Page 26 of Ansel

“So, a meeting has been set up?” I asked, and when Charlie nodded, I regarded him thoughtfully. “He’s interviewing me?”

He raised one shoulder and dropped it. “Well, sort of…but I think the job is in the bag.”

I blinked, trying to process. “How?”

He sat up, now smiling wide. "Well, I think it has something to do with Ansel talking to Leon aboutyou.”

“Me?” I felt like a moron because I was having trouble comprehending what Charlie was saying.

“Yep!” A playful glint softened his gaze. “Ansel told Leon that he’d be an idiot not to hire you because you’re the sharpest, most dedicated financial analyst he’s ever worked with. According to Ansel, your skills are par excellence, you’re sharp, and you’ll make a terrific leader. You don’t just get the job done—you make everyone around you better. And if Leon didn’t take you, it would be his biggest regret."

My throat tightened, my fingers curling around my whiskey glass as I was holding on to it to stay grounded.

Charlie’s expression relaxed. “Look, Neha, I know Ansel messed up. But the guy believes in you. And whether you want to admit it or not, and he wants to tell you or not, he’s been doing everything he can to make it up to you.”

I couldn’t believe Ansel had done this. He wasn’t trying to get me back to work for him and take care of him; he wanted me to succeed on my own.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

He lifted his drink. “You don’t have to say anything, just enjoy the ride.”

I nodded, my heart feeling fullandoverwhelmed.

Ansel returned, slipping back into his seat. “What’d I miss?” he asked, glancing between us, noting the tension.

Charlie tipped his glass toward me. “I just told Neha about Leon Carter.”

Ansel beamed. “Isn’t that awesome? Charlie and Leon went to Purdue together.”

He wouldn’t take credit, I realized. He was giving it to his friend and that warmed my heart more than anything else could.

After drinks, Charlie left, and Ansel walked me home from the bar, hands in his pockets. We didn’t talk much, but the silence between us was comfortable—like in the past when we could be together at work without the need to speak.

When we reached my building, I turned to him, tilting my head. “I heard you gave me a solid recommendation.”

“What?”

I gave an exaggerated eye roll. “Charlie told me thatyoutalked about me with Leon Carter.”

His gaze turned sheepish. “I only told him the truth.”

I eyed him carefully, taking in the slight tension in his jaw, the way he was bracing himself—like he wasn’t sure how I was going to respond.

“The truth, like how he’d regret if he didn’t hire me?”

He nodded, his eyes on mine, pleading to seehimas he was now and not on that day when he made a mess of things.

“Do you regret letting me go?”

He shook his head.

I frowned.

“I regret how I did it, but I’m glad you’re going to do something on your own, for yourself. You give so easily and I kept taking and taking and…I know I didn’t give back. That was wrong of me. Selfish. I don’t want to be that man. I want to be better.” He stopped talking for a moment, checking to see how I was reacting.

I was doing a happy dance inside, but I stayed calm on the outside because I wasn’t ready to trust him or myself with him yet.

“Also, I want to date you, which I can’t do if you work for me.”

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