Page 7 of Whatever You Need

She rolled her eyes. “I can tell you’re deflecting, so give me some juice.”

I looked down at my coffee and tried to keep my voice even. “There isn’t much to tell, and he wasn’t the one who rescued me, it was the other cop.”

She coughed out a laugh and shook her head. “Only you that would happen to.”

“Even if I did find him attractive, so what? It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.” I looked down, not wanting to acknowledge how much that thought disappointed me.

She arched an eyebrow. “That’s too bad because your eyes light up when you think about him.”

I needed to shut this conversation down. If she sensed how hard I was crushing on the poor guy, she would never shut up about it. “My eyes do not light up.”

She sat up and practically bounced in her seat. “I bet you went home and fantasized about him last night too, didn’t you?”

“You’re ridiculous.” I scoffed, not bothering to even deny it. She was right. I went home and tossed and turned all night. No matter how exhausted I felt or how comfortable my mattress was, I could not get to sleep. My mind kept conjuring up images of him and those handcuffs. And there wasn’t a chance in hell that I would ever admit any of that to her.

“Oh, this is awesome.” She clapped and squealed like a young child who was just told she’s going to Disney World. She reached into her purse to pull out her phone charger. “There has to be a way to find out his name,” she said while plugging the charging unit into the wall.

If my head wasn’t already pounding so badly, I would have banged it on the table.

“Ava.” I put my hand out and told her with the same level of patience that she used with her five-year-old daughter. “Enough already! Okay.”

She pulled her phone close to her face so she could see the screen better. “What was the other officer’s name?” She all but ignored my request and I wanted to roll my eyes for the tenth time today.

“I don’t remember.” And that was the truth. Even if I did, there was no way I would contribute to her little Nancy Drew fantasy.

She set her phone down and sighed. “Well, there goes that idea.”

My cell vibrated on the table, Owen’s name flashed across the screen. I hit decline and put my ringer on silent.

Ava stared at me for a long moment while sipping her coffee.

“Just say it,” I said, feeling my good mood evaporate. The sadness in her eyes got me every time. This topic made me uncomfortable, but there was no avoiding it with her. She hated this for me.

She flattened her lips and tilted her head to the side. “I hate the thought of you being miserable for the rest of your life.”

I shrugged, trying to ignore the sting from her words. Although the thought of being stuck with Owen was pretty depressing. “Ava, this is what I want. My job makes me happy.”

“Okay, so I guess we are going there. Have you and Owen made a decision yet?”

Owen and I had a long and complicated history. Even though we haven’t been a couple (I use that term loosely) since we were in high school, it was always expected that the two of us would marry. It didn’t matter that I didn’t love him or that we could barely stand each other. My fate would be sealed the day I decided to step into my grandfather’s role.

My fingers folded around the cup, thinking about the meeting that I was headed to after I was done with my coffee. “No. We haven’t. Maybe this is the closest I’ll ever get to a real relationship. Owen and I are both on the same page about what this is. We aren’t in love, and I don’t think we ever will be. Going through with this would be the smartest choice and the best option for me career-wise.”

I hated admitting that out loud, but considering our families’ close ties, this entire arrangement made sense. Owen needed to clean up his playboy reputation, and I had to follow through with my obligation to my family.

I glanced at the time and quickly gathered my things. “Shit. I gotta go. I’m going to be late.” I stood up to throw away my tray and pulled her into a hug. “Try not to worry too much, okay?” I pulled back and held her at arm’s length. “And next time you want to have a girls’ night out, we are skipping the bar and going to the spa instead.”

She laughed as I looped my arm in hers and strolled out of the cafe.

* * *

I slippedinside the conference room without a minute to spare. Thankfully, I had everything I needed in my messenger bag and was able to avoid a trip up to my office. I quickly grabbed a bottle of water, pulled my tablet out, and silenced my cell phone.

“I appreciate you allowing my private equity firm to perform the due diligence on the Autograph Hotels,” said Michael Slate, from Black Heart Capital Management. He sat at the end of the conference room table, flipping through the pages of a thick, spiral bound business proposal.

“Mr. West, Mr. Eastan,” he addressed my grandfather and his business partner, while Owen and I sat off to the side taking notes. “The two of you have built a very profitable business. My financial team did a thorough examination of your books, and we think your company would be a tremendous addition to our Titan brand of hotels. As you know, Titan enjoys an incredible reputation in the luxury hotel demographic, and we think their addition to the portfolio would drive our growth strategy and complement the tremendous brand your family has built over the last forty years.”

Owen and I shared a glance. This meeting was bullshit. Our grandfathers scheduled this meeting to prove they meant business. Either we agreed to their terms and married or they would sell the company.

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