Page 42 of Nailed

“She’s not answering her phone, and… I’m sorry, Jamie. I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.”

I’d checked every open room in this damn hotel, ignoring everyone who called my name as I ran past. All my fears and anxiety from the morning fell into the background.

All that mattered was finding her.

She looked up when she saw me, her face crumpling.

“Hey,” I said, climbing down to the floor next to her. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here.”

I pulled her right onto my lap, where she curled up with her head tucked under my chin.

“I fucked it up,” she said once she was able to form words.

“You didn’t fuck anything up. By all accounts, you encountered the other biggest asshole at this conference.” This time, I wasn’t around to protect her. “It’s a good thing Sam was there, honestly,” I said, stroking her hair. “If it were me, I’d probably be in a jail cell.”

She let out a choked laugh, then she sat up, looking into my eyes. “Jamie, I was meeting with a woman named Natasha from Empire Building.”

My stomach tensed. I knew her. She was sharp. Brilliant.

Kind of like Sarah.

I nodded. “I see.”

“Do you know her?”

I hesitated.

“Of course you do. Well, she was going to offer me a job.”

Empire had offices in major cities. Not Quince Valley. That tightness worsened.

“She already offered me the job, yesterday. I…” Sarah looked up at me sheepishly. “I didn’t tell you. But now… now that’s in the toilet. She knows I was fooling around with someone last night. In public. Not exactly professional behavior. And worse, she knows I don’t know how to stand up for myself. That when I get challenged, I turn into a wobbly kid again, forgetting everything I know.”

Sarah dissolved into tears again, and I kissed her forehead, telling myself this wasn’t about me and my panic that she’d been planning on taking a job somewhere far away from me. That was what I’d wanted before this weekend. That was still what was best.

I was sure. Wasn’t I?

“Sarah,” I said. “I’ve never known you to not know what to say.”

She snorted. “Right. So why did my talk improve a thousand-fold after you helped me?”

I brushed a strand of hair from her face. “That’s all just tricks. Body language. Voice control. Drama. To make people think they’re being entertained instead of lectured. You had all the right words. You knew exactly what to say.”

She still looked dubious.

“What about when you confronted me? You got me to spill shit I planned on taking to my grave.”

“Like what?” she whispered.

“Like how I never wanted to hurt you. How I’d do anything to protect you.”

Sarah studied me for a moment, then brought her hands to my face, drawing her fingers down my temples. “I don’t want this to be just for this weekend,” she whispered.

My chest pinched, like something had clamped on to my heart. I didn’t, either. Not at all. But my feelings didn’t matter here. I’d had my life.

“Seamus is getting married,” I said, cupping her hand to my face.

She smiled. “That’s great.”

---