Page 69 of The Fix Up

“I’ve played your doting wife already, Ben. When the need suited your career, I did that and you paid me for it. It was a job.”

“A job,” he repeated, trying to understand what she was telling him.

“Yes, a job. And now that you’ve landed the Kleinberger deal, my work here is done.”

Ben blinked, trying to keep up with the conversation as she jerked her top on, fumbling with the buttons. She still wouldn’t look at him, but he could have sworn he caught a shimmer of tears in the corner of her eye.

“I’m not talking about work,” he said. “I’m talking about the two of us hanging out together because we enjoy each other’s company outside business.”

“There’s nousoutside business, Ben—don’t you see?”

“I don’t. We’ve laughed together and played together and made crazy passionate love together, and as far as I can tell, you enjoyed all of those things.”

“I did. Ido. But I just don’t—I mean I can’t—God, where are my shoes?”

“Holly, sit down for a minute.”

He wasn’t sure if she’d obey, but he wasn’t surprised when she did. She dropped onto the edge of the bed, a good two feet of space between them. Ben suspected she’d prefer to keep it that way.

She was quiet a moment, and he watched her take a few deep breaths. When she turned to face him, her odd lavender-hued eyes were glittery. “Look, Ben—I took this job because I needed the money.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “I’ll have the second half of it to you by end-of-business tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” She pressed her lips together and looked down at her hands.

He watched her, trying to figure out what had her so undone. He got the sense there was more to her money woes than the need to pay off an Office Max credit card. Softening his tone, he probed again. “Do you mind telling me why you needed the money so urgently?”

She sighed and folded her hands together in her lap, her gaze still fixed on them instead of on his face. “When I bought the building that’s home to First Impressions, I made a stupid mistake.”

“You mean like a balloon mortgage or something?”

“Worse. I co-signed with my husband. Ex-husband, I mean, but we were married at the time. It was idiotic and stupid and?—”

“Hey,” he said, reaching out to touch her hand. “It’s not that dumb. A lot of married people sign loans together. It’s part of the partnership.”

“Partnership,” she scoffed, shaking her head a little. “There was no partnership to the arrangement. He resented my career from the very beginning, and I should have known better. I made a mistake.” She sighed. “Anyway, that’s why I needed to take this job with you. To get out from under that loan and refinance in my name alone.”

Ben let the words wash over him, trying to make sense of what she was telling him. He dropped his hand back onto the bed, not sure he felt right touching her. So it was all about the money all along. He’d known that, on some level—he’d signed the damn check himself. But still, he’d hoped it was evolving into more. Had he been naive?

“So this whole time, I was just a paycheck?” he said slowly. “A chance to save your real estate investment?”

She looked up at him, alarm flashing in her eyes. He waited for her to argue, to tell him he was wrong and that it had become so much more than that to her.

But instead, she shook her head. “I would hope you think I earned that money,” she said. “Every penny of it. I worked hard for you.”

“I’m not questioning that. But this whole job was just another business transaction for you.”

Again, he waited for her to argue. He stayed silent, wanting to hear her say those words. She didn’t speak for a long time, so Ben reached out again and touched her hand once more. “I wanted a shot at a real relationship with you. Something real. Something meaningful.”

Was it his imagination, or did she flinch?

She looked at him long and hard. Then she looked away. “Yes.” He watched her throat move as she swallowed. “To answer your question, it was always just a business arrangement.”

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. “Nothing more?”

“Nothing more.” She looked down at the comforter, plucking at a loose thread. “I’m sorry, Ben. Our careers and our personal lives have gotten too tangled up together and I think it’s time we said good-bye.”

He stared at her. Would an alpha male CEO catch her by the hand and ask her to stay? Would he demand she sit here and listen to all the reasons they should give this thing a shot? He started to open his mouth, then stopped.

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