Page 36 of Executive Benefits

“I’m not getting into this with you again. I can’t believe you drove all the way down here to… what?” Damn my brain. I threw my arms in the air. “You were a dick. I left. You have all the freedom in the world to do whatever you want.”

“You ruined my reputation. No one will even look at me now. The gym is dying, and I’m fucked. Are you happy?”

I scrunched my eyes. I didn’t want to get into a fight with him. I slapped my thighs and scowled. “I’m the one who left. You couldn’t stop running your mouth. You did the job you wanted to do, literally ran me out of town. You won. I left. Now you’re here to what? Try to make me feel bad about myself?”

“You should feel bad about yourself.”

“You’re the one who got a restraining order slapped over you because you couldn’t control yourself. I didn’t have anything?—”

“Spare me. If you would have kept me satisfied, I would have tried to?—”

“Then why are you here?” I took a step forward. “Why did you come here if I ruined everything and couldn’t keep you satisfied?” My question popped his bubble, and for the first time in, maybe, ever, I saw him falter. “That’s what I thought.” I spun on my heel and went back to my desk. “You can leave. You’re not welcome here.”

He took a few steps in my direction, and I snapped my head up. “Don’t make me get a restraining order put on you too.” I stood. “It’s time you start holding yourself accountable for your actions. Did you even consider, for one tiny second, that flirting with a woman wouldn’t be received well?” I looked him over and huffed. He still couldn’t fathom it. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I started dating him.

The red flags were flopping everywhere in my face. I was just glad I didn’t stick around for him to cheat on me.

Oh.

That thought slapped me in the forehead. Nick was right. We were coming from a similar place. We could rebrand and heal. Mia’s words whispered over my mind, but I shook out the thoughts and Mia’s words. I wasn’t going to figure that situation out now.

“Your flirting and harassment are what got you into the mess you were in because, for some reason, you believe that every woman wants you. When really, none of us do because you’re an arrogant, obnoxious prick who couldn’t find the right spot on awoman to make her come even if you had a road map. I told you to leave.” I pointed at the door. “Leave. I won’t say it again. I’ll call the cops.”

Jared stood staring, fingers balled into fists, breaths coming in heavy, nostrils flaring. He wasn’t an ugly man. Far from it. But as I stood staring back at him, waiting for him to move, I could see just how ugly he was.

“This isn’t over,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You’re not welcome anywhere near me,” I clipped.

He looked at me. His eyes bounced over my face and he grunted. Then he spun on his heel and stormed out of the building. I waited a few seconds and hurried to the door, making sure to lock it completely.

The next few days were a bit of a blur, but they were not without some bits of excitement. Christmas came and went, and Mia and I celebrated in our normal fashion with Ramen and movies.

Jared texted me and apologized. I didn’t respond, but I was surprised, nonetheless. He said he wanted to meet me and actually get together to talk. Both Mia and I rolled our eyes at that one.

He sent flowers and a card that just said he was nervous to see me, and it all came out in the wrong way. He was embarrassed by his behavior, and I was the best thing that had happened to him.

While I wasn’t falling for any crap he was pulling, I did find that I wished it was Nick who was texting me instead. Not that he would have anything to apologize for, but I was starting to realize that I missed him. That didn’t help with my fear and what Mia said could happen.

As I doodled, waiting for a new client to hop onto a video call so we could start on their social media strategy, I picked my phone up and went to text Nick but put it down at the last minute. I didn’t know what I was doing or thinking anymore. My desire to be loved warred against my better judgment and the pain I'd gone through.

The client popped into the meeting and startled me. “Julia, hello,” she said. “I’m sorry I was so late. I have been running all over town trying to find some place to do the printing of my banner. Can you believe they inverted the colors and spelled the name wrong? I looked at the file I sent them and I sent them the right one, but they’re trying to tell me that now I have to pay them again. Have you ever heard of such a thing?” Her hazel eyes sparked with annoyance and the line between her brows scrunched tighter.

“Actually, you’d be surprised by what I see.” I smiled, wanting to ease some of her stress. “Tell you what. Let me call the printer I know in Buffalo. I’ll give him the rundown of what happened. I can’t guarantee it will be free, but Carlo will work out a good price for you. He’s a good guy, and reliable too.”

“Thank you,” she huffed. “You’re a wonderful person.”

I gave her a small smile and turned the conversation back to the social media strategy but not before she said, “Buffalo is definitely less of a city without you.”

My breath caught in my throat, and they were words I longed to hear six months ago. That my work was appreciated and I was good at my job. I looked around my office, and a warm feeling enveloped me. Even though it had been hard to pack up everything and leave the place I grew up, I hadn’t thought about missing Buffalo. I didn’t miss being in Buffalo.

Heart’s Creek really was the right place for me to be, with or without Nick.

I continued the meeting, but my mind lingered on his request to take me on a date. The fact that he had to ask whether I'd consider dating an older man revealed his own insecurity, but his invitation had caught me off guard, triggered my own insecurities. I wished I hadn't reacted that way because I sort of did want to date him. I just had all these hangups, and they were getting in the way.

Why couldn't I just shake them? And why now, after so long, had Jared stomped back into my life? It felt like a sign that I was doing the wrong thing with Nick, but how could it be wrong when it felt so right?

17

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