make grown men cry every day.”
“Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I manage to get through three-quarters of my presentation, and I can feel his heavy stare on me. It’s our first morning meeting. Tobias has already fired everyone on the board. Together, we have the task of turning the plant from a corporation structure to employee-owned. I won’t bother to ask him what he’s doing with the other plants, because I’m sure once he sees my plans for this one, maybe he’ll make similar changes to the others. Ryan sits at the table along with one of Tobias’s assistants, Shelly, as I go through the presentation—I worked half the night on—a step by step plan specific to the Horner Tech to right the wrongs of the past. It will give the faithful workers incentives along with better healthcare and retirement options. “Their lives won’t change overnight, but oh, what a difference a year can make.”
I pause after voicing that thought aloud, feeling the full weight of the attention of a man I was sure only existed in my dreams.
“Cee?” Ryan asks as I stand there, completely wrapped up in the memory of a warm summer night filled with toe-curling kisses, wine, of lightning bugs, of a magical place we created where no one else existed, and we recognized each other.
“Cee?” Ryan prompts again as I try to find my place.
“Sorry,” I clear my throat, feeling fire lick the side of my face and down my neck. I haven’t spared Tobias a glance, but the entirety of the outdated boardroom has been crackling with energy since he entered it.
“Within the next year,” I continue, “not only will we have given the employees incentives to stay, but we’ll have created and budgeted for twelve new supervising positions.”
“I already have plans in place.” It’s the first time Tobias has spoken up, and my eyes lift to his.
“I just wanted to give you some options. This is what I do.”
He doesn’t waste breath with his retort. “I’ve been doing it longer. Is that all?”
“Okay, let me word it better,” I snap. “Plan B is what’s happening.”
Ryan speaks up, biting Tobias right in the ass. “It’s a condition of the contract.”
Tobias doesn’t spare Ryan a glance and gives me a dead stare.
“I’m creating jobs, not ruining your plans.”
“Debatable,” he counters and stands.
“I have fifteen minutes left,” I object. His eyes roll over my form-fitting pantsuit. I may have spent a little more time than usual on my appearance this morning.
“You’re doing what you want, why does it matter if I’m here?”
“Your presence at these meetings is also in the contract,” Ryan counters as Tobias finally shifts his focus. And the result isn’t pretty.
“You going to lick the bottom of her stilettos when she’s done here?”
“She’s not into foot kink,” Ryan retorts with a sure smile.
Tobias’s eyes drift up to mine. The look in them enough to condemn me. And now he knows I’ve slept with my lawyer. I glare at Ryan, who shrugs, giving me a thorough and appreciative sweep Tobias does not miss.
“Gentlemen, tuck your penises away and take a breath,” I snap. “This isn’t about who has the most authority here. This is about thousands of workers and their future and what’s right for them. I don’t have to be right. Let’s just come to an agreement on what’s best for them.”
Shelly speaks up. “Agreed. What we have planned is very similar, I’ll cross-reference our prospectus with what you’ve got, and we can work together to get the kinks out.”
“You’re speaking out of turn,” Tobias scolds her.
“I don’t lick shoes or wipe asses, Mr. King, that’s why you hired me.” She doesn’t miss a beat. “Cecelia, I think this is brilliant, and since I’m the one who’ll be getting this information together and out to the masses, I would love to hear your last fourteen minutes.”
I bite my lips to hide my smile as Tobias’s eyes narrow at Shelly before he takes his seat. “Floor is yours.”
I can practically hear his thoughts—your move.
Ryan chuckles, and he and Tobias stare off for a second before they both turn expectant eyes back to me.
And this is just day one.
Fuck.
I can’t help my smile shortly after our meeting when Tobias walks into the office across the hall from mine. Floor to ceiling windows creates no barrier, giving us little privacy so he can’t, at all, avoid seeing me during working hours. I feel his hesitation as Shelly guides him through the set-up of his workstation. I feel a lick of heat from his stare before he finally takes his seat. Transitioning from corporate to employee-owned isn’t a matter of signatures or a one and done. It will take weeks of careful planning to work out the details, and I plan on using the time wisely.
He can’t avoid me. But he’s damn sure going to try. Hours later, we duel on our keyboards, and every so often, I feel the lift of his head and the weight of his stare. He’s been listening to my phone conversations all day, his door open. I have loose ends to tie up before I can entirely hand the business over to Collin, who also isn’t speaking to me. He’s had his assistant email me with questions about the pressing matters. And I get it. I understand. But it still stings.
Ryan has been planted in the office next to me for most of the day, and the crackle I feel brewing only intensifies as the hours pass. But I forge on, intent on using all my tools to make the transition smooth and beneficial to the employees. Because I’ve been in their shoes, literally. Ryan heads to the breakroom for another cup of coffee when I crack my neck and look up to see Tobias working diligently on his laptop. His shoulders tense the minute he feels me eyeing him, but he keeps at a steady pace. He’s in a pinstripe suit today that makes him look regal, like an old-world gangster. It’s so fitting. He’s so perfectly manicured that he looks completely out of place in the dump we’ve been stationed in. The bottom floor has a distinct stench of mold, and the ceiling tiles are heavy with residual water and stained brown. I decide to shoot off an email to Shelly to see if we can find a little wiggle room in the budget for a cheap remodel. I’ve just sent it off when Ryan strides back into the office, our coffee forgotten.