Page 69 of The Arrangement

“Charles, I thought Fletcher was supposed to get this account?” I managed, leaning forward a bit even though Erkharst was barely paying attention to us as he leered at the hostess.

My grandfather shrugged. “Fletcher is a good worker, but this is for you. It’s time for you to prove yourself, Quinn.”

"Enough business, let's eat!" Erkharst clapped his hands together as the waiter brought out a tray, and my grandfather’s thick fingers snatched away the portfolio

"This is a good opportunity for you, Sebastian. You saw the commission percentage. Don't let me down, eh?" The chicken dish tasted like ash in my mouth as I chewed, emoting at the right times, though James and my grandfather spoke like I wasn't there most of the time.

That building wasn’t just a strip of commercial space; it included The Grind. It included Hemingway's.

Chapter 32

Georgia

Sebastian left before I could get a word out. Which I supposed I deserved. The panic that fell through me after waking was still gripping my heart. What had we done? What we’d had until now had been perfect: good sex, good money. And that was all I wanted. It was just a stupid crush, and now I had gone and ruined it.

Sinking into the cheap hotel chair, I tried hard to hold back the wave of emotions that came crashing in on me as soon as that door clicked shut. It still smelled like him, the tousled bed holding the lingering evidence of what we had done last night.

I swore I could still feel his hands on me and hear the soft noises he’d made while his fingers were buried in my hair. The feeling of him was so deep inside of me that it was like we had merged into one person altogether. And I’d let that go.

All because I was scared.

Shaking my head, I took a deep, shaking breath before wiping away errant tears. It would never work. This was for the best. I was at no place in my life to be in a relationship, especially with Sebastian Quinn.I would just let him down. Or he would let me down. Either way, we would end up hurt.

My phone came to life with a text message from Sarah, a welcome distraction to the whirling thoughts in my head.

Sarah: Hey! It'll just be us for brunch today, Fletch had to be at work.

I inwardly thanked whatever gods were looking out for me today, because the thought of putting on a happy face in front of some guy I barely knew was too much to stomach. I had to be happy and cheerful and ready to celebrate Sarah. She deserved it.

Me: No big deal! See you downstairs!

The hot shower did nothing for my spirits, nor did it shake the chill that had seemed to settle under my skin. I had a missed call from Emma, but I would call her after brunch. It was probably just for my work schedule this week, anyway. I didn't want to keep Sarah waiting any longer, especially since Fletcher wasn't there to buffer my absence. My hair was a mess, but I was able to pull it up a bit before tossing on some concealer beneath the dark circles underneath my eyes.

Brunch tasted like ash in my mouth. However, I smiled and drank not just one but two mimosas and probably would have grabbed a third if Sarah hadn't looked at me oddly over her omelet.

"You okay, Georgia?" Her blue eyes flickered to my barely touched plate of oatmeal, the cheapest thing on the menu. "You hardly ever drink."

Shrugging my shoulders, I mixed some brown sugar into the tasteless oats with a smile. "We're celebrating; it's okay once in a while, you know." Pressing my own emotional baggage deep down within me, I forced a smile before asking suggestively, "So…how was last night with Fletcher?"

Sarah's face blushed a red that touched the tip of her ears as she took a sip of her mimosa. "It was…amazing." Looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to us, she leaned forward to whisper, "We didn't even have sex. We just sat up and talked all night."

I drew back; they had been all over each other at the bar, and theyhadn't even slept together. "You guys were practically tongue-fucking on the dance floor, and you had a hotel room together!"

I dodged the judgmental look of an older woman who had apparently heard my remark, so I quickly jammed a spoon full of oatmeal in my mouth to look unsuspecting.

Sarah shook her head. "I know! It was…I don't know, nice? We made out and slept in the same bed, but he said he didn't feel right about us sleeping together for the first time when we’d both had a lot to drink."

My personal opinion of Thomas Fletcher jumped a few notches at her revelation. "Well, kudos to Mr. Fletcher, then."

Sarah raised her glass in a mock salute before taking a sip. "An orgasm would've been nice, though."

The older lady gasped this time, and we quickly dove into our meals, trying to make quick work of it. By the time the check came and I argued with Sarah for it (it was her birthday brunch—there was no way she was paying for it, especially when I had over fifteen grand in my bank account), she finally broached the topic I had carefully steered away from the entire morning.

"Sorry you had to room with Sebastian. I hope it wasn't awkward," Sarah winced, looking apologetic as she finished the rest of her drink.

I shook my head, not meeting her eye as I placed my utensils in my bowl in preparation to leave. "No, not at all. He was the perfect gentleman."

Sarah opened her mouth for a more thorough answer, but a familiar face sitting at the bar caught my eye.

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